Disclaimer: Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto and Percy Jackson is property of Rick Riordan. I don't own this in anyway so please don't sue me.

Chapter 8: Battle of the Labyrinth

"Back to New York, " I said. "Rachel, can you-" I froze. A few feet in front of us, my flashlight beam fixed on a trampled clump of red fabric lying on the ground. It was a Rasta cap: the one Grover always wore. My hands shook as I picked up the cap. It looked like it had been stepped on by a huge muddy boot. After all that I'd gone through today, I couldn't stand the thought that something might've happened to Grover, too. Then I noticed something else. The cave floor was mushy and wet from the water dripping off the stalactites. There were large footprints like Tyson's, and smaller ones-goat hooves-leading off to the left. "We have to follow them," I said. "They went that way. It must have been recently."

"What about Camp Half-Blood?" Nico said. "There's no time. "

"We have to find them," Annabeth insisted. "They're our friends." She picked up Grover's smashed cap and forged ahead. I followed bracing myself for the worst. The tunnel was treacherous. It sloped at weird angles and was slimy with moisture. Half the time we were slipping and sliding rather than walking. Finally we got to the bottom of a slope and found ourselves in a large cave with huge stalagmite columns. Through the center of the room ran an underground river, and Tyson was sitting by the banks, cradling Grover in his lap. Grover's eyes were closed. He wasn't moving Josuke and Okuyasu were sitting there, Josuke was breathing hard and I could tell he had several breaks in his body.

"Tyson!" I yelled.

"Percy! Come quick!" He shouted, we ran over to him,

"A little help Percy?" Josuke asked, I walked over to him and healed his body,

"What happened?"

"So many things," Tyson murmured. "Large snake. Large dogs. Men with swords. But then... We got close to here. Grover was excited. He ran. Then we reached this room, and he fell. Like this."

"Did he say anything?" I asked.

"He said, `We're close. ' Then hit his head on rocks." I knelt next to him. The only other time I'd seen Grover pass out was New Mexico, when he'd felt the presence of Pan. I shined my flashlight around the cavern. The rocks glittered. At the far end was the entrance to another cave, flanked by gigantic columns of crystal that looked like diamonds. And beyond that entrance...

"Grover, " I said. "Wake up. "

"Uhhhhhhhh. " Annabeth knelt next to him and splashed icy cold river water in his face.

"Splurg!" His eyelids fluttered. "Percy? Annabeth? Where..."

"It's okay, " I said. "You passed out. The presence was too much for you. "

"I-I remember. Pan."

"Yeah, " I said. "Something powerful is just beyond that doorway." We walked forward after I made quick introductions, since Tyson and Grover had never met Rachel, Tyson told Rachel she was pretty, which made Annabeth's nostrils flare like she was going to blow fire.

"Uh, can you send us home please Percy?" Josuke asked, "We need to get home."

"Sure." I said I used my rinnegan to open a portal back to Japan and Josuke and Okuyasu walked through it. "Anyway, come on, Grover. Lean on me." Nico, Camilla and I walked across the river and Annabeth followed along side me, rather shakily as she hadn't had a lot of practice walking on water, she fell in a couple times, eventually we made our way to the other side.

"I think we're in Carlsbad Caverns, " Annabeth said, her teeth chattering. "Maybe an unexplored section."

"How do you know?"

"Carlsbad is in New Mexico," she said. "That would explain last winter." I nodded. Grover's swooning episode had happened when we passed through New Mexico. That's where he'd felt closest to the power of Pan, everyone else except Nico, Camilla and I got out of the water and kept walking.

"Annabeth, come here please."

"Okay." Annabeth walked over to me and I hugged her soon steam came off her as I channeled Katon Chakra and soon she was dry, then I used a high temperature wind that warmed everyone one, as the crystal pillars loomed larger, I started to feel the power emanating from the next room. I'd been in the presence of gods before, but this was different. My skin tingled with living energy. My weariness fell away, as if I'd just gotten a good night's sleep. I could feel myself growing stronger, like one of those plants in a time-lapse video. And the scent coming from the cave was nothing like the dank wet underground. It smelled of trees and flowers and a warm summer day. Grover whimpered with excitement. I was too stunned to talk. Even Nico seemed speechless. We stepped into the cave,

"Oh, wow." Rachel said The walls glittered with crystals-red, green, and blue. In the strange light, beautiful plants grew-giant orchids, star-shaped flowers, vines bursting with orange and purple berries that crept among the crystals. The cave floor was covered with green moss. Overhead, the ceiling was higher than a cathedral, sparkling like a galaxy of stars. In the center of the cave stood a Roman-style bed, gilded wood shaped like a curly U, with velvet cushions. Animals lounged around it-but they were animals that shouldn't have been alive. There was a dodo bird, something that looked like a cross between a wolf and a tiger, a huge rodent like the mother of all guinea pigs, and roaming behind the bed, picking berries with its trunk, was a wooly mammoth. On the bed lay an old satyr. He watched us as we approached, his eyes as blue as the sky. His curly hair was white and so was his pointed beard. Even the goat fur on his legs was frosted with gray. His horns were enormous- glossy brown and curved. There was no way he could've hidden those under a hat the way Grover did. Around his neck hung a set of reed pipes, Grover fell to his knees in front of the bed.

"Lord Pan!" The god smiled kindly, but there was sadness in his eyes.

"Grover, my dear, brave satyr. I have waited a very long time for you."

"I... Got lost, " Grover apologized, Pan laughed, it was a wonderful sound, like the first breeze of springtime, filling the whole cavern with hope. The tiger-wolf sighed and rested his head on the god's knee. The dodo bird pecked affectionately at the god's hooves, making a strange sound in the back of its bill. I could swear it was humming "It's a Small World. " Still, Pan looked tired. His whole form shimmered as if he were made of Mist. I noticed my other friends were kneeling. They had awed looks on their faces. I got to my knees.

"You have a humming dodo bird," I said raising an eyebrow The god's eyes twinkled.

"Yes, that's Dede. My little actress." Dede the dodo looked offended. She pecked at Pan's knee and hummed something that sounded like a funeral dirge.

"This is the most beautiful place!" Annabeth said. "It's better than any building ever designed."

"I am glad you like it, dear, " Pan said. "It is one of the last wild places. My realm above is gone, I'm afraid. Only pockets remain. Tiny pieces of life. This one shall stay undisturbed... For a little longer."

"My lord, " Grover said, "please, you must come back with me! The Elders will never believe it! They'll be overjoyed! You can save the wild!" an placed his hand on Grover's head and ruffled his curly hair.

"You are so young, Grover. So good and true. I think I chose well. "

"Chose?" Grover said. "I-I don't understand." Pan's image flickered, momentarily turning to smoke. The giant guinea pig scuttled under the bed with a terrified squeal. The wooly mammoth grunted nervously. Dede stuck her head under her wing. Then Pan re-formed.

"I have slept many eons," the god said forlornly. "My dreams have been dark. I wake fitfully, and each time my waking is shorter. Now we are near the end. "

"What?" Grover cried. "But no! You're right here!"

"My dear satyr, " Pan said. "I tried to tell the world, two thousand years ago. I announced it to Lysas, a satyr very much like you. He lived in Ephesos, and he tried to spread the word. " Annabeth's eyes widened.

"The old story. A sailor passing by the coast of Ephesos heard a voice crying from the shore, `Tell them the great god Pan is dead. '"

"But that wasn't true!" Grover said.

"Your kind never believed it, " Pan said. "You sweet, stubborn satyrs refused to accept my passing. And I love you for that, but you only delayed the inevitable. You only prolonged my long, painful passing, my dark twilight sleep. It must end. "

"No!" Grover's voice trembled.

"Dear Grover," Pan said. "You must accept the truth. Your companion, Nico, he understands." Nico nodded slowly.

"He's dying. He should have died long ago." Nico said This... This is more like a memory."

"But gods can't die," Grover said.

"They can fade," Pan said, "when everything they stood for is gone. When they cease to have power, and their sacred places disappear. The wild, my dear Grover, is so small now, so shattered, that no god can save it. My realm is gone. That is why I need you to carry a message. You must go back to the council. You must tell the satyrs, and the dryads, and the other spirits of nature, that the great god Pan is dead. Tell them of my passing. Because they must stop waiting for me to save them. I cannot. The only salvation you must make yourself. Each of you must-" He stopped and frowned at the dodo bird, who had started humming again. "Dede, what are you doing?" Pan demanded. "Are you singing Kumbaya again?" Dede looked up innocently and blinked her yellow eyes. Pan sighed. "Everybody's a cynic. But as I was saying, my dear Grover, each of you must take up my calling."

"But... No!" Grover whimpered.

"Be strong," Pan said. "You have found me. And now you must release me. You must carry on my spirit. It can no longer be carried by a god. It must be taken up by all of you." Pan looked straight at me with his clear blue eyes, and I realized he wasn't just talking about satyrs. He meant half-bloods, too, and humans. Everyone. "You have a great power within you, the power of Nature."

"Mokuton Ninjutsu." I said nodding,

"I know you have seen this play before," Pan said, "I have a small ray of good news, when the time comes you will not be ruled by fear, however you have a great trial that will send a ripple through the world." He turned to Annabeth. "Daughter of Athena, your time is coming. You will play a great role, though it may not be the role you imagined." Then he looked at Tyson. "Master Cyclops, do not despair. Heroes rarely live up to our expectations. But you, Tyson-your name shall live among the Cyclopes for generations. And Miss Rachel Dare..." Rachel flinched when he said her name. She backed up like she was guilty of something, but Pan only smiled. He raised his hand in a blessing. "I know you believe you cannot make amends," he said. "But you are just as important as your father."

"I-" Rachel faltered. A tear traced her cheek.

"I know you don't believe this now," Pan said. "But look for opportunities. They will come, Miss Rosa," Pan said as he turned to Camilla. "You have suffered greatly to make it this far, but do not despair, you will see your Family again, in the Halls of Valhalla."

"Valhalla?" Camilla asked confused.

"Your father is the mighty Thor."

"Thor." Camilla's eyes widened "My father is Chris Hemsworth?!"

"Well, yes and no."

"Yes and No?" Camilla echoed confused.

"Chris Hemsworth is Thor's screen name, and he changed his form a bit to make himself look more, shall we say, mortal."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because he wanted to act in a movie so Odin told him to make his appearance very different than what he usually looks like."

"So when will I meet with my father?"

"Soon my dear, but know this, you have a much larger role to play in both Olympus' future and Asgard's than you think." Finally he turned back toward Grover. "My dear satyr, " Pan said kindly, "will you carry my message?"

"I-I can't. "

"You can," Pan said. "You are the strongest and the bravest. Your heart is true. You have believed in me more than anyone ever has, which is why you must bring the message, and why you must be the first to release me."

"I don't want to."

"I know," the god said. "But my name, Pan... Originally it meant rustic. Did you know that? But over the years it has come to mean all. The spirit of the wild must pass to all of you now. You must tell each one you meet: if you would find Pan, take up Pan's spirit. Remake the wild, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. You cannot wait for anyone else, even a god, to do that for you." Grover wiped his eyes. Then slowly he stood.

"I've spent my whole life looking for you. Now... I release you." Pan smiled.

"Thank you, dear satyr. My final blessing." He closed his eyes, and the god dissolved. White mist divided into wisps of energy, but this kind of energy wasn't scary like the blue power I'd seen from Kronos. It filled the room. A curl of smoke went straight into my mouth, and Grover's and the others. But I think a little more of it went into Grover. The crystals dimmed. The animals gave us a sad look. Dede the dodo sighed. Then they all turned gray and crumbled to dust. The vines withered. And we were alone in a dark cave, with an empty bed. I switched on my flashlight. Grover took a deep breath.

"Are... Are you okay?" I asked him. He looked older and sadder. He took his cap from Annabeth, brushed off the mud, and stuck it firmly on his curly head.

"We should go now, " he said, "and tell them. The great god Pan is dead." Distance was shorter in the Labyrinth. Still, by the time Rachel got us back to Times Square, I felt like we'd pretty much run all the way from New Mexico. We climbed out of the Marriott basement and stood on the sidewalk in the bright summer daylight, squinting at the traffic and crowds. I couldn't decide which seemed less real-New York or the crystal cave where I'd watched a god die.

"So I wonder if the Mjolnir in the movies was the real deal?" Camilla asked as we walked

"I don't know," I shrugged, "Could have been." (A/N: In case you haven't noticed I've changed up the timeline of movies a bit because I don't see a whole lot of movies and I felt like it!) Eventually I led the way into an alley, where I could get a nice echo. Then I whistled as loud as I could, five times.

"They're beautiful!", Rachel gasped A minute later A flock of pegasi descended from the sky, swooping between the skyscrapers. Blackjack was in the lead, followed by four of his white friends.

"Yo, boss!" He spoke in my mind. "You lived!"

"Yeah," I told him. "I'm lucky that way. Listen, we need a ride to camp quick."

"That's my specialty! Oh man, you got that Cyclops with you? Yo, Guido! How's your back holding up?" The Pegasus Guido groaned and complained, but eventually he agreed to carry Tyson. Everybody started saddling up-except Rachel.

"Well," she told me, "I guess this is it." I nodded, we both knew she couldn't go to camp. I glanced at Annabeth, who was pretending to be very busy with her Pegasus.

"Thanks, Rachel," I said. "We couldn't have done it without you."

"I wouldn't have missed it. I mean, except for almost dying, and Pan..." Her voice faltered.

"Until we meet again, Miss. Dare." then I remembered something. "He said something about your father, what did he mean?" Rachel twisted the strap on her backpack.

"My dad... My dad's job. He's kind of a famous businessman."

"You mean... You're rich?"

"Well, yeah."

"So that's how you got the chauffeur to help us? You just said your dad's name and-"

"Yes, " Rachel cut me off. "Percy... My dad's a land developer. He flies all over the world, looking for tracts of undeveloped land." She took a shaky breath. "The wild. He-he buys it up. I hate it, but he plows it down and builds ugly subdivisions and shopping centers. And now that I've seen Pan... Pan's death-"

"Hey, you can't blame yourself for that."

"You don't know the worst of it. I-I don't like to talk about my family. I didn't want you to know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No," I said. "It's cool. Look, Rachel, you did awesome. You led us through the maze. You were so brave. That's the only thing I'm going to judge you on. I don't care what your dad does." Rachel looked at me gratefully.

"Well... If you ever feel like hanging out with a mortal again... You could call me or something."

"Well, I wouldn't want to make you a third wheel." She knit her eyebrows "I mean... I'd like that," I said.

"My number is not in the book," she said.

"I've got it."

"Still on your hand? No way."

"No. I Memorized it." I flashed my sharingan, "These eyes grant photographic memory when activated." Her smile came back slowly, but a lot happier.

"See you later, Percy Jackson. Go save the world for me, okay?" She walked off down Seventh Avenue and disappeared into the crowds. When I got back to the horses. Nico was having trouble. His Pegasus kept shying away from him, reluctant to let him mount.

"He smells like dead people!" The Pegasus complained.

"Hey now," Blackjack said. "Come on, Porkpie. Lotsa demigods smell weird. It ain't their fault. Oh-uh, I didn't mean you, boss."

"Don't worry Percy," Nico said, "I'll make my own way there." Nico Snapped his fingers and a skeleton horse rose up with flames coming out of the holes with armor on.

"Where did you?"

"Ghostrider." Nico hopped on the horse and blazed down 23rd street at the speed of a motorcycle. At last we got everybody on a Pegasus, we shot into the air, and soon we were over the East river with Long Island spread out before us. We landed in the middle of the cabin area and were immediately met by Chiron, the pot bellied satyr Silenus, and a couple of Apollo cabin archers. Soon thereafter Nico arrived on his horse and he hopped off the horse, and then snapped his fingers again and the horse sunk back into ground.

"Was that a rip off of the Ghost Rider's horse?" Will asked

"Yes it was, I thought it was a good idea." Annabeth and I caught Chiron up to speed about the events on Mount Orthrus.

"I feared as much," Chiron said. "We must hurry. Hopefully you have slowed down the Titan lord, but his vanguard will still be coming through."

"However I have a new weapon that could help us." I said as I unsealed the Reality stone in the ring. "This is one of the six infinity stones, this is the reality stone, this can help us out." I put the ring on my middle finger. "This ring will help us with the battle."

"Wait a moment, " Silenus demanded. "What of the search for Pan? You are almost 4 weeks overdue, Grover Underwood! Your searcher's license is revoked!" Grover took a deep breath. He stood up straight and looked Silenus in the eye.

"Searcher's licenses don't matter any more. The great god Pan is dead. He has passed on and left us his spirit." Grover said.

"What?" Silenus' face turned bright red. "Sacrilege and lies! Grover Underwood, I will have you exiled for speaking thus!"

"It's true, " I said. "We were there when he died. All of us."

"Impossible! You are all liars! Nature-destroyers!" Chiron studied Grover's face.

"We will speak of this later. "

"We will speak of it now!" Silenus said. "We must deal with this-"

"Silenus, " Chiron cut in. "My camp is under attack. The matter of Pan has waited two thousand years. I fear it will have to wait a bit longer. Assuming we are still here this evening. " And on that happy note, he readied his bow and galloped toward the woods, leaving us to follow as best we could. It was the biggest military operation I'd ever seen at camp. Everyone was at the clearing, dressed in full battle armor, but this time it wasn't for capture the flag. The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth-razor wire, pits filled with pots of Greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect a charge. Beckendorf was manning two catapults the size of pickup trucks, already primed and aimed at Zeus's Fist. The Ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in phalanx formation with Clarisse calling orders. Apollo's and Hermes's cabins were scattered in the woods with bows ready. Many had taken up positions in the trees. Even the dryads were armed with bows, and the satyrs trotted around with wooden cudgels and shields made of rough tree bark. Annabeth went to join her brethren from the Athena cabin, who had set up a command tent and were directing operations. A gray banner with an owl fluttered outside the tent. Our security chief, Argus, stood guard at the door. Aphrodite's children were running around straightening everybody's armor and offering to comb the tangles out of our horse hair plumes. Even Dionysus's kids had found something to do. The god himself was still nowhere to be seen, but his two blond twin sons were running around providing all the sweaty warriors with water bottles and juice boxes. It looked like a pretty good setup, but Chiron muttered next to me. "It isn't enough."

"With the reality stone on our side, couple that with my power, it will be more than enough." I said to Chiron, "If I really wanted to I erase the Labyrinth entrance from camp, but that would only be like putting a bandaid on a gaping wound, the entrance would just reform somewhere else." Over at the edge of the clearing, Grover was talking to Juniper, she held his hands while he told her our story. Green tears formed in her eyes as he delivered the news about Pan. Tyson helped the Hephaestus kids prepare the defenses, he picked up boulders and piled them next to the catapults for firing.

"Stay with me, Percy, " Chiron said. "When the fighting begins, I want you to wait until we know what we're dealing with. You must go where we most need reinforcements."

"What about me?" Camilla asked.

"Help out the ares cabin." I said, "If necessary summon people using edo Tensei, we'll need a lot of back up."

"Got it."

"Something I don't get is how Kronos merged his divine form with a mortal body."

"I do not know, Percy. Gods have assumed the shapes of mortals for ages, but to actually become one... To merge the divine form with the mortal. I don't know how this could be done without Luke's form turning into ashes."

"Kronos said his body had been prepared. "

"I shudder to think what that means. But perhaps it will limit Kronos's power. For a time, at least, he is confined to a human form. It binds him together. Hopefully it also restricts him. "

"Chiron, if he leads the attack-"

"I do not think so, my boy. I would sense if he were drawing near. No doubt he planned to, but I believe you inconvenienced him when you pulled down his throne room on top of him." The ground underneath us started trembling. Everyone in the clearing stopped what they were doing. Clarisse barked a single order:

"Lock shields!" Then the Titan lord's army exploded from the Labyrinth. I charged forward with a warrior's cry, I started slicing monsters to dust left, right and center, eventually Annabeth, Nico, Camilla and I stood back to back.

"First to a thousand kills wins?" I asked.

"You're on." Camilla said, we all dashed apart and we all started attacking monsters left right and center.

"50," I counted as I sliced a few more monsters, "51, 52," I started weaving handsigns, "Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!" I shout out the wave of fire and a wave of monsters was reduced to ashes, "288," I threw my sword into a monster's heart "289,"

"Sawarabi no mai!" a wall of bones impaled an incoming army, killing them all.

"289." I said

"You're getting slow Percy, 490." Nico smiled

"Oh we're playing this game."

"Mokuton: Taberu mori!" (Wood style; Devouring forest.) a forest of trees sprung to life and grabbed monsters left right and center and they shriveled up and were converted into Senjutsu chakra which I gathered into myself. "Senpo: Inton Raiha!" I held out my hands and lightning shot out of my fingers vaporizing monsters left right and center. "Know the power of the dark side!"

"Really Percy?!" Camilla called, "A Star Wars Reference?"

"What?!" I said, "Ever since I discovered that Jutsu I've always wanted to say that."

"You watch way too many movies." Camilla shook her head, she charged more monsters and we started slicing through more monsters.

"856, 857." I counted as I sliced through monsters, eventually there were a very small amount left,

"Retreat!" one of the Laestrygonians cried out and they made there way back to the entrance to the labyrinth.

"Oh no you don't." I held up my hand with the reality stone on it and a wall of red energy rose up surrounding the entrance. "That wall separates the Labyrinth in an alternate reality, you won't be escaping." I charged forward and the others followed me and soon there was only one left Ironically it was a Laestrygonian. I charge forward ready to kill it but the monster froze and dissolved to dust, and just like last time I faced one of these damn things, Annabeth was standing there, knife in hand.

"That makes 1000," Annabeth blew her hair out of her face "So what do I win?"

"A kiss for the fair maiden." I walked over to Annabeth and kissed her then dissolved the barrier around the labyrinth.

"Get a room you two!" Clarisse said and everyone laughed,

"We still need to find a way to stop Kronos's forces using the labyrinth." Annabeth said just then a howl pierced the silent forest and Mrs. O'Leary and Daedalus walked out of the Labyrinth.

"Perhaps I could be some help with that.." Daedalus said raising an eyebrow,

"So you have decided to defend Olympus after all Daedalus." I said.

"There are more on their way," Daedalus warned, "at least 5 times the army that you have," He looked around at the huge mountains of monster dust, "slaughtered."

"What do you propose?" I asked raised an eyebrow,

"The Labyrinth is tied to my life force, the best way to destroy it forever is for me to die,"

"But Daedalus?!" Annabeth said, "With everything you've learned and gained, will you throw all that away?" Daedalus smiled wistfully,

"I've cheated death long enough, but before I go, I have a gift for you my dear." Daedalus pulled out a sleek silver laptop, one of the computers that we'd seen in the workshop. "All of my life's work is here," he said as he handed it to her. "It's all I managed to save from the fire. Notes on projects I never started. Some of my favorite designs. I couldn't develop these over the last few millennia. I did not dare reveal my work to the mortal world. But perhaps you will find it interesting." Annabeth stared at the laptop like it was solid gold.

"You're giving me this?" Annabeth asked, "But this is priceless, this worth, I don't even Know how much!"

"We children of Athena should be wise, and I was not, someday you will be a greater architect than I ever was, take my ideas, improve them."

"Thank you." Annabeth said wiping tears from her eyes, Daedalus looked at me and reached into his pocket.

"I have something for you as well Percy." He held out his hand and it expanded into a small ball with six empty slots each of them able to hold something the size of an Infinity stone. "I used this to hold the Reality stone, Kronos forced me to hand it over to his forces, I used this to hold the stones but beware Percy the stones are not to be messed with I'd keep them separate if were you."

"I know they are better left alone, but the longer they are left alone the better chance Kronos has to find them and if he gets all six he'd be unstoppable." Daedalus looked at Nico.

"Will you help an old man pass on?"

"Yes." Nico said Daedalus turned towards me.

"One last favor, Percy Jackson. I cannot leave Mrs. O'Leary alone. And she has no desire to return to the Underworld. Will you care for her?" I looked at the massive black hound, who whimpered pitifully, still licking Daedalus's hair. I was thinking that my mom's apartment wouldn't allow dogs, especially dogs bigger than the apartment, but I said,

"Yeah. Of course I will."

"Then I am ready to see my son... And Perdix, " he said. "I must tell them how sorry I am." Annabeth had tears in her eyes. Daedalus turned toward Nico, who drew his sword. At first I was afraid Nico would kill the old inventor, but he simply said,

"Your time is long since come. Be released and rest." A smile of relief spread across Daedalus's face. He froze like a statue. His skin turned transparent, revealing the bronze gears and machinery whirring inside his body. Then the statue turned to gray ash and disintegrated. Mrs. O'Leary howled. I patted her head, trying to comfort her as best I could. The earth rumbled-an earthquake that could probably be felt in every major city across the country-as the ancient Labyrinth collapsed. Somewhere, I hoped, the remains of the Titan's strike force had been buried. I looked around at the carnage in the clearing, and the weary faces of my friends.

"Come on, " I told them. "We have work to do." There were too many goodbyes. That night was the first time I actually saw camp burial shrouds used on bodies, and it was not something I wanted to see again. Among the dead, Lee Fletcher from the Apollo cabin had been downed by a giant's club. He was wrapped in a golden shroud without any decoration. The son of Dionysus who'd gone down fighting an enemy half-blood was wrapped in a deep purple shroud embroidered with grapevines. His name was Castor. I was ashamed that I'd seen him around camp for three years and never even bothered to learn his name. He'd been seventeen years old. His twin brother, Pollux, tried to say a few words, but he choked up and just took the torch. He lit the funeral pyre in the middle of the amphitheater, and within seconds the row of shrouds was engulfed in fire, sending smoke and sparks up to the stars. We spent the next day treating the wounded, which was almost everybody. The satyrs and dryads worked to repair the damage to the woods, I help out using Mokuton and senjutsu chakra. At noon, the Council of Cloven Elders held an emergency meeting in their sacred grove. The three senior satyrs were there, along with Chiron, the grove was filled with satyrs and dryads and naiads up from the water-hundreds of them, anxious to hear what would happen. Juniper, Annabeth, Camilla and I stood by Grover's side. Silenus wanted to exile Grover immediately, but Chiron persuaded him to at least hear evidence first, so we told everyone what had happened in the crystal cavern, and what Pan had said.

"Preposterous!" Silenus bellowed. "Sacrilege!"

"He let his spirit pass into all of us." Grover said, "We must act. Each of us must work to renew the wild, to protect what's left of it. We must spread the word. Pan is dead. There is no one but us."

"After two thousand years of searching, this is what you would have us believe?" Silenus cried. "Never! We must continue the search! Exile the traitor!" Some of the older satyrs muttered assent. "A vote!" Silenus demanded. "Who would believe this ridiculous young satyr, anyway?"

"I would, " said a familiar voice. Everyone turned. Striding into the grove was Dionysus. He wore a formal black suit, so I almost didn't recognize him, a deep purple tie and violet dress shirt, his curly dark hair carefully combed. His eyes were bloodshot as usual, and his pudgy face was flushed, but he looked like he was suffering from grief more than wine-withdrawal. The satyrs all stood respectfully and bowed as he approached. Dionysus waved his hand, and a new chair grew out of the ground next to Silenus' a throne made of grapevines. Dionysus sat down and crossed his legs. He snapped his fingers and satyr hurried forward with a plate of cheese and crackers and a Diet Coke. The god of wine looked around at the assembled crowd. "Miss me?" The satyrs fell over themselves nodding and bowing.

"Oh, yes, very much, sire!"

"Well, I did not miss this place!" Dionysus snapped. "I bear bad news, my friends. Evil news. The minor gods are changing sides. Morpheus has gone over to the enemy. Hecate, Janus, and Nemesis, as well. Zeus knows how many more." Thunder rumbled in the distance. "Strike that," Dionysus said. "Even Zeus doesn't know. Now, I want to hear Grover's story. Again, from the top."

"But, my lord, " Silenus protested. "It's just nonsense!" Dionysus's eyes flared with purple fire.

"I have just learned that my son Castor is dead, Silenus. I am not in a good mood. You would do well to humor me." Silenus gulped, and waved at Grover to start again. When Grover was done, Mr. D nodded. "It sounds like just the sort of thing Pan would do. Grover is right. The search is tiresome. You must start thinking for yourselves." He turned to a satyr. "Bring me some peeled grapes, right away!"

"Yes, sire!" The satyr scampered off.

"We must exile the traitor!" Silenus insisted.

"I say no, " Dionysus countered. "That is my vote. "

"I vote no as well, " Chiron put in, Silenus set his jaw stubbornly. "All in favor of the exile?" He and the two other old satyrs raised their hands.

"Three to two, " Silenus said.

"Ah, yes, " Dionysus said. "But unfortunately for you, a god's vote counts twice. And as I voted against, we are tied." Silenus stood, indignant.

"This is an outrage! The council cannot stand at an impasse. "

"Then let it be dissolved!" Mr. D said. "I don't care." Silenus bowed stiffly, along with his two friends, and they left the grove. About twenty satyrs went with them. The rest stood around murmuring uncomfortably.

"Don't worry, " Grover told them. "We don't need the council to tell us what to do. We can figure it out ourselves." He told them again the words of Pan-how they must save the wild a little at a time. He started dividing the satyrs into groups-which ones would go to the national parks, which ones would search out the last wild places, which ones would defend the parks in the big cities.

"Well," Annabeth said to me, "Grover seems to be growing up." Later that night at dinner, Annabeth and Tyson sat with me at the Poseidon table. The sunset over Long Island Sound was beautiful. Chiron gave up trying to enforce the 'Sit with your siblings' rule when it came to me and Annabeth, things weren't back to normal by a long shot, but when I went up to the brazier and scraped part of my meal into the flames as an offering to Poseidon, I felt like I really did have a lot to be grateful for. My friends and I were alive. The camp was safe. Kronos had suffered a setback, at least for a while. The only thing that bothered me was Nico, hanging in the shadows at the edge of the pavilion. He'd been offered a place at the Hermes table, and even at the head table with Chiron, but he had refused. After dinner, the campers headed toward the amphitheater, where Apollo's cabin promised an awesome sing-along to pick up our spirits, but Nico turned and disappeared into the woods. I decided I'd better follow him. As I passed under the shadows of the trees, I realized how dark it was getting. I'd never been scared in the forest before, though I knew there were plenty of monsters. Still, I thought about yesterday's battle, and I wondered if I'd ever be able to walk in those woods again without remembering the horror of so much fighting. I eventually found Nico sitting in the forest on a rock formation toying with a bone.

"You gonna stay Nico?" I asked.

"No I can't, and won't, I need to find more information, and if I can, get the Power stone out of Kronos' hands."

"Nico, you're welcome here," I said, "Besides, as son of Hades you'll stick out."

"I know Percy, but my path is the loner."

"Then I wish you the best of Luck Nico Di Angelo." I held out my hand,

"We'll talk later when I find out more information." Nico shook my hand and then he walked off towards the darkness and faded into it.

"There goes a very troubled young man." a voice said behind me and I turned to Dionysus standing there, still in his black suit. "Walk with me."

"Where to?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just to the campfire," he said, "I was beginning to feel better, so I thought I would talk with you a bit, you always manage to annoy me."

"Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes We walked through the woods in silence. I noticed that Dionysus was treading on air, his polished black shoes hovering an inch off the ground. I guess he didn't want to get dirty.

"We have had many betrayals, " he said. "Things are not looking good for Olympus. Yet you and Annabeth saved this camp. I'm not sure I should thank you for that." I snorted a bit,

"Gods know you would do almost anything to get out of this job."

"Guilty as charged." he shrugged. "Regardless, I suppose it was mildly competent, what you two did. I thought you should know-it wasn't a total loss." We reached the amphitheater, and Dionysus pointed toward the campfire. Clarisse was sitting shoulder to shoulder with a big Hispanic kid who was telling her a joke. It was Chris Rodriguez, the half-blood who'd gone insane in the Labyrinth. I turned to Dionysus.

"You cured him?"

"Madness is my specialty. It was quite simple. "

"But... You did something nice. Why?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I am nice! I simply ooze niceness, Perry Johansson. Haven't you noticed?" I started laughing at that,

"And here I thought you didn't tell jokes."

"Perhaps I felt grieved by my son's death." He said ignoring my jab at him. "Perhaps I thought this Chris boy deserved a second chance. At any rate, it seems to have improved Clarisse's mood."

"Why are you telling me this?" The wine god sighed.

"Oh, Hades if I know. But remember, boy, that a kind act can sometimes be as powerful as a sword. As a mortal, I was never a great fighter or athlete or poet. I only made wine. The people in my village laughed at me. They said I would never amount to anything. Look at me now. Sometimes small things can become very large indeed. " He left me alone to think about that. And as I watched Clarisse and Chris singing a stupid campfire song together, holding hands in the darkness, where they thought nobody could see them, I had to smile.