A/N: Over a hundred reviews in just five chapters! Wow, guys! Wow. This was more than I've ever asked for. Thanks so much!

Alright. Sad to say, but this story has finally come to an end. Thank you very much for the wonderful reviews and support you've given me throughout this fic. This is my second chapter story, but it is the first one that I will end. You guys have made writing this story an honor in my part.

Special thanks to:

storyteller1425 – Thanks so much for the endless river of encouragement! Thank you very much for the reviews! Thank you very much for the beta! Unhinged as I may be with your support, I still wanted to thank you gracefully – I hope so – for everything. I can't believe that this is about to end. But I hope our partnership would be withstanding. Thank you so much!

I present to you the ending of this story.

Enjoy!

The Quest For The Cestus Apple

Chapter 6: The Epic Fall

Then there's the two of us.

This word is far too short for us,

It has only four letters, too sparse

To fill those deep bare vacuums

Between the stars

That press on us with deafness.

It's not love we don't wish to fall into,

But that fear.

This word is not enough

But it will have to do.

It's a single vowel in this metallic silence.

A mouth that says O again and again in wonder

And pain, a breath,

A finger on a cliffside.

You can hold on or let go.

~ Margaret Atwood (excerpt from the poem "Variations on the Word Love")

It was the first time Percy felt that he hated nature.

Standing before the green fields and those sturdy looking trees, Percy felt no more than contempt. He looked up, and above him were hundreds of radiant looking apples that mocked him and urged him to taste one. This must have been Grover's sweet paradise, but for Percy, it was nothing more than a grave to him.

Percy's cheeks reddened as Annabeth silently intertwined her fingers with his. She was at end.

This was her goodbye.

She mouthed an 'I'm sorry' to him, practically knowing this was all her fault, and that they wouldn't be here right now if she didn't eat the apple. Her gray eyes met up with his, and he could see those tears threatening to surface. Knowing that he'd lose his chance, he picked up his courage and kissed her. It wasn't anything like the extreme kiss they shared back at the bar. It was short but sweet and passionate.

It would be her last reminder of him.

"I promised that I wouldn't make it any harder for you," Percy said.

"You already are," she answered numbly.

He smiled sadly. "I'm not sure what would happen next, or if there's anything you do feel about me deep down," he squeezed her hand as he let go. "But please remember that I won't be leaving you even if hell freezes over. You've got me, Annabeth."

She put on a brave face and hugged him fiercely. "Why do you always have to be the hero?"

"Let's just say I get paid really well in being the hero from time to time," he said lightly as he slowly hugged her back. "Especially if I get to be your hero."

She chuckled and buried her head in his shoulder. "I'm sorry. For everything."

"You don't have to be sorry."

"I love you, Percy," she said, casually throwing the 'L' word with Percy's name. "Even after this, I always will."

He smiled at how her words sounded to him and buried his own head in Annabeth's hair. He sighed before he muttered, "You should know how much I truly wish that that could be real."

She squeezed into him for a moment before letting go, her brave face still on the surface as she headed to the tree and plucked the nearest fruit. She held the apple gingerly and looked at Percy.

In that moment, he was resisting his urge to dash over to her and throw the Cestus apple off the base of the cliff. And it surprised him as he reassured her to take a bite.

"It won't bite you if you bite it first," he told her.

The corners of her lips pulled up and made a lopsided grin before she opened her mouth and mashed it with the apple. Annabeth suddenly had an odd expression on her face as she ate more and more of the apple until only the core was left.

After a few minutes, he spoke up. "Annabeth? You feeling okay?" Percy asked stupidly. He turned and gauzed Annabeth's expression.

The blazing look in her eyes when she glared at him told him that nothing was definitely okay. Gone were the reddish cheeks and the dilated pupils. All that was left was the look of pure hatred.

"Annabeth?" Percy dashed towards her side but then Annabeth pulled out her celestial bronze knife from her belt. She aimed the freakishly pointed thing at him with no signs of remorse. Or even recognition. The confused look on Percy must have been priceless because the suddenly deadly Annabeth even managed a smile in her grimace.

"Annabeth, what's wro-" Percy did not get to finish his sentence as Annabeth lunged and tried to stab him with her knife. He pulled back and dodged the crazy girl's mighty swings. Annabeth barely missed an inch from Percy's ear, and even with his invulnerability, he was sure he would be walking out of Lemnos with one ear less.

"Annabeth!" he called as Annabeth made a huge tear on his jacket. "What the hell is going on?"

"I hate you!" she screamed as she kicked him in the gut. It must have taken her a lot of power because Percy stumbled to the ground. She grasped her knife hilt firmly as she watched him acidly.

"Yeah. Must explain why you're trying to kill me right now," he stood up and righted himself. "What's wrong with you? Look, I'm sorry for everything that happened. I'm sorry about camp, about that trip to France – "he blocked another parry. "Would you please let me apologize? I can't do that without you gutting me like a fish!"

"You are a fish," Annabeth made another hard swing and Percy dodged. "And you must be gutted as necessary."

Not knowing what else to do, he defended himself. If he took out Riptide and fought back, he could hurt Annabeth. All thanks to his invulnerability, he would tire much faster like a burned out light bulb. He blocked another knife attack and went to her left side. Annabeth whirled and knocked him to the ground. He stood up as fast as he could and ran behind a tree. He felt a huge knock on the tree trunk as Annabeth's knife lodged in the wood deeply. He ran again, though he knew that Annabeth would catch up in no time.

"I'll tell you what's going on," a voice said.

Percy's head looked around quickly and spotted a beautiful woman wearing a white toga, twirling a pink ribbon between her fingers. She clucked her lips passively, as Percy made another yelp. Percy knew who it was. Even though she looked different from their last meeting, she still radiated with power. And he was less than happy to see her.

"No disrespect intended, but what are you doing here?" he growled in frustration as he blocked another parry. Annabeth seemed not to have noticed the goddess' arrival and was more focused on removing Percy's internal organs.

"I came here to say a few words to you," Aphrodite said in a soft but resounding tone.

"That would be great if you would announce that during my funeral pyre," Percy stated as Annabeth did a small haircut on him. "A little busy right now."

Ignoring what he said, she continued, "I wanted you to know that I did not act alone on this. I came to warn you. Eris, the goddess of discord, renounced our truce and is now acting on her own."

"So I was right! You're behind all this!" he accused breathlessly. His temper rose even though he was exhausted and drained of life. So, it was Aphrodite and her cooties that caused all the mishap. And this time, she brought another goddess into her schemes.

"Eris was with me on this."

"Oh right. Sorry. I forgot to mention the accomplice," he yelled after her sarcastically. His least problem right now was being blasted into pieces by an angry goddess. Maybe Aphrodite should come back when he was not… you know… too busy trying not to die.

"Percy, Annabeth is now under the control of Eris. She switched the Cestus apple with her own."

Percy blocked another attack and Annabeth screamed. "Meaning?" he asked.

"Eris' apple reverses one's feelings and intensifies it. Annabeth now feels the opposite of what she felt about you originally," the goddess said it as if it was obvious.

"The opposite? What opposite?"

It was Aphrodite's turn to roll her eyes. "She's trying to kill you now. What do you think is the inverse of that?"

It took him a whole lot longer to answer, partly because Annabeth was determined to poke him in the eye and castrate him. Opposite? It was obvious that Annabeth was trying to kill him now, that's a given. But what did she mean by opposite?

Eris' apple reverses one's feelings and intensifies it. Annabeth now feels the opposite of what she felt about you originally.

Hate. Opposite of hate!

"Annabeth loves me?" Percy was too dazed, dumbfounded, and at loss of words for this. Even when Annabeth tore a great deal of his pant leg, he was too enthusiastic to, at least, finally know. His dreams weren't that far off. Annabeth Chase loves him!

"Took you so long to notice, my dear," she rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Anyways, if you can't jump start her out of this, it would be 'Annabeth loved you'. You need to snap her out of it."

"How?" Percy shouted. "Make her eat another of Eris' apples?"

Aphrodite shook her head and pulled out a nail file. "Only Eris can have possession of that apple. And it will not do any good. It would only intensify Annabeth's hatred even more."

Reluctantly, Percy pulled out his pen and uncapped it. The pen grew into a three feet long celestial bronze sword and blocked it against Annabeth's knife. He couldn't hold her out anymore. "Then what do I do?"

Aphrodite filed her nails reverently as she answered. "You know what to do, Percy. Besides, I can't interfere. Divine laws, aren't you forgetting?" She gave him a happy, childish smile before waving her perfect hand. "Best of luck, Percy Jackson! And remember, love conquers all!" With that thought, her form shimmered and Percy looked away before she vanished instantly.

Percy's sea green eyes froze in horror at the now vacant space of the fields where the giddy goddess made her appearance. What did she say? I wanted to tell you that it was me behind all that you've been through and now you should thank me for making you realize that you're in deep emotional crap with your best friend and that the goddess of discord is against you and is using the love of your life to kill you but she actually loves you but because of the goddess, she now hates you and is showing you that by stabbing you cheerfully? Well then, thank you, oh pretty goddess Aphrodite! You're making my life really swell…

Stupid Aphrodite, he cursed. This might have been his only dying thought when Annabeth nearly missed to stab him on the small of his back – his only weak point. How in the world would he be able to 'jump start' Annabeth out of this one? The only thing he got was how immortals could not interfere with any shit mortals were putting on and how love conquers all…

Love.

Love conquers all! That's it!

Percy raised his sword and blocked off Annabeth's knife effectively. The blades met and they were both grasping for leverage. He saw his chance.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth," he said.

She gritted her teeth. "Not as sorry as I am."

Seeing the small gap between the blades, he swung his sword forward. It missed Annabeth's side by inches and then Percy directed it to her knife, disarming her. It clattered off her hand and into a small shawl of rocks.

"I know you're in there, Annabeth, "he threw Riptide aside and held out his hands. "Deep down. I know you won't hurt me."

He took five steps backward.

A flash of panic suddenly crossed Annabeth's face. "What are you doing?"

He did not answer as he continued to step backward. He stopped abruptly when his sneakers reached the end of the cliff.

…0…

When faced with the cliff, you make your decision...

…0…

"Stop where you are!" Annabeth ordered him.

"Do you love me?" Percy shouted back, asking. "Do you love me, Annabeth?"

Annabeth's stoic mask suddenly fell as her heart thumped overtime. "I… I – "

"I guess that's a no," Percy replied. He took his last step backward. He felt his weight tip over as he made himself plunge into the waves below.

…0…

"Let's just say I get paid really well in being the hero from time to time. Especially if I get to be your hero."

…0…

"NO!" Annabeth yelled and without thinking, plunged after him. She thought of that idiotic, impulsive boy getting himself killed playing hero all the time by jumping off of cliffs as her face peeled against the air.

She was getting closer to the sea when a realization hit her.

And then, with the last view of the waves eroding the cliff side, she laughed hysterically. She laughed even as her feet landed with the water below. She laughed in her head even as she sank slowly. She laughed even as she felt those familiar powerful arms encase her waist as he made a gigantic air bubble. She laughed as she opened her eyes and saw those green eyes boring through her with intense curiosity and, dare I say it, love.

"Why are you laughing?" Percy asked, bemused. He was expecting her to be angry or to cry or anything between those lines, but laughing? Jumping off a cliff might have been overkill and tipped her a little.

Her laughter stopped shortly and she settled a glare. "I can't believe I forgot that you're a demon spawn of Poseidon."

It was Percy's turn to laugh. Jumping off cliffs with his father's waves to catch him was his idea of crazy, right?

He wrapped his arms around her as she muttered rants about how stupid it was to do cliff diving and how she panicked and almost died of cardiac arrest and ordered him not to do it again. With Annabeth beside him, inside a gigantic air bubble underwater, with a school of fish watching two humans like a soap opera, everything turned out to be different from what he imagined.

It was better.

Annabeth sighed. "You are such a Seaweed Brain."

He chuckled and kissed his best friend on the forehead. "I love you too, Annabeth."

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

In the back of his mind, Percy thought that maybe… he'd get his happy ending after all…

…0…

And back on Mount Olympus, Eris and Aphrodite laughed, sharing a couple of high fives.

(Just so you'd know…)

A/N: Still ended it with a happy, underwater kiss…

And that was the (epic) ending of this story. The apple, the accidental detour to Paris, the old, Parisian man with the sunken cheekbones, Ysidra, the cliff diving… The gods and the Fates had always found a way to weave Percy and Annabeth together. Just a hint.

Thank you all very much for the unending stream of encouragement you've given me. Thank you for the advice, the assists to improve this story. I am forever grateful to have such readers. Acknowledgements would be posted soon after. Still contemplating with my BR whether to continue, but as of today, I conclude this story to be complete.

Thank you everyone!

Please review! Reviews are greatly welcomed! To flaming reviewers, I would honor your opinions…

And would gladly do so.

Thanks so much, guys! Review!