"It's not total immortality, Percy. You know that. We can still be killed…" Thalia,Demigod Files.
Regret
It had been strange, at first.
Not only had Zoë been dead (of course, they both were, now) but when Thalia found her waiting at the border of Elysium with Bianca, the former lieutenant had been thrilled to see her. "Thrilled" was not an emotion Thalia was accustomed to seeing in Zoë, least of all when looking at her. But there was really no other way to describe it.
"I do not wish to be insensitive," Zoë had said, smiling apologetically as she pulled Thalia into a firm hug, "But it is truly a joy to see thee once more."
Thalia had understood. She wished she wasn't dead, obviously, but…"Yeah. Nice to see you too. How's li…how's death treating you?"
Zoë had responded by laughing—gods, Thalia hadn't even known she knew howto laugh—and beckoning her through the gates, skirting around the beautiful houses and into the woods. How trees grewdown here Thalia had no idea, and Bianca's attempts to explain it to her only confused her more, but it didn't really matter; they were definitely here.
Death, as it turned out, was treating Zoë quite well. She missed her lady terribly, of course, but she shared the skies with her each night, and it helped ease the pain of separation. Thalia was actually amazed at how…happy Zoë looked. All the pain that had been buried in her eyes in life was gone now; most importantly, she still had the Hunters. Bianca, as a child of Hades, kept close tabs on any Hunter who died, and had even managed an arrangement with Charon to ensure passage for them whether they had coins at their time of death or not. None of her sisters would ever be trapped in DOA Recording Studios for all eternity.
Every Hunter Thalia had known and thought she'd lost forever was here—Tara, Sharon, even wispy little Angela, who tackled her with a flying hug when she saw her and asked breathlessly after Ari. Most of the Hunters, however, were people Thalia had never met. She was a bit awkward with them at first, but they soon put her at ease; they were merely overjoyed to have Zoë back and curious to meet her replacement. But the most beautiful and heartbreaking reunion of all was with Tori and Kim. Inseparable to the end, the two had perished only moments apart in the final battle for Olympus. Tori, through Artemis' intervention with Hades, had chosen to remain in Elysium rather than being reborn as a different tree. And Kim, in death, had her sight back.
The post-mortem Hunters were a transitory group. There were usually at least five people in the clearing they used as "base camp", but they came and went on a whim; because, of course, there were other people here as well. Thalia had quite literally dragged Zoë into town one day to visit Percy and Annabeth and Mrs. Jackson, but, alive or dead, social interaction just wasn't Zoë's thing. She usually stayed in the forest. She was happier there.
Tonight—at least they assumed it was night because Zoë could feel her constellation—they were alone, facing each other. They had been playing chess, but after Zoë (who, it turned out, was really good at chess) had beaten Thalia four times in a row, she had taken pity on her, and the two had lapsed into a companionable silence.
"Have you any regrets?" asked Zoë softly, tracing one of the intricate carvings on her bow.
Thalia thought about it. Smiling slightly, she answered, "Besides never beating Ari at poker? No."
"You never beat her either?" Zoë sounded profoundly relieved.
"I know she cheats!" exclaimed Thalia. "I just can't figure out how!" Zoë nodded in agreement. After a short pause, the younger lieutenant asked, "You?"
Zoë shook her head.
This answer mystified Thalia. "Not even…I mean, that's great, obviously, but…you don't wish you hadn't jumped in front of Atlas?"
Now it was Zoë's turn to be mystified. "You ask if I regret dying for Artemis?"
"Well…yeah."
"Would you?"
