(A/N: This is the first chapter of The Last Olympian. We're on the home stretch now. Hope you enjoy. XxD)
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Cressida didn't understand why Percy always had to be a martyr, especially so soon after her birthday and so close to his. Then again, she did the same thing. The only reason she wasn't going was because her brother had begged her not to. Pollux wasn't going to lose his only sibling to a hail-mary mission to hopefully increase their chances of winning this war. If they were going down, they'd go down in the big battle and they'd take Kronos down with them.
But no matter what Cressida and Annabeth said to Percy, they couldn't stop him from going with Beckendorf.
Which is why when word of Percy's arrival on the beach reached the two girls, they were sprinting towards the beach with Chiron at their side - or at their front.
"Percy!" he said. "Thank the gods. But where ..." The centaur trailed off as he realised what happened and the girls finally caught up with him.
Sure Percy had seen Cressida a couple of weeks ago but his heart always did a little relay race in his chest when he saw her. Her hair was piled on her head in a bun as the grey streak wrapped around it, and she was dressed in flip-flops, dirty bike shorts and a camp half-blood tank top. She was probably wrestling with her brother again. They'd been doing so many combat missions and lessons lately that they hardly had the time to care about what they looked like - not that she needed to.
And as if Percy didn't need to feel more fuzzy in the head, when her indigo eyes zeroed in on him, they were flooded with relief as she threw her arms around him.
"You're ok," she breathed as he hugged her back, the girl still smelling like grapes despite being covered in dirt.
"What happened?" Annabeth asked as she grabbed Percy's arm once they'd pulled away. "Is Luke-"
Even a year later, the topic of Luke had been one to avoid, especially between Percy and Annabeth because Annabeth looked like she was about to kill him and not in the cutsie way that Cressida did (because only Percy could find Cressida wanting to kill him cute), but in an actual she was going to kill him way.
"The ship blew up," Percy said. "He wasn't destroyed. I don't know where –"
Silena Beauregard pushed through the crowd. Her hair wasn't combed and she wasn't even wearing makeup, which wasn't like her. "Where's Charlie?" she demanded, looking around like he might be hiding and Percy glanced and Chiron helplessly.
The old centaur cleared his throat. "Silena, my dear, let's talk about this at the Big House –"
"'No," she muttered. "No. No."
She started to cry as everyone simply stood, too stunned to speak. They'd already lost too many people.
Finally, Clarisse from the Ares cabin came forward. She put her arm around Silena. They had one of the strangest friendships ever – a daughter of the war god and a daughter of the love goddess – but ever since Silena had given Clarisse advice last summer about her first boyfriend, Clarisse had decided she was Silena's personal bodyguard. Clarisse's voice was gentle as she spoke to Silena, much like how Percy had heard her speak to Cressida last summer when they dealt with Chris.
"Come on, girl," she said. "Let's get to the Big House. I'll make you some hot chocolate."
Everyone turned and wandered off in twos and threes, heading back to the cabins. Nobody was excited to see Percy now. Nobody wanted to hear about the blown-up ship.
"I'm glad you're not dead, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said as she wiped a tear from her cheek.
"Thanks. Me too."
Chiron put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you did everything you could, Percy. Will you tell us what happened?"
You could tell that Percy didn't want to go through it again, but he sighed as Cressida squeezed his hand supportively and began walking them through the story. And when he was done, you could see both the girls' faces go ashen.
Chiron gazed down at the valley. "We must call a war council immediately to discuss this spy, and other matters."
"Poseidon mentioned another threat," Percy said, "something even bigger than the Princess Andromeda. I thought it might be that challenge the Titan mentioned in my dream."
The girls and Chiron exchanged glances as if they knew something Percy didn't, and though he hated it when they did that, it was not unusual for them to know more than him. Cressida for instance had been serious about signing him up for Greek History class every day he was there.
"We will discuss that also," Chiron promised.
"One more thing." Percy took a deep breath. "When I talked to my father, he said to tell you it's time. I need to know the full prophecy."
Chiron's shoulders sagged, but he didn't look surprised. "I've dreaded this day. Very well. Annabeth, we will show Percy the truth – all of it. Let's go to the attic."
"I'll gather the council," Cressida said and the centaur nodded.
"But-"
"I know you're in love with me, Fish Face," Cressida teased with a grin, "But surely you can last ten minutes without me."
And she jogged off towards the cabins as Percy's cheeks turned red and Annabeth rolled her eyes as she smacked the back of his head. "Ogle Grapes later, it's only the whole world we have to save."