Hey so this is a Bianca and Nico AU where Bianca's alive and NOT part of the Hunters of Artemis. Because let's face it; she loves Nico and would never leave him. This first chapter thingy is just a prologue with 2 scenes, to kinda set the mood. I wrote these just to get in the feeling of writing in Bianca's perspective. On Sunday I'll start the main storyline, beginning right where BoO left off, with Solangelo and all that fun stuff. Enjoy.

Bianca:

"Do you want to be part of the Hunters, Bianca?" Artemis's silver eyes glint in the moonlight. Everyone is gathered around, looking at me. The Hunters, with their silver bows, are already analyzing me, like I'm competition.

Nico's pulling at my jacket, and when I look at him, tears are welling up, threatening to spill. "Of course not, what kind of question is that? I could never leave Nico." I get on one knee and hug him, reassuring him that I will be there for him.

The cold air whips Nico's hair into his face and I brush it away. "Thank you, Bianca. I love you," Nico's voice cracks, and I hug him tighter.

"That settles it," Artemis turns to her Huntresses and orders them to set up camp. It seems funny to me that a 12 year-old girl is ordering around people older than her, but then I remember she's actually a god, and the Greek gods exist.

"Is that really Artemis, like in Mythomagics? Can she really do 600 damage and go invisible at night?" Nico starts bouncing up and down in excitement. "This is so cool."

Behind me, I hear someone chuckle and turn back to see who it is. Thalia's smiling at Nico, and I can't help but join her. Nico tugs on my furry scarf and I turn back to him. "Yes?"

"I think I have her card. Do you think I can get her signature? That would be so cool if I got a god's signature!" A smile spreads across his face at that idea. I look at Thalia and give her a questioning look.

"Yeah, just don't ask her when she's in a bad mood. She likes turning people into jackalope," Thalia whispers to Nico, like it's a secret. "Here, I'lll come with you." She sticks out her hand and Nico takes it eagerly.

He gets the card out and explaining the Artemis card to Thalia, who's leading him to Artemis. I turn back to Percy and thank him. "If it weren't for you, we would be captured, or dead by now."

He smiles sadly. "This is just the beginning. We need to get Annabeth back and stop this Great Stirring."

"Father, you need to help the gods. If the gods fall, you are not safe here." Nico's on his knees, tears streaming down his face. Nico and I are in the throne room, a huge expansive room of blackness.

Demeter yawns. "But will Kronos appreciate grain more than the gods? I really feel like he would."

Persephone's the only one that's remotely worried. "Please Persephone," I turn to her, knowing she has the most empathy. "So many people would die. Who would praise your beautiful tulips if there are no humans to grow them?"

She huffs and looks away; I know I hit something. So I keep pressing at it. "And what about you, Father? Do you really want billions of souls flooding your already overfilled Underworld. It would be a mess, a total and utter mess."

Hades, on his throne of black marble and bones, stands up and hushes me. "Fine, fine. If it will shut you and your blabbering, I'll do it." He then turns to his skeletal guards. "Gather the army. Everyone. Prepare for war. Get my chariot ready." He shoots a dozen other commands to the skeletons guarding the throne room, and they all go with a nod of their skull.

Father snaps and his Helm of Darkness hardens out of the shadows. He places the helm on his head, and I shield my mind from the dark thoughts emanating from it. I've gotten so used to the dark thoughts radiating from my dad that I'm pretty my much immune to the helm.

His obsidian chariot rolls into the throne room, pulled by skeleton horses with manes of fire. They neigh and pull at their bridles, wanting freedom. Hades soothes them and hops in, staff in hand. Persephone's dress solidifies into pink armor with flowery designs. Demeter also looks prepared for war, with a farming scythe in her hand.

"Get in," Hades looks at the both of us and we shuffle forward, our matching Stygian Iron swords if front of us. Mrs. O'Leary bounds toward us and joins us in the chariot, totally comfortable being in the presence of 3 gods.

I stand next to Nico, holding his hand. I squeeze it and smile. "We did it. We convinced him," Nico beams at me. I know he wants to impress Percy, his longtime crush.

Hades snaps and a crevice opens in the ceiling. Clashes and cries of monsters and demigods alike. "Death is coming," he roars and whips the reigns of the skeleton horses.

We soar upwards, toward Manhattan and the battle. I brace myself for the Shadow Traveling, but we just appear in the middle of a packed street. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust, but when they do, I can tell how bad the situation is. Luke, or more accurately, Kronos, turns to us and smiles smugly.

With us comes thousands of skeletons armed to the tooth. A whole arsenal of hellhounds solidify from the shadows and growl at Kronos's army. The only thing keeping his army from pooping their pants and fleeing is Kronos's willpower.

"Hades, welcome to the party," Kronos's smile widens and strides toward the chariot.

"Kronos, looking young," Hades says through grit teeth. The Helm of Darkness on his head pulses even stronger, fueled by Hades's hatred and anger. Shadows grew longer, and everyone's fears grew exponentially. "There was always something my siblings and I always agreed on. You were a horrible father."

Demeter nods in agreement, her glare could kill. In that moment, I realize Nico and I stand there in direct line of fire between Kronos and Hades. "That's not how you should treat your father," Kronos snaps and creates a barrier between the two tremendous armies, blocking Percy, a few others and himself from the rest of us.

Hades snarls in disgust. "Coward," he mutters, and louder he says, "ATTACK!"

A few things happen all at once. The two armies clash, skeletons clicking, hellhounds yowling, and the clash of metal on metal. I feel Father, Persephone, and Demeter prepare to attack, so I steer Nico clear from their line of fire.

A bolt of pure darkness streaks from Father's hand into Kronos's impenetrable wall, dropping the air temperature a good 20 degrees. Persephone flicks her hand and thousands of sharpened leaves and petals fly into the battle, downing hundreds of monsters.

Demeter pounds on her scythe, and a wheat-y smell fills the air. A whole column of giants are turned to wheat stalks, right in the middle of Manhattan. Father sends another cold shaft of darkness into Kronos's wall, but it holds firm. Nico pulls me from the chariot and we help cut through the monsters.