Author's Note: Oh, hi everyone! *Nervously glances at watch* Has it really been about 10 months? Wow, where does the time go….. Ok, guys I'm going to start with saying I am so so so so so sorry that I haven't even posted a notice about what was happening, when I promised you guys this story right after I finished reading House of Hades. I could make a dozen excuses about how I have been dealing with a lot of medical stuff, like being told that I have to have my hip replaced in a couple months, my third surgery on my hip, and I'm a teenage girl. Or that my brother just left for college and it's been crazy getting him ready, or the fact that I am taking all honors courses, and have about 6 hours of homework a night, and I am in Girl Scouts and Mock Trial. But all those things are just excuses, and you guys don't deserve that, so I just want to say I'm sorry, and I hope all of you can find it somewhere in your fandom-filled hearts to forgive me. My main problem is planning out what is going to be in each chapter, that's the part that always gives me headaches, so to fix that, I actually have planned out every single chapter of this Fan Fiction, before I even started writing it, I actually finished my planning last night at 2 o'clock in the morning. The point is I know exactly what is happening with this story, so because of that I will hopefully be able to update daily (if all goes as planned). Right now, I have scheduled there to be around 34 chapters, meaning I would finish this around October 25th or so. Yes, I am aware that is after the actual Blood of Olympus is coming out, but I am willing to wait on reading that and finding out what happens, for your guys' sake and my promise that I would write and complete this. Anyway, this Author's Note has gone on long enough, I'll say more in my next update (which should be tomorrow, latest Wednesday), have fun reading the first chapter!

Chapter 1- Percy POV

The entire world seemed to be consisted solely of darkness and pain. Percy felt like that each breath he drew would be the last, he knew the curses brought on by the Arai were sucking his life away and he only had minutes left, but he felt like the worst part of dying at that moment would be that Annabeth would forever think that he had abandoned her. Just the very thought of that caused Percy more pain than every monster in the world ever could.

It tore Percy's heart in two to see Annabeth, her angelic blonde hair lying filthy and life-less on her shoulders, almost brown in color now, and her previous natural Californian tan replaced with a sickly grey complexion. Worst of all, her normally calculating grey eyes, were now completely color and sightless.

"Annabeth! Wise Girl, please! I'm right here, I would never abandon you! Please snap out of it!" Screaming may mot have been a very bright idea to do, because it caused Percy's sight to darken even more, but he couldn't die without trying to help his Wise Girl, or at least say good-bye.

But Annabeth showed no sign that she had even an inkling that her love was just a few feet away from her, slowly dying, and continued to wander hopelessly around.

"Bob! Please, help Annabeth…"

But whatever else Percy was going to plead of the only creature in the pit of evil that showed him and Annabeth a shred of kindness, without knowing at all who they were, just knowing that they were potential friends, was cut off short by a sudden feeling of being tossed into a freezing pool but not actually have any water touching you.

Percy nearly cracked his spine sitting up too fast in his bed, not even aware that he was sobbing uncontrollably, only conscious of the fact that his heart felt like it was trying to burst out of his chest and the agonizing pain in his lungs.

Desperately trying to get his breathing under control because hyperventilating felt like he was being stabbed by hundred of knives at once, only then did Percy notice that his bed was soaking wet and he was completely dry, and that the entire crew of the Argo II, even Leo who rarely came out of the Control Room anymore, was staring at him with wide worry-filled eyes.

Everyone was looking at him like they expected him to start screaming his head off again and they also looked like they were all barely restraining themselves from asking what his nightmare had been about. Everyone, but one certain daughter of Athena.

Annabeth was the only one whose face was filled with compassion and understanding, because she was the only one who could remotely fathom what he was feeling like right now, both physically and emotionally.

Falling and having to travel through Tartarus did more damage to Percy then he let on. His bones were constantly achy and he had barely any appetite anymore, a very sudden change from his previous ability of being able to eat anything in sight. Also, ever since they escaped from the Doors of Death 2 days ago, he had been having odd moments where excruciating pain in his lungs would seize him, and he could barely think, let alone function when these episodes occurred. Worse, no amount of ambrosia and nectar would work, and there was no clear sign of what was causing it.

The emotional trauma was even worse though than the physical. Having sore bones, lack of appetite, and random bursts of pain, Percy could deal with, he had overcome worse injuries. But he had no idea how to cope with the damage to his mind and his emotions.

Seeing Tartarus as it was when he was seconds from death, a living-breathing creature that he was inside of, is enough to take a serious toll on anyone's mental stability. Even though, Percy managed to hold onto his presence of mind by a thread, he barely had any time to recover before he was forced to go completely against his nature and try to kill Akhlys with her own poison.

But worst of all, he had enjoyed the feeling of almost killing the goddess of poison. Having the control over deciding whether or not she could live or die, was sickly satisfying to Percy, and that terrified him. He was afraid that he would lose control of his emotions one day, and do something he and everyone else would regret, and there would be nothing he could do to prevent himself.

Anyway, Annabeth was the only person in the world who could possibly understand what Percy was going through, because she was most likely feeling it too. By her placing an arm on his shoulder, Percy knew she was trying to tell him that she knew he had been dreaming of Tartarus, and that it was OK, they were out and alive.

It was a statement of how much they loved and knew each other that they could communicate so well without words with one another. One look between their green and grey eyes, and they had a silent agreement that Percy didn't have to tell everyone just yet what they went through, but he had to talk to her eventually and tell her what was wrong.

Although, Percy didn't like it, especially because he knew he would have extreme difficulties hiding the recent pain in his lungs from his Wise Girl, he knew that if he didn't agree, she would force him to tell everyone, and he just wasn't ready yet. But more importantly, he knew she wasn't quite prepared to do that either, and he would never put her through more trauma then what she had already been through, not if he could help it.

"Percy, are you OK? It sounded like you were slowly being tortured to death a minute ago. You know that you can tell us anything, right?" Only Leo would ignore the tension in the room and walk up to the elephant in the room, knowing full aware of the numerous fierce glares he would receive from the rest of the Seven.

Smiling slightly at the sight of Hazel sharply elbowing Leo in the ribs and Piper smacking him on the back of his head, Percy takes a deep breath, ignoring the stabbing pain, and starts his reassurance, something he is sacredly good at now.

"I'm fine guys, really I am. Yes, it was a flashback from Tartarus, but I'm not ready yet for all of you to know yet, and neither is Annabeth. We know though that we can count on you guys, and believe us, we greatly appreciate that support."

Frank, Piper, Jason, Leo, and Hazel all look like they want to argue and try to force the story of the nightmare out of him, but they all know him well enough to know that would never work. So sharing one big group glance with each other, which was actually kind of creepy on how in sink they all were, the five of them all gave Percy and Annabeth smiles to show that they accepted their decision and that they could talk when they were ready.

"Alright people of the Argo II, now that we are sure that one of our members isn't dying a slow-painful death in front of us, we need to discuss what our exact plan of getting to Athens in 12 days. Festus told me that the journey uninterrupted would take about 3 days, however, what are the odds that old Dirt Face will let us have easy lives for once?"

Percy could tell that Leo was desperately trying to diffuse the tension in the room by telling lamer than normal jokes, which he did greatly appreciate, because at least that way the rest of the crew were thinking of the plan, not him and his health.

Although, when Leo made the crack of him dying a slow-painful death, and his eyes flickered over to him, Percy could have sworn that his normally joking brown eyes, darkened slightly, perhaps in anger or resentment.

But before Percy could ponder what he may or may not have seen in Leo's expression, there was suddenly a very large thump that shook the entire boat, followed by an ear-splitting screech of something very mad and bent on destroying everything in its path.

Dislcaimer:

Percy: "I don't know whether or not to be pleased or annoyed of having to wait that long to find out what was happening to me and the world in general."

Me: "I have reached my decision on your (and everyone else's fate) but you will just have to wait and see what it is."

Percy: "Aw, you don't want to give me a sneak-peak on my destiny, Rick would you know."

Me: "One, I doubt that. Two, even if he did, this is my Fan Fiction, he gets to own the original plot-line and all rights associating with you and your world. Anyway, I will give you, and everyone else, a little bit more information in the next chapter, this is it for now! (I know this was a little bit dull, but this is just the first chapter, believe me, there will be plenty of action and drama in this story!) Sorry again for the 10 month absence, I hope I can make it you to you all!"