CHAPTER SUMMARY

The questers reunite to save Camp Jupiter from Hecate's curse.

BEGINNING NOTES

Chapter Rating: General Audiences
Content Warning: Cursing, Violence (Mild)
Word Count: 3892

Notes and comments will be on the final chapter.

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

_NICO_

"Sit up slowly," Percy said.

"No shit," Nico croaked out. His friends laughed with relief at the trademarked Nico di Angelo sarcasm. After nearly fading forever and taking a dip in the Styx sans a mother's blessing, Nico guessed it was warranted. He'd come so close to death, closer than he ever had before.

"Will, can you do some sort of healing spell to help Nico get his strength back?" Blaise asked. "We need to warn the others about Percy's dream."

"What dream?" Nico asked.

"Shhh," Will said softly. He bent down to Nico's level and kissed him tenderly. "We'll tell you soon. You need to get your strength back."

"I can help with that."

No... it can't be.

But it was. Persephone was standing there, watching him. On instinct, Nico tried to scramble back, terrified she would curse him again, but he was too weak for that. If it wasn't for Will's steady arms, he would've either fainted or fallen back into the Styx.

"You don't get to do anything," Percy growled.

"My magic is far stronger than any demigod's," Persephone said. "The boy needs more than this son of Apollo can give him."

"Why do you want to help me?" Nico demanded. "You tried to kill me!"

"Capture you," Persephone corrected. "I always meant to get you out. And, if I had known the Lethe would claim you, I never would've trapped you in the Mnemosyne." Persephone huffed, but there was an amused sparkle in her eyes. "I meant what I said, Nico. You are a hero for the ages. I daresay I warmed up to you while you lived with Hades. I never meant to hurt you. I was merely trying to protect my husband from himself." She bent down to his level. Will tightened his arms around Nico. Persephone rolled her eyes. "Relax, son of Apollo. Let me make up for my mistake. Let me return a favor. Nico, I will never forget how you saved my life. Why do you think I brought you here? I'll face the wrath of Hades when I return to the palace, but I could not let you die. As you once reminded me, an exchange of favor is an established practice of my realm."

Nico swallowed hard.

I can't believe I'm doing this, but...

"You're right," Nico told her, much to the shock of his friends. "You didn't know. I- I believe you. And... I forgive you. Heal me and get us out of here. The trial is tonight, and I have to be there."

"There is one... complication."

"Of course there is," Nico muttered. "What is it?"

"There's only one way to prevent the Lethe from claiming your mind once again," Persephone informed him. "In order to save you, I must give you your demigod status back. I can transfer some of my golden ichor into your blood. Things will go back to the way they once were."

"Then do it," Nico told her.

"Nico..." Percy interrupted. He put his hand on his shoulder in a comforting sort of way. "You don't have to do that. I know how much you want a normal life."

"I'll never have a normal life," Nico said. "Percy, it's time to stop running from who I am. Look where it's gotten me. I'll still have you and our parents. There's no reason I can't have a mortal life... with a bit of demigod on the side. And I'm honestly okay with that. Persephone, do it."

Persephone put a hand to Nico's cheek. She sang an ancient tune, a sweet melody in a language older than even Ancient Greek. Nico felt warmth spread through his body. His vision got a little sharper. Slowly, his strength returned.

"Right," Nico said. "Now, what was Percy's dream?"

The more Percy recounted, the more terrified Nico got. And when he heard about Alabaster, he boiled with rage. "You have to save him!" Nico yelled at Persephone. Alabaster is a hero, and my best friend!"

"Hades is drowning in grief, that's why he acts with such cruelty," Persephone said bitterly. "Understand, if I could stop it, I would. The boy deserves to be punished, but not like this. The only way to save him now is to negotiate his release at the trial."

"I'm not leaving him! You have to convince him to let Al go!"

"He will not listen to me."

"But there has to be a way!"

"Let me help," Harry said. "Persephone can sneak me into the castle and give me the power to touch things. I'll find a way to get him out of the castle." Harry smiled. "I'm good at sneaking around. I won't get caught."

"Thank you, Harry," Nico said. "Huh. Never thought I'd say that."

"Ditto," Harry said with a chuckle. Then, he took the Robe off of himself and offered the Artifacts of Thanatos to Nico. "I think these are yours."

"Thanks," Nico said. He put the Cloak on and curled his fingers around the Staff. He knew now how dangerous it was to wield these items, but if anyone could resist their addictive powers, it was him. He had Hestia's blessing on his side.

"We have to warn the others about Hecate," Percy said. "It's time for all of us to unite. If Athena is on Hades' side, we'll need all the help we can get."

"Once we get to the surface, Blaise and I can apparate to the others," Hestia said. "We'll make sure they get to San Francisco."

"I'll help by shadow travel," Nico offered. "We'll meet at the Wolf House. Percy, Will, we'll go through the Doors of Orpheus. Get to camp and warn Chiron what's about to happen."

Hogwarts was beyond crowded. The anarchy in the Wizarding World must've escalated quite a bit, because thousands of refugees were pouring into the castle.

Where would Annabeth, Ron, Hermione, and Cho be?

Nico made his way around the crowd, looking for someone he recognized. He made his way to the front of a long line, where he found none other than Draco Malfoy with parchment and a quill, taking down names.

"Malfoy?"

Malfoy looked up. His eyes widened. "I thought you were... downstairs."

How does he know about the gods?

Nico shook the thought away. That wasn't important, not now. "I need to find my friends. Where are they?"

"They were here two days ago, but they left to find-" Malfoy glanced at the long line of wizards warily. "A special stone."

The Philosopher's Stone.

"Then who's here now?" Nico asked. "Where's Dumbledore?"

"The Ministry, I think, trying to restore order," Malfoy said. "But, some of the Order is here. I think, erm, Harry's godfather is in Dumbledore's office. Maybe he'll know where they are?"

"Thanks," Nico groaned.

It took time-time he didn't have-to shuffle past the crowd and get to Dumbledore's office. It took a few tries to guess the password, but, finally, he was making his way up the stairs. There were a few men and women at work, one of which was surely Harry's godfather.

"Who's Harry's godfather?" Nico called. A shaggy-looking man stepped forward.

"Yes?"

"I'm Nico di Angelo." The man's eyes widened slightly. "I take it Harry told you about me?"

"He has," the man said. He swallowed hard. "I know you killed him."

Nico's heart sank. "I saw his spirit in the Underworld. He told me to tell you that he's sorry."

The man clenched his jaw. "He's not the one who should be sorry. Dumbledore did this. He should've never been a hero."

"I'm going to make his sacrifice mean something," Nico insisted. "Can you tell me where my friends are?"

"Nico?" Annabeth hugged him hard, harder than she ever had before. It felt a little odd, but Nico hugged her back all the same. "Percy told me you were dying! I thought that-"

"I'm fine," Nico grunted. "Annabeth, we don't have time for this. We have to get to the Wolf House now. Where's the Philosopher's Stone?"

"We don't have it," Hermione said bitterly. "Slytherin wouldn't give it to us."

Cho Chang stepped forward, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips. "Actually, I have it."

Annabeth, Ron, and Hermione gasped. "How?!" Hermione cried.

Cho lowered her eyes. "I- you'll- you'll know soon enough."

Hermione glared at her suspiciously, but said nothing. But something clicked in Nico's mind. "Cho," he asked quietly, "are you the flower?"

"Uhh..." Cho glanced at him curiously. "Slytherin called me that. He said that 'Cho' means flower, but I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"There's a line in the prophecy," Nico explained. " 'The flower and angel reach out their changed hand / for the ghosts of millennia and the promised land.' My last name, di Angelo, means 'the angel' in Italian. And I guess you're the flower. You got the Stone, and I have the Artifacts. I think we're connected somehow. Stay close to me. I don't know what the ghosts of millennia are, but we'll have to face them together."

"I do," Cho said. Nico raised his eyebrows. "Hades and Hecate are fighting over thousands of years of grudges. Persephone's curse. Merlin's immortality. We have to find them. We have to remind them that there's a better way, just like Vesta taught me."

"Vesta?" Annabeth questioned. "Cho, what aren't you telling us? How do you know all this?"

"I was a prisoner of Hades. He told me this, and I chose to be his spy so I could be alive again. But Genevieve, Vesta, showed me another way. I'm going to be a Hunter of Artemis. I'll never betray anyone ever again."

Nico smiled and reached his hand out to Cho. "You and me are a lot alike, aren't we? I was trapped too, I also tried to run, and I finally found where I belong. We'll find Hades and Hecate together. We'll save the world, Cho, I know we will."

By the time they made it to the Wolf House, the sun was already beginning to set. "We have an hour, tops, before the trial," Thalia informed them.

"I'm glad to see you're all right, Thalia." Nico told her.

Thalia grinned. "Thanks to you. When you brought the hotel down, you killed the Lotus Eaters and sapped their power."

"You're Thalia?" Cho asked. She stepped forward. "I'm Cho Chang. And..." she pulled a silver card from her pocket. "Roszí, I've made my decision. I want us to be sisters."

Roszí grinned-it was the first time Nico had ever seen her look happy. She pulled Cho into a hug, then Ianthe joined, then Thalia said, "What the hell," and joined in too.

"You'll take the oath on Olympus," Thalia told her. "You have to say it in front of Lady Artemis. But, if Roszí likes you, I'm sure she'll accept you into the Hunt. She's never steered us wrong before."

Cho nodded happily. "What's the plan, Nico?"

"We have to march on Camp Jupiter," Nico said.

"We're about to commit treason," Percy remarked. "Great."

"But how do we stop the chaos?" Annabeth asked. "Killing Romans isn't going to do anything but give Hecate exactly what she wants."

"Cho and I are going to find her. We'll use the Stone and Artifacts to get her and Hades to stand down. They're both here... somewhere."

"No," Will protested. "You'll die if you go up against those gods. They hate you! I- I can't lose you again, Neeks. I just can't."

"I'll go with them," Thalia said. "I'll protect him, you have my word." She beamed at Cho again. "And I want to fight with my new sister."

"We'll come too," Ianthe said. "The Hunters stick together."

"We need to get to Hecate's temple," Nico said. "Ron, Hermione, you need to find Merlin, convince him to reverse the spell. The rest of you, try to protect the Romans from themselves. Do whatever you have to do, just limit the casualties."

"Everyone drink some elixir from the Stone," Cho said. "It'll protect us from the visions so we all don't go mad. It's only temporary, though-you have to keep drinking elixir to stay immortal."

"Good," Ron said. "I don't want to go to the Fields of Punishment for cheating death."

Nico looked around. Percy, Annabeth, Will, Blaise, Hestia, Ron, Hermione, Cho, Lou Ellen, Thalia, Roszí and Ianthe. It wasn't much to march into battle against multiple gods, but it would have to do.

"Let's go."

_RON_

Camp Jupiter was in chaos. Everything was bathed in red, sticky blood. The dead littered the ground. All around him, demigods fought demigods. Most of them shouted with manic rage, mumbled incoherently about ghosts and Furies and enemies. There were shouts of, "For Rome!" all around them. None of them knew they were killing their own.

Ron was exhausted after only a few minutes. He'd never casted this many spells nor stunned this many people in his life. It was like he was back at the Ministry or Diagon Alley, like his brother had just died or Hermione had just gone below the mob and he was fighting through the chaos.

"In here!" Hermione shouted. They took refuge in a marble building. Its white walls smeared with blood. A kid no older than ten charged at them with his bare hands, screaming about ghosts.

"Stupify!" Ron yelled. The boy fell to the ground. "What are we going to do, Hermione?"

"I don't know!" There were tears in her eyes. "Merlin, please!"

Ron wrapped her into a hug and held her as she sobbed. "We're going to get through this," he told her.

"How could this happen?" Hermione cried. "We were supposed to protect the Wizarding World, and it's in pieces! Merlin was supposed to be on our side, and he's doing this! I- I trusted him! I trusted him! You were right, Ron, he was using us after all."

"Will you allow me to refute that claim?" Ron turned and fell to his knees. He finally knew why Hermione was so sure this man was a god. He looked... so... so divine that Ron lost the ability to think.

"Merlin?" Hermione asked weakly.

"I shall always keep an ear out for my champions," Merlin smiled. "And I should like the chance to defend myself. Do not cry, Hermione Granger. You have done well. Even now, thousands of wizards flock to Hogwarts at Percy Weasley's brother's call. Albus Dumbledore has taken temporary control of the Ministry and is restoring order. It will take time to rebuild, but our world has held on long enough to survive the trial. Hecate never abandon you again."

"You abandoned us!" Hermione sounded so betrayed.

Merlin's green eyes flashed. "Who safeguards the refugees as they travel to Hogwarts? Who whispers thoughts of peace to the warring factions? Who sent warriors to recover the Stone and quell the mobs? I turned away to stand by my wife, but I always looked back. I guided your family to safety, Hermione, remember that. I guided you to the mob and the Ministry."

"You killed my brother!" Ron shouted.

"A terrible price for lasting peace in my realm."

Ron clenched his fists and grit his teeth. "Nico and Cho are distracting Hecate. Undo this spell, or you lose your warriors."

"Give me the Stone."

"Why should we?!" Hermione screamed. "You lied to me! If you really cared about us, you would've been like your son: neutral and with his people! The Wizarding World is in rubble, thanks to you!"

Merlin stepped forward. Ron, on instinct, pushed Hermione to take a step back. No vengeful god would hurt the woman he loved.

Then, Merlin closed his eyes. "I want peace," he said finally. "I was a king once. And a good king must be unselfish. You have reminded me of that, Hermione Granger. Hecate has gone too far. If she must lose, if I must go to the Fields of Punishment... so be it."

He started to chant in Latin. The air got hot and thick.

"I must cast powerful magic," Merlin said, taking a break from his spell. "Leave now, my champions, or you will burn."

Ron and Hermione ran out of the building. It was silent outside. Every Roman within eyesight was collapsed on the ground, fast asleep. The sky had turned blood red, the color of a sunset... or maybe it was a sunrise.

"We did it," Hermione whispered.

"Yeah," Ron said. He pulled her close and started to lean in, whispering, "and you were right about Merlin after all. I never should've doubted you."

_NICO_

It was slow work, moving through the camp. Fighting was everywhere. Every few minutes, someone would run at one of them, screaming incoherently, sword or spear or javelin raised to kill. There was one close call where a woman suddenly turned from her opponent and threw a spear at Nico's chest. If it weren't for Cho's quick expelliarmus, Nico would've been dead for the third time.

"Hecate?"

"Hecate."

"Definitely Hecate."

They ran towards the noise, and ended up in front of Pluto's temple. There Hades and Hecate stood. Hades had his staff in one hand and Helm of Darkness in the other. Hecate was in full greek fire mode with her dress, wrists, and hair enveloped in the flames.

"I have offered you peace, and instead you've turned to treachery!" Hecate snarled.

"How dare you!" Hades spat back. "You've framed me! You've stolen my son! You've taken everything I care about!"

"And you've tortured my son! You are vengeful, violent, unworthy of your position!"

"You will never have my realm, Titan. Stand down and I will not destroy you."

Hecate's greek fire doubled in side. "I will never surrender to the likes of you."

The dead rose from the ground. Magical creatures appeared out of thin air. Hades put his Helm on and disappeared into the night. Hecate, with a savage cry, twisted the Mist so no one could see her either. Nico knew they had to be fighting. Around them already the field began to smoke. He knew he had only seconds before the two gods became pure energy, and they would be dead.

Even worse, the Romans had finally noticed Nico and his friends, and turned on them.

There were too many enemies to fight. Demigods, monsters, and the dead lunged at Nico, so much so that he lost track of Cho and Thalia. All he could focus on was slashing and jabbing his sword as the two gods battled behind them.

Every time he got the chance, Nico would glance at the setting sun to see it lower and lower on the horizon. They had minutes until the trial would begin.

But, that was his big mistake.

He glanced at the sun at just the wrong time. He heard Thalia shout, "Nico!" and knock him out of the way. Nico hit his head on the stone road hard. A javelin whizzed over their heads. Thalia, now out of arrows, drew her knife and charged at the demigod. It took Nico a second to stand... a second too late.

Thalia was a genius with that knife, but she also wasn't used to Roman styles of fighting. In the second it took for Nico to stand, she took one wrong step, and the demigod knocked her to the ground. "No!" Nico shouted. He threw his Stygian Iron sword like a spear in a desperate attempt to forestall the inevitable, but it hit its target a second too late. The javelin hit Thalia square in the chest. She staggered back, coughed up blood, then fell to the ground.

"Thalia!" Nico and Cho screamed. A powerful shadow shield erupted from the Staff, vaporizing every enemy it passed through. Nico and Cho ran to Thalia's side.

"She can't die, she can't die, we were going to be sisters," Cho whispered again and again.

"That's right," Nico said. "And, Thalia, you aren't going to."

"It's Alastor's curse, Nico," Thalia said. Her voice was so weak. Blood lined her lips light bright red lipstick. "He cursed all three of us. Alabaster, you, and me. He died, you faded. Now it's my turn."

"No, no!" Nico shouted. "I can't lose you too! I can't lose everyone I love!"

Thalia reached two hands out, one for Nico, one for Cho. She turned to Cho first. "You'll make a great Hunter, Cho. It's been an honor to fight with you. Tell our Lady... tell her I'm sorry." Then, she turned to Nico. "And, Nico? I'm glad we made peace."

"I am too, Thalia."

Thalia grinned her final grin. "Now, you two, go kick some ass." She closed her eyes. Her chest fell, and didn't rise again.

Nico's grip tightened on the Staff. He boiled with rage. Now, two of his friends were dead, Alabaster and Thalia.

"This war ends now," Nico growled to Cho. She nodded.

"Protego!" she shouted. A force field burst from the Stone and encased the two of them in a bubble. He turned to the flaming mess before him and thrust the Staff forward. Hades and Hecate screamed. They reappeared and shrank to a normal size as their skin grew lined and hair turned grey.

"I am Nico di Angelo, son of Hades," Nico shouted. "I wield the Artifacts of Thanatos! You will stand down!"

Hades and Hecate were speechless. They stared down at him, the boy who was supposed to be dead, their son and former general, the one who'd put all this in motion. Nico knew right here, right now, he would become the hero that Nonno always said he would be.

"You will make peace, your allies will vote neutrally at the trial, and you will stand down," Nico commanded. "You and Hecate will make peace tonight! Thalia's death will mean something! It will save Western Civilization!"

Cho stepped forward too, tears in her eyes. "I am Cho Chang, follower of Hecate, soon to be Hunter of Artemis. You've killed my First Lieutenant! Nico and I stand together. Stand down, or we will destroy you."

Hecate's eyes widened. "What is Merlin doing? He- he's-" her eyes turned to the sky. It was turning darker and darker until it hit blood red.

"I think we should help him." Cho held out her hand. "For Percy Weasley, Yasmina, and Harry, and Cedric."

Nico took it. "For Thalia and Alabaster."

"And for our families."

"For our families."

Cho thrust the Stone into the air. Nico did the same with the Orb. The two of them began to glow the color of blood, as though their magic was fusing together. The sky turned the same blood red-at first just a dot in the sky, then it extended further and further out. All around them, the cursed fell to the ground. Weapons fell out of their hands.

Hecate and Hades collapsed, incapacitated from the powerful magic. Together, Nico and Cho banished them back to their realms. They wouldn't be causing any more trouble.

Camp Jupiter was saved.

"It's time for the trial," Cho whispered. "Thalia's silver shroud will burn on Olympus."

" 'Black and green destroy or make peace over white,' " Nico remembered. "The colors of Hades and Hecate. You're right. We can finish the quest and save the world."

Cho wrapped him into a hug. "Nico, we already have."

END NOTES

Credits:
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr bianca-the-huntress)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you in the next (and final) chapter!