Looking back on it, I don't know why I trusted him. After all of the times he had hurt me, I should have known. Maybe I felt like I had to protect him, after all of the times he had protected me. I don't know what came over me, but I gave in and took the sky. I remember the exact moment the burden hit me. Pain seared though me, and I cried out to Luke. He had said nothing except that help was coming, whatever that meant. Now that I think about it, I was really crying out to Percy. I remember hearing the nymphs whispering, "Hang in there, hand in there." Courage and strength surged through me, and I pushed the sky up. The best part, though, was to see the amazed faces of Luke and Atlas as I pushed the sky upward.
Soon, my strength was drained. A little while later, Artemis came and immediately flew to me and took the burden away. As the sky had fallen onto her shoulders, I collapsed. As if he still cared, Luke had picked me up, and carried me to the side. After I had regained consciousness, I had seen Percy taking the sky from Artemis. I had been transfixed. Only Percy would do that for me. Over to my left, Thiala and Luke had been battling. I remember very clearly, even from that moment, that I knew Luke was on the losing side. After, everything bad that he'd done, I still couldn't let him die. I had pleaded with Thiala to save him, but I guess instinct had taken over. In one swift movement, she had kicked Luke over the edge. I had felt like my heart had fallen apart, and I still do. Yet in the back on my mind, I knew that he was still, miraculously, alive.
Everything seemed to happen so fast after that. Luke had fallen, Atlas was forced under the sky again, my dad peppered everything with bullets from his plane, and Zoë had died. I couldn't believe that Zoë, after thousands of years, had fallen in battle. As Artemis blew her body to the starts, I remember trying not to let the tears slip out. Though I hadn't really known her, it was so sad.
The highlight, though, was at the party. The music was enchanted, and the ambrosia was flowing in fondue pots. It was beautiful. Then Percy, after talking to my mother (which I thought was kind of weird), had asked me to dance. Of course, I had said yes. I don't know what music Percy heard, but to me, it had been a slow dance: a little sad, but maybe a little hopeful, too. The most amazing thing that happened that night was that my heart felt like its pieces had been picked up, and put back together. They didn't make the same picture as before, but one just as beautiful.