Do you like the title? It's the best I could think of… :P

Anyway, this story is also based on Riordan's The Demigod Files. Turn to the chapter: Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades. Now please turn to pages 101/102 and 120. I'll begin at 101/102 then I'll skip to 120 and add some of Thalia's thoughts to both of these. And finally, the story will truly begin right after Riordan's ends. I think I'll make it Percy POV… I'm not sure yet… maybe 3rd POV…

I just wanted to remind you all who are too lazy to go get their books- Melinoe is the goddess of ghosts. Don't worry, I'm lazy to X)

Disclaimer: I do not anything. Not one thing. Not even the letters that construct the words in this story. I only own the creative imagination that formed this story based on Riordan's creative imagination that formed his stories…

Page 101/102

"Always a danger," Percy joked.

I scanned the dead faces of those in the crowd only half paying attention. "Always." Where are you? You gatta be here. You were only-

"If you're looking for looking for Bianca," Percy voice had dropped very low, "she'd be in Elysium. She died a hero's death."

"I know that!" I snapped. Why did you have to bring her up? Then I caught myself. Percy didn't know. "It's not that, Percy. I was just…never mind."

Percy looked at me with those intense sea green eyes. I resisted the urge to shiver. It felt like Percy was looking into my soul, uncovering my deepest secret. I tried to avoid looking into his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

His voice sounded so apologetic, I automatically looked up. Our eyes meet. I got what he was trying to say. My expression softened. Percy thought I was thinking about my mother. Of course he doesn't know about him. No one does.

"It's okay. Let's just get this over with."

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, another petal fell of the carnation.

Xx~oOo~xX

Page 120

Suddenly a figure stood in front of us. A woman. A woman with disheveled blond hair. A woman wearing a pink bathrobe and holding a wineglass in her hand. Her face was stern and disappointing. It always was. I recognized her immediately. At first I felt anger. It was her fault. It wouldn't have happened if not for her. He would still be here.

"Now you come back," she growled. "Well it's too late!"

I head Percy whisper something, probably to Nico. I looked into her eyes, getting ready to yell, but I found I couldn't. Suddenly, I didn't care anymore. I felt like I was seven again. My eyes started tearing up and I lowered my bow. I wasn't angry anymore.

"Mother?" I asked. When the anger disappeared, I felt the need of her approval. I needed to make my mother happy.

She threw her wineglass down. "That's right, girl. Doomed to walk the earth, and it's your fault! Where were you when I died? Why did you run away when I needed you?"

Something tugged at my memory. "I- I-" I couldn't think.

I heard Percy saying something to me, something about her being a shade and not hurting me.

"I'm more than that," my mother growled. "And Thalia knows it."

"But- you abandoned me!" I cried. I was so confused. I felt as though I should be angry. But I was scared. Scared and hurt. I didn't feel like Artemis' lieutenant at all. More like I was five again, craving my mother's approval.

"You wretched girl! Ungrateful runaway!" My mother shouted at me.

I heard a shout and suddenly Nico was in front of me, his sword was drawn as if he was going to run her threw. But he didn't. He just stood there, staring at my mother.

"No…" he said.

My mother continued speaking, "You left me in my time of need! I needed you and you ran away! Didn't you care that I was hurting?"

I felt pained. She was right. At her time of need, I left as if I didn't care about her at all. You didn't. It was her fault it happened. A voice said in my head. That's strange- it wasn't my voice. It sounded like a boy's. A young boy's. The voice was oddly comforting and yet, it made me sad.

"Mama?" Nico asked.

"No, it's my mother," I murmured. My mind was still trying to figure out what the voice meant.

"You were always so angry with me. Tell me, what did I do?"

I couldn't answer that. It felt like my brain was in a fog. A memory kept tugging at my mind, screaming at me to remember it. But I just couldn't. So I stood there, staring at my mother, listening to her yelling at me. Taking it like a good girl should.

"You know, it shouldn't be me you see. There's someone else, someone that haunts you even more than I."

I continued staring at her, trying to figure out what she meant.

"But he's a ghost that's not really dead."

That took me by surprise. I didn't know what she was saying, but I wasn't expecting that to come out of her lips. Suddenly, it felt as if the fog disappeared. I looked to my mother to ask what she meant when I saw something… disturbing.

"What is that?" I asked. "Where-"

Nico interrupted me, "It was a trick. She fooled us."

Before us stood a…stood this…thing. It had to be a woman. She was wearing this golden dress with a matching shawl. Half her body was pitch-black and hardened, while the other half was pale and chalky white. But her eyes were worse. They were these empty black voids.

"You're too late demigods," the thing- Melinoe?- said. "The deal has been struck."

"What deal?" Percy demanded.

Melinoe made this weird hissing noise. Almost as if she was laughing. "So many ghosts, my young demigod. They long to be unleashed. When Kronos rules the world, I shall be free to walk among mortals both night and day, sowing terror as they deserve."

"Where's the sword of Hades?" Percy demanded. "Where's Ethan?"

It struck me that Percy was the only one talking. Nico and I were just listening.

"Close," Melinoe said. "I will not stop you. I will not need you. Soon, Percy Jackson, you will have many ghosts. And you'll remember."

I didn't like how she was speaking to my cousin. I notched one of my arrows and aimed it at the thing before me. "If you open a path to the world, do you really think Kronos will reward you? He'll cast you into Tartarus along with the rest of Hade's servants."

Melinoe bared her teeth. "Your mother was right, Thalia. You are an angry girl. Good at running away. Not much else."

That struck a nerve. I let go of my arrow. Right before it touched her, she dissolved into fog, and my arrow just hit the rocks and shattered harmlessly.

"Stupid ghost," I muttered.

The memory that kept bugging me finally returned when I saw that my mother wasn't actually my mother. It was just an image, hiding the creature's real form- Melinoe, goddess of ghosts.

It was my mother's fault. I ran away because of what she did. How she treated me...how she treated us. She made that stupid deal with that stupid goddess. And now, he's gone. I was aware that I was on the verge of tears and my hands were trembling. I knew Percy was watching me. I glanced over at Nico to see how bad he was. To add insult to injury, Nico looked much better than I felt. He just looked stunned, as if he was smacked between the eyes.

"The thief…" he began. "Probably in the cave. We have to stop him before-"

That was when the last pelt fell off. I took a deep breath. I couldn't lose it now.

You know, it shouldn't be me you see. There's someone else, someone that haunts you even more than I.But he's a ghost that's not really dead.

That's what Melinoe said. I had a strange feeling of what she meant. But it seemed impossible. He couldn't be alive…could he?

I don't really like this chapter… The others will be better hopefully. Did you like the first chapter? Review telling me yes or no and why (I want to get better). The next chapter will be up shortly. It will begin with cheeseburgers at McHale's :)

Review!

And yes, I know I have another story to finish (Camp Half-Blood, oh Fun) and a story I'm writing now (The Golden Mango), but I just HAD to write this once the idea popped into my head... So yeah... Where was I again? Oh yes.

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(...please?)