A/N Thanks to the people who reviewed, I'll try not to screw up the story for you. Also: I have not decided on a pairing for Percy yet. I would like to have a romantic sub-plot, but I have not decided on a pairing. Leave a comment or send a PM on who you want as Percy's love interest. I'll start a poll on Saturday based on people's interest. Side note: Annabeth is STAYING DEAD. So sorry, no Percabeth, it's overused. Sorry. Please R&R.

Percy's POV

After doing the same thing multiple times, most people tend to notice that it takes a shorter amount of time than it did previously. Apparently, the same cannot be said for the fall to eternal damnation. On the bright side, I had company again. On the downside

Zeus probably wanted to get rid of you, he just needed a good excuse.

Shut up.

Falling to eternal damnation with the avenging spirit of a Primordial goddess muttering conspiracies in my head. Probably one of the weirder moments of my short life.

You outlived your usefulness to them, and now they want to get rid of you. You're too much of a threat. They fear you.

Do you have an off switch? Or do I just have to ignore you?

I almost began to wish for Leo's incessant babbling about anything and everything. At least he was outside of my head, and I could get him to stop for more than one minute.

What's the matter, hero? Do you not like when your great-grandmother comes to visit?

After falling for so long, I began to get tired. Last time it seemed to take days to fall, so I had time to nap, right? I don't know, I lost track of time that time too, but the real question was: did I want to sleep?

Of course you do, hero. Your eyes are so tired, your limbs so heavy. It wouldn't hurt to close your eyes for a while. Dream of your lost love.

Oh, right. There's a reason I haven't been able to sleep long enough to truly rest. Gaea has decided that, as her executor, I should get to relive the moments leading up to her "death" every time I go to sleep. Needless to say, watching Annabeth get run through every time I fall asleep has… dissuaded me from ever truly sleeping.

And I thought normal demigod dreams were tough on my sleep. Turns out, having part of a primordial goddess' consciousness in your head is worse. Who knew?

Unfortunately, between Gaea's incessant droning, the pretty serious head wound, and what must have been at least several hours since I began falling, I was about ready to crash. Quite possibly in more ways than one. I looked down towards my feet, but there was only darkness. Thankfully, I looked up as well.

Crap, crap, crap, crap.

Turns out falling without any reference points means you might flip upside down sometime during your trip. Thankfully, a familiar landmark was directly below me.

SPLASH! For the first couple seconds, there was no sound other than the sprinkling of water falling back into the river of misery. Then the voices started up again.

There's no escape, no hope. You're trapped forever. Why bother struggling?

"Hey guys! Great to see you too!" I said, my voice as cheery as possible. The river seemed to recoil from me, before the voices picked back up. Though this time they seemed more confused.

Impossible. Why-how are you back here? Never could have gotten out.

I took my chance, while the river was distracted I swam for the river bank and climbed out before the depression could grab hold of me and deaden my limbs again. I was, however, confused as to how I wound up in the river of misery again. Granted, I was glad that the river was there to stop my fall without killing me, but wasn't it running under Italy?

The Cocytus River is the usual entrance to Tartarus from the outside world. It reminds those trapped that there is no hope, no escape. Of course, you can always cast a spell before coming down to make your landing zone somewhere else, but that requires preparation.

What the- Was Gaea actually helping me?

We're going to be down here a very, very long time. I'll have to keep myself entertained somehow.

Was her voice actually sounding… warm? Must be something in the water around here. Heh, see? Even in hell's hell I can still make jokes. Almost reminds me of when I was here with- No. Don't think about her, just keep moving.

Perseus.

Yeah, Gaea?

Do you trust me?

No.

She either didn't understand me, or decided to ignore me because she continued. Well, did you know that the Cocytus was once used to test young heroes?

I don't believe that.

Believe it or not, it's the truth. They used to bathe in the waters to see if they could survive misery like no other. It weeded out the weak from the strong. Do it, Perseus. Be like the heroes of old. Bathe in the River of Misery, see if you have the strength to survive.

No.

But-

NO. I'm not going to get in that river of my own free will. Are you insane?

Heracles did it.

So? He was kind of a douche to people.

He was famous.

But he was a total jackass doing it, so I'm not going to do it. I fought in two wars. I don't need to know how I'll do when faced with misery.

Fine. She fell silent, which both worried and relieved me in equal parts. Now, I just needed to find the Phlege-something. If he remembered correctly, it should be at the bottom of a- Yes! There's the cliff!

I began to climb down the eighty foot drop, but noticed something was different from last time. I was better off than last time I was here. Why-

DON'T FALL! My hand nearly slipped as my passenger reminded me of her presence, but I managed to regain a handhold long enough to catch my breath. Well, as much breath as you can when your sixty-some feet above a field of spikes, pain, and certain death, that is.

Gaea, don't do that! Do you want me to fall?

Maybe a little. Besides, I need some way to entertain myself.

Could you, maybe, find a way that doesn't involve my death?

Oh, but child, where's the fun in that?

Figures. Could you at least explain something to me?

How you're in better shape than last time you were in here?

Yeah, how'd you-

I'm literally in your head remember?

Oh.

Yeah, now listen: I really don't know how you're better off. Quite frankly, you're one of the few demigods to actually fall into Tartarus. And as far as I know, the only one to manage to fall down here a second time, never mind survive the first.

Why are you being so helpful?

Well, if you die, this part of my consciousness returns to my main consciousness and joins it in sleep for the next couple millennia.

If you go back to sleep if I die, then why are you trying to kill me?

Boredom, mostly.

Well thanks, I feel very special.

You should.

I descended the last twenty feet in silence. As I started walking towards the Phlegethon, I got curious about one other thing.

Hey Gaea.

Yes, Perseus?

Why did you try to make me swim in the Cocytus? You must have known it wasn't going to kill me, or do anything really bad to me, so why try to make me swim in it?

I don't truly know, young Perseus. I suppose part of me is still annoyed with you for sending the rest of me to sleep.

What do you mean annoyed? I just ended your plans for world domination and the slaughter of mankind. Aren't you a little bit more than just annoyed?

Well, between my haunting your dreams for the past three days and you're getting thrown into Tartarus, I suppose my anger has largely dissipated.

Thanks. I think.

Besides, I've got the rest of your, relatively short, mortal life to exact my revenge.

By this time, I'd gotten to the Phlegethon and was bending down to drink. It tasted just like the last time I drank the flames. Which is to say, terrible.

After the convulsions died down, I stood up straight and started to think of ways to escape Tartarus. No myths were coming to mind about any heroes escaping Tartarus, and the Doors of Death were almost certainly out of commission. What to do? What to do?

You could always follow the monsters.

Gaea! Stop trying to get me killed! Why don't you just go to an unused corner of my mind and just sit there quietly. I never use math, go to wherever that is.

I'm serious Perseus, how do you think monsters always manage to return to the surface? They find the Doors of Death, go through them, and pop out somewhere in the gods' current country of residence.

No. I almost died the last time I went after the doors, and I had Annabeth by my side then, and even then we needed help from a Titan and a Giant. There is no way in Hades I'm going into the middle of a horde of monsters by myself and without a plan.

Would you do it for a Scooby-snack?

What? First off, why would I do anything for a dog treat? And secondly, how do you even know that show? You fell asleep long before television, and you definitely weren't around long enough to get distracted by a freaking kids show!

Peace, Perseus. Need I remind you that some part of me is awake at all times? Just because most of my consciousness is asleep almost always, doesn't mean I don't know what's going on. I must say, I've grown quite fond of you humans.

Seriously? Then what was all that "destroy all humans" stuff when you were trying to wake?

I said I'm fond of you humans. I never said I was okay with your destruction of, well, me. You're constantly cutting me open, taking what you want, giving nothing back, it's quite distressing.

So, you're basically doing it for the trees?

No, I'm doing it for me. It's quite hard to sleep when billions of little insects are stabbing your body with little swords.

Oh, sorry.

Look, we've gotten off track. Just follow the endless hordes of regenerating monsters and you'll eventually find the Doors of Death. You'll have to be fast, though. The Doors aren't staying in one place for long anymore.

I already told you, no. I'm going to stay right here until an Olympian comes to get me out.

I see. And nothing can change your mind?

Nothing.

Not even for two-

I swear to Zeus, if you even think about referencing Scooby-Doo, I'll- I'll-

You'll what? Kill me? Been there, done that. Kill yourself? Seems a little counter-productive, to me.

Whatever, the point is: I'm staying here until someone comes to get me.

Anyone in particular, or can it be anyone at all?

You know what I mean.

So be it. To be frank, I'd almost forgotten what it was like without Gaea's presence in my mind. It felt like the sky had been lifted from my mind, and trust me: that's a lot of pressure.

Of course, her parting words probably should have warned me that something was up. That she was planning something. But, I was never very good at paying attention. And as I would learn a week later: I should probably pay more attention to immortals.