++++++ Sorry I've been a bit AWOL the past week or so. I had tooth problem and long story short I had to get it pulled cause I was in super, super pain.

Thanks for your patience. You're all fantastic.

Enjoy the chapter.

I do not own ++++++

Twenty

Amun was less then pleased to find the group back in his home the following evening.

The old vampire had been set to turn them away until Benjamin invited them in, upset at the site of Mels unconscious in Edward's arms.

"You are one short," Tia noted as she escorted the group back to the guest quarters.

"Mels said there was a pool around here?" Annabeth questioned, not answering the vampire's question.

"This way," Tia offered, holding her arm out.

Annabeth gave Bella her backpack before she and Percy followed the vampire to the pool.

Percy sent some water flying through the air before pulling it back down into the pool, leaving a sort of rainbow mist in the air. Annabeth automatically threw a drachma into the mist and it vanished. "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Jason Grace."

Jason Grace, son of Jupiter was sitting in the healer's tents staring at Piper as she lay unmoving on a cot bed. Annabeth's gasp alerted him to the fact an Iris message had come through. "Annabeth? Percy? What happened? She just appeared like this near Thalia's tree."

Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods. Listen-she's gonna be okay. She'll just be in a coma until the quest is complete."

Jason shot to his feet. "This is normal?"

"Relax," Percy assured him. "It will happen to all of us as we fore fill our parts of the quest. You might as well tell Chiron to prepare more beds. Let him know that we're in Egypt, Luxor. Mels is hurt, badly. But we've given her some ambrosia and we've a place to lay low whilst she recovers. We'll be heading up the Nile next."

"I'll let him know," Jason nodded. "See you all later."

Annabeth ended the Iris call with a sigh. The two demigods and two vampires made their way back to the quest rooms where Mels was sitting up in bed wearing her mini jeans and just a black bra. She was a little more pale then usual and was picking at a piece of bread. "Piper's okay," Annabeth told everyone.

"She's in a coma but she's okay," Percy added.

The two sat down and Annabeth picked up an apple. "Now that Mels is awake we can talk about what we're doing next."

Mels shifted a little.

"Uncomfortable?" Edward asked, hovering over her like a doctor.

"I'm okay Doctor Cullen," she smirked. "What did you find?"

Annabeth threw the apple from hand to hand nervously. "Well we have to go up the Nile towards the Sudan. We'll face water spirits, a man, some kind of cult and a maze before getting to the end of the line. There death will face the final test and magic will sacrifice to the book."

Mels looked over at Misha who was playing with some rocks with Bella. "That sounds delightful. I'll be ready to leave in an hour. Edward can you talk to Amun about organising a boat to go up the Nile? Or letting you out to organise a boat or whatever the hell you need to do."

Edward nodded. "Sure. Annabeth can you keep an eye on her? She's still pale from blood loss. I don't like the fact you want to leave so early."

"Are you a doctor?" Mels asked him, cocking her head to the side.

"Actually yes," he replied.

"Well," Mels huffed. "Be gone Doctor Cullen."

Edward stood up and left with Tia and Benjamin.

"So what else?" Mels asked Annabeth. "I can see it in your face that there is something else."

The Daughter of Athena sighed. "As all of us complete our tasks we will fall into a coma. If we don't succeed than we will stay like that, eventually our bodies giving up and we die."

"Well isn't that wizard?" Mels sneered. She sat up on the bed and threw her legs over the side. "I need some clothes. We don't have time to wash so I need to go shopping."

"I'll go," Bella volunteered. "Annabeth can come with me. You need to rest as much as you can."

"Take Percy with you," Mels ordered. "I wouldn't trust the locals if you were without a man to go with you. I'll be okay. Misha can go as well." She stood up on shaky legs and disappeared into the bathroom.

Bella frowned at the angry red scars running down her back.

"Come on ladies, let's get this terrible task out of the way," Percy groaned.

Mels sat on the floor of the bathroom the entire time she was alone.

Death's magic will last forever more.

She wasn't stupid, the demigod knew exactly what that last line of the prophecy meant.

Immortality. She'd turned it back once already but this made it sound like she had no choice in the matter.

"I've got this." Apollo stepped forward with a perfect Calvin Klein smile. He passed his hand over the wounded Annabeth's face and chanted. Almost in an instance the bruises faded, her cuts and scars disappeared.

Mels watched the God of the Sun and of Medicine as he spoke, making jokes. She was mad, incredibly mad. She exploded, literally exploded. The fire around the room turned black before shooting up out of the torches, exploding like fireworks. "MICHAEL IS DEAD AND YOU'RE MAKING JOKES ABOUT SAVING OLYMPUS? YOU'RE A DISGUSTING PIG!"

Hades chuckled as his daughter's power exploded. He had known she was powerful but this powerful-it had him thinking that he had put all his bets on the wrong child.

"All the demigods that died today are because of you!" Mels snapped, motioning towards the gods. "Their blood is on your hands! Luke did this because of you all denying your children! I thought that the gods were supposed to be better than the Titans but I guess I was wrong."

Zeus glared at her. "Watch your tongue, Melody."

"Or what?" Mels growled. "We saved your precious home, forty demigods saved you and your existence. You owe us. And you owe my dad."

"She's right, brother," Poseidon nodded. "We do owe them. Had it not been for the demigods and for Hades we would have fallen-"

Zeus looked about ready to swallow a lemon. "Yes-indeed. We must be thankful for the-the aid of Hades. And without Poseidon it would have been difficult-"

"Difficult?" Poseidon asked.

"Impossible," Zeus growled. "Impossible to defeat Typhon."

The other gods in the room murmured their agreement.

"Which leave us only the matter of thanking our young demigod heroes," Zeus said, "who defended Olympus so well-even if there are a few dents in my throne."

"Like the dents in your head," Mels muttered.

"Melody!" Hades hissed.

"What was that?" Zeus scowled.

"Nothing," Mels answered innocently.

Zeus continued on, granting assistance to his daughter Thalia to help fore-fill the ranks of Hunters. To Tyson he granted him a new weapon-the cyclops happy with the new 'stick' he would be getting. To Grover they gifted a leadership role in the Council of Cloven Elders. To Annabeth came the chance to redesign Olympus as their Official Architect.

To Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon and Melody Swan, Daughter of Hades was offered the gift of immortality and godhood. Percy turned it down immediately instead making the gods swear on the River Styx to recognise all their children by the time of their thirteen birthday. He also wanted recognition of the other gods at Camp Half Blood as well.

Begrudgingly they agreed.

"No," Mels answered, arms folded across her chest. "I don't want to be a god or immortal. I've friends, a family and a home. But I do want you to swear on the River Styx that you will do what I ask before I ask it."

Zeus stared down at the Daughter of Hades. She was getting on his nerves.

"And what is that?" Athena asked.

"Swear!" Mels ordered.

The gods swore their oath making Hades chuckle a little. She had his temper but yet her mother's kindness.

"I want you to reinstate Hestia and Hades back into the Olympian council," Mels told them.

The throne room immediately erupted into shouts and accusations. Hades looked upon his daughter absolutely stunned at her wish.

"You swore!" Mels snapped. "Twenty-four hours you have to do what I asked or I'm sure the universe can come up with some fitting punishment for breaking your oath." The Daughter of Hades summoned a shadow corridor and stepped through it without uttering word.

"I've got the boat," Edward announced as he walked into the room only to find it empty. "Where is everyone?"

A note on the coffee table in Bella's perfect cursive told the vampire they'd gone out to buy some more clothes and water supplies for their trip up the Nile whereas Mels had stayed. Just as he threw the note in the trash, Misha ran in being chased after Bella, the girls laughing. Annabeth and Percy waltzed back in calmly with bags in the hands which they dumped on the floor by the bathroom door.

"I've got the boat," Edward repeated. "It's ours for three days but I doubt we'll get the deposit back."

"Where's Mels?" Annabeth frowned, looking around for the demigod.

"Bathroom," Edward replied, pointing to the door.

Mels came out on cue and looked down at the bags. "What did you get?"

"Cotton clothes," Annabeth told her. "Some shorts as well. There wasn't much in the way of black but it would help us fit in. The red bag is yours and the blue is Bella and Edward's. Pink is Misha's. I guessed Edwards size."

Mels grabbed her bag and disappeared back into the bathroom to change.