Disclaimer: I don't own anything...

Prologue

The sun had set on the age of the gods. Precious few remained. Only the very strongest warriors and the most peaceful of saints. A handful of demigods and three goddesses, left behind in a world reclaimed by its mother. Akhlys. Hestia. Hecate. Perseus. Annabeth. Pollux. Gwendolyn. Travis. Dakota. Lou Ellen. Ten survivors of an era lost to the winds of time. Five on the brink of death. Four greatly weakened. One stronger than ever before.

Akhlys licked her corroded lips, tasting the hopelessness that hung, heavy in the air. The marble columns of Olympus were crumbling, none left to maintain their luster. Nine salvaged stretchers were pushed haphazardly against a wall, five occupied.

Dakota breathed his last, lips unstained by the red dye that had once been so recognizable.

Gwen, beside him, felt his hand go cold in hers and let out a quiet sob. It was hardly a spasm of her throat, yet the minute action caused the imperial gold shrapnel beside her heart to pierce through, reuniting her with her love once more.

Travis passed silently, dreaming of his brother and Camp Half-Blood… Dreaming of the way home used to feel.

Pollux died as his twin had a year before, by a celestial bronze knife through him, slowly leeching out his soul.

Hestia gathered her three remaining heroes into her arms and whispered to them. "One last quest," she told them, "to save you. And perhaps to save us all." The goddess offered a sad smile and a word of luck that seemed false as she faded away.

A sadistic smile cut through the tears on Akhlys' face.

Hecate, hardly strong enough to move, beckoned the heroes to her. Something akin to hope flashed in her eyes. A breeze ruffled the tattered drapes as the former goddess of magic called her power to herself. A flick of her wrist and Percy and Annabeth felt something cool and refreshing fill them from the inside.

Lou Ellen looked into her mother's eyes and nodded, her movements shaky but her eyes resolved. Hecate took her last daughter's hand and enveloped the three demigods in a swirl of golden sand. The three were whisked away, but not before hearing the goddess's parting words...

"Your quest shall be explained in the past."

.oOo.

A/N: This was really depressing... But I'm hoping the rest of the story won't be as bad. Please review and let me know what you thought!