I walk until my legs won't take me anymore, so I take my cloak off and spread my wings. It feels amazing, so I stretch them further and give them a few quick flaps to get the extra feathers out, but not enough to take me off the ground.

I hear a rustle in the bushes and freeze, extending my hearing, but there's no voices. It is dark in this part of the forest. Then I hear fast footsteps running away from me, so I throw my cloak on folding my wings under me, and pulling my hood up. I can't see the person, but I see their figure darting around trees with incredible speed. I speed up and catch up to the person. It is still to dark to see who they are. I feel a flicker of excitement. Is this one of the cloaked figures?

I take one big dive and tackle the figure to the ground. I flip them over and point my sword at their neck. At that moment the sun shines directly between the trees, letting me see their face.

"Annabeth?" I say. She looks at me with fear in her eyes. I pray that she hadn't seen my face, but thankfully she doesn't mention it.

"You have wings?" She asks. I stand up and offer her a hand to get up. She takes it and stands.

"Yeah, but...please don't tell anyone. It's supposed to be a secret, and only used for emergencies. But it's like another pair of arms, you can't hold your arms behind your back forever," I explain. Annabeth looks at the ground, almost sadly.

"I just...I had hope that you were...that you were..." she almost breaks down but I can see her holding it together. 

"I'm sorry that I can't be who you want me too, and I'm sorry that your Percy chose rebirth, but I think you should move on," I say gently, trying to keep my own tears in check. I love her so so so much, but I know I can never come back here. I remain loyal to Chaos.

"Move on?!" She yells. "Your telling me to move on?! Your two thousand years old, for the gods sake! You should've saw what we went though together! The Labyrinth! The Titans! The Giants! Rome! Gaea! Tartarus!" She screams, but she doesn't cry. Her voice is pure anger and desperation.

"We went through Tartarus together, and I don't even know how you got me to be able to sleep last night, but it worked. I was so sure that you could be Percy. But your not. Your just Omega! A stupid Chaos Warrior that reminds me of my dead boyfriend who I can't live without..." now she breaks, like she is falling through a thin sheet of ice. She sobs into my cloak, yet again.

"I'm sorry Omega...I just can't do this anymore. I can't live without him. I think I'm going to go try to get some sleep-by myself," she says. She looks up at my hooded face.

"Can you do one last thing for me right now?" She asks.

"Of course, Annabeth. Anything you need," I say, my own voice cracking.

"Can you reach the underworld again, and see if Percy has chosen rebirth yet?" She asks, her voice hard. I nod and pretend to concentrate. A minute later I look up.

"No, he hasn't. Not yet. Maybe in a..." I take a shaky breath, "in a couple days."

"Thank you, Omega," she says, and she walks away back to camp. I decide to try something. I unbutton the button on my cloak and re-button it on my neck, like a cape. I spread my wings underneath and silently cheer. I can fly with my cloak on.

I fly up into the sky, just barely over the forest, so I can see Annabeth. We are deep enough into the forest still so that camp can't see me flying. I follow her until my back starts to get sore, and then we are at the ocean. Annabeth sits on the sand so the murky dark green water touches her feet.

I still don't understand why it is that color. Suddenly there is a flash of light, and standing next to Annabeth is my father, Poseidon. He looks horrible. His hair is wilder than usual, his eyes dull, his Hawaiian shirt covered in dirt and faded. His trident is rusting at the edges, something it should never do. I silently perch at the edge of the forest, watching them and extending my hearing.   

"I miss him too, Poseidon, but you need to move on! The ocean and their creatures are dying, and mourning Percy further will kill the ocean faster. Do you not see the color and the death?" Annabeth says to my father. I wince. The ocean is dying because Poseidon is grieving?

"Just like you are moving on, Annabeth? Like what you are going to do?" Poseidon's expression is grave. Do what?

"I...I don't know what your talking about," Annabeth stares at the sand. Poseidon puts a he on her shoulder.

"I will make an effort, but you can't do it. Your all I have left closest to Percy besides Sally, but I have left her alone to be with Paul," Poseidon says. Annabeth just nods, not meeting his eyes. Poseidon disappears in a flash and Annabeth takes a deep breath, and stands. She closes her eyes and wades into the water up to her waist.

"I love you, Percy," Annabeth says, and dives into the water, swimming. I watch her bubbles under the water, and I long to swim with her. I use all my willpower not to run to her, wrap my arms around her, kiss her like I never have before. I watch her swimming, but she doesn't come up.

I freeze, and it takes a minute for me to register what is going on. I extend my vision and look at the water.

One bubble comes up.

And then they are gone.

Um

-Amber