The Moon's Tide: Chapter 1

Percy stood in the middle of Olympus' Throne room, along with what's left of the seven. Jason stoically held a crying Piper, but he was on the verge of breaking down himself. Frank and Hazel were no better off, both of them teary eyed and shivering. But the worst was Percy, even though nothing streamed down his face, even though he stood strong and faced up, there were no one for him to hold on to. His Annabeth and Leo has destroyed Gaea, sacrificing herself in the process.

The Olympians were quiet, no celebration of victory, no boisterous boasting about their prowess. Even Ares couldn't muster a grin, the god of war who won a battle couldn't be happy about it. Every set of eyes looking down at the surviving demigods were grim, no one could say anything to pick up the mood.

"Demigods!" Zeus boomed, shaking everyone out of their stupor. "It has been a long day, I'm sorry to call this off early, but there will be no celebration tonight. This doesn't mean that Olympus won't recognized you for your heroics, but that's for another day until we all recover from this ordeal. Council dismissed!" With that he flashed away, no dramatic exits, even the light produced was barely bright enough to make anyone squint. But everyone saw a glimpse of tear in his eyes, so quick that they all waved that thought, the god of the sky wouldn't mourn his daughter's death in such an obvious fashion.

One by one the Olympians disappeared into their temple, the demigods left the halls and walked to the makeshift rooms prepared for them. Percy still stood there, looking forward, not moving a single inch. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and strong and comforting one, but his father went back into the ocean's depth. The air was still, no sounds were made, the constellations in the sky were dimmed, as to mourn with him.

A sob choked down, but it wasn't Percy's. He jerked his head toward the source, and there was Artemis in her human size sitting atop her giant throne. Her head buried in her knee and her slender arms wrapped around her legs.

'She looks so small,' he thought, 'So weak.'

Tentatively, he made his way over, step-by-step. He bowed at the goddess of the hunt, who was in a state less dignified than what her title would represent.

"Lady Artemis," he said, his head still lowered.

He felt a pair of silver eyes pierce him, his eyes rose up to meet her gaze. What he saw wasn't the eyes of a man-hating goddess that scrutinized his every being. Instead it was the eyes of a hurt maiden, someone who lost too much to have any other feelings than sadness. Her auburn hair usually in a ponytail was now covering her face, wet from her tears.

They looked at each other for a minute before Artemis too disappeared. He understood perfectly why she was feeling so sorrowful. Anyone would be after losing all of their friends at once, especially ones that have been with them for many millennia.

Percy cried in the throne room, away from everybody else. Tears streamed down his face and dropped on to the cold marble floor. He dropped to his knees, unable to cope with the previous events and unwilling to let go of the future he planned for two people. They were going to get married, have kids, and die of old age. She wasn't supposed to die in a battlefield, it's a cold place, a lonely death unfit for the love of his life. She was supposed to outlive him as she was always the smarter person making better decisions. He let out a scream so sorrowful that Olympus shook with him, every deity felt it, but none of them did anything but left the demigod to mourn. No one knew how long he stayed like that until he blacked out in exhaustion.

He woke up next to a crackling fire, its flame sending warmth out to every being on Olympus. The sun was at its highest point, shining light into the throne room from the opening in the ceiling. Hestia sat cross-legged across from him, tending to the hearth. She smiled warmly at Percy, who returned it with a solemn look.

"How are you feeling Percy?"

"…" The demigods took him time thinking about the answer, five minutes went by before he finally spoke up. "Lost."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hestia inquired, she knows confronting it isn't the safest route right now, but it's the one that will bring the most closure.

"My whole life up until yesterday was dictated by prophecies, it took away my freedom, sure, but it also gave me guidance. Annabeth was supposed to be my life after this, I made so much plans with her, but it just goes to show that anything the fate hasn't planned will never be concrete."

"It was actually three days ago, you've been asleep here for a long time. And I'm sorry Percy, but she made her decision and you have to see that it was as much for you as it was for the world."

"I know!" Tears streamed down him face again, "Do you know what she said to me before we went to battle? She said, 'whatever happens to any of us, the living one have to live happily and as long as possible.' She told me I have to be happy even if she's gone! And I don't know how to!"

"You can't rush happiness Percy, you have wait until it comes to you." Hestia stood up, hands outstretched. "Come, we have to give the dead their proper rites."

Percy took the goddess' hand and immediately they were both transported to Camp Half-Blood. People milled around, all with their own solemn faces, but there were only Greeks demigods, the Roman have been teleported back to their own camp for their own funeral rites. The only other divine being was Dionysus who have to watch over the camp, and Artemis who was mourning her hunters.

Each and every dead demigod was in shroud, with different colors depending on their godly origin. The largest group was wrapped in silver with a bow and hunting knife tied on top. But Percy's thoughts were somewhere else, he walked toward the only one shroud that mattered to him, Annabeth's.

It was made of a grey silk, with owls, and what surprised him the most, tridents embroidered upon the fabric in an effort to symbolized their love for each other. But Annabeth wasn't in there, her body was engulfed by Gaea without a single trace to recover. Percy cried again, he couldn't handle the prospect of a future without Annabeth, but he has to because of the promise he made to his love.

The rest of the ceremony went by like a blur, the only things that Percy really paid attention to was when he burnt his girlfriend's shroud, saying his last goodbye to what could've been. But the moment that broke the heart of many campers was when Artemis herself carried every single shroud of her hunter to the burial place, still dignified, but with tears streaming down her face. She set fire to her past comrade and disappeared, most likely to cry in peace.

Dinner that night was no less of a quiet affair, everyone quickly ate their food, gave offering to their parent, and disappeared into the cabins. Percy gave offerings to his father, Lady Hestia, and somewhat hesitantly, Lady Artemis.

Percy couldn't sleep, he tossed and turned in bed but to no avail, his mind didn't want to obey him. So, he went out for a walk to the lake nearby, hiding from the patrol harpies that might make him their dinner. A full moon was set over the water, reflected on its surface, stars and constellations were scattered around it, decorating the night sky.

He saw a familiar silhouette sitting on the river banks, she was no more than twelve, but he knew that her appearance did not reflect her age. Artemis stared out into the water, lost in her thought.

"I didn't know you like this spot too," Percy sat down beside her, careful to keep his distance.

"It's a good thinking spot." Artemis said solemnly

"What are you thinking about?"

"The universe is so large, the planet we stay on is still so small compared to it that I can't help but think that in the grand scale of things, even gods are specks of dust, unable to affect the mechanism of fate in the slightest. Why do mortal pray to such powerless beings that are subjected to the same situation as themselves, unable to change their own destiny."

"I don't know the answer to that, being a victim of fate myself."

There was a moment of silence between them, each of them enjoying the fresh air and cool breeze caressing their faces.

"Perseus, how do I be happy?"

"What do you mean?"

"I visited my hunters in Elysium, all of them, hundreds of girls that have been my faithful followers, I was crying, and they all comforted me. They were happy, talking and spending an eternity with each other, it's unfair. I know it's selfish of me to say this, but they all have each other, and I'm left on my own." She choked down a sob.

"You still haven't answered my question." Percy pressed on, taking the same approached Hestia did earlier that day.

"When I left, they told me to not worry about them," she paused, "and be happy. Like how am I supposed to know how to be happy without them?" She screamed.

He hesitated, not knowing if he should follow through with his course of action. But helping a friend is more important than the fear of getting zapped. Percy wrapped his arms around Artemis comfortingly to ease the goddess of her pain. Instead of punishing him like the presumptuous male he is, she buried her head into the crook of his neck and cried. His hand rubbed her back in an effort to sooth her.

He cracked his first smile ever since the battle with Gaea. "I'm glad to know I'm not alone in my quest to become happy."

They stayed together in each other's embrace for god know how long.