Author's Note: Hello again, readers. Here's chapter 7 of "Hearts of the Olympians." This is the last Underworld chapter and advances the plot closer and closer to the cilmax. There's still quite a few more chapters planned for this. It won't be as long as Shattered Hearts, but longer than "Shadow of the Slenderman." After this story is finished, I'll publish my newest work. It takes place 16 years after "A Heart Divided." But don't get too excited because it will be a while before this story is finished. I've already started work on it, and will upload multiple chapters of it at once because it will, undoubtedly, be nearly finished by the time this is done. I just thought I'd get my idea on 'paper' while I had it.

Thank you all for reading, reviewing, and bearing through my long-winded author notes. lol. Enjoy...

I was so happy to be with Annabeth again. My heart was filled with joy that she was still alive. I didn't have any doubts that she would survive, though. She was a strong young woman. "Annabeth, these last few hours without you have been the worst of my life," I said as I lost my hands in her honey-blond hair. "Let's try not to get separated like that ever again!" I didn't wait for her response before I pressed my lips against hers. I didn't care that there were thousands of souls watching us. The games were over, and Hades would dismiss them all eventually. I was just glad I had my angel back. I kissed her slowly and gently, appreciating the sweet, natural taste of her lips. My mind shut down as I held her tightly.

I was enjoying the warmth of Annabeth's arms, but Sora tapped me on the shoulder and snapped me out of my trance. "Hey, we still need to find Riku, Roxas, Nico, Jason, and Artemis," he said.

I pulled away from Annabeth, going against every desire in my body, and faced Sora. "I know," I replied. We said our goodbyes to the Underdrome and went looking for our friends.

Jecht and Auron came with us, along with Thalia. It felt so great having her with us again. I had missed her so much since she died. "Thalia," I said, "I can't believe you're actually here. I didn't think I'd see you again for a very long time. I missed you so much."

"I missed you guys too," she said, smiling at me. Her electric blue eyes were just as stunningly beautiful in the afterlife as they were while she was alive. The only thing that could even give it away that she was dead was she didn't have a heartbeat or need to breathe. She also had the slash down the front of her shirt where Zeus stabbed her. I honestly didn't expect that to carry over into the afterlife, but I guess she had to wear somethng. "Elysium is great, but I'm still dead. That sucks." She laughed a little, trying to relieve the tension of the comment. "I just dread when you guys have to leave here and I can't come with you. At least I get to say a decent goodbye to you guys this time, especially Riku."

"He hasn't stopped thinking about you since you died for him," I said. "It's really sad that this had to happen. You two could have been such a great couple."

"I love him," she said. "Even still, I have the same feelings in death that I had in life. And you know what? I'd die for him again if I had to."

"We'll find Riku soon, and then you can tell him that for yourself," I said. We continued walking through the Underworld, using Kairi's sixth sense for the light in people's hearts to home in on Roxas, Jason, Nico, and Riku.

We came to a fork in the road. Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as using Kai to determine which way they were because she could sense them from both sides. One was stronger so we figured that most of them were down that path. It was no problem. Auron and Jecht gladly volunteered to track whoever was down that path. They knew the Underworld like the back of their hands. They split from our company for the time being while the rest of us went down the path that promised the most of our friends. And for Namine and Thalia's sakes, I hoped Riku and Roxas were down that way.

We continued down the dark path, Annabeth holding my hand the whole way. I heard something coming from further down the path. It sounded like a man fighting for his life, and the voice sounded familiar. All of us ran toward the sound and saw someone I never thought I'd see again. Annabeth's eyes lit up when she saw him.

The gray-haired Daedalus was fighting multiple Heartless and losing. I drew the Riptide Keyblade and ran over to assist him. "Hey, need some help?" I offered.

"Percy? Is that you?" he asked in astonishment. "When did you die?"

"I'm not dead. I'll tell you everything when we finish off these Heartless," I said. With my Keyblade, they weren't really much of a problem. They weren't very powerful, just two Creeper Plants and a Rabid Dog. Daedalus had finished a few off before we arrived.

After the last Heartless fell, Annabeth ran up to us. "It's good to see you again, Daedalus," she said enthusiastically.

"Annabeth," he said. "How have you been? Have you been working out all the ideas on that laptop I gave you?"

"Yeah, I have. There are so many, though, I think it will take a lifetime to even finish half of them!" If you ever mentioned anything about inventing, architecture, or battle strategy, it would be hard to get Annabeth to ever shut up. But I didn't mind.

"It will take a lifetime, but do as many as you can. When your time comes, you can pass it down to one of your students, or even children. I take it that you and Percy are serious about each other?"

I looked down and didn't even realize I had my arm around her waist. Oh well, I wasn't embarrassed. I loved this girl more than anything. I went through the darkest parts of the Underworld for her. "Anyways," Daedalus said, "how has Mrs. O'Leary been? That was the most well-behaved Hellhound I've ever seen."

"I honestly don't know," I answered. "She didn't come with us through the inter-dimensional rift. I'm sure she's fine though."

"Yes, she always could take care of herself," he said. "Well, it was good meeting you all again. I need to get back to the Underdrome. Vanitas will be fighting Angeal Hewley tonight and I don't want to miss that. Take care," he said as he darted down the path we just came from.

I was starting to get worried about Nico, Riku, and Roxas. Kai said there was nothing to worry about as long as she could sense their Light signatures, but that didn't make me feel better. Namine and Thalia were worried too. I honestly didn't blame them. I knew Annabeth felt the same when we were separated. Things had all just gone wrong so quickly. I was frightened to think of the chaos that was undoubtedly happening in the mortal world.

I heard three guys talking from further ahead. I took a chance and called out to them. "Nico, Riku, Roxas, is that you guys?" I called.

Thankfully, it was them. Nico materialized from the dark shadows in front of me. "Percy, good to see you guys again!" he said enthusiastically.

Roxas ran over to Namine and she collapsed in his arms. "Namine, I can't believe it's you!" he gently said into her soft, platinum hair. "I missed you so much!"

"Roxas," was all she could say. She pulled him in closer and kissed him sweetly. He returned it with more passion than she had shown. "Roxas, I love you! Please don't ever leave me again. I thought you were dead!"

"I'm here, Namine. I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her. "I love you so much." The whole scene was touching, heartwarming, and beautiful.

The most emotional, however, was when Thalia walked up to Riku. "Thalia?" he asked. "Is it really you?"

She put her hands on his cheeks and looked into his emerald eyes. "Yes, it is. But I'm still dead, Riku." A tear fell from her sapphire eyes. "I just want you to know, I haven't stopped thinking of you since I first set foot in Elysium. Heaven has been Hell without you, Riku. I wish we could have had the chance to be something more!"

"Yeah," he said, obviously holding back tears of his own. "I've blamed myself for your death ever since you first jumped between me and Zeus. I promise I will avenge you Thalia!"

"She may be able to do that on her own," a familiar voice called from the Darkness. "I have arranged with Hades to trade my soul for hers." Artemis, Jason, Auron, and Jecht appeared from the corridor we had come through.

"What, Artemis?" she exclaimed, puzzled that the goddess would be so selfless as a Nobody. "Can you even do that? Do you have a soul?"

"I have a soul," she said. "Nobodies only lose their heart in the transformation. I am a body and a soul, but also a creature that was not supposed to exist." Roxas and Namine's faces hardened in resentment to that comment. I could only imagine how many times they'd been told that, being Nobodies themselves. "I'll be doing the universe a favor by dying. And also, I want to earn the forgiveness of my most cherished lieutenant."

"Artemis," Thalia said. "You can't do this. Who will lead the Hunters?"

"You will, my dear," she said. "You will become the goddess of the hunt in my absence."

"A goddess?" she wondered. I knew the thought appealed to her. "How is that possible for me to be a goddess? I'm just a demigod!"

"I chose you as my successor long ago, child," she said. "I knew that if anything were to happen to me, I would want you to take my place. I loved you like a sister, Thalia Grace. And now, it is time for me to go. Goodbye."

"Artemis," Thalia said. Both of them collapsed to the ground. As Artemis' body began to disappear, Thalia's mortal body started to reform. The color in her cheeks started to come back, her heart started beating again, and she took in a sharp, apparently painful breath as her lungs began to fill again. Her eyes shot open and she bolted straight up. Artemis was nowhere to be found. "What happened?"

"You're alive again, Thalia," Auron said, speaking up. "The goddess sacrificed herself for you. She believed she would go to the fields of punishment, but I know she really went to Elysium. Don't get yourself killed again and make her sacrifice in vain!" Auron was very stern with that comment. He was always serious, though.

"Thank you, Artemis," she whispered, not thinking anyone could hear her. I heard her perfectly. She looked up toward the sky. "You're going to pay for all you've done, father! I swear on the River Styx that you will die Zeus!" Thalia and Jason held so much resentment in their hearts for their father. I was truly afraid for their hearts. I feared they'd be taken by the Darkness. I didn't understand the whole thing about Light and Darkness in that universe. Was Darkness truly evil? Was it something that should have no place in someone's heart? Or was it just another part of the universe that coexists with light?

Thalia was alive, and that was all that mattered for now. We just needed to find a way out of the Underworld before Zeus completely took over.

We all eventually made it to an exit from the Underworld. We had to follow the River Styx for what seemed like forever, but it was worth it to finally be out of that Hell. We said our goodbyes to Auron and Jecht, and they disappeared into the shadows of the Underworld, going back to Elysium. Riku led the way up the stairs and we exited the Underworld at the Coliseum gates. What we saw deeply disturbed us.

Everything was destroyed. Heartless and lesser Nobodies were running rampant. I witnessed at least thirty people lose their hearts and become Emblem Heartless. Sora, Riku, Kairi, Roxas, and I drew our Keyblades while everyone else drew their weapons. I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Annabeth, kissed her on the cheek, and we both charged into the chaos. I hacked at the Heartless, dematerializing all of them as the cold steel of Anaklusmos made contact with them. In the back of my mind, I thought about how all of them were once people. I had to remind myself that Sora told me what happened to them so I wouldn't feel horrible for killing them.

Sora had said that, if a Heartless didn't create a Nobody, they would become that person again. And if they did make one, then they would go back to normal if you killed the Nobody after destroying the Heartless. If you killed the Nobody first, they would fade into Darkness forever. I was careful to take out the Heartless first.

I looked at Annabeth. She seemed to be doing fine, but was I ever wrong. A Neoshadow had her distracted and she didn't even see the Berserker Nobody coming after her. She was struck violently with its claymore-like weapon in the back and sent flying across the battlefield. "Annabeth!" I yelled as I ran toward her.

I knelt down beside her and checked to see if she was still alive. She was breathing, but it was painful for her. She had more than likely broken a few ribs from the impact. I feared for her, but was relieved when she groaned in pain. "Percy," she weakly said. "What happened to me?"

"You were hit by a Nobody," I said. "You took a pretty hard blow. You should sit this one out." I pulled out an Elixir and she drank the whole thing. She sat up, all her wounds fully healed.

"I'm fine, Seaweed-brain," she said. "I want to fight. I want to set everything right and save mom!" She still believed that we could save our parents. Honestly, my faith in that was pretty thin. I was preparing myself to kill dad. I had no problem killing Ares, Zeus, or Dionysus. It was going to be hard, heartbreaking even.

She rejoined the fight, keeping a watch on all sides this time. Her strategy senses kicked in and she was mowing down Neoshadows, Dusks, Rabid Dogs, Air Pirates, and Sorcerers like a madwoman. She was so beautiful when she was in "angry war mode." It was a side of the family that Athena's demigod children didn't show very much. Athena was a goddess of war, but they primarily associated themselves with the wisdom aspect of her personality.

Kairi and Sora were back to back, fighting off hordes of Dusks. They were doing fine all by themselves, same for Roxas and Namine. Namine's aim had greatly improved since she got her guns. I was afraid, however, that she'd run out of ammo soon. I knew Roxas would take care of her, though. He loved her as much as Sora loved Kairi. It made me wonder if their love was only because Sora loved Kairi, but then I saw the way he looked at her. That love was real.

The most touching, however, was Thalia with Riku. She was a goddess now, but that didn't change her feelings toward Riku. They fought closely to each other, keeping watch over the other's blind spots. Well, Thalia had less to worry about now that she had full immortality. She'd never die unless killed by a being of equal power, but Riku was still mortal. He unleashed flurries from Way to the Dawn on countless Heartless. He and Sora were truly veterans when it came to fighting them. They had seen their fair share of battles.

Thalia had two swords, replacing the hunting knives that she usually had. They were long, serrated, and deadly sharp. They cut through the Neoshadows and Samurai Nobodies like they were merely air. Her azurite eyes burned with a beautiful ferocity. She was full of bloodlust for the Heartless and Nobodies. Each vanquished enemy was one step closer to Zeus. She had turned toward hating her father for all the horrible things he'd done, the monster he'd become. She didn't blame him for her death since she willingly sacrificed herself, but she hated him for trying to hurt me and Riku. I knew one thing for sure, though. Thalia and Jason were completely different people than they were before.

The swarm of monsters had finally been defeated and we checked the area for survivors. We found a few people who hadn't lost their hearts or lives. Many people had become the Heartless we fought, and others had been killed in the chaos. Olympus was reduced to rubble in a matter of hours and it would take years for the citizens to make everything right again.

"I can't believe this happened," Kai whimpered as she put her arm around Sora's waist. "All those people…"

"I know, Kai," Annabeth replied. "This is so horrible. I still can't get over the fact that my mom is partially to blame for this." Her gray eyes looked less fierce than they usually did. They had a new emotion, sadness. I hugged her from behind and, without saying anything, let her know that I was there for her. I loved Annabeth so much. She turned in my arms. "Percy, what do you think is going to happen? How can we just kill our parents?"

"I don't know, baby," I said lovingly, but also darkly. I didn't know if we'd even live to see the next day. I knew one thing, though. Zeus would be unstoppable as long as he had the Blade of Olympus. I had to figure out a way to get it away from him. That sword had all the power of the Olympians held within it. Things were going to get a whole lot worse before they ever got better.

Author's Note: How did you like it? Remember to drop a review to tell me what you thought about it. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, read, and favorited this story. Also, this story has almost reached 1000 hits :D. Remember to check out my fanfiction friends' works: Dragginninja, Maisuki-Chan, Master'sEnd, and eolhcsullivan452. They are all great authors and are very talented at the styles they write. Next story to be updated will probably be "A Heart Divided," which is reaching its conclusion. Until next time, friends...