Chaos's Horsemen

Farewell

Carter squinted at the sword in the girls hand, finding it odd for some reason. "Is that....made of bone!" He asked in surprise, a little grossed out at the idea, just as ten monsters burst into the clearing.

Percy's blood went cold, he finally recognized the girl with the blonde hair and bone sword. He had fought next to her for years, bled with her, and finally kissed her underwater. The girl, was Annabeth.

With a roar that put the monsters growls to shame, Percy burst through the dome and into the clearing. The monsters turned to him in surprise, their instincts telling them that this target was more important than the half dead girl they had been chasing for three days. With glowing eyes the studied the boy before them, surprised to see that he didn't look like as dangerous as their instincts told them he was. He wore a simple black shirt, jeans, and two swords strapped to his back. He had black hair that swept across his forehead, and solid green eyes that regarded the monsters with hate. The monsters grew confident, reassured by the boys looks that he wasn't that dangerous. That's when his aura hit them. Most demigods had a subdued aura, one that felt like their parents essence, and some of the demigods had auras so subdued that it was barely recognizable. This big was not one of those ones. His aura felt like none that the monsters had ever felt before. It felt massive and oppressing, and mostly empty but dotted with a giant flashes of light that felt like they were burning the monsters. But that wasn't all; a part of his aura also felt like a son of Poseidon's, but ten times as powerful. It felt like a massive sea that raged and tore away at rock, straining to reach out and crush these monsters.

Before the monsters could fully comprehend just how deadly this boy truly was, he had drawn his two swords and impaled four of them, while the other six suddenly felt their bodies fill with water, drowning them. Two seconds was all it took for Percy Jackson to kill ten monsters, it was good to be home.

Percy was abut to turn and tell a joke to Carter, who had come out to help if Percy needed him to, when Annabeth groaned and fell down.

Percy rushed to her side, turning the girl so that she was laying on her back. "What are you doing out her alone!" He demanded, propping Annabeth against a tree so that she was sitting upright.

Annabeth stared at her savior in awe, her pain preventing her from seeing that it was Percy. "Who are you?" The fevered girl asked, excitement lacing her words. "You saved my life, killed those monsters so easily!"

"Oh Annabeth, has it been so long that you've forgotten me?" Percy asked sadly, cupping her cheek with his hand.

Annabeth placed her hand against his, straining to fight through the pain. "Do I know you?" She asked, trying so hard to remember.

Percy felt a tear trace its way down his cheek, falling for this girl that had broken his heart. "Once long ago, we were best friends," he told the dying girl, watching her mind work so fast in its last minutes to remember.

"I can't remember you!" Annabeth cried out, suddenly crying. "I can't remember," she quietly sobbed, clutching her hand to a wound that she had gotten the day before. "I-I-I was looking for someone; are you who I was looking for?" She stared at Percy so fiercely, her old fire still lighting her eyes.

"Yes, yes I was," Percy whispered, wiping a tear away from her cheek.

"Percy," Annabeth whispered, capturing his hand in a gentle grip. "I've searched so long for you, so so long. You weren't suppose to leave, and I wasn't suppose to be so stupid. I was suppose to love you forever, and you were meant to be here forever. How did I mess up so much?" She asked sadly, staring at his hands, almost as if they would disappear if she looked away.

"I am so sorry that I left," Percy said, knowing that it was partially true. "I promise to never leave your side again," he said, bringing her hand to his face to place a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

"Good," she muttered, staring at the spot where his lips had touched her fingers. "Because I have to tell you something."

"What, what do you need to tell me?" Percy asked, sensing that her time was drawing to an end.

Annabeth opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a tortured scream, the pain finally breaking through the shock and adrenaline that has gripped her body for the past three days, ever since that first monster had thrust a claw into her side.

Percy clutched her hand, convinced that if he held tight enough he would be able to keep her anchored to the mortal world. "No, don't go. I just got you back, I'm not losing you again!" He cried, begging her to stay alive.

"Percy Jackson, so kind and heroic," she whispered, placing a hand gently over the two of his that clutched her other hand. "Even after all the pain I caused you, you still love me. You will be the greatest of us, and you will save us all," she looked at him, her eye full of love for this man that had already done so much for them, but she knew that his trials were not over yet. "Take my body back to camp, find Marisa and give me to her. She will tell you what I needed to tell you," the girl said, bringing his head down to hers so that she could kiss him one last time. "The only way I ever wanted to die, kissing you," she murmured, amused despite the pain. Percy chuckled, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"You always were the bravest demigod," he said, smiling as she took his hand and placed it over her heart. He could feel it beating, seeming to struggle to keep going. "You were also the most stubborn. Always had a plan, and if it didn't go exactly as you wanted, you'd make it," Percy felt another sob rise in his chest as her heart stopped for a second, almost ready to give up, but he kept talking with a smile on his face. "So come on Wise Girl, let's see that stubborn side. Don't you dare die now!" He watched as she started to breath slower, a content smile on her face. Then, her eyes closed as one of Percy's tears fell onto her chest, which had just stopped moving. Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, was dead.

Percy didn't know if he wanted to cry, scream, or kill something. Finally deciding that none of those would be useful, he lifted his friends body into his arms. When he had seen her with another guy, Percy had been furious. He had wanted to strike out and hurt someone, but instead he had left. Once he had cooled down, he knew that he wasn't angry at her, he still loved her too much to be angry with her. He would never hate her either, that was the curse he got for having the fatal flaw that he had. Loyal unto the end.

And now, she was dead in his arms. He felt a hand touch his shoulder, a gentle and tentative hand. He smiled through the tears, knowing that this was Janette's hand. Another had touched his other shoulder, this one strong but slim. He knew this was Allis's hand, the hand of a warrior and a friend. Carter just placed a hand on Allis's shoulder, showing his support for his grieving friend.

"We should take her to camp, find this Marissa she spoke of," Percy said, dreading his return to the place where he used to love going.

"Are you sure? We could wait for awhile if you're not ready," Allis said, concern lacing her words.

Percy smiled at his friends, "Yeah, I'm sure. It's better that we get this done right away. Then, we can find the other people that Chaos mentioned."

Together, the friends set off towards Camp Half-blood.