Hey guys, another chapter for you. This is just Hailey's POV but it's nice and long. That's all I really have to say right now so, enjoy! :)

Hailey's POV

I had never gotten beat up before, at school I had seen it happen to others but the bullies had always left me alone. I was the girl who took good notes, not to smart but not dumb either, I was a nobody. I had a few friends and had kept a low profile. No one hated me, no one had ever hurt me or hit me, and even animals liked me. My life was dull and unimportant, but safe.

So getting smacked around by a partially invisible snake was new.

At first Python was fully visible, thanks to Dianna. I saw her standing with her arms up and her eyes closed, mist trailing from her fingertips. It was impressive to watch but there was also smoke coming from her, and I found that worrisome.

I couldn't help but gasp when I saw Python for the first time. He was huge, and I don't even think I could describe him. Python was protected by scales and what looked like nose hairs sticking out around its body. Python wrapped around the ruins of Delphi at least twice, but I couldn't find its head.

Until it swallowed Dianna that is.

I stared in horror as Python's mouth opened up, showing rows of razor sharp teeth as it lunged forwards, my warning coming too late to help. The head slapped the ground, causing a mini earthquake. I stumbled and fell to the ground, watching as debris flew up from where his mouth was, Python slowly closed its mouth and brought its head back up, leaving a giant crater in the ground.

There wasn't even a trace of Dianna.

"NO!" I screamed, standing up and pulling out my bow and firing arrow after arrow at Python's head as tears streamed down my cheeks. I couldn't lose another friend today.

I noticed the mist failing slowly and then a semi-invisible hair hit me and sent me flying backwards. I couldn't even scream because it hit me in the gut and knocked the wind out of me, instantly my chest flamed in pain. I hit the ruins and tumbled, gasping in pain and for breath as my arrows fell out of their quiver and scattered everywhere.

Artemis narrowed her eyes at Python and spoke softly to Apollo, he nodded and her bow appeared in her hands. She danced around Python as he slowly faded, firing arrow after arrow at him, each one finding a mark and making him shudder in pain.

I got to my feet and winced, putting a hand on my chest. Oh it hurt, my chest felt like it was on fire and I wondered if Python had cracked any of my ribs. I looked up and noticed Apollo was making his way over to me. I also noticed a partially visible tentacle was going towards him and I grabbed my dagger, my useless dagger, and got ready to throw it. I prayed to the God or Goddess of throwing knives that I'd get it to stick this time. Apollo must have thought I was aiming at him because he put his hands up in a gesture of peace.

For a split second I wondered how awful I looked.

I mean, I must have looked wild and desperate if he thought I was going to throw my dagger at him.

I shook away the thought and threw my dagger. It spun through the air and instead of sinking into the tentacle it sliced through a bit of it, causing Python to shudder in pain and retract it.

I limped forwards and Apollo met me halfway, he gently touched my forehead, a soft golden light coming from his hand and instantly I felt better, no longer sore and tried, my ribs felt better then ever as well. But Apollo looked worse then before, he slumped and I tried to catch him but he was too heavy for me and in the end I just cushioned his fall with my body. So much for my bruises getting healed.

For a second we were a tangle of limbs and it felt odd being this close to a God (not to mention the fact that he was very hot, both literally and figuratively) and I felt myself blushing as we untangled ourselves.

"Sorry." I said and Apollo laughed, a little breathless himself.

I sat up and looked around, Python was almost completely invisible and I felt tears prick my eyes as I wondered what that meant for Dianna. I was snapped out of my grief at Python's roar, the ruins shook and my hair was blown backwards, and my god he needed a breath mint.

I looked around and gasped when I saw monsters gathering at the base of the ruins, getting ready to charge us.

"Oh god." I breathed, just realising how screwed we were.

"Gods." Apollo corrected, but even he looked nervous. He summoned his bow but even that seemed to take more effort than it should've. Of course he had just had his powers drained for almost a year, he probably didn't even have the strength to flash out of here.

I reached back for an arrow before realising I had dropped my bow. I looked around for it and saw it thirty feet away, where I had gotten smacked by Python. I realised I had dropped it when he had smacked me.

"Be right back!" I said to Apollo, sprinting for my bow. The monsters took that as a sign to charge because they roared and ran at us. I dove for my bow as a monster, that looked a lot like my old bio sub, leapt at me and I began to panic because I wasn't going to make it to my bow in time and I was weaponless.

Damn monsters were fast.

She grabbed my leg and I screamed, my hand mere feet from my bow. I spun and kicked at her but she just grinned in victory, on me in a flash and I was trying to push her away from my throat before a pair of silver hunting knives cut her apart.

"Thanks." I breathed to Artemis but she was already gone and killing more monsters. I turned and scrambled for my bow, grabbing it and loading an arrow. I spun and choked back a scream as I stumbled away from the club of a Cyclops that hit the ground where I had just been. I fired at its face, grateful for the blessing of Artemis, because that was all that was keeping me alive. I fired arrow after arrow, running around and grabbing them off of the ground. Monsters swarmed me and somehow I always managed to wiggle my way free. Thank goodness I was so short and skinny.

Never thought I'd be grateful for that.

I saw Apollo firing his bow at the bigger monsters and taking them out while Artemis protected him with her silver hunting knives, covered in monster dust. They made a good team.

I grabbed another arrow from the ground and gasped when I saw white mist trailed out across the ground, covering my feet. I jumped in shock and spun, seeing white mist outlining Python as he shook.

Wait a minute . . . I had seen that mist before. I didn't want to get my hopes up but who else could it be?

"Dianna." I breathed, taking a step towards Python before I thought better of it. I turned my body away, shielding my eyes as I saw Python start to flash. I figured that if this was anything like what the Gods did, than I didn't want to see it.

A shockwave knocked me off of my feet and I flew through the air, clutching my bow and arrow tightly. I wouldn't drop them this time.

I was sure I was going to die on impact, or at least break some bones since I was blasted into that giant crater Python had created when he ate Dianna but there was a silver blur under me and I landed safely in Artemis's arms. She ran out of the crater before she put me on my feet and I turned around and saw that Python's upper half was visible, and it wasn't fading this time.

"She did it!" I said, excited.

Artemis nodded, slashing through a monster that was lunging at me before her expression turned grim and she blurred away, a silver streak heading straight for Apollo. I looked at Apollo and gasped, running after her – although much slower – hoping she'd make it in time because a monster I had heard about as the one even the big three kids couldn't defeat had managed to sneak up on the weakened God and shot him from behind with spikes.

The manticore.

Artemis went straight for the monster while I ran to Apollo's aid, steadying him as he staggered around and reaching to remove a spike buried in his back, golden ichor streaming from the wound. My breath hitched, I hated the sight of blood and golden blood was a new concept for me and somehow grosser then red blood.

He grabbed my hand to stop me.

"Python." He wheezed. "He's sending the worst monsters after me to stop me from killing him."

"Kill Python now!" I said, looking at him. "I'll protect you!"

Apollo chuckled softly and ruffled my hair weakly. "No, I need to hear your prophecy, and tell me, who gave it to you?"

I told him in a rush, hearing the manticore roaring in the background and I heard another roar in the distance, as if it was answering a distress call.

"The Nemeon Lion." Apollo said softly. He reached out and grabbed the arrow in my hand, which was my last arrow, golden light coming from his palm and spreading over the arrow until it was glowing gold. He fell to his knees, completely pale, his natural tan gone. He flashed me a weak smile but even that was dull now. "You've got one shot." He said, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "Shoot straight."

Wait . . . he wanted me to kill Python? Me? A daughter of Demeter? He must have lost a lot of blood if he was trusting me with this task.

And wait a minute, Python had eaten Dianna. She was still alive, that trick with the mist proved it! What would happen if Python was killed? Would she die as well?

"But Dianna." I whispered. "She's not out yet! It could kill her!"

Apollo looked saddened as he yanked a spike out of his back. "I know, but it has to be done."

I yanked another spike from his back as tears poured down my cheeks. "I can't lose her to." I whispered, thinking about Zach. I couldn't believe it hadn't even been a couple hours since he died.

Everything was happening so fast.

Apollo didn't try to pressure me into doing it, not like I expected at least. He just asked me what Dianna would want me to do.

"She'd want me to kill Python." I whispered and my heart sank as my least favorite line of the prophecy came back to me. "This is it, isn't it? Nature's choice leads to death. I can kill Dianna or – or kill everyone by not killing Python."

Apollo nodded.

I wanted to sit and cry, but I was currently in the middle of a war and the fate of the world rested in my hands. I couldn't be a kid anymore, I had to step up and take responsibility.

And kill my friend to save the world.

Well, she wouldn't really die forever, just be sent to hell and have to crawl her way out again after painfully piecing herself back together again.

No, there had to be some way to save her. I had heard her talking to Zach about how scared she was of Tartarus. What kind of horrible person would send her there? Especially when she was so close to a cure.

I couldn't do this, I couldn't make this choice. I couldn't kill my friend, I had just lost Zach and I flinched as I recalled my last words to him.

"Why me?" I whisper-sobbed, trying to fight back the despair that threatened to overwhelm me. I don't know if I really expected an answer from Apollo. "Why do I have to make the choice? Dianna could do it, even Zach. So why is it me? Why is this decision mine to make? I can't send Dianna to Tartarus, I just can't. There has to be some way we can save her from Python, there has to be!"

Apollo looked at me sadly. "There's only one way this can end for her Hailey." He said and I wanted to hit him, to scream that he was lying to me and that there was always another way.

But I knew he was right. He was the God of prophecies so he could see her future, but he was also the god of truth, I don't think he could lie.

And why would he lie about something so big?

So no matter what I did Dianna would die. Eventually she'd crawl out of Tartarus and back into this world. The choice was mine, what kind of world would I let her find?

"I'm so sorry Dianna." I whispered.

I loaded the arrow and aimed at Python, sticking my tongue out slightly in concentration. I tightened my grip on the string as I aimed for the spot between his eyes.

I have the blessing of Artemis, I won't miss. I thought, trying to fight back my tears. I wasn't sure if I wanted to miss or not.

I heard Apollo start to say something but I ignored him, trying to will myself to pull the string back on my bow and fire the arrow to kill Python.

And Dianna.

SMACK!

Something hit me hard from behind, knocking me down and I lost my grip on my bow and the arrow, they both skidded across the ground and disappeared from my sight, into the hoard of monsters.

"No!" I yelled, struggling furiously.

I couldn't believe it, I was so close to doing it. To ending this quest and saving the world, to completing my line of the prophecy and I had blown it. I didn't think it was possible to ruin a prophecy but like Dianna had said; the fates didn't give it to us.

The monster that had me pinned howled in satisfaction and I heard Apollo shout in surprise and pain as another monster snarled. I gave up hope then, there was no way I could get free and my backup was in need of help himself.

I'm so sorry. I thought, a tear trailing down my cheek as claws dug painfully into my shoulder and I waited for death.

Tada! Nice little cliff hanger for you :) Anyway, I'll be back in three days with the next chapter.