End of the Line

#49 - A Brand New Sunset

Chapter 49 - A Brand New Sunset
published: Wednesday, 1 January 2020

Pontus surrendered. It was clearly his only option, and the gods whisked him away to construct a peace treaty that would prevent him from ever attempting anything like this ever again.

The monsters fled as according to the agreed-upon armistice, leaving the demigods to face the gory aftermath of the battle.

They had won the war, but not without it sacrifice.

Percy swallowed as he passed horrific sights. Demigods were mourning dead friends, some of them even as young as 13, and some even younger.

He and Annabeth had defeated Tartarus, but they couldn't save everyone.

By now, Percy thought he wouldn't be fazed by the aftermath of battles any longer.

"Grover," Percy sighed in relief when he saw the familiar satyr.

His best friend's eyes lit up momentarily when he spotted him.

"Perrrrcy!" Grover bleated, attacking him with a hug. "I can't believe you're alive!" He elbowed him. "Five years? Nothing at all?"

"Sorry," Percy said apologetically.

"Our empathy link is gone," Grover said quietly.

Percy shrugged. "Doesn't change anything. Grover, I could not see you for ten years and still be your best friend."

Grover visibly relaxed. "I'm just glad you're back," he sighed. "There was a time when this seemed impossible."

Percy beckoned him to follow. "C'mon, Annabeth asked us to meet her on Half-Blood Hill." He wasn't quite sure why she'd made such a request, but she'd seemed grim about it.

As they walked, Grover caught Percy up on everything that had happened while he was gone. Grover and Juniper had gotten married and had two kids.

It was a little surreal that the same boy who had peanut butter thrown in his hair by bullies was now a father.

As Percy hiked up the hill, he was thrust into a wave of déjà vu. He'd been here not an hour ago, during the sunset. And he was returning under the cover of the night.

The dead drakon had since disintegrated, leaving a pelt of its skin as spoils. Thalia's pine tree lay splintered on the ground, the leaves already dying from a lack of water.

"Her tree!" Grover gasped. It had stood there for over a decade, but it was gone now.

Annabeth standing where Thalia's tree used to be, her hands cupping something small. As Percy neared her, he realised it was a sapling.

"Grover," Annabeth's voice cracked. "When we were fighting, it was a mess. But Juniper—" She hesitated to hold back the tears welling in her eyes.

Percy felt his heart sink with a horrible feeling as Grover's eyes flashed fearfully with realisation. "No," Grover breathed.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth sniffled. "I couldn't— I tried." She took in a shaky breath. "She left behind this sapling. And now that Thalia's tree is gone, I thought that Juniper's new tree could protect the camp."

Grover gathered the small sapling from Annabeth's hands, trembling as he knelt down to place it in the soil.

Annabeth walked up next to Percy, and they exchanged grave looks. The death toll was higher than either of them had expected, especially when a lot of their friends had been killed in action.

Grover pulled out his reed pipes, playing a soft tune as he encouraged the sapling to grow.

Annabeth leaned into Percy as they watched Grover play about his and Juniper's lives together.