Finding Bianca's bloody, broken, body in the twisted hunk of metal that was Talos would give Percy nightmares for years to come. They desperately yanked away pieces of metal, looking for her, praying to all the gods they could think of that they would find her. And, in retrospect, maybe the God's did respond. Maybe they just didn't pray for the right thing. The idea that Bianca would be beyond helping had seemed like an impossibility. If they found her alive, surely they would be able to help her. Surely the hunter's packs had ambrosia and nectar. Surely she would be saved. They just had to find her. This idea is shattered when he hears the anguish in Zoe's voice
"Bianca!". At the sound, they all rush toward Zoe to help, and they stop short when the see her. Zoe had dragged Bianca from the wreckage, and she was alive, but barely. Her legs were twisted at gut wrenching angles, and a twisted piece of metal protrudes from her chest. On closer inspection, he sees that Zoe has pulled up her top just below her breasts to display her stomach. Ribs poke out, bits of white bone with small trails of blood trickling down her abdomen. Her head rests in Zoe's lap, her face pale and sweaty, her breathing labored. Her eye's land on Percy before anyone else.
"Percy" She tries to say more, but she starts coughing, loud, scary coughs, and blood stains her lips.
"Shh. Do not try to talk" Zoe says softly, stroking her hair. Percy, Thalia and Grover gather around her looking shocked. Without really thinking about it, Thalia grabs Bianca's hand, and squeezes. Bianca gives her a smile, but with her bloody lips, and and pink stained teeth, it does nothing to calm Thalia's worries. Percy is the first to speak.
"Just hold on Bianca, OK? We're going to get some ambrosia and nectar and..." He trails off at the look on Zoe's face, but it's Bianca who voices their worst fears. She shakes her head weakly.
"Won't work. Remember the prophecy?" Thalia's face darkened.
"One shall be lost in the land without rain" She recites in a monotone.
"Exactly. I guess it was fate." She looks up at Zoe's, and lets out a little laugh that turns into a nasty cough "Ironic, huh?" A look passes between them, one of sad understanding. Before Percy can ask what in Hades's name they're talking about Bianca turned towards him.
"You'll give Nico the statue? And you'll-" She pauses, leans forward, and spits blood out onto the dry, dusty ground "You'll tell him what I said?" He actually wants to destroy the stupid statue, the reason Bianca was on the ground dying and not smiling and laughing with them like she was just hours ago, but if this simple favor is her last request, he can hardly deny her, so he says
"Yeah, yeah, of-" he pauses, his voice nearly breaking. He recovers, and continues, straining to sound steady and strong, like a leader "Of course I will." And because he feels like he needs to add this, if not for Bianca then for himself. "I'll- I'll make sure he's looked after. "
She looks at him and a silent agreement passes between them, that no matter what happens, he will do whatever he can to protect Nico. "Thank you". After that everyone is silent, Percy wishes he, or anyone else could do or say something to make everything better, but he can't think of anything, and judging by the faces of everyone around him, his friends don't know either. It's a terrible feeling. Bianca lets out more of those scary coughs, and gasps for breath. The only thing that he can think of to make everything hurt less is that at least this won't last for much longer. Bianca seems to sense this too, because she says
"Zoe?"
"Shh. I am here."
"Zoe I'm so, so tired"
"You have been an amazing hunter. A truly worthy servant of Artemis. You have proved yourself ten times over. Rest, my sister." Zoe's voice is thick when she says this, and there are tears trickling down her cheeks. Bianca's last words are whispered, and peaceful.
"Thank you." Her eyes flutter closed. Her chest rises and falls two, three more times and then stops. Zoe lets out a choked sob. Thalia has angry tears rolling down her cheeks, and Grover chews mournfully on a tin can. Percy just stares at her body. Rather suddenly, Zoe removes Bianca's head from her lap and rests it gently on the ground. She sits on her ankles beside her body, rests her hand on Bianca's forehead, and starts singing something in Ancient Greek. He's barely listening to the words, but the tune is slow and mournful. He leans over to Thalia and says in a hoarse whisper
"What is she doing?"
"Ancient Rites of a Hunter. Safe passage to the Underworld. Protection from the Fields of Punishment. Fallen hunters are looked favorably upon by the council." He nods. There's not much else he can say. Everyone but Zoe sits in silence. It seems wrong to do anything else while Zoe preforms the ceremony. When she finished, the silence that had settled over them shattered. Thalia rises to her feet and let's out a yell
"Damn it!". She throws her spear, and blue electricity fries the remains of Talos. Her voice is choked with anger and grief, and with the sparks crackling from her fingers she looks downright dangerous. Zoe bends over Bianca's body, and lets out a sob. Percy is on his feet as well, and, though unnoticed by the others, small puddles of salt water are pooling at his feet, spurting from old, crumbling remnants of sea shells. Grover looks nervous, but plays a tune on his pipes. Almost immediately, small sprouts poke out of the otherwise barren ground, right next to Bianca and Zoe. They grow into a laurel bush and a small group of fragrant wild flowers. Grover looks rather surprised at his own ability. Zoe looks up from Bianca's body, and observes the new growth. She rises to her feet and regards Grover. To his credit, Grover almost succeeds in not looking petrified. Zoe, either unaware or unperturbed by Grover's nervousness simply says
"Thank you, satyr". Maybe it's grief or exhaustion, but she forgets to sound cold and look annoyed with his existence. She kneels next to the bush and weaves a wreath of laurel leaves and flowers. She places it gently over Bianca's hair, where it looks like a crown. And then Zoe does something unexpected. She leans forward and presses a gentle kiss to Bianca's forehead. The motherly gesture does a lot to remind them all of how old Zoe really is; that despite looking 13, she's thousands of years old, has seen scores of hunters die. Has, perhaps, gone through this ceremony with most, if not all of them.
And in that moment Percy hates the Gods. He hates the Titans. He hates everything. He hates that everyone seems to forget that he is 13 god-damned years old. Hates that Bianca was 12. Hates that her father forgot her. Hates the realization that Bianca, Annabeth, everyone who has suffered in this effort was and will be nothing more than collateral damage. Thinks that maybe everyone would be better off if neither the Gods nor the Titans existed and the world really was run by man. Thinks about how to the Gods, Bianca's death means nothing. He has never felt so much hate in his life. But something gets his attention.
A spurt of saltwater has soaked through his pant leg. When he looks down, the fading light has caught one of the old seashells at the perfect angle, and it shines with a pearly iridescence. This brings him back to reality. Reminds him that as selfish as the Gods are, they have created. All he's seen Luke and his army do lately is destroy. He presses down his anger, his hate. The Gods are cruel. That's a no-brainer. But the Titans are crueler. The Titans are who need to be stopped. He takes a breath, and says
"We need to leave". Thalia gives a terse nod, and picks her spear up from the ground. Zoe takes a deep breath, keeping her face to the ground. She pulls down Bianca's shirt, and zips her jacket over the ugly wound. She rests Bianca's bow and quiver across the body, and looks up. Her face is unreadable, wiped clean of any emotion. She says in a steady voice
"I agree. This place..." she trails off, and looks around distastefully "is no place for the living. We have proof of this." She doesn't mention Bianca. Grover, surprisingly, is the one who speaks up.
"We can't just leave her here!"
"If I was right about her parentage, then someone will be sent for the body. We've done all we can for her." Zoe's voice isn't cold, but it is detached.
"Zoe what are you talking about. Who's her parent?" Percy asks. He's just watched a friend die. He's tired of lies.
"I cannot tell thee. Not... not yet. It would put too many people in danger and I am not even sure if it is true. In any case, it is not my secret to tell."
This obviously agitates Thalia, and sparks of electricity travel down her arms and crackle at her fingertips.
"Look Zoe, Bianca's died for this quest and if knowing who her Olympian parent is will help us-"
"But it will not. It is of no relevance to the quest. And if I am right, you will know soon enough."
"Listen Zoe-"
Percy decides to step in before this turned into a fight.
"Thalia she's right. We need to focus on finding Artemis. And Annabeth. Bianca's gone. There's nothing else we can do. Let's just go." Thalia gives him one of her famous death glares but says, coldly
"Fine. Lead the way then, Seaweed Brain". The words are cold and cutting. She means them to be.
"Thalia-" Percy tries to reason
"Let's just go". Thalia brushes past him, and the rest of them follow. He gives Bianca one last look and says
"I'm sorry". He walks away. He does not look back.
_
AN: So, after this, the book goes on like normal. I cried when I wrote this. I don't know what my feelings are doing. R&R and all that jazz.