The months passed as Thalia and Bianca went through their daily motions, though they felt more alive than ever before. Their love gave them new purpose and meaning, and they fought ferociously when they were taking down giants. Even after the other Hunters went back, Zoe and Lady Artemis understood how they felt and joined in as they went for more giants until they were all too tired to fight anymore. All of them wanted a better life, and for the war to finally end. They truly understood how endless the supply of giants seemed to be, but they did not give up hope. They wanted to finally liberate themselves from this war that was going for a fourth year.
Bianca did not give up hope, for every morning she woke up next to the person who gave her hope. Thalia's kisses motivated Bianca, and made her ready to do what she had to in order to give them a real chance in a peaceful world. She wanted to try to live her life with Thalia. She wanted a shot at forever, but she wouldn't get that if the war did not stop.
As Nico's fifteenth birthday drew nearer, Bianca felt anxious; hoping and praying that he would not be brought into the war. She couldn't bear it if the one she was trying to protect in the first place was killed.
One day, the Oracle arrived in the camp. Bianca was close to her eighteenth birthday, and Nico's fifteenth birthday had already come to pass. They seemed no closer to ending the war than they had when Bianca first joined the Hunters.
When the Oracle arrived, she wore a simple brown cloak over a simple dress whose designs came from paint. She was barefoot, as she always seemed to be. Bianca set her jaw as she watched this woman enter the camp, and head to the tent of Lady Artemis and Zoe. Thalia squeezed her hand, and then wrapped a comforting arm around her.
"Are you okay?" The taller girl asked.
"I'm not quite sure." Bianca replied. Thalia gently kissed her forehead. "I worry, though. I've never seen her here before. Something bad must be happening… right?"
"None of us know, my love." Thalia reminded her. "For all we know, it could be that she Sees the end of the war."
"Could be…" Bianca repeated softly, not actually believing that. She had suddenly remembered the prophecy that Lady Artemis had spoken of when she first came to join the Hunters. Bianca wasn't quite sure what it meant, nor did she know what the prophecy contained. She clutched her lover, pursing her lips together nervously.
"Bianca… I'm not really sure that you are, in fact, alright." Thalia murmured slowly.
"Rachel chose me for a reason…" Bianca murmured. "Thalia… did she tell you about the Hunters?"
"Yes…" Thalia furrowed her eyebrows. "Is something wrong with that?"
"Did she tell any other girls about the Hunters?" Bianca was getting extremely flustered.
"I don't think so." The taller girl answered carefully. "What're you insinuating?"
"The prophecy must be about a royal girl." Bianca explained. "One of us is going to end the war…"
"I will do no such thing without you." Thalia informed her simply. "You are a part of my team and I refuse to claim any honor without you getting the same amount, or more." Bianca exhaled, relaxing into a smile. She kissed her.
"I love you so much." Bianca whispered.
"I love you more than words can express." Thalia replied. "Now that you've come along, I don't know that I will ever truly feel as alone as I once did." Bianca's eyes filled with tears as she realized that as long as Thalia was there, everything would be alright.
Soon, Thalia and Bianca were called into Lady Artemis's tent. Bianca gripped Thalia's hand so tightly that she feared that she might accidentally hurt her lover. But Thalia did not complain; instead gently brushing her thumb over Bianca's hand. Her heart started racing once she saw Lady Artemis and the Oracle sitting facing each other.
"Why did you call us in here?" Bianca asked harshly.
"We need to talk to both of you." Lady Artemis informed them firmly. "Please… sit." Bianca swallowed, and did as she was told. Thalia pulled her into her lap, kissing the top of her head. Bianca felt protected and comforted by this.
"We meet again." Rachel murmured ruefully. "Bianca… I am so sorry for everything I have done… And for what is yet to happen."
"The Oracle feels that the end of the war is not far off." Lady Artemis informed them. Zoe sat beside her lover, taking her hand.
"That's good, isn't it?" Thalia asked. Bianca found Thalia's hand with her own and took it, bracing herself for what she knew was coming.
"Yes… But there will be a price." Rachel admitted. "I do not yet know what it is, but I have Seen that the giants will demand something. But we know that the two of you will play a very large role in the end of the war. I know for a fact that one of you will end it once and for all. I don't know which."
"The Oracle hasn't been entirely honest with either of you." Lady Artemis explained. "She knew from the beginning that it would be one of you to end it all. But we do not know which one of you. So she made sure that both of you found your way down here."
"Exactly what did the prophecy say?" Bianca demanded, an edge to her voice.
"It spoke of a princess making a sacrifice to the giants… it was cut off for I was ill when I made it, however." The Oracle explained. "Once a prophecy leaves my lips it will never come back to me. I'm sorry, but apart from the sacrifice being the action that will end the war, I know nothing."
"That is not the only reason she came here though." Lady Artemis informed the two Hunters.
"Yes." Rachel smiled. "I did not just come here to tell you about the prophecy. Lady Artemis could have done that. I came here to give you these." She pulled two things wrapped in cloth onto her lap. She unwrapped the first. It was a shiny black helm with carvings all over it… the Helm of Darkness. "This belongs to you, Bianca." She handed it over to her. Bianca looked at it in awe; she could feel the magic at her finger tips. "And this is yours, Thalia." Rachel unwrapped a rod about as long as Bianca's arm. It was as thick as her bicep. It was glass around the sides, and inside she could see clouds and lighting swirling around inside. There was bronze with all sorts of carvings capping it on the top and the bottom. Thalia took it, also in awe.
"The Master Bolt." Thalia whispered.
"You are to use these against the giants." Lady Artemis explained. "The Oracle fears that we may experience an enormous surge of them soon. We must not let them get very far. We must destroy as many of them as possible. Our work starts at sunset." Bianca nodded, a newfound look of determination on her face.
"I shall leave you two the horse taken from Poseidon's kingdom, and together you will ride into battle." Rachel informed them. "I must leave now. I must try to find out as much as I can." The woman got up and left.
"Do not use these weapons at our camp." Lady Artemis warned. "They are too powerful and could cause disasters. And these are two separate elements. Be careful to not bring them against each other."
"Thank you, Lady Artemis." Bianca bowed her head.
"No… Thank you." The woman smiled. "Now, you are dismissed." Zoe grinned at Lady Artemis and gave her a kiss. Thalia and Bianca got out of there quickly and went into their own tent.
"Bianca… I can feel the power…" Thalia grinned. "It is magnificent."
"But it is a huge responsibility." Bianca reminded her. "One of us has to end this war."
"As soon as I figure out how to use this, there's nothing that can stop me." Thalia declared. Bianca frowned.
"Thalia, perhaps you should put that down for now." She suggested gently. "I rather like our weapons and our tent, so it would not be good if our bed was struck by lightning."
"Oh… Sorry love." Thalia put down the Bolt, and Bianca put down the Helm. They kissed. Thalia's lips shocked Bianca's, and the smaller girl jumped, pulling back; startled by the electricity. "I'm so sorry!" Thalia gasped. "I swear I didn't mean to hurt you."
"I know, my dear." Bianca replied, smiling softly. She kissed Thalia again, and there was no more literal electricity on her lover's flesh. Not at all.
Later, the two emerged from the tent, ready for battle. Thalia had braided Bianca's hair, and they went out, weapons ready, to put on their war paint. They were also going to meet this horse that Rachel had spoken of. One Silena helped them with their war paint, they went to see the pure white horse. It was bigger than they had ever seen any horse. They both had trouble mounting it, but eventually succeeded. They left for the battlefield, the wind rushing through their hair. Bianca's arms were around Thalia's waist, and she left small kisses on the back of her neck. Thalia's hand covered Bianca's own. The other held onto the reins.
The couple sped by the men fighting each other. Both girls scoffed at them. They didn't realize who the real enemy was, after all this time, leaving all the real work to the women.
Once Thalia and Bianca approached the first giant, Bianca slid down from the horse, pulling the Helm out of the saddle bag and putting it on. She felt a tremble pass through her body as the magic hit her.
"Thalia, stay up there. You're closer to the sky." Bianca ordered. "I've got to be on the ground." Thalia nodded once, and Bianca stood still, concentrating. She heard the angry whispers in her head. The restless dead…
Make yourselves useful and fight. She told them. Suddenly, the corpses and skeletons arose. Fight for your princess. She ordered. Make your afterlife worth something. Bianca focused on keeping the dead in a steady stream attacking the giant.
Meanwhile, Thalia was figuring out how to use the Master Bolt. She was deep in focus, pointing it at the giant. Clouds had begun swirling above the head of the giant, thunder and lightning crackling. Eventually the lightning struck the giant in the head and clean knocked it out. Bianca approached with her sword, and stabbed it repeatedly with her sword to kill it. For good measure, she had the dead continue to attack it for a little while longer, but she and Thalia moved on.
They got used to their new weapons and abilities, practicing and using them as much as they could. Together, they took out more giants than they ever had as part of the Hunters. Thalia was really enjoying herself. She'd figured out how to make the lightning act as a whip or noose for the giants. Bianca was more controlled and worried about losing control. She could accidentally cause an earthquake and hurt people. But she figured out how to soften the ground so that it was more like quicksand and trapped a giant until they killed it. They moved as quickly as they could.
Both girls practically passed out from exhaustion when they got back to the camp. They didn't realize how much energy the weapons would zap out of them, and so they just curled up with one another and slept for several hours. They were ravenous when they awoke, devouring all of the food that they could hold, and then going back to rest again.
"I want to get back out there as soon as possible." Thalia announced. "That was amazing."
"Hmm… I think I'd like to stay here with you for a little while." Bianca replied, leaning her head against her lover. "Rest awhile… just be together and not in battle for a bit…"
"Alright. That sounds good too." Thalia agreed, kissing Bianca.
"I love you." Bianca murmured, snuggling against her.
"I love you too." Thalia replied with a kiss.
Using the Helm disturbed Bianca to the point where she disliked even having it within sight when she wasn't on the battlefield. When she was fighting, she learned how to push her emotions aside because otherwise she would be slowed down by the Helm tugging her down. Meanwhile, Thalia had a great time using the Master Bold in all the different ways, and explained about the buzz it gave her. Bianca asked her to please put it away when they weren't on the battlefield. Thalia reluctantly agreed, once Bianca had pointed out just how dangerous it was, and that it shouldn't be used in such a small place as the Hunters' camp with lots of warriors around.
The more they fought in battle, the more Bianca required affection from Thalia in order to soothe her from everything. Thalia was tender and loving when Bianca needed her to be; all she had to do was ask.
Eventually, Bianca noticed how much Thalia seemed to enjoy the Master Bolt, and grew a little bit concerned, due to the fact that Thalia began asking that Bianca leave her behind and let her keep fighting giants with the horse and Master Bolt. But Bianca wouldn't do it. She couldn't bear to leave Thalia behind for any reason; even if she begged her to do so. She always refused and pleaded for Thalia to turn in for the night. Thankfully, Thalia always listened and came back with her. Bianca began to realize that the power behind the Master Bolt was what Thalia couldn't resist, and couldn't really seem to give up easily; just when Bianca talked her out of it. But what was she to do about it? Bianca wasn't the boss of Thalia, and Bianca wasn't really sure that she wanted to bring it up. So she just let it be whenever possible.
This caused Bianca to grow nervous during battle, and the Helm began to bother her more. She had disturbing visions when Thalia wasn't there to keep her distracted. Eventually dreams began to torment her. She dreamed of the giants killing her in different ways to consume her supposed powers. She'd awaken in Thalia's arms and calm herself down before falling back asleep, cuddling against her lover.
Eventually, Bianca didn't know that she could put on the Helm of Darkness again. So she went to Lady Artemis for help.
"I can't do it anymore." She blurted out. "I can't put on the Helm and fight again." She choked out a sob, and a tear trickled down her cheek. She gasped when she saw that the Oracle was sitting with Lady Artemis.
"She is the one." Rachel murmured sadly. "I Saw it… I wish that it did not have to be real…" The woman sighed. Lady Artemis stood.
"Bianca… The Oracle and I have been talking." Lady Artemis informed her carefully. "About you and Thalia."
"You may want to sit down." Zoe offered, guiding Bianca to a cushion and urging her to sit. "This will be a lot to take in."
"What about Thalia? I… I can't leave her alone with the Master Bolt!" Bianca protested.
"I will fight alongside her, and keep her in check." Zoe promised. "She will not be lost to the power tonight." Bianca pursed her lips, nodding. Zoe left the tent, her bow over her shoulder.
"Tell me what is happening." Bianca ordered.
"We didn't want to scare you with the prophecy, but here we are." Rachel sighed. "You are the royal of the prophecy. You will defeat the giants once and for all."
"With Thalia, maybe. Alone, no." Bianca replied firmly. "Are you sure you have it correct?"
"We were just speaking about that. It couldn't be Thalia." Lady Artemis explained. "She is too easily seduced by power. You are doing this for others than yourself. If you were doing this for yourself, you wouldn't even be using the Helm." This was true.
"It has begun to give me nightmares." She admitted. "I see and hear things from it… I can't do it anymore."
"Then it is time for you to face the giants. But only of your own free will." Rachel groaned. "I can't believe I have to do this right now. I thought I would have more time… but no. I do not. I wanted to try to See more… Make sure she makes it out alright…"
"Bianca… the giants want your power." Lady Artemis explained. "They believe the royals have the power over the land in their veins. They have the capacity for it, but not the ability. That depends on the person. The giants want your blood. And they will try to kill you and take it for themselves. That is why we cannot let you face them yet. We need another option. We need you to come back alive." This information froze Bianca. She didn't quite know what to make of this.
"Somehow, you facing the giants will send them away forever." Rachel admitted reluctantly. "But I don't want to send you to your death. I do not know anything about the outcome except that you will end the war and save all of us from the giants. My best guess is that you will die, and then they will leave." She clutched her hair. "I'm sorry for everything Bianca… I just needed more time to try to find a way around it…"
"So I'm destined to die at the hands of the giants." Bianca's voice was faint.
"You are destined to face them. Not to die. But you can only face them of your own free will." Lady Artemis explained. "We don't know if you will make it out alive, because you must go alone."
"So when I said goodbye to Nico and Hazel… that was forever…" Bianca murmured in disbelief. "And I can never reconcile with my father…" She swallowed. "I'm sorry… But I need some time." She didn't listen to what the other women said as Bianca barged out of the tent, and went into the woods to cry.
So this was it… She couldn't have the future she'd wanted: to live happily with Thalia, and see Nico and Hazel grow up and marry their own lovers. She couldn't have a good relationship with her father and see him off peacefully as he died, because she had to go violently.
Fate did not care about her happiness… It just wanted her to do her duty all along… And then it had dared to show her Thalia? Well then… The cruelest thing in her life was fate. But to change it or not… That was her choice.