Percy Jackson had a choice to make.

He had been on a date with Annabeth in Times Square. They were gazing up at the sites with awe and wonder. It had been years since the Giant War and their falling into Tartarus, but they were both still scarred.

"The architecture is so amazing!" Annabeth was saying. "I mean, look at the . . ."

Percy wasn't really listening, but he nodded along, looking at her face. Her features lit up in joy whenever she talked about architecture. It was mid-January, so there was a light snowfall all around them. The flakes landed in her hair and sparkled in the light of the afternoon. Her breath danced in the air when she exhaled.

"Uh, Annabeth?" he said, interrupting her.

"Yes, Percy?" she said.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. They were right in front of the red steps or whatever they're called. Percy didn't care. It was perfect.

He got down on one knee. Several people stopped and gasped, looking at him with 'awws'.

Annabeth had also been one of the ones to gasp. "Percy . . ."

"Look, I don't want to spend my life with anyone but you. You light up my world." (Cue the 'awwwws') "Please, would you" ( he took out the ring) "do me the honor of being my-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

This scream was not Annabeth's. No, this was a scream of terror from within the crowd.

Percy cursed. Out of all the days for there to be a monster attack, this had to be the day.

Annabeth stopped gaping and pulled out her sword. "Go!" she yelled at him.

They both ran in the direction of the scream.

When they got there, Percy was even more annoyed.

Some giant guy (not big enough to be a giant or a titan, but maybe a god) was terrorizing everyone. The mortals probably just saw a large bird or something.

Percy uncapped Riptide. "What do you want?!" he screamed.

When he saw them, he gave a wicked grin. "Ah, Perseus Jackson. Finally."

"Who are you?" he yelled.

He chuckled. "I am the god of choices. And the Fates have decreed that you are to be given a choice."

Percy scowled. He didn't like the sound of that. "What choice?" he demanded.

"Oh, that's simple." The god snapped his fingers. Suddenly Annabeth wasn't next to him anymore.

"PERCY!" he heard from behind him.

It was Annabeth, and suddenly he was twelve years old again.

She was on the position his mother had been in all those years ago: in the Minotaur's grasp, kicking an screaming. At least she was being squeezed around her chest rather than her neck, but she was still in a lot of danger.

"What did you do?!" he screamed at the god.

He chuckled. "Me? I just made it easier for you to make your choice."

He relaxed, but only slightly. Maybe it wouldn't involve Annabeth. Maybe she was just being held so he wouldn't run away.

"What is my choice?" he said fiercely.

The god laughed. "Your choice is this: the girl dies, or you forget that you ever met her."

Percy's heart shattered into a million pieces.

The Fates were so cruel. He had saved the world twice, and they were going to take away his pride and joy.

He wished he could say that he was surprised.

He finally found the courage to speak. "Will . . . will she remember?"

More laughter. "Yes. She will remember you - and your choice. And she will never be able to find you. She will suffer. She will spend the rest of her life trying to find you, but she will never find you. You will be a normal mortal, with a different background, and a different name, and a different scent. Everyone you knew will remember you, but you will forget that you knew them. But the girl will live, and everyone will remember you.

"If you chose the other option, you will remember her. But she will be gone. Gone forever. You can return to all of your other little friends, and you can tell them how you killed your pride and joy."

Percy was shattered.

He knew what he had to do. He just didn't know if he had the strength to do it.

It was his fatal flaw.

He turned towards Annabeth. "Would you have said yes?" he asked her quietly.

Even in their predicament, she looked annoyed. "Percy, I hardly think this is the time-"

"WOULD YOU HAVE SAID YES?" he screamed.

"YES!" she screamed back, bursting into tears. "Of course I would have. Percy, please. Don't do this. You can't forget about camp. Or me. I would rather be dead than without you. Please, Percy. We'll fall apart without you."

Percy shook his head. "I have to, Annabeth. I know I'll fall apart without you."

A single, silent tear dripped down his face as he turned back to the god.

"Percy, stop!" he heard her cry.

"I choose to forget everything," he said.

"PERCY, NO!"

The god laughed. "Excellent!"

"PERCY!"

He turned towards her as the Minotaur let her go, and she collapsed onto the ground, coughing and sputtering. His vision was starting to turn black.

"PERCY!" she yelled again, running towards him. She caught him as his knees buckled. She set him on the ground and sat down. She rested his head in her lap.

"Percy . . ."

"Hey, I'll be alright. Just-" He started coughing. "Just down forget me, okay?"

"Percy, I could never forget you."

"Then I'll never forget you. I swear it on the Styx."

"Never?" Her voice was barely audible.

"Never."

And everything went black.

957 words. Not bad for a one-shot.

Tell me what you thought in the reviews. I almost cried, and I wrote the dam thing.

Anyway, I might make this into a story. It depends on how many people like this.

And by like, I mean tell me to go jump in Tartarus or something. I always love flattery.

Anyways, check out my main book: Dead Demigods. I think it's coming along nicely.

Goodbye, loyal readers!