Percabeth Versus Everyone Else!

Riptide

The look on her face was heartbreaking. Her eyes weren't sparkling and lively anymore, they were dull and dark. The fear that Hazel felt when she saw them was no longer from their fierceness, but from their brokenness. She clutched his necklace in her hands, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her breath was shaky, but she wasn't crying. Not yet. Piper was. The tears streaming down her face were silent and steady, but the expression on her face was different. It wasn't the pain of it all. It was the shock that this could and did happen twice. The reality hadn't set in properly.

Annabeth's dress was torn. She had insisted on sea green, not white, because it was her favourite colour, because it matched his eyes. She could still fight in it, as a precaution. They'd chosen to have it on the beach. They couldn't have it inside because of Sally and Paul, and no one thought anything would happen. Hazel closed her eyes, and she saw it again. The monster's talon slicing through him. Annabeth's screams. Those screams would haunt her nightmares.

She and Piper had taken her up. She was weak and stunned, but when they reached the cabins she had walked straight over to number three, and sat down against the wall, staring at what used to be his bunk. They'd left Frank down there. He would have to bring up the body. Hazel choked back a sob when she thought of it. Frank, all alone, no Leo, because he'd been injured badly, and no-

Jason. At least he'd be waiting down there for him. At least he wouldn't be alone.

The sound of hooves broke Hazel out of her thoughts. Chiron bent low through the door, holding something in his palm. "I'm so sorry Annabeth. If I had only brought my arrows with me..." A dark shape ducked behind him through the cabin, and Hazel realised it was Malcolm. He sat down gently next to Annabeth, and she buried her head in his shoulder. "I think he would have wanted you to have this." Chiron said, handing something to Malcolm. He gently pressed it into Annabeth's free hand and she gripped it tightly. "May the gods have mercy on him." Chiron whispered, then left. He had barely gone two metres when Annabeth broke into sobs, and the sound twist the dagger in Hazel's heart even more.

"It's my fault!" she choked. "Thalia, Luke, Percy! I do this to them!"

"No." Hazel said. "No you don't, Annabeth. It's not you. Blame whoever sent the monsters near the camp, blame the titans, blame the gods but don't blame yourself!"

Annabeth's sobs turned quiet. "I could do it." she whispered. "It's not like it hasn't been done before. I could do it and succeed." She pushed herself up, off the wall and started muttering something to herself. The look in her eyes was different, and Hazel couldn't explain it.

"Annabeth?" she asked. "What are you doing?" Annabeth ignored her, and turned to Piper.

"You could come with me. We could save him too."

Realisation flashed through Piper's eyes. "Do you think he'd want to see me again? He'll have moved on, I don't - "

"Of course he will. Please." Piper nodded.

"No." Hazel said. She understood now. "No. You can't, Annabeth."

"Why not? Why can't I? I've done so much for the gods, and this is how they repay me? No, I refuse. I'm doing this. I'm Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, architect and saviour of Olympus! I've sailed the sea of monsters and held up the sky! I navigated the labyrinth, fought Kronos and defeated Arachne. I fell into Tartarus and survived! I've been to Hades before. I can do it again."

"Annabeth. What are you going to do?"

She smiled, and Hazel realised what the look in her eyes was. It was hope. Crazy, insane hope. The kind that you know is irrational and stupid, but is there anyways. Annabeth held out her hand and opened her palm. There, blue and sleek, was Riptide.

"Isn't it obvious?" she whispered.

"Orpheus."

A/N so this is a bit different. sorry for the hiatus (again). i know it's kinda short but hehehe paaaaiiiiinnnn