A.N- well it's that time of year folks…Finals! There I've said it the source of many a person's woes and also mine. I won't be able to update as much if you haven't already been able to tell since it's been about two weeks since my last update now. Rest assured I am not abandoning this story and will strive to see it through to the bitter end. Now on to the Chapter!

-Hecate's Palace- (Think Minas Morgul from LOTR without the spikes and creepy statues)

With a flash of light Poseidon and Hermes appeared at the doors of Hecate's palace. Hermes still disoriented tried stepping forward but ended up tripping and falling into the river that ran around the edge of Hecate's abode.

"NOOOO!' Hermes cried' The last time I fell into this river I was changing colors for a week!"

Poseidon looked over his shoulder back at Hermes as he laughed boisterously.

"What? You think it's funny when someone changes color every day until they represent a rainbow?!" Hermes snarled raising a fist mock threateningly.

"O no, I wouldn't find that funny at all if said person who was effected didn't pull little pranks like this off on the rest of us." Poseidon replied.

"Touché" Hermes acknowledged raising his caduceus in a salute.

"I believe you wanted to see me." Hecate's disembodied voice whispered from the darkness in front of them.

Poseidon raised a hand in greeting "Indeed but it would be better if were in a more…secure place, and we could see you of course."

Hecate's light chuckles echoed around them "Sure thing Poseidon just come on in."

As Poseidon and Hermes walked forward the black gates opened noiselessly revealing the central courtyard.

"Hecate, can you please stop trying to scare Hermes and come out already?" Poseidon asked

"I'm right here." Hecate said from right behind Hermes.

Hermes let out a high pitched scream and leapt forward…straight into a lamppost that had just mysteriously appeared out of thin air. Poseidon's eyebrows rose as he gave Hecate a questioning look. The only reply he got was a mischievous wink as Hecate skipped towards Hermes whistling some mortal song. Arriving next to Hermes she reached into a pouch on her robe and pulled out a glass phial shaking the contents lightly she smashed the vial next to Hermes head out of seemingly nowhere Zeus's voice bellowed "HERMES WHERE IS MY MAIL?!" Hermes jumped to his feet and dashed through the doors into the palace as if the devil was behind him.

"Well lets follow him in before he hurts himself' Hecate said, a muffled thud was heard followed by Hermes screaming bloody murder' guess were too late to stop that from happening but let's go all the same."

Hecate started talking to Poseidon as they strolled through the palace doors.

"So what brings you here Uncle?"

"Is it safe to talk here?"

Hecate raised an eyebrow "It's that important?"

"Definitely and we'll need to find Hermes he's the one who found out about what we need to talk about."

"Well judging by his scream from earlier he should be about…here." Hecate snapped her fingers and Hermes could be heard screaming again as he fell towards the floor, seeing that Hecate made no move to slow her cousin Poseidon sighed and held his arms out to catch him. Hermes landed in Poseidon's arms bridal style and was promptly dropped to the floor.

"Why Uncle P I never knew you cared for me like that." Hermes croaked out.

"Next time I'm telling Hecate drop you head first."

"You wound me!' Hermes called out in sarcasm 'and I called you a loving Uncle once."

"Guess you weren't that smart then were you?"

"BOYS!' Hecate bellowed fed up with their antics' If what you have to say is important lets get to the ward room."

"Ward room?' Hermes muttered' sounds like she's locking us up in the nuthouse."

Hecate rolled her eyes "Ward as in magical barriers and such, not wards like in a hospital."

"O well in that case lead on." Hermes said with a sigh of relief.

Ten minutes and a good bit of heckling later they entered the ward room covered in runes and archaic scripts from every era of Earth's history most of the languages either fallen into disuse or forgotten.

"Now tell me what was so important." Hecate demanded expression serious.

"Well Hermes here bumped into me the other day running from Old Thunder Butt up there and told me some fascinating tidbits about a certain roman curse."

Hecate's face lit up with interest "Go on."

"He can't get her out!" Hermes blurted.

Poseidon sighed "I wouldn't put it so bluntly but yea, the curse makes it impossible for an immortal to get anyone out of there."

Hecate's eyes glittered madly "And what makes you think that?"

"Well Airhead was doing his usual death to all traitors' speech and wondering why Percy would jump into Tartarus and he figured Annabeth. So he talked about the deal him and Tartarus have the one where a mortal must become either immortal or die for the other to go free."

Poseidon interrupted "The apple you gave him you're going to turn Annabeth immortal and cheat the deal aren't you?"

Hecate shook her head chuckling "No no no no no that would never work Tartarus is a stickler for details so when Jupiter ordered a deal to be made I may have slightly altered the wording he used so there was a loop hole of sorts in case I needed to retrieve someone there with a champion much like now."

"WHAT!?" Poseidon and Hermes exclaimed at the same time.

"I may have redefined one of the words he used at the time of the deal creating a loophole."'Hecate explained giggling' the word I changed at the time was mortal."

"And pray tell how you changed that so it can be avoided?" Poseidon asked puzzled.

"Simple to be a mortal you simply had to be able to be killed for a given length of time. No restrictions against someone who could come back."

"So the apple is for…"

"Yes."

"But how?"

"Tartarus owes me a favor…and since he's older and more powerful than us he doesn't need a council to do it."

"What realms would he take I mean what's left? Besides being a minor god of a domain?"

"You may not be seeing Nemesis for the next few days."

"Annnnd that has what to do with this conversation?" Hermes interrupted confused.

"Because Hermes the reason being is she has lost some of her power."

"Nemesis, how? The giants haven't moved against her yet have they?" Poseidon asked worriedly.

"Nothing like that at all. What has happened is that Nemesis has infused the right to one of her domains into the apple."

Poseidon and Hermes both blinked a few times processing what she was saying. "Nemesis is…giving up one of her domains?"

"Yes something Percy told her got her to thinking about things for a while and this is the result."

"What did he say?"

"See for yourself."Hecate said holding an orb in her hand that began to glow and projected a memory into the room suddenly it started Percy was facing Nemesis and Hecate and was speaking to them "No. If you think I will leave her there to devise a plan that probably will fall apart upon arrival think again. After all Nemesis, all I'm doing is restoring balance." With a final smirk Percy gave a small bow and dissolved into vapor.

"I see, he hasn't changed a bit has he?"Poseidon asked softly.

"Not one bit." Hecate replied nodding in acknowledgement.

"So what is the domain she gifted him?" Hermes asked.

"She has given up one of her primary domains, which in her opinion is the only way to restore the balance completely. And who am I to tell her she's wrong after all it is her domain."

"So if balance is still her domain she gave up…"

"Yes."

"And Tartarus is just going to make Percy into a god no strings attached?" Poseidon asked disbelievingly.

"Well almost no strings.' Hecate said reluctantly but continued after Poseidon started glaring bullet holes into her head' Tartarus is tired of having all the domains associated with evil. Even if not all of them are inherently that way. His deal is that he can give one of those domains to Percy when he turns him into a god. Personally I think he just wants to spice things up for the rest of us."

Poseidon and Hermes shared a look of part panic part acceptance they couldn't change what was happening down in Tartarus, all they could do was pray it turned out for the better.