Prologue

Hey guys! This is a new fanfic I'm working on with my sister. It is slightly AU, meaning that the final battle takes place in Greece instead of Camp Half-Blood. Obviously, the battle is quite different from the one portrayed in The Blood of Olympus, but some things are similar - such as what happens to Leo. (Of course, you will find this out as you read it).

We're going to try to update about once a week, maybe more, but if it varies from that schedule, don't worry! Of course, all characters belong to Rick Riordon.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Percy knows when the battle begins that he isn't going to make it.

It is a funny feeling, knowing that his life is going to end. Even as he whirls through hordes of monsters at an inhumane speed, it seems as if it is in slow motion, each second an eternity, his heartbeat in sync with every last breath.

Percy looks up, the edges of his vision blurring. He's glad that he remembered to cut the empathy link with Grover before the battle. He barely had any energy to continue, much less perform some ancient ritual. Miles upon miles of a bloody, barren battlefield meet his eyes. Monsters and demigods clash, creating a cacophony of screams and the clanging of sword upon scale, skin, teeth, claws. He knows one thing with certainty. They are losing. The monsters and giants far outnumber the few demigods, and the Olympians are still nowhere to be found. His comrades have already been forced to the bottom of the hill, where Gaea would soon rise.

Leo is dead. Him and Festus couldn't have survived the explosion they themselves had created. There was no way in Hades. Percy can't let any more of his die in this battle. He just can't. He's suddenly reminded of his fatal flaw. He would let the world end if it meant saving the lives of his friends. It's never been more true than now.

Percy knows what he has to do. He has known it for a while, really. Even though he has tried to run from the truth for a long time, he has to face it. It is what heroes do. Percy finds it ironic. He has never thought that he would end up another Greek tragedy. He has always assumed there would be an exception, that he and Annabeth could somehow battle the odds - and win. Yet here he is, facing imminent death with a seemingly brave facade.

He doesn't want to turn to the others, to say goodbye. Percy has never been one for sentiment, for heartbroken scenes. He figures that it would be easier this way, if he left without a word. He knows that they would try to stop him, try to find another way. He would've done the same, after all.

With one last glance at Annabeth's blood-matted blonde hair, her fierce grey eyes sweeping the battlefield, her dagger slashing at the never-ending wave of enemies, he trudges upward. He reaches the top of the hill all too soon.

Percy gulps, raised his sword. His arms trembling, not with fear, but with finality. This was the end, the final bang. There are worse ways to go, he concludes. He will be remembered as a hero. A legend. A sacrifice.

Just as the thought crosses his mind, a voice reverberates throughout the battlefield. Gaea.

Beautiful sacrifices, she purrs. Beautiful sacrifices to wake the goddess.

Percy grits his teeth at the familiarity of the sentence. "I will kill you," he growls. "I'll make you regret ever rising in the first place."

You? Gaea's voice almost laughs. A puny demigod? Try to defeat me? As if, she scoffs.

Percy closes his eyes, and suddenly he is hyper-aware of his surroundings, of every burning cut that pierces his skin, of his trembling exhaustion, of the way his muscles are tensed, of his lashes pressing against his bruised face.

There is a terrifying scream behind him, a painful, desperate yell of agony, of sorrow beyond belief. "Percy! No!"

Annabeth.

The thought of his girlfriend replenishes his determination. He has to do this. For her.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth. I'll see you again. I swear it on the River Styx," he whispers. Tears moisten his eyes.

Then, as he kneels on the sacred ground, he plunges Riptide into the Earth. Every ounce of his power is poured into the strike. Water crashes into the earth with such force that it cracks the very ground. Every nerve on Percy's body is on fire. At the last minute, he remembers to throw up a shield around the base of the hill so his friends won't get hurt. He feels his power waning, his life force ebbing like the waves of the tide. He has never used this much of it before. It is far too much stress on his body.

Water churns the soil. Percy stumbles. Gaea screams.

Then it is over. Dots blur his vision, and he collapses within the very water meant to heal him. Not this time. This time, he has gone too far.

Percy looks up. Stormy clouds cover the sky, gray like Annabeth's eyes, and Percy thinks of every moment he has ever spent with her, of you drool when you sleep and as long as we're together and the feel of her lips on his -

He closes his eyes.

And then there is nothing.

We hope you like it! Don't forget to review. We love getting feedback on our writing. See you in the next chapter!