ELAPSE | PJO

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 5

"Me too." Percy frowned. "But I still don't know where we'll go. What if we don't even have to leave Camp's borders?"

Annabeth smiled. "Well, first things first. We have to get rid of the Eidolons. If we're right about them, maybe a hint, or clue or something will lead us in the right direction."

Percy nodded. "This is probably the easiest 'prophecy' we've ever had to interpret."

"Easy?" Past Percy groaned. "What have I gotten myself into?"

The rest of the campers stared blankly at the two teenagers.

Annabeth looked at Luke. "Luke, is there anything you'd like to add?"

Percy looked seriously at him as well.

Luke furrowed his brow. "Me?"

"I don't see another Luke."

Luke looked at Annabeth in disbelief. "I am so confused right now."

Past Annabeth stepped up next to Luke. "Why would he have anything to add?"

"Nothing," Annabeth muttered. "Nevermind. I think we've got it. Chiron?"

Chiron recovered from his speechlessness. "Yes?"

"We'll talk more later. I think that's enough for tonight."

Chiron nodded. "Yes. Yes, of course. Goodnight, campers."

He failed to say anything else as he galloped towards the Big House, silent in thought.

Percy faced the sea of demigods. "Well? Off to bed, don't let the harpies get you!"

The group laughed and began splitting up.

Luke gestured for Past Percy to follow him and they headed to the cabins, talking animatedly.

Past Annabeth stayed behind.

Percy and Annabeth faced the fire, waving off the Demeter kid who offered to put it out. "I'll take care of it," Percy promised.

Past Annabeth approached the two, her jaw set and her steps purposeful.

Percy turned to face her. "Hello, Mini Annabeth."

Annabeth laughed. "I wouldn't want to be called that, which means she doesn't want to be called that."

Percy held up his hands. "Okay, okay. Just hello, then."

Past Annabeth allowed herself to smile a small smile.

But it soon fell, and she became serious. "Why do you keep singling out Luke?"

Percy and Annabeth looked at each other.

To put it simple, they didn't have an answer. Percy knew that things with him were...complicated. But both he and Annabeth wanted to do this right. And that meant using every advantage they had.

Luke knew things. They hadn't expected him to say anything, but it didn't hurt to try.

Percy was tempted to change Luke, to explain to him what was to happen, turn him over to side with Olympus.

He knew all too well that it wouldn't matter. It happened, and nothing could change it. Not even a trip to the past.

Annabeth lowered herself onto a nearby log. "We werent singling him out."

Percy took a seat next to her.

Past Annabeth narrowed her eyes at her older self. "Why are you lying to me?"

Annabeth ground her teeth. "I haven't lied. Some things are just...better kept secret."

Percy gave Past Annabeth a sympathetic look. "We didn't expect to be thrown six years into the past today, Annabeth. Let us get used to it, maybe save the world a few times before things make sense, okay?"

Past Annabeth was silent for a long time.

"I'm not dumb," she started. "Something is...wrong with you two." She turned to look at Annabeth. "What happened? You don't seem like this is a chance for you to do great things, to make a difference. You both act like this is the last thing you want to be dealing with. What...what happened to me? To us?"

Annabeth grabbed Percy's hand, not unnoticed to Past Annabeth.

"Look. I was once there myself. And...it's great, to feel that thrill, be praised by mom. I just...don't feel the same."

Past Annabeth was staring at their intertwined hands intently. "Why?"

Annabeth looked at her last self and smiled sadly. "That's not for me to tell."

Past Annabeth sat still for a few minutes. The tree's shadows curled around them, and the moon shown bright.

"Okay," she finally breathed. "I get it. Some things are better kept secret," she repeated.

Then she smiled. "But seriously, what's all this about Gaia? And Camp Jupiter? And how does it go with my mom? What about you, Percy? Why are you so..."

Percy laughed. "So what?"

Past Annabeth flushed. "So...different."

"Like we said––things happened." Percy smiled. "Annabeth never let me see her like this," he gestured at the young girl, "when we were twelve years old."

Annabeth punched him.

Past Annabeth took a deep breath. "Sorry. It's just––crazy. I've waited for as long as I can remember to get a quest...and I realize that you might disagree. But..." She paused. "I haven't lived your––my––life yet. I can't really change."

Annabeth smiled at her. "It just dawned on me how creepy it is looking at myself."

The three began laughing.

When they'd settled down, Annabeth was a bit more grim.

"Listen. I'll tell you right now that you have more than enough ahead of you. Just don't expect everything to work out, okay? Because, yeah, things happen. And Percy and I know better than anyone that the majority of those things aren't great."

Past Annabeth nodded, soaking up everything they said. Then she looked at Percy.

"How––?"

Percy raised an eyebrow.

Past Annabeth pointed her finger at them. "How did...when––actually, I'm not even going to ask."

She stood up and brushed her shorts off, missing the smile they exchanged.

"Do you guys know where you're sleeping tonight? I'm sure Luke could find space in the Hermes cabin."

Percy put an arm around Annabeth's shoulders. "Sorry, Past Annabeth. We already know who our parents are."

it sounds so weird for percy to call her past annabeth in dialogue.

so, have you gotten confused by their names yet ? i get confused myself. i hope it's not too much of an issue.

what do ya think so far ?

here, have a blue cookie.

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( • . •)
/ >🍪

( pretend it's blue, use your imagination )

peace out in demigodishness and all that,

~ grace 💙🍪💙🍪💙🍪💙🍪💙