Awakened Memories

An Old (Really Old) Friend Comes To Visit

An Old (Really Old) Friend Comes To Visit

Annabeth

Riptide whipped through the air as I slashed at a dummy. Memories flashed through my mind as I trained. Some were good, some were bad.

"Exactly that. Riptide is my possession, so I can do with it what I want. It belongs to you know. Riptide is yours."

"Really?"

"Yep. Really. I want it to protect the person I love. I think it will. It's a part of me, and I want you to have a part of me. What do you think?"

"I don't know what to say. Thank you." I fumbled around my neck, feeling the need to give Percy something I cherished. Finally, I found it. My father's college ring. I slipped it off the cord and dropped it into Percy's hand. "Now you have a part of me, too."

His fingers curled around the ring and made a fist. When he opened his hand, the ring was gone. He pulled his camp necklace out of his shirt and held it out for me to see. My father's ring was strung on it, along with his beads from each summer. "Thank you."

I took a dagger from the wall and flicked it a dummy in the corner of the room.

"Poison on the dagger. Pretty stupid of me, huh?" Percy stood in front of me, his face worried. "You're cute when you're worried. Your eyebrows get all scrunched together." I said.

"You are not going to die while I owe you a favor. Why did you take that knife?"

"You would've done the same for me."

"How did you know?"

"Know what?"

Percy answered, "My Achilles spot. If you hadn't taken that knife, I would've died."

"I don't know, Percy. I just had a feeling you were in danger. Where . . . where is the spot?"

"The small of my back."

"Where? Here?" I put my hand over his back. He moved it until my hand touched the spot, and he shivered slightly.

"You saved me. Thanks."

I spun around, simultaneously kicking a dummy over and slicing off the head of another.

I leaned against Percy as we walked into the portal leading back into Camp Half-Blood. Percy carried Hylla's body. The war was over, but it hadn't finished without losses.

The waiting Amazons rushed me and I ducked under the first one's spear.

My memories came back and I froze mid step. Percy was missing, he had been for three years and I didn't even know. I was too obsessed with the fake, and I didn't believe the real him. He was probably dead, and I would never get to apologize.

Sotirios walked into the valley and I rushed up to him, hoping he had seen Percy and knew where to find him. He didn't. I stumbled away, close to tears.

Where was he?

The other Amazons lunged and I caught the hilt of the first one's sword with Riptide, flinging it from her hand.

We were riding a wave of campers as they carried us to the canoe lake. Percy and I held hands, laughing, even though his face was bright red. They dumped us into the lake and we sank to the bottom. Percy made an air bubble for us, and we had the best underwater kiss of all time.

"Annabeth?" A voice said and I whirled with Riptide. "Whoa!" Tammy's knife intercepted the sword and she used her free hand to grab my wrist. "It's just me, calm down."

My chest heaved as I took in deep breaths. I loosened my grip on Riptide. If Tammy hadn't blocked my strike, I might have killed her. "I—sorry. I didn't realize. Memories." I stuttered and capped Riptide, stuffing it into my pocket. "What's up?"

"Nothing, we were just worried. You've been spending all of your time in here, in your room, or outside. You barely talk to me or Tansy. It's been two years. You haven't led the Amazons since then. You've just told me what to tell them, and then left." She sheathed her knife. "You need to do something other than sulk."

"That's hard when I've been away from Percy for over a year, three times now. I'm not like you guys. I was never trained to harden my emotions and all that, to not love or whatever. I fell in love before I joined the Amazons." I shucked off my armor and wiped the sweat off of my neck. "You wouldn't understand."

"You're right, I wouldn't. But the Amazons need their leader. We need you. We need the real Annabeth."

I sighed and started to leave the training room. "Yeah, well, so do I."

I pushed open the door to my private room and tossed my armor on the floor. I dragged a hand across my face and sighed. Tammy was right. I needed to get back in the swing of things. I just didn't know where or how to start.

I jumped in the shower, hoping a nice hot shower would clear my mind. The water cascaded down my body and I enjoyed the feeling of it, the warm water making me think of Percy, and his connection to the sea.

I dried my hair and put it in a side braid after I dressed and made my way back into my room. The bed squeaked as I sat down on it, and held Riptide in my hands. I twirled the pen in my fingers, lost in thoughts of Percy. I fingered the grayish white orb around my neck, the one that Percy had given me four years ago. It seemed like a lifetime away. More than ever I was tempted to crush it and see Percy again. I knew I couldn't though. He would be happy to see me, but would then he give me another necklace and leave again.

I missed my Seaweed Brain, so much. Words couldn't describe how much I missed him. Every day without him was torture. I couldn't talk though, it had been a mere two years for me. It was twelve for Percy. It must be much harder for him.

I missed being able to sit by the sea with him, and to just talk. About our horrible luck, the monsters we've killed, all the wars, anything. Just talking with him. I missed waking up and seeing Percy, smelling the salty sea scent he always carried. His lopsided grin, his messy hair, his sea green eyes, I missed everything about him. I decided that I would sit by the sea, and hope that Percy or even Poseidon could offer me some guidance. I had just pulled on a jacket when I heard a familiar voice.

"Annabeth, it's been a long time. It's good to see you."

A smile spread across my face and I turned around to see my mentor. "Chiron!" I shrieked and threw myself into his embrace. The centaur chuckled and was knocked back a few steps. We had Iris-Messaged each other regularly, but I hadn't seen him in person in two years. "Why are you here? I've missed you." Being twenty-three now, I was taller and reached Chiron's shoulders. He didn't have to reach far to hug me.

"You're friends sent me an Iris-Message. I was more than happy to come." He smiled and held me at arms length, inspecting me. "How are you?" He asked, most likely having seen the circles under my eyes and the battered look in them.

"I'm okay. It's still hard that Percy has left."

"Camp Half-Blood has also felt the effects. The Stoll brothers haven't played as many pranks as they used to. Clarisse is back to her old self before Chris, just a small bit nicer. But do not worry, I believe in the Fates. Someday, he will be back again."

"I sure hope so. The Stolls still play pranks at almost twenty-three years old?"

"Amazingly, yes. I'm afraid to say that I bring bad news, though. Something has happened." Chiron's voice changed and sounded stressed.

I backed away, already alert. "What is it?"

"He's gone."