Death and Madness|| Nico di Angelo

Percy crashes his own funeral

The next morning Annabeth approached me and immediately I picked up on her feelings. Sadness, confusion, disbelief... 

"Violet, I have to tell you something" She said. At first I guessed that she wanted to talk about Luke being my friend when I was young. But then-"It's about Percy"

"What happened?" 

"Chiron thinks he's dead" 

"What?!" I yelled louder than I meant to. That wasn't possible. He was just lost in the maze, that was it. Time passed differently down there right? Maybe he was making his way to us right now. 

A tear slipped from Annabeth's eyes. "I know, there was a huge explosion in the forge of Hephaestus"

"That doesn't mean he's dead" 

"Hundred of people were evacuated, Chiron thinks there was even a chance of the great monster Typhon escaping. There's no way he survived that"

I'd like to tell you how Annabeth and I went searching for him in the labyrinth again. Then returned as heroes with Percy as the damsel in distress. Instead we spent the next two weeks trying to distract ourselves from the possibility of him being dead. 

Castor and Pollux were so good at the distracting part that sometimes I forgot I had met them only two weeks ago. I even forgot that Percy was dead. Well atleast until Chiron insisted we burn his shroud. It had been two weeks and everyone was sure he was dead. But I could tell Annabeth still had hope. 

"Percy Jackson was a great demigod. But it has been two weeks since his last mention and I am afraid we must assume he is dead," Chiron said. "After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked his best surviving friend to do the final honors."

I watched through tears as Annabeth walked toward Chiron. I hadn't known Percy that long, but he seemed like a good fellow. I knew that Nico blamed him for his sister's death but Percy was just as devastated as Nico. 

I hoped that Nico had come around to forgive Percy. Oh Gods, Nico. I had totally forgotten about him these few weeks, which made me feel guilty. 

Annabeth turned to face the audience. She looked terrible. Her eyes were puffy from crying, but she managed to say, "He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had. He..." Then her attention turned to something behind us. 

Her face went blood red. "He's right there!" 

Everyone turned around, and sure as hell. There stood Percy Jackson. He seemed to have lost weight, and looked mad. But it was him. 

"Percy!" Charles Beckendorf grinned as we all swarmed him. A bunch of other kids crowded around him and clapped him on the back. I heard a few curses from the Ares cabin, but Clarisse just rolled her eyes, like she couldn't believe he'd had the nerve to survive. Chiron cantered over and everyone made way for him.

"Well," he sighed with obvious relief. "I don't believe I've ever been happier to see a camper return. But you must tell me—"

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Annabeth interrupted, shoving aside the other campers. I thought she was going to punch Percy, but instead she hugged him so fiercely I thought she was squeezing him to death. The other campers fell silent.

I cleared my throat. "Nothing going on between you two my ass"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Annabeth seemed to realise she was making a scene and pushed Percy away.

"I—we thought you were dead, Seaweed Brain!"

"I'm sorry," he said. "I got lost."

"LOST?" she yelled. "Two weeks, Percy? Where in the world—"

"Annabeth," Chiron interrupted. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private, shall we? The rest of you, back to your normal activities!"