I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or anything related to it. This is my story from my SYOC. Further author's note below. These beginning deaths are all reversed.

Prologue: A Choice

Gaea's form crumbled in a thundering avalanche of rocks. The rocks buried the fighters and onlookers, their terrified screams echoing through the air. The battle's wreckage covered streets for miles on end, houses reduced to ashen powder; monuments and temples reduced to rubble and wounded citizens weeping for loved ones.

The giant storm around the foot of the mountain dispersed as the fire surrounding the battle burned away. A boy's unconscious body tumbled down the mountain, but no one was available to help him. Another boy covered by flames fell to the ground, panting with exhaustion, struggling to hold his head up straight. A third boy lay dead on the ground, his face singed and his hand looking like a bird's foot. A girl lay on a boulder with a deep gash in her side, spewing out an endless supply of blood, it was clear that the wound ran through to her heart. Another girl knelt screaming, sobbing over a fourth boy's lifeless form, the girl's back cut and bleeding, but otherwise fine. There was little life anywhere.

A fifth younger boy was falling through the sky, his black cloak billowing above him. This boy looked younger, less injured and calmer. The boy fell without a care, he knew he had saved humanity, he knew if it was his time to pass it was. His eyes were shut gently. His black hair was pulled above him. He plummeted towards the carpet of boulders and rough rocks.

A man emerged from the shadows on top of the mess of rocks and held his arms out as if trying to catch the boy. The man chanted words in an ancient language and the falling boy appeared in his arms. The boy looked shocked as he was placed on his feet again. He stared at the man with dark eyes. The man looked back at him with a smile holding his face together and tears streaming down his face. He embraced the boy and began crying, crying with relief and sadness.

"My son," the man said, his voice wavering, "You're alive." The boy had a tear gliding along his pale face now also, his smile faltering slightly.

"Dad," he whispered and hugged his father back, "You saved me." The father and son held on to each other, dreading the moment they would part. They filled the cold, stale air with warmth and hope.

"I love you son," the man whispered.

"I love you too Dad," the boy whispered, feeling at home after thirteen years of trying to find it.

Lightning flashed in the sky and another man appeared. He looked past the father and son and scanned the area for his own child. He yelled his son's name, Jason, when he saw the unconscious boy on the mountain. He sprinted towards Jason, tears of concern welling up within his eyes.

"My boy," the man whispered, breathing heavily. He scooped up his son and feared the worst, tears escaping his eyes. Jason moaned subconsciously, and his head rolled sideways.

Two more adults materialized from nowhere and ran towards the girl weeping over the boy. A lady who had intense grey eyes wrapped an arm around the girl and let the girl cry on her shoulder. A man with a mess of black hair resting on his head cried over his son's body, his favourite son's body.

"Percy," the man whispered, unable to hold back the tears that streamed down his face. "He was trying to save her," he sobbed.

"He knew the risks and the consequences," the lady said softly, "He died protecting my daughter. He knew he would. Why did I ever doubt him?" The girl with them just sobbed loudly, grief freezing her heart, regret burning her soul.

Another man sprouted from the ground, he dropped his hammer when he saw his son. A man appeared next to him with a spear strapped to his back and angry red fire in his eyes. The men looked at each other and walked together to their sons. They knelt near their sons, the man with a wispy burning beard knelt by the boy who was on fire and quenched the flames while the man with fiery eyes knelt by the boy with the singed face. The men whispered a word of apology to each other tears spilling from their hardened eyes. The men gazed at their sons and did what they hadn't for eons; the men wept. They wept for the loss of a valiant son, who had made them proud, who had made them happy, who had become a hero, only to dwindle trying to save their world.

A final woman appeared at the scene, glowing with unimaginable beauty that would catch the eyes of every man she passed. When she saw her daughter however, the last thing she wanted was to be noticed. She ran over to her daughter, tears already streaking down her face. She sat beside her daughter and brushed the hair out of her daughter's eyes. The woman squeezed her daughter's hand, even though she knew no response was coming. Her daughter took a sharp shallow breath in. Her mother smiled, even though she knew there was no hope to save her child.

"Jason," Piper breathed, "I love him." Her head rolled towards her mother. "I love you." Her mother held herself together for the last moments of her daughter's life. She wanted her to be ok. She wanted everything to be ok. She wanted everything the way it had been before.

"I love you too sweetheart," she managed, her voice quivering. Piper struggled to smile at her mother before her whole body became lifeless.

Hades released his son. One of the three survivors. He didn't know if he would've coped if his only child was taken away from him. His whole body felt warm and light, as if the world had been taken off his shoulders. He looked Nico in the eye and gave a warm smile. He wondered whether he would've responded to his son's death like Pluto did to Hazel's. Hazel had already been dead and belonged with the dead; Pluto hadn't been hurt in any way.

A blinding white light filled the scene and Juno appeared in the midst of them. She looked over at those she had chosen, more than half were dead. Had she made the right people suffer? Had she chosen the right people to defeat Gaea, even if it was the tag-along member who had conquered Gaea? She looked at her husband Jupiter holding his son, appearing distressed and angry. She knew all too well Jason would pass. She looked at Annabeth, the one girl she'd hated from the start. It was clear Percy's death felt like a knife to the heart for her. Annabeth probably wanted to be dead with Percy. She looked at Leo next to his father Hephaestus, whom Juno's Greek form had thrown off Mount Olympus. To see a hardened, emotionless man cry for his fatally wounded son was utterly heartbreaking, no matter how much Juno hated him. She looked at Frank and his father. Frank had died with no idea of what caused his death, his father seemed just as confused, but for once in Mars's eyes, there was no anger, only grief. She looked at Piper, who had taken a blade to save Jason, her one love who was dying regardless. Juno turned to Percy, a true hero who like Piper, had given his life for the one he truly loved. Juno had liked Percy, he was a good man. He had saved the Olympians before and declined immortality, for friends and others who he held close to him.

Juno turned her eyes to Nico. The boy she hadn't chosen the one who had beaten Gaea, the one who always managed to make a spectacular entrance at least expected of times. She hadn't wanted him to be on the quest, let alone defeat Gaea and survive. Juno may not have liked the boy but his actions needed to be rewarded.

...

The burial had been the hardest thing to watch. Seeing all-powerful beings in tears was disheartening. Watching close friends, almost family even, being sent off like a hero was also heartbreaking. Watching Annabeth uncontrollably sob for Percy hurt also. The only good that had come out of the day was Gaea finally leaving, the ends of a long five years of war. Even then it wasn't a day for rejoicing. All of Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood mourned the loss of their faithful heroes.

After the final body was farewelled Nico left the area. Probably because he didn't like crowded places and he didn't want to dwell on the trials Fate had made his life revolve around. He found himself crying rather quickly. Thinking about his sister, thinking about his sort of half-sister, thinking about friends, thinking about a person he'd called his brother, the person he'd trusted most after all his life, Percy. Everyone around him died. Everyone he'd ever classified as a friend or someone he could trust.

Nico wiped away a tear with his torn aviator's jacket. Cold hard memories replayed through his mind. Had there ever been a time he'd felt worry free? He searched every corner of his mind, but found nothing. Never could he remember feeling safe. Never could he remember real happiness. Fate was cruel.

Nico sniffled and decided that he should end his moment of bitter solitude before he found an excuse to die. He walked through the main streets on Mount Olympus trying to pay more attention to the scenery than to his lost friends.

Annabeth designed all this; he thought only causing himself to think about Percy. Percy had tried to take on Gaea alone to save Annabeth. He'd saved her, but hadn't saved himself. Nico began wondering if Percy had tried that hard to save Nico's sister.

Bianca sacrificed herself, Nico reminded himself, she was trying to save everyone else. And unlike Nico she managed to save her team.

Hera's statue is well made, Nico thought, Stop thinking about Bianca! His mind was at war with itself. He wanted to remember his past, but he didn't want the grief that came with it.

"Nico," Hades's voice pushed into Nico's mind.

"Yes father," Nico said, glad for the excuse to end the argument in his head.

"The Olympians are going to reward our heroes now," Hades explained, "You need to come."

"Tell them I don't want to prolong my miserable life."

"You can tell them that yourself." Hades gave Nico a patient smile. Nico followed his father to the throne room.

They emerged into the hall of thrones. So many thrones had been added to the original twelve. Hades sat on his throne next to his brother Poseidon, who still looked grief stricken and depressed. Zeus however looked much calmer and controlled now. Leo, Annabeth and Nico stood in the centre of the huge semicircle of thrones. Every god and goddess in the room was watching them. Nico should've felt proud, instead he felt empty. Zeus rose to his feet in full monumental size.

"I stand here before you," Zeus started his words echoing through the roofless hall, "On a day of much sorrow and mourning. We have watched four of our own children fight and die for us. We have lost Perseus Jackson, who once saved Olympus from Kronos before. We have lost Piper McLean, a loved daughter of Aphrodite who gave her own life to save mine or Jupiter's son, so he could make earth fall by storm. We have lost Jason Grace also, Roman me's son, who single-handedly killed Krios and helped fight off his forces on Mt Tam and fought Gaea valiantly until he had no more to give. We have lost Frank Zhang, a son of Mars the last descendant of Pylos, who died amidst a battle he would've won if fire hadn't taken him. May their stories live on." Nico looked up at Zeus feeling sorry for the guy. He'd lost his own son, and yet he still had to lead Olympus and talk to the last alive of his friends.

"And yet," Zeus continued, "This should be a day of much rejoicing. The second giant war has been won and Gaea has once again been put into her sleeping state. I would like to thank the heroes that stand before us. Olympus would have fallen without you. We have all agreed on what we offer each of you. If you do not accept, we can compromise and move on, your decision isn't ours to make." Zeus sat back down and Hephaestus rose to his feet.

"Leo my boy," he began, "The Olympian counsel has agreed to offer you-" The hall's doors burst open and crashed against the marble pillars either side of them. Three elderly ladies all hunched over and in tattered dark cloaks strode in.

"Nico Di Angelo," one croaked, "You have saved humanity and Olympus."

"We have been cruel to you," another said, "Yet you still fight for those you dislike."

"You have earned a reward," the last said her voice drier than the others, "A reward that has only been offered to one person before."

"That person made the wrong choice and died an untimely death, making him go from greatest hero to no one."

"Your life is still full of challenges you will have to face if you continue along this road. We are giving you the opportunity to change that." The old lady smiled up at Nico. In one heart stopping moment he realised the Fates were offering him a better life. The Fates were willing to remove further trials, but Nico wondered how future trials could be worse than the life he already led. The Fates looked at Nico expectantly.

"Do you accept?" one asked. Nico knew it was wrong, Nico knew he needed to go on with the life ahead of him, the life he was supposed to lead. He wanted happiness and peace so badly though. He wanted friends and family. He wanted some form of comfort.

Nico took a deep breath and thought hard.

"I accept," he decided, speaking softly. The Fates smiled to each other and turned back to Nico.

"We will grant one wish for you," one explained.

"We will take away a moment from your life, only a moment. You will find yourself in a world without that moment. You will not remember life after that moment."

"Choose wisely," the last Fate warned, "Things happen for reasons. Irrational decisions can end fatally." Nico exhaled deeply, wondering which moment to choose. The moment Jason died. The moment Piper died. The moment Frank died. The moment Hazel died. The moment Percy died. The moment Bianca died. Nico had no idea which would benefit him and which would hurt him more. He didn't want to choose something and make everything worse for everyone. He didn't want to forget the friends he'd met and people he'd spoken to. He wanted his memories to last forever. He didn't want to leave them behind.

As the thought entered his mind tears rolled down his face. Out of all the moments in his life, he found one. One that hurt him more than any other. One he would've loved to forget witnessing. One his father would want him to choose as well.

Nico looked up at the Fates, tears streaming down his face.

"I've chosen," he announced. The Fates gestured for him to go on. "The moment my mother died."

I think I got that bit about Frank's ancestry wrong. Anyway...

Hope you enjoyed the prologue. I'll try to get the first chapter up really soon. Sorry, but selected characters won't appear until chapter 2. Please review, I'm serious, you must review. Tell me what you thought of it and stuff... And as required the list of characters, I will still accept PMs with suggestions for bad guys.

Mains:

Nico (Rick Riodarn), Bianca (Rick Riodarn), Briar ("Me"), Sakirra Mae Li (ParkBomFan), Samuel Areus (Crane's Shadow), Detia Adrina Moesashi (WhenItAllCrashesDown).

Bad Guys:

Akakious (Idonotget), Dilitria (Soozin Hevincarrr/Myself), Gewaliy (Idonotget), Aikerine (Idonotget), Sophia Anne Wynters (alwaysbeingme98).

Others:

James (Idonotget), Aria Careena (DaughterOfArtemis2212), Amaya (WhenItAllCrashesDown), Liam (jessigagal137).

Please give a review!