The Tail

Captured

Annabeth's POV

I watched as a fiery Leo ran around singing "This Boy is On Fire" while running away from Frank. Apparently, Leo had set Frank's pants on fire in the middle of archery lessons. Hazel was running after them trying to get them to stop. Jason started howling with laughter again when Frank pinned Leo down and started shape shifting into different amimals. Leo was repeatedly squashed underneath elephants, eagles, horses, and for some reason a bunny. Leo threw a small fire ball at Jason and yelled, "Shut up Sparky!"

Jason growled. The fireball barely missed Jason's eyes and instead set his hair on fire. Jason sprang into the fight and soon it was a free for all between the three boys. Piper sighed and sat down next to me. "Missing Percy?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "It's just hard. We haven't been apart for almost 5 months." Piper nodded understandingly.

"I just miss him so much but I know Sally and Paul need to spend some time with him too."

"Aw, don't worry Wise Girl. I miss you too!" A familiar voice spoke up causing everyone in the vicinity to freeze. We all turned toward the Iris Message simultaneously and gasped. I expected to see Percy standing there with his usual lopsided grin but what I did NOT expect was Percy in a cave of some sort in a deep pool of sea water. Except it wasn't exactly Percy. His upper half was still him, usual sparkling sea green eyes, tanned body and midnight black hair. His lower half however was... A fish tail. A 7 foot long dark sea green tail that ended in a pointy ocean blue fluke. My boyfriend had a mermaid tail.

"Dude, you have a mermaid tail!" Leo screamed waving his arms around.

"Excuse me, it's a MERMAN tail!" Percy said indignantly.

I stuttered, "P-Percy? I-Is that you?" He grinned his usual trouble maker grin.

"In the flesh! And I suppose the scales. I can't believe I actually made the great Annabeth Chase stutter!" He yelled triumphant. His voice was so loud he could have been standing right next to me.

I winced but continued, "Well, I didn't expect my boyfriend to have a fish tail! How...?" I didn't get to finish the sentence because Percy called out over his shoulder.

"Girls! Can you come out and explain for me?" Four girls about our age walked out of the shadows.

"Percy? Who are they?" Jason whispered suspiciously.

"Don't worry guys. They're friends! Cleo is Paul's niece. The one we came to visit. But more importantly, they're mermaids." Percy exclaimed. I studied their features. Almost all of them had light blond hair except for one, who had curly dark brown hair. I recognized her as Cleo, Paul's niece. The girls jumped into the pool too and instantly turned into mermaids. They had golden orange tails and matching tops. Unlike Percy's tail, they had dolphin shaped flukes instead of Percy's pointy ones. They waved and introduced themselves as Cleo, Emma, Rikki, and Bella.

"So, Perce. You were going to explain?" Frank prompted a grinning Percy.

"They can do it better than I can." He gestured towards the four.

"That's no surprise." I told him smiling.

"Anyway," Cleo started in an Australian accent. "This pool. It's magical...." Throughout the story. Our jaws dropped even more which is a pretty surprising feat considering we lived in a world of mythology.

"So, it turned all of you into mermaids? And a merman!" Frank yelped when Percy glared at him. I stifled a laugh. Oh, Seaweed Brain...

"Yeah, basically." Percy continued as if nothing had happened. "Don't worry Annabeth. I'm still the same Kelp Head you know and love. You know.... Besides the fact I grow a tail when I get wet."

"Way to ruin the moment Percy!" I teased him.

"Well... I tried." Percy shrugged. I laughed for the first time since he had left. I wanted so much to lunge across the IM and kiss him but that would only cut the connection. I was startled out of my thoughts at the sound of Nico walking toward us.

"Hey!" He called. "Annabeth, Chiron wants to see you and the rest of the Seven! And who are you talking to? Is that Percy?" He walked toward the Iris Message.

"Um... Nico? I wouldn't do that if I we-" Hazel didn't finish her sentence because Nico shrieked with surprise.

"Agghh! Percy's being eaten by a giant fish! Hold on Perce!" Before we could stop him, he had already shadow traveled away. A few moments later, Nico had reappeared in the Iris Message, jumping out of the shadows of the volcano. He ran and leapt straight into the pool yelling that he would save Percy. Nico sank like a stone and Hazel cried out worriedly. Percy immediately dove after Nico and his tail was the last thing we saw.

Hazel sobbed in anguish staring at the place was her brother dissappeared. The four mermaids were white with shock and were taking turns trying to find them. We waited with bated breath. After what felt like an eternity, the Moon Pool bubbled. Percy shot out of the water with Nico in his arms. He laid Nico gently on the sandy stone. He performed CPR by pressing on his chest. Finally, Percy held his hand over Nico's mouth. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Water flew out of the Nico's throat and we sighed in relief. Nico raised his head wearily and blinked a few times.

"Did I save you?" He asked Percy coughing weakly.
Percy smiled relieved.

"You idiot, Death Breath! I wasn't eaten by a fish! I AM part fish!" Nico stared at Percy's magnificent tail. After Percy finished explaining to him, he blushed dark pink. He reappeared at our side only to see Jason, Leo, Frank, Piper, and even Hazel laughing with amusement.

"Shut up." I couldn't hold back a grin. "Anyway," he grumbled, "Chiron wants to see you." He trudged away murmuring under his breath.

"What a guy." Percy laughed on the Iris Message. Cleo and Emma were smiling while Bella and Rikki were openly laughing. After we had all calmed down, Piper whispered, "We'll leave you two alone." She walked away in the direction Nico went in. Leo waved to Perce and ran after her. The rest soon followed.

"Erm, it was nice to meet you and all, but we're gonna go now!" Emma exclaimed and dove into the water swimming away followed by her friends. I was left alone with Percy.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain. How are you doing?" I asked concerned.

"Fine. Just getting used to this." He replied and flipped his tail fin so it splashed water.

"It's not easy you know," He told me grinning. "This tail weighs a lot!" I laughed. I stared into his beautiful sea green eyes and he stared into my gray ones.

"I miss you Percy. It's so hard, being without you." I whispered.

"Don't worry, Annabeth. I'll be back soon. Stay saf-"

I whipped around when I heard Hazel scream and Frank yell. I faintly heard Piper charmspeaking and the crackle of thunder and saw a flash of lightning as Jason vaporized a monster.

"Percy! I'll be back!" I yelled and ran toward my friends. I faintly heard Percy scream, "Annabeth!" But I ignored him. I saw Nico running back toward me and I joined him. We arrived in a slightly burnt clearing to find no trace of our friends. I unsheathed my drakon bone sword and held it in front of me cautiously. Nico took out his stygian iron sword and summoned some skeletons to our aid. I whipped around when a twig snapped to find 3 laistygonian Giants. I readied my sword to fight but the back of my head exploded with pain. I fell to the floor, my eyes closing. I mumbled one last thing before blacking out.

"Percy...."

Percy's POV

I stared after her as Annabeth ran toward the forest her blonde curls flying behind her.
I shouted, "Annabeth!" But she was already gone. After waiting for 15 minutes, I raised my hand to swipe across the Iris Message but before I could, I spotted a large mass coming from the woods. It stopped in front of IM to reveal that it was 7 laistygonians holding all of my friends unconscious. Leo, Frank, Hazel, Piper, Jason, Nico, and the last was Annabeth. My heart sank as I watched the largest giant holding a familiar bone sword in his meaty fist stalking toward me.

"Perseus Jackson," He rumbled. "Prometheus sends his regards. Give yourself up if you want your friends back alive." And with that, he swiped his hand across the screen, cutting the connection.