AN:

These chapters were hard to write. That's right. Chapters. This is a double upload. This is the last true chapter, followed by an epilogue. I didn't feel comfortable ending the story then making you wait for the epilogue, so you get both. Surprise. Before we begin, I just want to say right now that it's been a long ride, and I'm so thankful for everyone who came along on this journey with me. Your constant support motivated me to keep writing and has reignited my passion for literature that I had as a kid. I'm excited for my next story, one I really think you will all enjoy, but first, we need to get through this one. I'm sad to see this story end, but I am still ecstatic with how this all went, and how I finished it. I hope you all feel the same as I do. Without further ado, here's one last full chapter of "The Spartan"

Preserved Hill Top, North of Athens, July 2010 CE

The soil was soft underfoot. Each and every step sunk ever so slightly into the dirt as the grass tickled at his toes. The inclined ground before him reached high, masking the sight of what awaited him at the top. To be honest, he was grateful. He'd faced a lot of things in his life, but he wasn't sure if he was prepared for what was waiting for him next.

When he reached the top of the hill, he placed one hand on the lone tree that stood there. The bark was gnarled and rough beneath his hands. In a way, that comforted him. The tree had stood for millennia, preserved by the godly energy surrounding this place, and yet it hadn't adopted the same near artificial perfection that graced every tree on Olympus. The tree was rough and ugly, bearing the markings of its life. It reminded the man of himself in a way. Or at least of who he used to be.

Passing the tree by, he treaded slowly across the hilltop. In the distance, he could just make out the city of Athens on the horizon. He was needed there soon, but this was a matter of importance as well. He had to put to bed a ghost. One that had haunted him for hundreds of years. This visit was long overdue.

The man strolled closer to a mound of dirt, patted down evenly in a uniform rectangle. Thanks to the power of the gods, this place had stood untouched since the day it had been left, millennia ago. It was a peaceful and gorgeous, although morose little hill. Perhaps it was symbolic, a demonstration that nothing could be beautiful without being wrapped in tragedy.

"It's been a long time, old friend." The green-eyed visitor said to the mound of dirt.

Naturally, the mound of dirt didn't respond. The man sat down roughly, feeling the moistness in the earth from yesterday's rain seep into his clothes a bit. He couldn't bring himself to care about something so trivial at a time like this though. Instead he leaned forward, almost as if he was looking to embrace the ground. Ironic considering who he would probably be fighting in just a few hours.

"I stopped coming here pretty quickly, and for that I'm sorry my friend." The man said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "It's not that I didn't want to see you. More so, I didn't want you to see me. Does that make sense?"

The man laughed. He knew if someone were to see him now, they'd assume him crazy. Here he was, a grown man, a warrior, a fearsome spartan, and he was talking to a patch of ground like it was his best friend. To be completely truthful, for a long time, it was. But not anymore.

"No. I suppose it doesn't, does it? Allow me to explain. At first, I came to remember you. To feel like you were still with me. It was a selfish idea; to think that I could hold your memory hostage like that. Still, I couldn't find it within me to let go."

The black-haired visitor paused, seeming to be struggling to find the words. His hands appeared to be resting calmly in his lap, and his posture seemed relaxed, but a keen observer could see he was anything but. His fists were clenched with white knuckles, and his voice held a wiry edge. He was anything but cool and collected. If anything, he was filled with sorrow and regret for a mistake of the past.

"I… I never did let go. I think that's a part of me I'll never be able to fix completely. Even now, for all the ways I've changed for the better, that part of me still holds true. I could never forget you; or my people for that matter. Hestia thinks it's the loyalty in me, but I disagree. I think its something else. I think I've been holding on to the past all my life, hoping somehow some way, if I live enough for what was… If I live enough for what was, what was will be what is again."

He looked up, taking in the surroundings around him. The breeze gently blew the warm Greek air into his face, gently caressing his features. The clouds still lofted lazily overhead, and the sound of birds still rang through the air. It was comforting, that even when he was vulnerable as he was now, the world still moved on.

"I'm… I'm ready to let that go now. To let you go. I lived for the past for so long. When I look back on myself, day by day had passed, and I'd seldom realized those days were my life. I'd been too focused on what used to be, and not what was happening in my life. I'm ready to focus on what's important to me now."

The dirt didn't reply, but its presence was comforting. There was an ethereal feel to the place. Despite being the only living person within hundreds of feet, he felt like someone was listening. It was like the words were being taken from him to some far away place on the back of the wind.

"That's actually why I'm finally back, after all these years. I stopped coming, because I knew you would have been ashamed of the man I was. The shell of a man that I had become. You'd have been ashamed of how I slaved away, and for all I did, all I had to show for it was a few pieces of armor, and some thanks from the gods."

He licked his lips, wetting them as he continued to talk. His throat had gone dry and raspy, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He'd been absent so long, he had too much to say. Especially now.

"But now, I finally had a reason to come back. You'd finally be proud of where I'm at. I have a life. An actual life just like I promised you. I have friends, students, even my old teacher Chiron, the centaur I told you about, is here. I have a sweet girl that's like a sister to me, and a woman I love with everything in my soul. The only thing missing is you. Gods, I'd love for you to meet all of them, but I know it's not meant to be. You're not here. You're gone. I guess what I'm trying to say is; for the first time… For the first time that's okay."

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, idling in the grass, it could've been hours, it could've been seconds. Either way, it felt like an eternity as he sat, soaking in the atmosphere of the sacred hilltop. He was making up for lost time, using whatever he had left.

Behind him, he heard grass ruffling beneath someone's heavy footfalls. They were deliberately announcing their presence as they trounced through the grass, though it was unnecessary. He would've heard them anyways. Rising to greet them, he turned just in time to meet a pair of solemn black eyes.

"Percy." The owner of the inky eyes murmured.

"Zoë." He muttered back.

"Did you get what you wanted?" she asked.

He looked down from her, eyeing the lone patch of dirt once again. His eyes flicked between her and the unmarked grave a few times before his gaze finally settled on hers. A small smile graced his features.

"Yes. I got what I came here for."

"I'm glad but… It's time." Zoë said regretfully.

"I figured as much. Start heading back. I'll be right with you." Zoë nodded, turning to begin her descent back towards the Argo II.

He turned back to the unmarked grave. A small smile still clung to his face. He thought one last time about all he'd said. He was satisfied. He'd told Zoë the truth. He'd done what he came here to do. He'd finally gotten closure.

"Rest easy Cyrus," he whispered. "Gods know you've earned it."

The Parthenon, July 2010 CE

It's not that Percy was complaining, but he'd expected getting to the Parthenon to be just a smidge harder. In fact, getting in wasn't difficult in the slightest. There were exactly zero defenses around Athens. Sure, he knew the giants wanted them there so they could spill demigod blood on the ancient lands and all that fun stuff, but honestly, what kind of self-respecting group of evil beings didn't make the good guys work to get into their evil lair?

"Is it supposed to be this easy?" Alex asked from his side. It seemed the demigod shared his initial train of thought.

"It seems so. I don't think they want to risk us not making it to the Parthenon. Gaea needs our blood to awaken." Annabeth explained, echoing Percy's thoughts.

"That's all fine and dandy, but couldn't they post a few earthborn guards or something? Even demigods need a warm-up." Jason muttered.

They strode up the stairs, drawing closer and closer to the ruins of the Parthenon. With each step, the air grew thicker with tension. You could almost slice through the nerves in the air. Alex and Jason's adrenaline was affecting their powers, causing them to draw moisture and static electricity around the group subconsciously, only adding to the affect.

"Sorry Jason, but the time for stretching was back on the ship." Percy joked.

"Besides," Hazel said from beside them. "We're here."

They could see the girl was right. Up ahead were the ruins of the Parthenon. Percy remembered how it had been in its heyday, and it made him sad to see it so decrepit. Sourly, he was reminded that it was going to be even more destroyed after this fight was through. He could almost feel Annabeth's disappointment at the prospect even now.

Walking into the ruins, they were met with a semi-circle of giants, facing them with sinister looks in their eyes. They were all fully armored, standing with their weapons drawn. They smiled down at the small group, mouths almost dripping with bloodlust. It was an intimidating sight, even for Percy. Every giant, barring the recently slain Polybotes and Clytius, had been returned to life. This was the might of the earth goddess. This was Gaea's final stand. Her favored children against a few mortal warriors, fighting without the help of their own gods.

"Demigods!" Porphyrion bellowed, his disgusting face breaking out into a greasy grin. "We've been waiting for you!"

Percy stepped forward, isolating himself from the others. It was a mutually decided, and completely undiscussed plan that he'd be the one to take the lead. Although the others had been involved in their fair share of fights, Percy was their strongest warrior. Plus, the whole good guy against bad guy trash talk before a fight was kind of his thing.

He strode forward, placing himself directly centered, surrounded by all the giants. His mask was down now, his armored figure cutting an imposing sight even to the group of massed giants. He was sure at least one of them shuddered at the sight.

"You've been waiting for us? Are you all that eager to die?" Percy shouted, his voice metallic and angry.

The giants laughed at his words, though the laughs varied from boisterous chortles to nervous chuckles. Even a few of the arrogant giants knew he wasn't a man to be taken lightly. He let his gaze carry across each of them, glaring their laughs into submission just before Porphyrion spoke again.

"You think you can defeat us, fool? I see none of your gods. They've abandoned you. You're all alone, and that makes us undefeatable." The king of the giants boasted.

Percy knew what he was about to do was risky, it could incapacitate him for the fight, but it could also turn the tide of the battle. He needed to buy time and taking out Porphyrion would do just that. Reyna and Nico had IM'd them earlier, promising they were almost to Camp Half-Blood. All they had to do was hold off the giants until the god's personalities were restored. Then the Olympians would come to their aid, and the giants, especially without their king, would all die in minutes.

"Porphyrion, if you think some ancient rule like that can protect you from me, you're sorely mistaken." Percy said.

He started lumbering slowly to the giant, like he was walking to meet up with a friend. The other giants brandished their weapons, but their king raised a hand to stop them. He wanted to see where this was going. He thoroughly enjoyed hearing his enemy's boast, it made killing them that much sweeter.

"What are you going to do, little spartan? Splash me?" the giant teased.

"Something like that." Percy said, his voice like a whip through his screaming armor.

Suddenly, the giants body went rigid. All the giants raised their weapons again, looking around for some unseen enemy. Percy stood rooted in place; his head tilted ever so slightly to the side. Back with the demigods, Zoë and Hazel were the only ones to realize exactly what was happening.

"What the hell is he doing?" Jason asked, mouth agape in wonder.

"Something I've never seen him do. He's told me about it, but I've never seen it…" Hazel muttered, her voice as shocked as they all looked.

"What is it?" Alex mumbled.

"He's…" Annabeth had obviously figured it out, but she could barely believe it.

"He's controlling his ichor. You're witnessing the true extent of Percy's power now. This is why the gods keep him around. Why they allow him to do as he pleases. Why they let a mortal have a say in the politics of the gods." Zoë explained, her voice hollow. "Sure, they like him, and they need him, but a small part of them all fears what he's truly capable of."

The demigod's eyes widened. They'd seen many terrifying things in their lives, it came with the territory of being a demigod, but this took the cake. Over every giant, every titan, even all other Percy's displays of power. This was the first time they'd ever been completely in horrified awe of anyone, friend or foe.

"What is this? Release me!" Porphyrion cried in pain, struggling against his invisible bonds.

Around them, the other giants all seemed to realize there was no invisible attacker. Somehow, the mortal in front of them was binding their king. They all raised their weapons, all targeting the lone spartan. Without any hesitation, they charged, cheering battles cries for the earth mother as they went.

"Stop them! Protect Percy!" Zoë called out, raising her bow and unleashing a volley of arrows faster than anyone else could react.

At her call, the seven sprang into action, weapons raised. They charged into the fray, slicing and dicing their way through the children of Gaea as they formed a protective circle around their friend. Percy was still locked in his heated battle with the ichor of Porphyrion, and until he was finished, he was an open target.

"I'll kill you for this, you puny mortal!" Porphyrion groaned out, eyes burning holes in Percy's mask.

"Don't you see, Porphyrion?" Percy spat out. "I am no puny mortal. I am Perseus, the Ghost of Sparta. Blessed of Poseidon and Ares, Champion of Olympus… And your fucking judgement day."

Percy finally exerted his full will on the giant's ichor, willing it to heat. His stomach groaned and twisted in pain as he exerted his power, but still he pushed on. He felt the giant king's ichor start to boil, but he pressed onwards. Porphyrion began to scream, but his screaming quickly devolved into incoherent babbling as he melted from the inside out.

As the giant slowly disintegrated, melting in a pool of his own molten ichor, Percy finally released his hold on the liquid. It would take Porphyrion too long to reform now. Either the gods would arrive and finish the puddle of giant king off, or it wouldn't matter that he'd reformed, because they'd all be dead anyways.

When Percy released his hold on the ichor, he stumbled. It had taken a lot out of him, but he still had plenty of fight left. Looking around, he realized there was no need. The demigods were pushing the giants back, and handily at that. The giants were discouraged by the thrashing he'd just given their king, and the demigods were fighting like demons, inspired by their desire to not be crushed into tiny pieces.

Frank was in elephant form, constantly ramming giants to the ground. Zoë was delivering precise bowshots to their joints, dealing maximum damage with minimal shots. Alex and Jason were two storms of destruction, wreaking havoc on the children of Gaea. Leo was delivering debilitating fire blasts to any that crossed his path. Hazel was weaving through the giants on the back of Arion, slicing faster than the eye could follow. Annabeth was invisible somewhere, her hat's power finally restored. Piper was putting her sword training to good use, slashing giant legs as she charm spoke the giant's into giving up and lowering their weapons.

Suddenly, things took a turn for the worse. The sound of a girl crying out in pain drew his attention. Whirling around, he saw Annabeth on the ground, her Yankees cap thrown from her head. She'd been caught by a stray sword strike, purely by luck, and it had cost them all dearly. Blood trickled down her wounded arm, sinking to the earth. The crimson liquid turned to gold, sizzling as the earth mother drank the sweet nectar.

He realized what he had to do now. The giants were too distracted to fight him, but they could still make the demigods bleed. Gaea only needed a male demigod's blood now. He had to stop it.

Expanding his senses, he felt all the liquid on the battlefield. Every ounce of blood in each and every demigod. He stood stock still, concentrating with all his might. As the battle wore on, the demigods began to take cuts, leaking their life blood into the open air. Using his abilities, he caught each drop of blood that threatened to trickle into the earth, holding the liquid, beads of crimson hovering above the ground precariously.

Above him, thunder crackled, louder than he'd ever heard. He couldn't move to look, but he knew what it meant. The gods were here. All they had to do was survive this fight. All he had to do was keep the demigod blood from reaching the earth. All around him, he heard massive crashes and booms, sure signs the Olympians were there. Only they could bring so much firepower so quickly.

Even with the Olympians, the fight wore on for a good deal longer. More and more giants fell, and things started to slow down. His eyes were clenched shut in effort. He just had to hold on. Sweat started to bead on his forehead. He just had to hold on. The giants were almost completely wiped out. He just had to hold on. Everything was going great, the day was almost done, until…

BOOM!

A massive shockwave struck him from behind. He was sent flying, losing his concentration from the force of the concussive blast. He was soaring away, flying towards the far end of the Parthenon. As he tumbled through the air, everything seemed to move in slow motion, as if his life was some cheesy action movie.

He saw his friends, along with the Olympians, spread all throughout the Parthenon. There were no giants left. Between Zeus and where he had stood, there was a massive charred spot on the earth, with two massive footprints in the middle. Zeus was standing away from the black spot, mouth agape in horror. His arm was still raised, the master bolt sizzling in his hands. Percy realized what had happened. Zeus hadn't seen Percy behind the giant. He'd taken out the last of the giants, but at what cost?

As Percy hit the ground, things finally went completely south. He had lost all focus. All around the Parthenon, the demigod blood that he had been suspending in the air dropped to the ground. The sheet of crimson was soaked hungrily into the earth. The ground sizzled as Gaea guzzled the life-giving liquid. The blood of Olympus was giving her the strength she needed. She was going to wake.

"Oh fuck." Percy muttered to himself, rising slowly to his feet.

Across the Parthenon from him, the rest of the crowd had matching looks of disbelief. They'd come all this way, conquered so much, and now Gaea was going to wake anyways, all because Zeus had missed the small figure behind the huge giant. No one dared to move. All of them were too filled with fear. Then the rumbling started, and things got worse.

It started slow, like a dull grumble. It gained strength rapidly, until it was like the earth was crying out in agony. The ground seemed almost like liquid, it was rolling, chopping, and warping like the surface of the ocean. Then, as quickly as it started, it simply stopped, fading back to the same solid dirt it had always been.

"False alarm?" Leo said hopefully, though his hopes were quickly dashed.

"NOT EVEN CLOSE." A womanly voice boomed. Her voice was like a landslide full of boulders tumbling and crashing down a mountain.

In the center of the Parthenon, the earth rose up like a geyser, reaching for the sky. It warped and changed, adapting the rocky form of a woman, over a hundred feet tall. Power oozed off of her in a way that Percy had only felt once before. Across the way, he could see Zoë felt the same thing.

"It was a valiant effort, but now that I am waking, you are all simply bugs I will crush underfoot." Gaea taunted. Her voice seemed to be coming from the earth rather than her giant physical form. It was a rather trippy experience.

As one, the gods raised their weapons, aiming to deliver a conjoined energy blast. The giant rock goddess waved her hand dismissively, as if the might of Olympus was child's play to her. Honestly, it probably was. Bursting from the earth, tendrils of rock exploded forth, wrapping around everyone in the Parthenon. The coiled rocky limbs pulled everyone down to their knee, forcing them to kneel before the primordial goddess of the earth.

Percy forced his eyes up to look at the goddess. He was closest to her. He was the closest to the affect she was already having on the world. He could see the reality tearing around her, even worse than it had when he'd met Tartarus. He could see the time and space shifting at the mere touch of her power. He had to act, and fast, before Chaos itself came to fix things.

"I much prefer it this way." Gaea jeered, flexing her physical form. "It is good to see you weaklings kneel before I kill you."

"Yea, kneeling isn't really my thing, you dirt faced bitch." Percy said angrily behind her.

The goddess form whirled around, drawing nearer to him. She stood over him, her massive form towering over his as she looked down at him. Standing this close to her, Percy felt the full affect of her existence in the physical plane. He could feel the holes in reality tugging at his essence now. It was a violent pull, as is if the warping air was starving to wipe him from existence.

"You DARE speak to the earth mother that way?" the goddess cried incredulously.

"Yea." He spat. "And I dare to kill her too."

He did what Tartarus told him he would have to. He didn't hesitate. He latched onto the goddess' ichor, and he clung for dear life. It was even more difficult and painful than when he'd done it in Tartarus' dreamscape. He felt like a professional bull rider who'd lost both his arms and legs. That's how difficult it was to wrangle control of her.

The goddess screeched in pain as he manipulated her ichor. The earth shook underneath him as the earth itself felt her suffering. Her rocky form reached up to grab her skull in excruciating pain. He was in a similar state, the effort hurting him as much as it hurt her. He felt her ichor, forcing it to heat and expand. He was trying to superheat it and turn it to a gas before forcing it away, hopefully to spread her immortal essence so thin she would never recover.

The good part, his plan was working. He was succeeding. He could feel the immortal life force leaving Gaea as he continued to dismantle her ichor drop by drop. The bad part, he was pretty sure it was killing him too. He could feel his efforts draining him. His power supply had long run out, but he was still pushing. He was offering everything he had. He was using his own life force to fuel his power.

He felt his very essence begin to flake away. His body felt frail and weak. His blood felt slow in his veins. Screams tore from his throat, but he couldn't really hear. Everything was muffled and blurry. He could barely feel anything anymore.

He thought about why he was doing this. He thought about his Spartan people, who he'd served for millennia. He thought about the thousands of jobs he'd completed, of all his memories, good and bad, with each of the gods. He thought of the campers, and of the seven, and how he'd never been prouder of a group of demigods before. He wasn't sure, but he thought he was smiling.

Gaea was still screaming. At least he thought so. He couldn't really tell. All he could feel was the ichor still bending to his will. He was almost there. He'd almost done it. Still, he knew he was close to killing himself too. He didn't have much more life to give. He thought about whether the sacrifice was worth it.

He thought about who would suffer if he didn't end this here and now. He thought about his old friend Cyrus, and what he would say about making the ultimate sacrifice. He thought about Hazel, the sister he'd always wanted. How he'd be robbing her of the second chance at life she had been given if he chose to selfishly preserve his own life here and now. He pushed on.

In his next moments, his mind drifted to Zoë. He thought about everything he loved about her. About how she'd changed his life. Changed him. Love wasn't something he'd ever seen in the cards for himself; but now, it was all that he felt. As he forced the last bit of life from Gaea's ichor, and the goddess faded away with a loud explosion, never to return, all he felt was that love for his friends, his family, and most of all, for Zoë. All of that feeling washed through him. And then nothing. He felt nothing at all. Bliss.

Olympus, July 2010 CE

They seven, plus Zoë, had gotten their rewards about a week ago, but personally, Hazel hadn't wanted any piece of hers. Leo had chosen immortality, which she could understand, he had a forever long life with Calypso to look forward to after all. Alex and Annabeth had opted for immortality as well, wanting to be together forever. She could understand that. They'd earned it.

The rest of the seven, had declined the offer from the gods. Jason had instead asked to be appointed pontifex maximus. He wanted to make sure demigods properly honored every god. To finish what Alex and Percy had started at the end of the titan war. Frank had wished for the link between him and his firewood to be removed, taking away the biggest threat to his life. Piper had no idea what she wanted, but she knew she wanted to be mortal with Jason, so the gods had offered to save her wish for later. She'd gladly accepted that deal. Hazel, for her wish, had asked for the simplest thing of all of them. She wished for the gods to promise that one day, she'd get to see her brother again.

It was Zoë's wish that brought her here though. It's what brought everyone there. And by that, she meant everyone. It was undoubtedly the largest and longest funeral the world had ever seen. Every demigod, nymph, god minor or major, and even some peaceful titans were in attendance. The entire Greek pantheon was there to see the sending off of the eternal hero. A funeral befitting the man it was for, just as Zoë had asked for.

Speech after speech had been given, and Hazel had honestly wanted to puke the whole time. She'd been crying non-stop for weeks, and this wasn't helping. She'd been offered the chance to speak, and she had wanted to. She yearned to go up to the podium and preach to the world how much she had loved him, but her emotions betrayed her. At the mere thought of him, she devolved into sobs. Giving a heartfelt speech about him? That was impossible.

How the last speaker was going to hold it together, she wasn't sure. Sitting front row, Hazel had a clear view of one Zoë Nightshade as the tall woman approached the podium, a few papers in her hands. She looked terrible. Like she'd never slept a day in her life, and like she'd been born with tears in her eyes. Despite that, her face was stoic, and her walk was confident. Hazel supposed that was the strength Percy had always loved in her.

"I… I've been thinking a lot about what I want to say." Zoë's voice was raspy and weak, no doubt the result of crying as violently as Hazel had been over the past week. "I've been thinking about what he'd want me to say. I've been crying a lot too, and that's actually what led me to this." She held up the papers in her hands. Hazel felt her heart creep up in her throat. She recognized those papers.

"I was looking for tissues, in our room on the Argo II, and I found this. It's a letter of sorts. From… him. Addressed to a lot of different people. I guess it's not too surprising that he was prepared for something like this. I figured, I shouldn't spend my time figuring out what I wanted to say, when I have everything, he wanted to say right here." She cleared her throat and started to read. The crowd listened in a solemn silence.

"If you're reading this," Zoë shuffled the papers nervously. "Then my plan worked in a bad way. Ever since Tartarus, I've known this was a possibility. I felt just how much it took to wound a primordial. I knew killing one might… Might kill me." She choked the words out.

"I pray to chaos that it won't. I'm writing this to put myself at ease. Just in case I don't make it. Truthfully, I'm scared of what's to come. They say that bravery cannot exist without fear, so I suppose I won't be without bravery then. I truly think that I can defeat Gaea and live to tell the tale, but I need this letter, so that I can face whatever is a head of me with courage. I need to know that my message will get to the people who need to hear it the most."

"To everyone assembled, as I'm sure that for whatever reason, you decided to throw a huge funeral for just one man, know this. Do not let my death or my life teach the wrong lesson. As much as I always fancied it was, my life was not about servitude. It wasn't about my abilities as a warrior, or about me even. My life should serve as a lesson to you all. My life was only as good as the people in it. My final years were my best, and it's thanks to the people I'll be addressing in this letter. You should learn from my life that the whole reason for life is to be the best you can be for the people around you, because they'll do the same for you, and there will be nothing you cannot overcome together. Now, first and foremost, to the gods…"

Hazel let out a cry. She knew she'd recognized the papers. She'd walked in on him writing them. If she had known what they held, maybe she could've changed his mind. Convinced him there was another way. Maybe he'd still be here now. She felt tears slide down her cheeks, but her sobs did nothing to stop the proceedings.

"To the gods, major and minor, thank you. A million times thank you. Thank you for granting me the chance to serve you all those years ago. For giving me the chance to serve my people. For giving me the chance to live long enough to write this letter about the people I love the most. You're all far from perfect, but that's what I like best about you. You're all unashamedly flawed, but through all your mistakes, you do try to be the best rulers you can be, and I respect that immensely."

"To my Patrons, Poseidon and Ares, and the goddess who led them to me, Hestia, I thank you more than all the other gods, though I love and admire many of them too. Without you, I would have never become the man I am. You all took a chance on a young spartan who was lost in the world, and I'm truly grateful. You were some of the greatest friends I've ever had."

"To the demigods of today. You are all modern-day heroes. I know how difficult it can be to live up to the heroes of the past. Although I hate to admit it, I know I am someone many of you idolize. I want you to know, that I revered you all in the same way. I was a warrior with several millennia of training, and you were all just children, yet you rose to the occasion in not one but two wars, the same as I did. As far as I'm concerned, that is far more admirable than anything I've ever accomplished. You should all be proud. This generation will go down in history as the golden age of heroes. Now, I have several special demigods I'd like to address."

The crowd was quiet. The only sounds permeating the air as Zoë spoke were the faint sobs of the attendees everywhere who had known Percy. Zoë's voice was getting wet as she spoke now, and tears streamed unhindered down her cheeks, but she pressed on anyways.

"To Frank, you big loveable oaf. You've come a long way from when I met you on that glacier. You're a great guy, and a better friend. Coincidentally, you're probably the only demigod I've ever met who had a power I was jealous of," the crowd laughed at that. "I mean come on, who wouldn't want to be able to turn into guinea pig or something?" Alex shuddered at those words. "But in all seriousness, I'm glad to have met you and… Take care of Hazel, will you?"

"To Leo. I hope you've been thinking about what I've told you. I'll spare everyone else the details, but you should know that every word I spoke was the truth... To Piper. Take care of Zoë for me please. She'll claim she's fine, she's tough like that, but she won't be. She'll need someone, and you're exactly the kind heart she'll need to lean on."

"To Alex and Jason. That's right, I lumped you two together. If I didn't, you'd already be fighting about who I liked more based on what order I put you in. The truth is, I love you both equally. You're like sons to me. I've trained my fair share of demigods, but I've never been prouder of any two pupils than I am of you two. I hope that one day you both will be able to pass on the knowledge I gave you to the next generation of heroes, so that you may finally see what nurturing you meant to me."

By this point, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Hazel knew well enough who was coming next, and she was grateful for Frank's comforting arm around her. Without it, she might've fallen apart entirely.

"To Hazel," And there it was, the sobs were back stronger than ever. "I never had any true family. My parents were dead before I could crawl, and I had no siblings; but they say blood makes you related, and love makes you family. Well, I love you more than I can describe. You're the family I never had. You're the little sister I didn't know I wanted, but I most certainly needed. Even writing this, I'm filled with gratitude that I got to meet you. That I got to go on the journey of a lifetime with you. I'm immeasurably proud of who you are now. Perhaps my biggest regret in my passing is that I'll never get to see the woman you become. I know that one day, we will reunite in Elysium, and you'll tell me all about your life, and about all the good you did with your kind heart and your will to do good. I hope that day is a long time coming though, because you deserve a long and happy life. I'm patient enough. I'll wait for you. Until then… I love you, sister.

She was weeping. Her head in her hands as she ugly cried in front of all of Olympus. She wasn't ashamed. She felt miserable, distraught, terrible, and hopeless all rolled into one hideous emotion. Despite that, she felt loved. Even from the grave, Percy had a way of making her feel like she mattered. Like there was always someone who cared.

"And finally, to Zoë Nightshade." Zoë was speaking through sobs now. Her words were garbled and wobbly, but she soldiered on. "I'm not sure what I could say here to ease your pain, or to lift the heavy weight from my heart as I write these words. I don't think there's really any words to describe what I want to convey to you. I don't think love has a language. What I feel for you, it's more than any form of communication can convey, but I'll try. Every waking moment spent with you is the best moment of my life, and everyone moment without you is null and void, because without you by my side, I feel like I'm not living. When I look back on my life as I wait for you in Elysium, I'll smile, because I'll know that I lived the best life I possibly could have. You were the best thing that could've ever happened to me, and when I meet you again, it'll be the best thing that has ever happened to me all over again. Only then will I feel at home in the paradise that is Elysium, because home is wherever you are. I will love you eternally, Zoë Nightshade, and something as frivolous as life or death can't change that, because you're my person. You always have been. Until we meet again, yours, Percy."

AN:

Yeah, uhm. Sorry about that. Don't unfollow, unfavorite, or leave a flame just yet. Get your tears, anger, or whatever you need to out, and keep reading. This show isn't over yet. Regards,

The asshole that wrote this depressing ass chapter.