No Matter The Form

Percy's Past

A boat hit the shore I stood on. Inside was a man, Charon. He held out his hand to me and instinctively I reached into my pocket for Riptide.

However instead I found both Ripetide and a coin. A drachma.

I grabbed it and handed it to him.

He looked at it and nodded. I grabbed the edge of the boat and climbed in. Despite the atmosphere between us being so tense, neither of us spoke until we reached the shore.

I climbed out the boat.

"Perseus Jackson." I turned and looked at Charon.

"Good luck." He said and he grabbed his paddle, pressing it against the ground by my feet and pushing off, his boat sinking back into the mist that floated over the river.

I clenched Riptide in my fist and walked up to the palace, a pair of gates stood in front of me, guarded by Cyberos. I smiled and nodded at him.

Normally I would have liked to throw a ball for him or something, but not today. I was in a haze, barely hanging on to my sanity and masking my emotions. If a single one was let out, I might just break down.

No. I would break down.

I walked past the gates and an undead soldier walked up to me, grabbing me by the arm and leading me away.

I didn't react, rather just let him pull me along and I stumbled in a room with a table sitting high above me.

Dark figures loomed down over the tops of the desk and hissed.

"Perseus Jackson, you need not much of our judgment. We are judgment and you have been deemed fit to rest in Esylem, great and honorable hero." They hissed this out together.

I stood there, staring at them. Not sure what to do.

Finally one waved their hand and the soldier that led me here, grabbed my arm. More gently this time though, knowing who i was and where I was destined to be.

I let him pull me away again and eventually we arrived in front of a pair of golden gates.

I reached out slowly and took one in my hand. Slowly I yanked it open and inside revealed a bright landscape, it filled my heart with warmth. I walked inside.

There was a flash of grey. I looked in the direction of the stormy gray. There it was again. Swirling gray storm that twisting in turned in her eyes. Annabeth's lovely eyes.

She looked and me and it was like a spell was broken. My dazed state wore off and I ran. She ran as well, but we suddenly stopped.

Inches apart, we gazed into each other's eyes. We could have stood like that for seconds, minutes, hours, years even, before Annabeth spoke.

"Percy?" Her voice wobbled.

"I'm here." I said.

"I thought I was going to have to spend so many years her without you." She whispered.

"I'll never leave you Annabeth. I love you." I said.

Then she reached up her hand and slowly put her hand on my face. A tear escaping her eye.

"I love you too." She said.

Her hand touched my cheek and she collapsed, a sob escaping her lips and I caught her.

I lowered us to the ground, I sat and Annabeth wrapped her arms around me, sobbing and clutching me as if I would leave her at any moment. I brushed through her hair with my fingers and laid my head on hers.