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Leo set down his hammer, his ears still ringing with echoes of metal striking metal. He wiped his brows and examined his handiwork, an ornate staff of precious gems and rose imperial gold . The crystal were shaped like quartz flowers, blooming from the branch-like gold. This piece was one of his best works, using some of the most powerful jewels Hazel could conjure. He turned to his assistant, who was asleep on his desk, surrounded by miniscule clockwork pieces.
'Tyson, wake up'
The solstice was tomorrow and preparations were nowhere finished. She and Reyna were trying their best to organise the festivities, but even with the combined efforts of Camp Half-blood and Camp Jupiter plus countless nature spirits, Olympus had a long way to go. She made her way from the council rooms through into the central courtyard towards the former throne room. Dryads and children of Demeter/Ceres tended to the blossoms while both Romans and Greeks repaired the broken pillars and cobbles, helped by cyclops. She pased past a group of demigods on lunch brake on the main stairway, chatting causally. Why couldn't it be like that for her? Why can't she just go and talk to Piper or Frank? She knew. Their were still things needing doing, things no one else was doing, except Reyna of course, but she couldn't just leave her with all this. Annabeth inhaled, focusing her mind. Listing her tasks. One. Organize a group to move the remains of the thrones. Two. Ask Leo when the weapons would be finished. Three. Ask Nymphs to secure a food source, they were running low. Fo- she crashed into an over encumbered Leo, holding several items wrapped in golden silk.
'Sorry, I wasn't looki- oh, Annabeth, I finished
them, but Riptide could use an extra polish.' Leo stated, not drawing breath. His brow was furrowed, and the bags under his eyes reflect how little sleep he had gotten.
'Don't worry, I am sure you did great, now go
and get your ass in bed.' her voice was calm but stern, a mother scolding her child. Leo hesitated, debating with to argue.
'Bed. Now.' she sounded like his ice cold
kindergarten teacher, Mrs King. Or as he had called her behind her back, Mrs Kong, never to her face, of course, never. Leo obliged, passing his load onto Annabeth and running of in the directions of the sleeping quarters. Annabeth knew how hard Calypso's and Jason's death had been on him, not even mentioning the others, it had been why she had given him the task of making the weapons, to distract him from the . But as she rethought it, she realised, maybe leaving him alone with it was even worse.
As she walked through into the atrium Annabeth heard yells from the throne room.
'We'll organise the demigods by parentage, it's the easiest way!' That sounded like Clarisse to Annabeth, back to her old habits.
'NO, we let them sit anywhere, their is no need to organise.' countered Reyna, ever the voice of reason.
'What about Percy? We all know he is going to be chosen, so just put him at the front.' Annabeth froze, the facade of denial temporarily shattering. Percy was going to become a god. And she. Annabeth. Could die of old age while he still looked 18. Despite herself, her mind was clouded by an old memory, one that seemed like eons ago. A younger Percy stood before the gods and refused immortality, for the demigods, for the camp, for her. But it didn't matter. None of it mattered anymore. She might lose him, she had already been to close to losing him. To monsters, the titans, the gods, the giants, Gaia, and in Tarturaus, even to himself. The darkness in his smile when he took control of the poison still haunted her, lurking in the corners of her mind. If he became a god, would that part of him resurface with his divine powers? Could he become cold and indifferent, losing the compassion she loved?... Become like their parents?
'Annabeth! ' someone called her, but it was muffled, drowned out by her panicked thoughts.
'Annabeth, are you all right?' Piper waved a hand in front of vacant pupils, causing Annabeth to return to consciousness.
'Oh Piper, sorry I was lost in thought'.
'Don't worry, can I help you with those- wait, did Leo finish the weapons?' Piper chimed, her interest piqued. She seemed normal, pretty happy even, but Annabeth knew she'd spent a month in isolation, seemingly disappearing from the world. Nico said she had been to the underworld, searching high and low. For him.
'Yeah, he's been up for days, but I made sure he got his ass in bed' Piper chuckled at that, but her eyes stayed dull. Empty. 'Come on, let's get these on the altar, I still need to talk to the kids of fertility gods and the dryads to get a farming project, and get someone to remove the thrones'
'Annabeth, when the new twelve are chosen we will almost defiantly get a new god of food or farming. The cyclops demolished Hermes and Apollo's thrones yesterday. You can rest now, ' Piper's command rang through her head.
'Did you just charmspeak me? Really?' Annabeth asked incredulously, her temple wrinkling in surprise. Piper looked sheepish, her cheeks flushed in guilt.
'I'm sorry... I just wanted to...', Piper was close to tears. Weeks of exhaustion and grief broke through her cheery facade, with force that buckled her knees, leaving her on the flawless marble.