Amy woke up in her bed. All seemed normal, her clock said the time was 7:30 on Saturday, March 20th. Achilles, her pet leucrota slept at the foot of her bed. But something seemed wrong. Amy remembered that her Math teacher Grover Underwood, who is a satyr, told her yesterday that tomorrow was the first day of spring.
"So today is the first day of spring. I guess Persephone is back up here, in the world above, since her time with Hades is up." Amy said. This worried her, Amy's father is Hades, the god of the Underworld, and Persephone, his wife, doesn't like Amy all that much.
"Can you keep it down, I'm trying to sleep." Achilles said in an irritated voice.
"Sorry." Amy said. She got up and left Achilles there to sleep. In the kitchen Amy thought she would find Archie. Archie was her friend, the son of Hecate, the goddess of magic. Archie and Amy were practically siblings. So they lived in the same house. They found it a bit awkward, but they figured that their godly parents were watching so they didn't do anything bad.
But when she got to the kitchen it was empty.
"That is weird, Archie is usually up by now cooking breakfast." Amy said. She pulled out a bowl and a box of cereal. But she gave up on the idea of cereal for breakfast when she found the milk was sour. So she just had some toast.
Next checked the fridge and freezer for some kind of raw meat for Achilles. She found roughly a pound of venison, why they had deer meat in the fridge Amy had no idea, but she opened the package at put the raw venison in a bowl for Achilles.
Amy did not notice what was outside until now. It was snowing! There was already a good three inches. "That is very strange. Why is there snow in late March? Surely Demeter would be blooming flowers, because her daughter is back."
Amy had a sickening feeling in her gut. It was 8:30 and Archie still wasn't up. She walked over to Archie's room. She knocked on the door, "Archie are you okay?" There was no answer. Amy opened the door, and found the room empty. Amy was so surprised she nearly screamed. There was absolutely no sign of disappearance or struggle. Amy did not sense that he was dead.
She figured she better call Chiron back at camp. He might have an idea.
Okay, so Archie and Amy did not own a phone, neither did the camp, demigods plus electronics, like Internet and cell phones, not a good match up. But Amy did have golden drachma and a prism she could use to make and Iris message.
She used the prism to make a rainbow and threw the drachma in. "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Chiron at CampHalf-Blood."
The mist shimmered and the image of the camp's trainer appeared. He was in his centaur form standing outside the Big House.
"Chiron, I have a problem." Amy said.
"Amy, I was just about to contact you." Chiron said.
"Chiron, Archie is missing!" Amy said.
"He is?" Chiron asked.
"Yes, I woke up this morning and he was gone!" Amy said.
"Amy, we have another problem here at camp." Chiron said.
"What is it?" Amy asked.
"It's Nicholas." Chiron said.
Amy's mind started spinning. Nicholas was Amy's boyfriend from camp. He is the son of Poseidon, so he stayed year round at camp. "What is it?" Amy asked.
"He is very ill. I can't heal him, no one can." Chiron said.
"What! Should I come over there?" Amy asked.
"Quickly." Chiron said.
"I'll shadow travel over there. Oh by the way my pet will be coming with me." Amy said.
"What is you pet?" Chiron asked.
"A leucrota." Amy said. "He won't attack anyone, so make sure no one attacks him okay."
"I will, hurry child." Chiron said.
Amy heard a sickening cough in the back round, it sounded like someone was coughing up their lungs.
Amy dragged her hand through the image and it dissolved.
"Achilles, come on we need to go!" Amy called.
Achilles came out of the kitchen, with meat grease over his lips, "Where?"
"To Camp." Amy said.
"Why?" Achilles asked.
"Archie is missing and Nicholas is sick." Amy said.
"Who is Nicholas?" Achilles asked.
"My boyfriend, now come on!" Amy said.
"Okay, okay, how are we getting there?" Achilles asked.
"Shadow Travel." Amy said.
"Have you done this before?" Achilles asked.
"Yes." Amy said. "Follow me."
Amy focused and walked into the dark room next to her. Achilles followed close behind. The next moment they were standing in the middle of the green at CampHalf-Blood. Amy surprised a few Apollo campers who were practicing archery. They turned and almost shot on Achilles.
"Whoa, he is nice, don't shoot him." Amy said.
"Wouldn't matter anyway, no weapon can hurt me." Achilles said.
"Behave. Now let's get to the Big House." Amy said.
Amy noticed there was not as much snow on the ground here at Camp. The Camp had magical boundaries that the weather sort of bend around. So there was maybe half an inch of snow, the air was brisk, maybe upper fifties. Amy and Achilles made their way to the Big House, where Chiron was waiting for her.
"How bad is he?" Amy asked.
"Very. Come inside." Chiron said.
Chiron led Amy inside and over to a couch. Lying on the couch was Nicholas, and he looked deathly sick. In fact he was so sick Amy could feel how close to death he was. Nicholas was usually quite tan, but now he was paler than a polar bear. His sparkling green eyes were now out of focus and lighter green, like he couldn't see right. He was shivering even though he was under four blankets, and was sweating by the buckets.
"Oh Nick." Amy said, she but her hand on his neck, it was clammy and she had trouble find his pulse.
"Amy, there is nothing we can do. We don't even know what is ailing him." Chiron said.
"Archie is lost, Nicholas is sick and…" 'Amy started then stopped.
"What?" Chiron said.
"Archie is the son of magic, and he is lost. Nick is the son of the sea, and he is sick. Persephone must not be back yet even though she should, considering it snowing! It's the prophecy Chiron." Amy said.
"What prophecy?" Chiron asked.
"The prophecy Rachel gave me in June. 'When the sea is sick,and lost is the magic. Chose whom to save, or enter the cave. The child of the dead, must save spring from the dread.' Don't you see. The sea is referring to Nicholas, magic means Archie. The child of the dead…well that's me. I have to save them!" Amy said.
"Now lets be rational here. It says 'chose whom to save.' There are three people that needs saving." Chiron said.
"Three?" Amy asked.
"Spring." Chiron said.
"Persephone? She hates me!" Amy said.
"She is still a goddess." Chiron said.
"Can't she find her own way out?" Amy asked.
"If she could, she would have already escaped." Chiron said.
"I guess…" Amy looked at Nicholas, she could feel him slipping away, she took a deep breathe, she hated herself for saying what came next, "I need to save Persephone from whatever 'dread' she's facing."
"But what cave? You must enter a cave." Chiron said.
"I know which one it means." Amy said. She told Chiron about her experience with the Pit.
"Tartarus." Chiron said.
"I think it is the spirit of the Pit. He wants revenge for his wife." Amy said.
Nicholas started coughing again.
"I wish there was something we can do." Chiron said.
"There is only one thing to do. I must go to the Underworld, go to that gods forsaken cave and save my step-mother." Amy said.
"Be careful." Chiron said.
"I will." Amy said. "Come on Achilles, we are going to the Underworld."
Amy focused, it was hard to do with so much on her mind, but she managed to shadow travel to the Underworld.
Amy appeared on the outskirts of Elysium. She saw the lone tree again and the man, her half-brother Nico di Angelo standing under it. Amy walked over to him.
"It's you again." Nico said.
"Yeah. I have a problem." Amy said.
"What is it?" Nico asked.
Amy gave him the short version of the problem.
"Oh, this is not good." Nico said.
"Yeah, I am just wondering if there is a way I can fight Tartarus, because for sure, the spirit won't be happy about me releasing Persephone." Amy said
"I have an idea, follow me." Nico said.
"You can leave Elysium?" Amy asked.
"I can do pretty much anything I want down here. I am the son of Hades." Nico said.
He led Amy out of Elysium and headed down a path. Amy started to notice the sound of rushing water.
"A river?" Amy asked.
"Yes, the River Lethe, the river of forgetfulness." Nico said.
Amy felt a buzzing in the back of her head. "I've been here before."
"One drop of that water gets on you, you forget everything about your life." Nico said. "Unless you didn't touch it you would never remember being here." Nico said.
Amy knelt a foot away from the bank. The buzzing got stronger. Then Amy blacked out.
The blackout was like a strange dream, but it wasn't, they were memories. She could recognize all the people there but not herself. Amy saw herself/but not herself, sitting on the steps of an old style hotel. The sky was gray, and gloomy. For some how Amy could tell the date, it was in the 1900's. Out of the doors ran Nico. But he was much younger, maybe five. Amy realized she was about eight. But what was weird, Amy wasn't alive in the late 1930's and she has never seen Nico before Christmas.
The dream shifted, this was much more blurry but she and Nico were in an arcade at a hotel, that seemed so fun, she didn't want to leave.
When the dream shifted again she and Nico were standing in the snow, she was about 12 and Nico was 10. A boy with black hair and green eyes, she recognized his name, Percy Jackson, was fighting a monster, a Manticore? But Amy had never seen a Manticore or really snow before today.
Amy saw the girl which she just started assuming was her sitting in front of a fire, across from sat a girl that was about 12, with auburn hair. "I take the vow of a Hunter of Artemis." the dream self said.
The dream shifted to the desert. She was hiding behind a huge pile of garbage with Percy, "There has to be another way," he said.
"No. Give this to Nico." Amy said, handing him a small toy.
The dream Amy ran towards a huge robot. She stood under the foot, and waited. Amy managed to open the hatch and crawl up inside. She controlled the robot to self-destruct. She was vaguely aware of Percy calling out, "Bianca!"
Once again the dream shifted. She was in the Underworld, standing on the edge of the River Lethe, "Sorry Nico, there is nothing you could've done to get me back." She said, and jumped into the river.
Amy woke up with Nico standing over her.
"Are you okay." Nico asked.
"What is special about this river?" Amy asked.
"It's where souls come to be reborn." Nico said.
"You told me that you thought about doing it, why?" Amy asked.
"My sister, my real sister, we had the same mother and father, she chose rebirth." Nico said.
"When?" Amy asked.
"About 15 years ago. Maybe 16." Nico said.
"What was her name?" Amy asked, already knowing the answer.
"Bianca. You know, you are a lot like her. She had a sense of duty too." Nico said.
"I remember." Amy said.
"What?" Nico said.
"When I came here. I am a reborn soul. And I know my past life now." Amy said.
"How is that possible?" Nico asked.
"I don't know." Amy said.
"Who were you?" Nico asked.
"You wouldn't believe me." Amy said.
"Tell me." Nico said.
"I was Bianca, your sister." Amy said.
"Bianca?" Nico asked, he looked about five years again, like he couldn't believe he found his sister again.
"We need to get back to doing what we were doing." Amy said.
"Yeah." Nico said. "Okay, so if you dip your swords in the river, whenever you touch Tartarus, he will instantly forget who he is, and who you are." Nico said.
Amy got out her rod, and drew her swords. She dipped the swords into the Lethe, and they came out dripping. Amy carefully put them away.
"I guess I am off to the cave now." Amy said.
"Be safe. I don't want to lose you again." Nico said.
"I will." Amy said.
"I will help keep an eye on her." Achilles said. Amy almost forgot that he was there.
"Let's go Achilles." Amy said.
As Amy headed towards the cave, which led to the entrance to Tartarus, she started thinking about Archie. Where could he be? Did someone or something kidnap him. She focused harder, and that was a mistake. She could feel Nicholas, he was really close to death now. Amy hoped Thanatos would stay away from him.
When Amy got to the cave she was really nervous.
"I got a bad feeling about this." Achilles said.
"Yeah, I do too." Amy said.
"Then why are we doing this?" Achilles asked.
"I need to save Persephone." Amy said.
"Doesn't she hate you?" Achilles asked.
"Yes." Amy said.
"Then why would you want to free her?" Achilles asked.
"Because if we don't, Demeter will most likely not let anything grow, ever again." Amy said.
"But you care about this Nicholas, don't you want to save him?" Achilles asked.
"More than anything. But… the world must come first." Amy said. Again she felt like she hated herself for betraying Archie and Nicholas, but she also felt she was doing the right thing saving Persephone.
"I will never understand humans." Achilles said.
"You don't have to." Amy said. "Now let's just get this over with."
Amy got to the opening and was standing on the edge of the pit.
"Good, you're here." the voice said.
"Tartarus, I demand you let Persephone go." Amy said.
"Why would you want that?" Tartarus asked.
"I need too save her." Amy said.
"Then come down here and get her." Tartarus said.
"Why don't you come up here and give her to me." Amy said. "I'm busy, after this I have to find my friend and find some way to heal my boyfriend."
"Oh, you can't heal him. I can, all you have to do is join me." Tartarus said.
"Don't trust him." Achilles said.
"I know." Amy said.
"Where is Archie?" Amy asked.
"Somewhere you will never find him." Tartarus said.
Amy was on the brink of tears, she had come all this way just to learn that Archie couldn't be found and that there was no hope for Nicholas.
"Come up here and fight me." Amy said.
"You dare challenge a god?" Tartarus asked.
"You are no god. You are a wimp. Hiding in your pit for over 5,000 years." Amy said.
"You will regret that Andromeda Cheaney." Tartarus said.
"Hit me with you best shot." Amy said.
"Hit me with you best shot. Why don't you hit me with your best shot. Hit me with your best shot. Fire away!" Achilles said mimicking the singer for that song perfectly.
Amy stared at him.
"What I couldn't help it." Achilles said with his normal voice.
"Oh, I will. And you will soon regret it. You will not see the light of day again!" Tartarus said.
Amy felt the pulling force, trying to pull her in. But this time it was much stronger. Amy was being dragged forward. She tried to run away but she couldn't.
"Achilles, find Archie, get help." Amy said.
"What of you?" Achilles asked.
"I'll be fine. For now." Amy said. She was only an inch from falling down the Pit.
"No. I will stay with you." Achilles said.
"No, you can't help me down there. Find Archie, find someway to heal Nick. Then come and help." Amy said she was now hanging on to the edge hanging over.
"I will see you again. I promise." Amy said.
She was ripped from her hand hold and fell.
"No!" Achilles yelled.
Amy screamed as she fell deeper into the Underworld. The place where no mortal, demigod, or even god dared to go. As Amy fell she felt strangely calm. She was doing this to help millions if not billions of people around the world.
Amy felt she was doing the right thing, even if she died down here, if she managed to free Persephone she could save the world.
Achilles watched quite horrified as he saw Amy fall down supposedly to her death. Him being horrified was quite and accomplishment, him being a nearly un-hurtable monster, he was not scared of much. But watching his best friend, his only friend fall down to the Pit, that was just too scary.
Achilles turned and ran out of the cave. He needed to find Archie. He had to honor Amy's last request. He really hoped she would make it. Maybe Archie knew a healing spell to heal Nicholas. Achilles was not really fond of either of them, but he knew they could help Amy.
But where was Archie? Would he make it in time to try to help Nicholas? And would they be able to help Amy? These questions flowed through Achilles' mind as he exited the cave.
Archie sat in the cage he woke up in. It was much like a huge birdcage, and seemed to be on a ledge of some sort. He had no idea where he was, but he was hanging up high with a forest below him.
"Amy, please hurry." Archie said, more to himself. He would not be able to last long in here. There seemed to be one way of escape, a door, seven feet up that was locked. His magic was dampened so he couldn't do the simplest incantation.
He wondered if this was the prophecy Amy had received earlier, about eight months ago. He also wondered about his girlfriend, Susanna, whose grandmother was Nemesis.
In his feverish daze Nicholas was vaguely aware of Amy's concerned face over him. She left a while a go, but he could still see her face. Nicholas didn't know what he had, but it was horrible. He had tunnel vision and what he could see was hazy. His temperature had to be at least a 103. He felt like he wanted to throw up but there was nothing in his system. He felt extremely dehydrated and had a pulsing headache. He knew in the back of his mind that he was going to die, unless someone would give him some kind of cure.
The End
But…
To Be Continued
Haha I pulled a Rick!