Percabeth – All of Me

As a 100th post special and a way to thank my 150 followers, on the occasion of Percabeth’s Dating Anniversary, Percy Jackson’s Birthday and the anniversary of The Battle of Manhattan, I’m finally writing a post I’ve wanted to work on for years. A post dedicated to the most special couple ever in any fictional series – Percabeth.

Their First Interaction; The Lightning Thief Graphic Novel

It started with ‘You drool when you sleep.‘ instead of ‘You killed a Minotaur!‘ or ‘Wow, you’re so awesome!‘ or something like that and it’s not going to end ‘As long as they’re together.‘ Percabeth are all sorts of romantic goals.

Credits: Viria

Two 12 year olds who start getting together on a quest, slowly become friends, had a secret crush on each other, saw the other feel for a 3rd person thus keeping their feelings to themselves, but eventually start dating when they turned 16. In this process, they take some of the most important decisions of their lives thinking about the other. Just months after they started dating, they were separated by Hera, the queen of the gods. And, when they got together? They made sure they’re together even in hell. Even after they see each other’s darkest sides.

Not even the gods above
Could separate the two of us
No, nothing can come between
You & I
Oh, you & I

You & I; One Direction

After this, just as Harry Styles says in You & I, they know not even the gods can separate them again. Hera tried to, she even succeeded, but that can’t happen again. Even Piper agrees that nothing can come between them. Her relationship with Jason wasn’t supposed to last forever like Percy & Annabeth’s!

You thought what? That we’d be together forever like Percy and Annabeth?

Piper McLean; The Burning Maze

At this point, even if Rick Riordan himself decides to break Percabeth off, he’ll fail. I know my Uncle Rick doesn’t have the heart to plot such a story. They’ve been through enough, and right now Percy just needs to get his diploma so both of them can go to the University together.

I promised her specifically that I wouldn’t get myself killed while she’s gone.

Percy Jackson; The Hidden Oracle

The last we saw them together was in The Ship of the Dead, about 2 years back. It was a very fun meeting, somewhat even nostalgic. Before that, we saw them 3 years before that in The Blood of Olympus. These sound like long waits, but they weren’t painful. This time we knew they’re happy, they’re safe, and they’re together. But the last time we had a 3.5 year gap between seeing them together, things weren’t really the same.

Credits: Viria

Yes, The Last Olympian ended with what was pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time. 1.5 years after that, The Lost Hero published. With fans excited to see them together, the second chapter itself gave us a shock.

‘Where is he?’ the girl demanded. Her grey eyes were fierce and a little startling.

The Lost Hero

Percy Jackson was missing. They’d been a happy couple for four months — and then he’d disappeared. The gods (or more specifically, Hera) had snatched her boyfriend away from her. At the end of this book, we learnt that just like Jason’s, his memory too has been taken away, and is now in Camp Jupiter.

‘My boyfriend,’ Annabeth said grimly. ‘He disappeared around the same time Jason appeared. If Jason came to Camp Half-Blood –’

‘Exactly,’ Jason agreed. ‘Percy Jackson is at the other camp and he probably doesn’t even remember who he is.’

The Lost Hero

We waited another year for The Son of Neptune to release, wishing for Annabeth to locate Percy in this book. That didn’t happen. But, unlike Jason, Percy hadn’t lost all of his memories. More specifically, there was a strong part of his memories which couldn’t be erased, even by Hera herself. It was Annabeth.

Then he thought about Annabeth, the only part of his old life he was sure about. He had to find her.

The Son of Neptune

That was Annabeth to him. He lost all of his memories, but Annabeth’s name. He lost all of his experiences, but the feeling of being with Annabeth. After another 12 months, when The Mark of Athena released, we finally saw them together again.

Percy threw his arms around her. They kissed, and for a moment nothing else mattered. An asteroid could have hit the planet and wiped out all life, and Annabeth wouldn’t have cared.

The Mark of Athena

Credits belong to the original artist!

During their separation, something had happened to Annabeth’s feelings. They’d grown painfully intense — like she’d been forced to withdraw from a life-saving medication. What next? Annabeth grabbed his wrist and flipped him over her shoulder. He slammed into the paving stones. Annabeth put her knee on Percy’s chest. She pushed her forearm against his throat. She didn’t care what the Romans thought. A white-hot lump of anger expanded in her chest – a tumour of worry and bitterness that she’d been carrying around since last autumn. Yep, she judo-flipped him! Who knew a judo flip can make us all ship a couple even harder?

‘If you ever leave me again,’ she said, her eyes stinging, ‘I swear to all the gods –’

Percy had the nerve to laugh. Suddenly the lump of heated emotions melted inside Annabeth.

‘Consider me warned,’ Percy said. ‘I missed you, too.’

The Mark of Athena

I’m tearing up as I read this scene again and again while typing it here. It reminds me of the reunion of the 3 idiots in Leh too! Anyway, Percy knew Annabeth is serious, and he was determined to keep up to his words. Even if it meant a one-way trip; a very hard fall. Percy couldn’t pull her up, but he would never let her go. Annabeth was being pulled into Tartarus – the hell, but for monsters. Percy couldn’t let her have that one way trip alone, even if it meant they wouldn’t ever be able to come back.

‘We’re staying together,’ he promised. ‘You’re not getting away from me. Never again.’

Only then did she understand what would happen A one-way trip. A very hard fall.

‘As long as we’re together,’ she said.

She heard Nico and Hazel still screaming for help. She saw the sunlight far, far above – maybe the last sunlight she would ever see.

Then Percy let go of is tiny ledge, and together, holding hands, he and Annabeth fell into the endless darkness.

The Mark of Athena

Credits belong to the original artist!

‘As long as we’re together’ became their ‘always‘.

And, that’s how the book ended. The book which reunited them after 3.5 years ended with them falling into a pit of endless darkness.

Percy is the most powerful demigod I’ve ever met. No offence to you guys, but it’s true. If anybody can survive, he will, especially if he’s got Annabeth at his side. They’re going to find a way through Tartarus.

Nico di Angelo; The Mark of Athena

We were blessed a year later when we got our hands on The House of Hades. Majorly focussing on the couple, inside Tartarus was something we didn’t know we wanted. That pit, that hell, took all kinds of tests to check their compatibility. The Universe really was plotting against them, but they fought the universe to stay together. Annabeth was seeing Percy getting too powerful that it was scary for her too. Let’s not forget how he could manipulate a titan that Annabeth had to step back for a moment and re-evaluate her perception of him. She’s powerless, but she knew the reason Percy is here is for her. She knows that Percy is willing to die, if it’s for Annabeth. And, she knows that she’ll do that for him too.

Credits to the original artists

After that, we saw them spending more and more time together in The Blood of Olympus, and even Coach Hedge didn’t object. They literally had been through hell, they needed time to come out of that experience. But now, everyone knew that nothing can come between them again, not even the author’s evil thoughts. We knew they’re incomplete without the other’s presence. We know they need to be together, for their own comfort. And, no one would dare think otherwise. Since then, we’ve seen them individually, and they’ve been in love. They’ve been in touch, but Percy must study and Annabeth had her thing going on with Magnus. We saw them again in The Ship of the Dead, and they sounded much mature than we’d seen them in the beginning.

Talking about the beginning, there’s a quote from the first book I really love:

‘So if the gods fight,’ I said, ‘will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?’

She put her head against the backpack Ares had given us, and closed her eyes. ‘I don’t know what my mom will do. I just know I’ll fight next to you.’

‘Why?’

‘Because you’re my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?’

I couldn’t think of an answer for that.

The Lightning Thief

I think that’s where it all started, even if they wouldn’t admit their feelings for a long time. Percy was Annabeth’s Seaweed Brain, while she was the Wise Girl. They became best friends in no time. They were a perfect team. They are a perfect team. And, after everything they’ve been through, that can’t possibly change.

Talking about them being best friends, there was a time in the 3rd book when Percy felt really insecure about her, a very valid feeling which also helped him decide something big 1.5 years later. Percy was scared that Annabeth will join the Hunters of Artemis, the group of sworn maiden women. He was scared that Annabeth is considering to join them. He couldn’t process that possibility. The last one week, Annabeth was kidnapped, and Percy was looking for her carrying this burden in his heart.

A feeling of panic seized me. ‘Annabeth,’ I said under my breath. ‘Don’t.’

She frowned at me. ‘What?’

‘Look, I need to tell you something,’ I continued. The words came stumbling out of me. ‘I couldn’t stand it if… I don’t want you to—’

‘Percy?’ she said. ‘You look like you’re going to be sick.’

And that’s how I felt. I wanted to say more, but my tongue betrayed me. It wouldn’t move because of the fear in my stomach.

Luckily, it wasn’t Annabeth who was joining the hunters. But, Annabeth kept driving his emotions in the later books. In the 4th book, The Battle of the Labyrinth, Percy had once in a million years opportunity to escape the deadly great prophecy he was a part of, and spend his life happily with the beautiful immortal girl, Calypso, in a hidden magical island, who was cursed to fall in love with every hero who ends up there. But, even though he had not admitted his feelings to Annabeth at that time, was confused between his feelings for Rachel, he did not take this golden opportunity – for Annabeth. He couldn’t do this to her. He couldn’t escape the prophecy when she’s still there fighting. He had to be there with her, and fight his battle. He knew he couldn’t go back to Calypso ever, yet he decided to leave – for Annabeth!

Later, when the final battle was won, the Great Prophecy was fulfilled, the gods decided to give Percy a gift. Zeus agreed to make Percy immortal; make him a god! And, Percy didn’t hesitate before declining the gift from the king of the gods!. Why would he decline such an offer? Because he didn’t want Annabeth to feel the way he felt when he thought Annabeth might join the Hunters.

I glanced back. Annabeth was trying not to meet my eyes. Her face was pale. I flashed back to two years ago, when I’d thought she was going to take the pledge to Artemis and become a Hunter. I’d been on the edge of a panic attack, thinking that I’d lose her. Now, she looked pretty much the same way.

I thought about the Three Fates, and the way I’d seen my life flash by. I could avoid all that. No aging, no death, no body in the grave. I could be a teenager forever, in top condition, powerful, and immortal, serving my father. I could have power and eternal life.

Who could refuse that?

Then I looked at Annabeth again. I thought about my friends from camp: Charles Beckendorf, Michael Yew, Silena Beauregard, so many others who were now dead. I thought about Ethan Nakamura and Luke.

And I knew what to do.

‘No,’ I said.

Yes, Percy refused to accept immortality and the status of a god for Annabeth. All he wanted was to have a normal life with her, age with her, spend his life with her, and die like a hero.

Sure, it wasn’t easy. They faced a lot of challenges going forward, including Hera kidnapping Percy, falling in Tartarus and what not, but that was still pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time!

My head’s under water
But I’m breathing fine
You’re crazy and I’m out of my mind

All of me; John Legend

The couple here reminds me of the song ‘All of Me’ by John Legend. Listen to it once, and you’ll not be able to find any reason to say that that song isn’t about the ever-beautiful Percabeth.
“What would I do without your smart mouth” – Percy without his Wise Girl.
“Even when I lose I’m winning” – Percy during a game of Capture the Flag against Annabeth.
Just listen to this beautiful song! It’s one of my most favorites along with Perfect by Ed Sheeran.

The first time Annabeth saw Percy, passed out after defeating the Minotaur, this happened:

The last thing I remember is collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan circling above me, moths flying around a yellow light and the stern faces of a familiar-looking bearded man and a pretty girl, her blonde hair curled like Cinderella’s. They both looked down at me, and the girl said, ‘He’s the one. He must be.’

The Lightning Thief

Though these words by Annabeth were with respect to a quest, she couldn’t be more right. And, let’s not overlook Percy’s first impression of her either.

It took them 4 years to be a couple. But, once they were, they were for a forever!