Percy POV

It's been around five years since Gaea was destroyed. Annabeth and I are engaged now, and we're planning on living happily ever after.
Annabeth and I have been traveling for what feels like weeks to get back to Camp Half-blood. Our quest was to help Chiron in Minnesota, who was held captive by evil centaurs. Chiron had gone about his business after we freed him, and now Annabeth and I were on a train back home.

Or at least, that was our intention. But we barely made it an hour on the train before the first monster tried to kill us.

--
"Percy, wake up." Annabeth shook me. "We've got a problem."
I groaned and slowly sat up. The train seats were easy to fall asleep in, and I was tired. "What problem?"
"Them." Annabeth gestured to a few ladies a few seats in front of us. Unfortunately, I recognized them.
"Arai." I shivered. "Can we avoid them? At least there are only three."
"Actually, there aren't." Annabeth whispered. "The whole front of the train is filled with them - twenty, at least."
"Darn the gods and Blue Coke," I said, since that was my new favorite thing to say. "How are we supposed to defend ourselves against twenty of them?"
"That's a good question." Annabeth bit her lip. "Trickery, maybe?"
"I'd prefer a straight-up fight, to be honest." I pointed out. "You're the brains of this operation."
"Very true." Annabeth allowed a small smirk. "Um... We've got company."
Two of the arai had stood up and started making their way down the aisle. I looked at Annabeth. "Now, Wise Girl?"
"Sure, Seaweed Brain." She sighed. "Just don't get yourself killed."
I crept along the seats and slashed through an arai, who promptly exploded into dust. Immediately I felt my foot wrench, and I bit my lip in the temporary pain. However, like I said, it was only temporary.
Meanwhile, the other arai was kept busy. Annabeth grabbed a rock and threw it at the demon, who shrieked as she crumbled. Annabeth didn't show any signs of pain, which I took as a good sign.
"Get the mortals out!" Annabeth yelled, as she dove into the crowd of monsters.
I looked around for a way of escape, but there wasn't one. Raising my sword, I broke a window and stabbed one of the train's wheels. The train careened, but I was too busy getting out of the way of the panicked mortals who jumped out the window.
"Percy!" Annabeth yelped. Glancing over at her situation - corned by three arai - I grabbed a window shard and threw it at one of them, who slowly crumbled in agony.
Unfortunately, that only gained their attention. The two remaining arai advanced on me, and I slashed through both of them.
Immediately, I fell to the ground, my eyes twitching. I felt a roaring sensation in my ears, and felt myself standing up.
I looked around. I didn't see any monsters, only a girl in the corner, staring at me in horror. I growled as she stuck a dagger into the eyes of an arai... One of my friends. They hissed and grinned as I took a step forward towards the girl, who took a step back into the corner.
"Percy..." She gulped, terrified.
I loved it - I breathed in her terror and laughed - a cold, cruel sounds. I loved my laugh, I loved the terror.
"Finish her." The arai hissed, and I was only too glad to do so. I lunged, my sword at her throat, and looked into her scared gray eyes.
Reluctantly, the girl punched me in the stomach and threw me off. "Percy, don't listen to them." She begged. "They cursed you. Don't be like this - don't do this..."
I caught my reflection in the mirror. My face was hard, cold, and my eyes were frosty white, the perfect combination of white and sea green.
Focusing back on the girl, I cornered her again against the wall and put my sword on her neck once again. "You have lived a short life, Annabeth." I spat. "Any last words?"
She looked up at me, then down at her left hand, where a ring glimmered. "I love you." She said, her voice cracked.
I looked down at her hand, and then at mine, which bore a similar ring. With a gasp, my eyes cleared - though I didn't know they had been clouded. I stared at the trickle of blood going down her cheek, knowing that I had caused the wound. I bit my lip.
"Seaweed Brain?" She asked, sensing the change.
With a roar, my water bottle exploded. I summoned the water of every water bottle in the train and created a shield around Annabeth and I. I grabbed her hand and looked her in the eye, ansd together we jumped out of the broken window and ran for the nearest bus stop, leaving behind frustrated arai.
"Percy..." Annabeth broke down, sobbing. "Oh my gods..."
I didn't know what to say. Those stupid curse spirits had made me evil, tried to make me kill my fiancee. Wordlessly, I handed her a small baggie of ambrosia. Moments later, the cuts had healed.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" Annabeth glared at me.
"What could I say?" I asked her helplessly. "Sorry could hardly cover what I just did."
"How can I trust you?" Annabeth shuddered. "You just tried to kill me, for goodness' sakes."
Unable to say anything else, I pulled her in for a hug. She leaned her hesad against my shoulder, and I patted her back.
"I don't know if I can even trust myself." I told her.
She looked around. "Gods, this has been a stressful day. Want to get some chocolate from Wal-Mart?"
"Might as well." I shrugged. Hand-in-hand, we entered the store together.
Because together is what we're meant to be. I think that even while I was cursed, I realized that.
Together. Forever.