Now a legend
I stared at the shroud. I didn't know how to feel. It wasn't like I knew him personally. But he was after all my girlfriend's ex. She still cared for him. I didn't know how to feel about his death. I felt slightly guilty, that's what I was sure of. But was I sad? Happy? How was I feeling? It felt like I had a robe around my neck that kept tightening every time I thought of his death and the reason why he died. It was unfair. It could easily have been me. It could have been me who was obliterated into dust, by Zeus. I clenched my hands. After the shroud had been burned, I would have to go back to Olympus. I would sit with Apollo and Hypnos; I would sit with Athena and Psyche. They would help me extract memories that I don't remember. They would help me remember. Two days ago, I was being controlled. Apollo helped me endure it and from it and with Hypnos' - my father's - help, we learned that Uranus had been controlling us. We had figured he might go back to Earth, to reunite with his love. And if that was true, then we were all doomed. Percy was no longer here, and none of us were as powerful as him. The Gods would probably help us try to defeat him, but we still needed Percy. If he wasn't here, there was a good chance that we might lose the fight against the primordial.
I was told that once, Percy had died and then he crashed his own funeral. Was it bad that I hoped he would do it again? Was I a terrible person? I had been mad at Percy, not because I hated him, but I hated that my girlfriend still had feelings for him. Even though she kept telling me she loved me, I could still see that she loved Percy very much. And that stupid demigod returned the feelings, but he didn't act on them. He knew she had 'moved on'. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
I looked at the shroud. It was a nice sea green color; it would have matched his eyes if he were still here. In the middle of it a magnificent trident was sewn into the pattern. It looked pretty epic. There were also handsewn waves into it. It looked amazing. The weather was also great. The sun was shining, and the sky was blue. I guess Zeus had thought he'd be nice. The waves crashed softly almost sadly into the shore.
Every person that had showed up, did not wear black, for a fact, everyone who had showed up, wore something that somehow was linked to Percy. Something that would remind of him. The mortals - The Avengers Percy had befriended - all wore a necklace with two waves on and a trident. They stared sadly at the shroud. Sally who I had learned was Percy's mother, wore a full blue dress along with Paul who wore a blue suit and Estelle who had a white shirt on and a blue skirt. She was holding a single blue flower in her hand. I recognized it as a Forget Me Not. It was such a beautiful flower.
The demigods wore either blue clothes or they held something that represented Percy.
His cyclops brother, Tyson I think his name was, stood next to Poseidon who stared sadly at the shroud. We didn't even have a body. Zeus had turned Percy to dust. He had said that the wind carried him away.
I myself wore a blue buttoned up shirt that was stuck into my black pants. I didn't know Percy personally, but in the short amount of time that I knew him, I had grown to like him. I just hated that I didn't see past the fact that my girlfriend still loved him. I bet we could have been great friends.
They say his fatal flaw was personal loyalty. If it really was that, then Zeus should be ashamed of himself. That is probably why the God did not show up. He was too embarrassed to show his sorry face. I glanced around at the people who had showed up. Percy's family was here. The Avengers. The remaining Seven demigods. Chiron and most of the Olympians (Only Zeus did not show) and the whole Camp Half-Blood and some from Camp Jupiter. Grover Underwood was standing near the shroud, holding Juniper's hand as silent tears crawled down his cheeks. Juniper looked at Grover and tried to comfort him while she herself cried. It was quite amazing to watch. So many people had known Percy, and they all cared for him. Some more than others, but they cared. If it were me, only Annabeth might show for my funeral and that's if I'm lucky.
So many people had supported the hero. And now he was gone.
Annabeth stood next to me and glanced at her wristwatch. "They should have been here fifteen minutes ago," She muttered.
I looked at her, "I'm sure they're just late,"
She sighed," Maybe... But it's Nathan we're talking about, no one knows him enough to know if he'll actually show. And Big Bear? No one's ever met him, except for the Avengers, but that was only for a brief moment. They might not show and then we're standing here waiting for them in vain." She rambled.
I placed a hand on her shoulder. "But they might just show." I hoped. "If we start without them and they show up in the middle of it all... they might feel bad or betrayed. We don't want that. I don't want that." I told her. She slowly nodded and pulled her hand down her face.
"I'm tired," She muttered.
I chuckled, "You've also been working your ass off to make everything perfect for the funeral. You've been getting little to no sleep."
"You're right." She yawned, "After this, I am going to bed. I might cry myself to sleep, but I don't care, I need the sleep." She shrugged.
I nodded and smiled. My eyes caught movement to the right side of Annabeth, and I looked. A smile grew onto my face, and I nodded towards the two people walking towards the crowd. "Look who's come." I smiled.
She turned around and watched as Nathan and Big Bear walked up to her.
"Hello," Annabeth greeted the two.
Nathan nodded in response. His eyes were red, and he looked like he had gotten no sleep since the Gods had announced that Percy was gone. His hair was a mess and pointed out in funny ways. His shirt had been closed wrong, so it sat funny on him, and it was on the inside out. Big Bear looked slightly better, with kempt hair and his clothes sat perfect, but his eyes were also red and puffy, just like Nathan's.
"Hello," Big Bear greeted Annabeth, "Are you the famous Ms. Chase I have heard so much about?" He asked politely with a small smile.
Annabeth's eyes widened slightly and then she smiled, "Yes I am. Percy told you about me?" She asked curiously.
"Oh, yes. He wouldn't shut up about you sometimes," he chuckled and glanced around. "There's a lot of people here," He muttered.
"Yeah," Annabeth let out a breath, "Many people looked up to him." She smiled sadly. Big Bear nodded.
"Let's find a spot to sit on, I can't stand up more." Nathan spoke quietly for the first time since they had arrived. Big Bear nodded and took Nathan's arm and helped him over to a free spot. The son of Apollo swayed as he followed the man.
I stared at them for a minute before I moved my gaze to Chiron who stomped his hooves on the floor, gaining everyone's attention.
He cleared his throat. "Demigods!" He spoke loudly. "Mortals, Gods, friends and family..." He took a break to gather himself before he continued with wet eyes. "We... We are gathered here today, to honor a special man. He was only eighteen and taken from us far to soon." The old centaur spoke as he wiped away a tear. "Perseus Jackson was... special. He would hate for me to call him Perseus," the centaur chuckled. "He was a special boy. He arrived at camp after beating the Minotaur with no experience in fighting. He proved to be the son of Poseidon. One of the Big Three." Chiron looked over the people who was gathered. I shifted my weight to my other foot and took a deep breath. I grabbed Annabeth's hand and squeezed it.
"He was a hero indeed. If he was here, he wouldn't accept me saying this. He was selfless. He cared about others very, very much. Two years ago, we beat Gaea." Chiron said. "Two years ago, Percy decided, that he could not live here anymore, he wouldn't be happy. He needed a break. He... He wrote a note, telling us that he was going away. We accepted it. Turns out, he moved to Manchester, where he not only opened a bar called The Sea of Monsters, but he also got some great friends along the way." Chiron looked at Nathan and Big Bear and smiled. Nathan stared up at Chiron with empty eyes. "A few weeks ago, Percy was forced to go back to New York, as he was being chased by the Avengers, who later turned out to become his friends. He travelled all the way to Camp Half-Blood on his Pegasus Blackjack and with the help of Apollo. A minor accident happened along the way. He hurt Blackjack while he was experiencing a blackout. He had lived with those for quite a while, and thought nothing of it, because he probably figured it had something to do with all the wars. That his mind was sparing him from memories. Well... I wish it was that." Chiron told us honestly.
"He was being controlled. When he arrived at camp, he was filled with blood. We were so worried. Then Thor the Norse God of Thunder arrived, and Percy had to go talk to him. After that, he set fire to the stables. We did not know he was being controlled at the time, so I ba- I banished him." The centaur choked. "I regret it so much. Perhaps if I had not banished young Percy then, then this could have ended differently." He spoke. "I don't know where he went after that, but when we met again it was at his trials. He seemed confused, angry and... innocent. I regret it. I should have been there for him. I was his mentor. But I wasn't there. Percy fought bravely against the Gods in order to clear things up between him and us, but when we discovered he was being controlled. We decided he should get the help he needed, but before we got a chance to do so, Zeus had decided that Percy wasn't worth of living. He killed him." Chiron's voice broke and he took a small break.
I angrily wiped a tear away from my cheek.
"Percy was innocent, and I hate that we did not see it before. I regret everything. We failed him. We failed his mother. His father. His friends. His stepfather. His sister. We failed him. We failed Percy Jackson. We failed him when he needed us the most. So, I must ask of you, be happy, laugh, have fun. He would want that. And when the moment arrives when we go to war, you will fight just as bravely as Percy did when he was alive. Tomorrow, we will start preparing for the war. We will fight as bravely as he did. We will honor his memory and everyone else who have died in vain. He's looking over us, I know it." Chiron spoke. "Once a hero." Chiron looked over the demigods, mortals, and Gods. "Now a legend."