Whoops I forgot to post before the New Year cuz life. But I swear I had it ready before then. I swear.

WE MADE IT!

HOLY HERA!

Gods I really am busy and I swear I want to start on Blood of Olympus when I can, but I'm dealing with so much right now that I don't know how soon I can get even to the first chapter. I've got a play I'm doing where the script is literally the size of a phonebook, my gods. Plus I've got college and Calculus and Literature stuff that really drains your mental constitution. But we're nearly done with this serious woo! You never know when stress will incite epiphanies.

So many plans, so little time and brain power.

:)

First Person: Ane

At sunset, Percy Jackson found Nico and I tying ropes around the pedestal of the Athena Parthenos.

Kaze had helped me get some new clothes that fit, which basically consisted of some small jeans, a white sleeveless blouse, a light jacket (with pockets big enough to hold things, he insisted, and he even hinted that the pockets were similar to his own infinite ones), and some durable shoes. He had used his magic coat pockets to get me everything that I needed, which I was thankful for. He seemed eager to be able to help the smaller version of his sister, and in naming me 'Ane,' I suppose that was his attempt to consider me his sister.

'Over, under, around-'

'No! You're doing it all wrong! Let me do it!'

'It looks fine.'

'It needs to be sturdy!'

'Tying knots should not be this difficult.'

'You don't need to tie them into bunny ears like shoelaces!'

'But bunny ears are cute…'

I had to deal with most of my sentient Remnants arguing away in my mind on how to do things, but that wasn't much of a bother, since I was already used to them. Controlling over a thousand Remnants was easy back in Tartarus, though I'm not sure about up here in the Overworld. All I could do was speculate, but the basic ground rules had to apply: I was the first, therefore if I died the rest would probably follow back to Tartarus; I could summon the power of my Remnants' deaths without having to actually summon the Remnants themselves; I could summon my Remnants (which I had confirmed) but I didn't know if I could resurrect them if they were killed - whether they had a revival waiting period or whether they were just gone. I hoped the latter wasn't the case, and since the Remnants were all connected to me, I assumed the odds were stacked in my favor that the worst thing we have to face is a wait period before they could regenerate. Even if they didn't regenerate fast enough for them to be useful during this quest, surely over a thousand Remnants would be enough for us to manage. I just had to be careful with who I chose and how I used them.

And hey, I still had my mother's power within me - if only I could learn how to use it. Maybe if my big sister kept dying she would still be adding to my ranks. I was certainly more resilient and stronger than a normal human, and I had some power over deathy stuff too. On top of that, I could connect to the Curses. It was confusing, having so much to keep track of in my head, but it was nothing I wasn't accustomed to. We'd have to see if my new quirks were useful in this world, but I assumed they would be.

"Thank you," I heard Percy said.

I was climbing up the Athena Parthenos in order to sling a rope over the big goddess lady's shoulder just so that we could secure it. I saw Percy down with Nico, who was at the base of the statue.

Nico frowned. "What for?"

"You promised to lead the others to the House of Hades," Percy reiterated. "You did it."

I tossed the rope down and then slid down it like a firepole, allowing Nico to tie the ends of the ropes together, to make a halter. "You got me out of that bronze jar in Rome. Saved my life yet again. It was the least I could do."

His voice was steely, guarded. I tried to busy myself with the ropes even though they were already pretty much done, making myself invisible as I walked around the statue just to check the knotting. Percy didn't seem able to figure out what made Nico tick. Nico was no longer the geeky kid from Westover Hall with the Mythomagic cards, nor was he the angry longer who'd followed the ghost of Minos through the Labyrinth. So who was he?

"Also," Percy added, "you visited Bob." He told Nico about the trip through Tartarus. He figured if anyone could understand, Nico could. "You convinced Bob that I could be trusted, even though I never visited him. I never gave him a second thought. You probably saved our lives by being nice to him.

"Yeah, well…" Nico muttered. "Not giving people a second thought…that can be dangerous."

"Dude, I'm trying to say thank you."

Nico laughed without humor. "I'm trying to say you don't need to. Now I need to finish this, if you could give me some space?"

"Yeah. Yeah, okay." Percy reluctantly stepped back while Nico took up the slack on his ropes. He slipped them over his shoulders as if the Athena Parthenos were a giant backpack.

Percy couldn't help feeling a little hurt, being told to take a hike. Then again, Nico had been through a lot. The guy had survived in Tartarus on his own. Percy understood firsthand just how much strength that must have taken. Annabeth walked up the hill to join them. She took Percy's hand, which seemed to make him feel better.

I tied a rope around my torso a few times and made sure it was secure before then moving to attach it thoroughly to the ropes around Nico. If we ended up shadow-traveling to an inconvenient place and Nico passed out (entirely a possibility) then I wanted to make sure I was connected to Nico just in case so that I could either wake him up and/or feed him the energy necessary for another jump to get us out of trouble.

"Good luck," Annabeth said.

"Yeah." He didn't meet her eyes. "You too."

I snuck over to Percy and Annabeth while Nico tried to avoid them. I snuck my hand into my pocket and pulled out little origami stars that my Papa had taught me to make long ago. Kaze was easy to persuade to give me anything I needed, and a piece of paper was hardly a challenge for him. I handed them the small, delicate paper stars. I doubted they would survive the whole dangerous trip, but I figured that the sentiment would be good for as long as it lasted.

"I know how hard it was," I said, not explaining what I mean. "I'll be telling them hello every day and every night. We'll find a way to get them back."

The two of them looked down at the stars in their hands as they realized what I was saying. Before they could respond, Rei and Veon came walking up with Kaze and Azrael behind them.

"Be careful, Ane," Kaze said, kneeling down to put something over my head. It appeared to be a small bolo tie with an opal gem carved with an 'A.' "A little good luck," He explained.

"You're going to spoil her," Rei commented. "She's probably going to stay that age forever, you know. She has been that age for a long time. She's not that young of a child."

"Let me have my moments, Onesan!" He protested indignantly, like a child far younger than he looked.

Rei held her hands up in surrender while Azrael tried to pull Kaze back. I knew that Kaze was being overdramatic in order to be humorous, so I giggled at the sight.

A minute later, Reyna and Coach Hedge arrived in full armor with packs over their shoulders. Reyna looked grim and ready for combat; Coach Hedge grinned like he was expecting a surprise party.

Reyna gave Annabeth a hug. "We will succeed," She promised.

"I know you will," Annabeth said.

Coach Hedge shouldered his baseball bat. "Yeah, don't worry. I'm going to get to camp and see my baby! Uh, I mean I'm going to get this baby to camp!" He patted the leg of the Athena Parthenos.

"Here, we brought some things for you just in case," Azrael said, handing a small cross-body bag to me. "And by 'we,' I mean mostly Kaze."

"You cannot be too safe," Kaze provided.

I smiled and slipped the bag over my shoulder, securing it into place over my rope harness. I'd have to redo the ropes later, but that was a problem for after we'd made our first jump and needed a break time.

"All right," Nico announced. "Grab the ropes, please. Here we go."

Reyna and Hedge took hold. The air darkened; the Athena Parthenos collapsed into its own shadow and disappeared, along with its four escorts.

First Person: Audrey

The Argo II sailed after nightfall.

We veered southwest until we reached the coast, then splashed down the Ionian Sea. I had never been so relieved to have the real waves of the ocean beneath me again. It would have been a shorter trip to Athens over land, but after the crew's experience with mountain spirits in Italy, we'd decided not to fly over Gaea's territory any more than we had to. We would sail around the Greek mainland, following the routes that Greek heroes had taken in the ancient times. I couldn't tell if I was honored or dismayed at following the path of Greek heroes who were often felled by their own hubris or unfairly rewarded for it.

Either way, I was fine with being in my father's element, the fresh sea air in my lungs and the salty spray on my arms. I could only imagine how Percy felt, having been in Tartarus so long. I hadn't been there near as long as he had, and yet I'd still become so afraid that I'd never see the sea again that I felt overwhelming relief at being here.

Our entire team was out on the starboard deck, along with Percy and Annabeth a little further down leaning on the starboard rail. Emily explained images of the River Phlegethon, the blistered ground where monsters regenerated, the dark forest where arai circled overhead in the blood-mist clouds - images that continued to haunt the pair. And the most devastating of them all: a hut in the swamp with a warm fire and racks of drying herbs and drakon jerky.

"I wonder if that hut is empty now," Emily said.

Rei and Veon were silent. If they knew the true fate of Bob and Damasen, they didn't say. You might be tempted to think that their new power would give them the power to save the giant and the Titan, but I also knew that Primordials worked in the same annoyingly vague way as the gods just exponentially worse. Complaining with them probably wouldn't get me anywhere.

"We have to make their sacrifice worth it. We're going to make Gaea pay," I declared.

"She has much to atone for," Rei agreed coldly.

I looked up at the stars, wondering where Nico, Reyna, Hedge, and Ane were now, and how long it would take them to make it back - assuming they survived. While Ane was indeed powerful and useful, she wasn't strong or fast or combat-equipped. She was a tactician, and while she had many ways to be of assistance, if she was caught off guard she could be in just as much danger as the others. Hopefully Kaze's gifts would help.

Fourteen days to reach Athens. Then one way or another, the war would be decided.

Over in the bow, Leo whistled happily as he tinkered with Festus's mechanical brain, muttering something about a crystal and an astrolabe. Amidships, Piper and Hazel practiced their swordplay, gold and bronze blades ringing in the night. Jason and Frank stood at the helm, talking in low tones - maybe telling stories of the legion, or sharing thoughts on being praetor. Kaze and Azrael were meditating together, trying to focus on each other's perspectives of time. In the end, Kaze's OCD started getting to him and he started constructing things in his hands while he listened to Azrael explain what he knew of his parents.

"We've got a good crew," Percy said. "If I have to sail to my death-"

"You're not dying on me, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth interrupted. "Remember? Never separated again. And after we get home…" She trailed off.

"What?" Percy asked.

She kissed him. "Ask me again, once we defeat Gaea."

He smiled, happy to have something to look forward to. "Whatever you say."

As we sailed farther from the coast, the sky darkened and more stars came out. I studied the constellations. Annabeth had tried to teach me and the others about constellations when we'd had free time. Rei and Kaze knew them well, and knew how to navigate with them.

"Bob says hello," Veon whispered to the stars.

The Argo II sailed into the night.

Third Person: Primordial

Half the crew had fallen asleep by the time Rei and Veon disappeared.

Rei tapped the gem at her chest, a few inches below her collarbone. Hers was a shimmering opal-like gem that slowly faded back and forth between black and white with every color of the spectrum. Veon's held the eerie reds and blacks of Tartarus swirling around within.

"Let us finish this now," Rei announced.

Her eyes faded so that she had her pure black left eye and her pure right white one. Veon let his brown eyes darken to black and his sclera bled to be bright red.

"Let's go," He announced.

The two of them simply concentrated and teleported back to the River Acheron above the collapsed House of Hades. They appeared in a small swirl of their respective colors, their auras growing in intensity once more to their Primordial status.

"Looks like Hecate just left her here."

Rei waved her hand and parted the Mist, forcing it to release a figure from its depths. Pasiphaë fell forth from the confines of the Mist, freed from her prison of an endless pit of darkness inflicted upon her by Hazel. Pasiphaë looked around in shock at her freedom, still shaken by her experience and cursing out Hazel before she looked up and saw who had freed her.

Pasiphaë did try.

She pulled the Mist around her and tried to flee, but black chains snapped free from Veon's back, shooting forward and cutting through the Mist with no resistance. Four chains that matched the ones that had once held the Doors of Death snapped cuffs around Pasiphaë's wrists and ankles, dispelling the Mist and restraining her magic. Veon stepped forward, hands in his pockets with his chains floating around him like vipers ready to strike.

"I would say I'm sorry, but unfortunately that would be a lie, so I won't."

"Something you should know about us true Primordials, is that we don't give a damn enough to lie and spare your feelings," Rei agreed. "Consider yourself honored, Pasiphaë. Out of all the chosen ones of Hecate who have fallen and are worthy of punishment, you bear witness to our rise. And therefore, you will be of some use to us. Zoraya Kanazoi requires more power, and who better to use than the bearer of the Labyrinth?"

Veon removed one of his Stygian iron rings and held it out towards Pasiphaë. "Shh, it won't be painful so long as you don't resist."

When Rei awoke, she sought out Veon's hand beside her. Waking up from the Primordial high was always difficult back before she was fully integrated into the Primordial's power. Now that the Primordials were stable within her, two of them at once, and only growing stronger, she started having trouble keeping her thoughts straight. It was only by being beside Veon that the Primordials within both of them calmed down.

She was pleased to find him waking at the same time that she had and his hand sought out hers.

"You okay?" She whispered.

He nodded lightly, though he looked exhausted. Rei admittedly didn't like how there were often times that she had memory loss from the Primordials messing with her mind. She didn't like the idea that they were doing things without her consent - or at the very least her knowledge. Then again, she did sign up for this knowing full well that she wasn't going to have much influence when it comes to their decisions. She was surprised that she was allowed her freedom at all. Deities got bored, she supposed. But if life had been taxing when she'd had one weakened Primordial, life was absolutely soul sucking with two. At the same time she felt so full of energy that it felt like she was going to explode. Being with Veon helped her relax yet made her nervous and anxious. But she wouldn't wish to go back in time and change her decision.

While Veon had mixed feelings about returning, she had no room for regrets. She couldn't have left him behind; that wasn't a possibility, she knew for sure.

What she really should be worried about was what her own Primordials were up to in their mysterious and dangerous ways. She couldn't make contact with them directly anymore; the only one she could telepathically communicate with was Veon – her lone partner in this confusing, amazing, terrifying existence. She'd wanted to keep him out of this life, but now she was glad she wasn't alone and that she could at least help him as he helped her.

"You remember Homecoming?" She asked out of the blue while they were keeping watch on deck for monsters.

"The one where you and I ended up covered in chemicals?"

"The one with the stupid guy that we had to ward off."

"Yeah, I remember."

"Do you ever wanna go back to those days?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes. But then again, I'm fine with where we are now. We've gone on so many adventures and though it's been hard, I wouldn't take back a second of it. No room for regret."

She smiled. "My thoughts exactly. But you can sense it in the air, can't you? Something terrible is stirring; I fear Gaea might be bringing an army even more formidable than we're prepared for."

"Worse than giants?"

"Giants all we need to do is heal the rift between the camps, get the gods on our side, and kick their asses. Gaea herself will be punished by the Primordials once they gain their strength. Even my father and Kaze's mum, Hannah and Ithuriel are on the hunt for them, and I think they're capable of holding their own. My Papa and Tsuchi ran from us when we first emerged - they know how much of a threat we pose to them. Monsters thrown at us I'm sure we can handle."

"Then what are you worried about? The camps?"

"I can't say for sure. It's like the answer is staring me in the face, but my eyes refuse to focus on it. There's also the concern that we haven't fully gotten a handle on the Primordials. We won their power, but we aren't one with them. Until we can finish the bond, it's going to be an on and off thing, and I can't say for sure they're going to act in our best interests."

"We'll figure things out," He promised. "The world seems so small now, doesn't it?"

"I wouldn't mind the chance to slow down and admire it once this battle is over. That's what Chaos and Order love to do, just take in the world peacefully. This thing with Gaea is a special case, but…I don't know, I feel like there's something just…disturbing coming for us."

"Disturbing like…those weird CGI creatures from that Netflix show? Or disturbing like a good horror story from that other Netflix show?"

"Disturbing like an existential crisis of morality kind of disturbing."

"Ah. Well that's not good."

"No kidding."

They watched as Kaze and Azrael played with a bunch of robotic animals that Kaze had created - Rei suspected they were built specifically to please Azrael. A bunch of little Neko bots crawled over them, one nested in Kaze's hair, another hanging from his arm with its two front paws, and another hanging like a bat with its two hind legs.

Staring at Azrael, suddenly it came to her.

The only place where demigods were unaffiliated with the gods, where Gaea could easily get them to work for her. The place where demigods were trained to be ruthless warriors with no emotion, no humanity, and where free will was a concept stripped from most at a very young age. The place where they'd had to rescue Azrael from, and where they had technology that could disable celestial powers to a certain extent.

"The wards," Rei whispered.