In which they bind the shadow, and then get a great surprise. Yay! And another hint that may help you figure out how a certain meeting will happen. Sally already has a decent sized base of readers so it doesn't take long for her books to take off. And uh, what happens with really good books? I'll give you a clue, Percy Jackson's getting a chance in another format because the originals were horrendous.
Replies:
Rage2091: Well it would have killed her if it wasn't for the whole Apophis thing before that.
Ryan Fowler: Of course she does.
Thickneck: I wouldn't say that lol.
Drizzle: I love how close people think I'll be sticking to what happens in canon. I think you're all in for a surprise. Heheheh. But honestly, Annabeth's reaction to Percy is gonna be amazing. Also, Annabeth won't be the first Camper Percy meets.
Guest: Yeah, they've had a lot of bad moments I'm not gonna lie lol, and yeah it was Nephthys.
Guest: But like, I imagine that Annabeth and Silena were good friends, so like, them both being obsessed with the books and Annabeth getting to go to Silena like "I AM LIVING MY DREAM! FUCK EVERYONE ELSE I AM LIVING THE DREAM SHE'S REAL! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"
Undeath9087: You shall have to wait and see, though I don't think they're exactly the same- the are probably connected though I think. And you shall see why Percy survived. And if Alabaster somehow was like he is in the other fic- which I don't think would work, they would not let him so much as look at Percy. Sadie would Ha'di him and Carter would beat him to a bloody pulp and then kill him.
Jubby1905: AHHHHHH
Guest: Okay, so in the books Sally's written obviously she'll have sort of left out some small details, she's sort of hinted obliquely at Percy's character being something more but never outright stated it in the books.
Widestriker: I don't think so, I think she was just a seer, which is rare but not unheard of I think.
Pvtbarton: Setne definitely doesn't wanna piss her off I'll tell you that much.

By the time Percy had managed to push herself up onto her hands and knees Carter and Sadie were already sprinting down the jetty towards Percy, both of them nearly falling over her when they reached her, and Percy automatically grabbed at them both as they dropped to their knees in front of her and wrapped their arms around her.

Carter's sobs shook his whole body as his fingers dug into the nape of Percy's neck-and Sadie was gripping Percy's shoulder just a touch too tight but Percy didn't care. She didn't think they'd ever be able to hold her too tightly again-
she'd never forget the feeling of dissolving, of everything almost fading away. It had been horrible. Her brother and sister were like anchors to reality, and Percy closed her eyes, clinging to them in return as Sadie pressed her face into the top of Percy's head.

"How are you alive?" Carter's voice was hoarse- as if he'd been screaming, which, he probably had been. "How- I don't- I saw you fall, Setne-"

"I don't really know." Percy managed, "I- I think Nephthys helped anchor me- gave me the focus to get myself out of there."

"That shouldn't be possible." Zia's voice was stunned- she was stood just a few foot away.

"I don't care." Sadie gasped out, "I don't care she's alive. She's alive that's all that matters." and Sadie was brushing her fingers through Percy's hair as she straightened up, it had come loose during the fall and was hanging around her face, a mass of tangles.

Percy closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath as she pulled back very slightly, "We-we need to get out of here as soon as possible-didn't the shadow send out a distress call?"

"Right." Carter nodded quickly, "Gods I- Percy's right. We need to capture the shadow. Sadie..."

"I know how to capture the shadow." Sadie confirmed quickly, "Just give me the figurine." And Carter quickly pulled back to shrug his pack off his shoulders-and Percy looked around, blinking slowly when she realised that someone was missing- and when she caught Sadie's gaze she shook her head very slightly.

And oh. Percy might have survived but it seemed that Walt wasn't so lucky. Percy felt the urge to hug her sister tightly but that could wait- they had to deal with the situation as it was.

Then Carter was pulling out an oddly beautiful red carving of a coiled serpent- Percy's breath caught at the sight of it as she saw the hieroglyphs of binding around the name Apophis.

It had probably taken weeks to complete, Walt must have poured so much time and attention into it, and Percy could see that Sadie was forcing back tears as she stared at it.

Then she picked it up and they took off back towards the obelisk, Sadie reached it first and she knelt down where the base met the shadow.

"Sadie-" Carter's voice caught slightly, and Percy grabbed her big brother's hand. She could see the fear on his face- he'd already gone through a roller coaster of emotions when he'd though Percy was dead, he was probably terrified that that he'd have to go through it all over again with Sadie.

"She can do it." that came from Zia, "You know she can Carter. Your sisters are both strong.

Sadie blew a strand of hair from her face. "Listen to your girlfriend, Carter. And stop distracting me." her voice was exasperated but there was a softness in her eyes as her gaze focused on the trio who had come to a stop a few foot away from her. "Now, can I get on with this?"

"Good luck."

"Yeah." Percy gave a shaky grin, "You can do it Sadie." and their sister nodded at that.

She touched the figurine to the shadow and began to chant.

Instantly the serpent's shadow began to thrash. Slowly it shrank, writhing and snapping its mouth as if it were being hit with a cattle prod. The figurine absorbed the darkness. Soon the shadow was completely gone, and the statue was midnight black. Sadie spoke a simple binding spell on the figurine: "Hi-nehm." A long hiss escaped from the sea—almost like a sigh of relief—and the sound echoed across the hills. The churning waves turned a lighter shade of red, as if some murky sediment had been dredged away. The pull of Chaos seemed to lessen just slightly.

Sadie stood. "Right. We're ready."

"That was amazing." Carter breathed the words, and Percy nodded quickly.

"You're so awesome Sadie."

"I know I am." Sadie's smile was forced, "Anyway, the execration will be easy," she said. "We have to be facing Apophis, but otherwise it's the same spell we've been practising Carter."

Zia prodded Setne with her foot, clearly Sadie had bound him with her magic- Percy took just a second to feel smug and stomp on his leg. "That's another thing this maggot lied about. What should we do with him? We'll have to get the Book of Thoth out of those bindings, obviously, but after that should we shove him into the Sea of Chaos. It would be fitting."

"MMM!" Setne protested.

"It is tempting." Carter kicked the ghost's leg hard, "Since it's his fault Percy nearly died."

"I'm fine, just for the record." Percy still felt exhausted but the pain was fading now, "And- as tempting as it is- I don't want that." she wrapped her arms around herself protectively, pushing back the memories of being dissolved, of having to desperately fight to cling to some semblance of self.

"And we did promise we'd take him back for dad to judge." Sadie pointed out. "I say we drag him along. He's a ghost he can't be that heavy right?"

"That's what we do then." Carter bent down and grabbed Setne's feet- and together the four magicians made their way back down the jetty, Sadie clutching the statue tightly, Carter dragging Setne and Zia wrapped a protective arm around Percy's shoulder.

Percy was willing to admit that there was something faintly satisfying about watching the ghosts head bonk against the rocks repeatedly.

The journey back down the jetty was harder than the journey to the Obelisk had been. Maybe it was because of how exhausted Percy was still feeling but she could feel the Sea trying to pull her back in.

Even so eventually they reached the beach- and Percy could tell that the others were weakening too, Carter's clothes were drenched in sweat and Sadie looked unsteady on her feet- but they kept moving, they didn't have much choice
really, the trudged their way across the sand and finally crested the hill.

"Oh..." Carter muttered some words under his breath that would probably get his mouth washed out if their dad ever heard him use them- not that Percy blamed him really.

In the cratered field below them demons had gathered, hundreds of them all marching in their direction.

They'd been called by the distress signal. Percy felt her throat close up at the sight, her eyes going wide as she stared at the forces of Chaos.

"Gods help us all." Zia breathed the words.

Percy swallowed hard- the demons were marching ever closer- they were maybe two football fields away, but they were closing rapidly. There had to be at least three or four hundred of them, and more kept pouring onto the field.
Several dozen of the winged monsters were even closer still, spiralling lower and lower over their heads.

And there were four magicians and one ghost. The odds were no in their favor Percy knew that much.

"Sadie..." Carter's voice wavered slightly. "Can you make a gate to the surface?"

Sadie closed her eyes at that, clearly concentrating. Then after a moment she shook her head. "No signal from Isis. Possibly we're too close to the Sea of Chaos."

"Right." Carter closed his eyes, trying to do... something, but nothing happened and he shook his head. "We're on our own, unless, Zia, your powers from Khepri are still working-" Sadie looked startled at that, "Can you get us out of here?"

She clutched her scarab amulet. "I don't think so. All Khepri's energy is being spent shielding us from Chaos. He can't do any more."

"That leaves me." Percy muttered the words, "And, uh, I don't think I can take on an army of demons right now."

"We're not getting out of this then." Carter exhaled, "Can we cast the execration on Apophis right now?"

"No." Sadie and Zia spoke in unison, and Percy added.

"You can't execrate unless they're right there." she swallowed hard. "Which leaves us one option."

"Seems like we're going to go out fighting." Carter voiced Percy's thoughts out loud as he unhooked the crook and flail from his belt- and Percy straightened up- she didn't have her staff any more but she didn't always need it- and she could see that Sadie and Zia were readying their staff and wands.

"At least we're together."

And then, at the other end of the field, a wave of confusion spread through the demons' ranks. They slowly began turning away from the four magicians, running in different directions. Behind the demon army, fireballs lit the sky. Plumes of smoke rose from newly opened craters in the ground. A battle seemed to be breaking out at the wrong end of the field.

"Who are they fighting?" Carter asked. "Each other?"

"No." Zia pointed, a smile spreading across her face. "Look."

It was hard to see through the hazy air, but a wedge of combatants was slowly forcing its way through the back ranks of the demons. Their numbers were smaller—maybe a hundred or so—but the demons gave way to them. Those that didn't were cut down, trampled, or blown up like fireworks.

"It's the gods!" Sadie said.

"That's impossible," Carter gasped. "The gods wouldn't march into the Duat to rescue us!"

"Not the big gods, no." She grinned at them. "But the old forgotten ones from the House of Rest would! Anubis said he was calling for reinforcements."

"You saw Anubis?" Percy blinked before shaking her head, "Not the time-"

"There!" Sadie shouted the words, "Oh-"

She seemed to forget how to speak. She just waved her finger toward their new friends. The battle lines opened momentarily. A sleek black car barreled into combat. The driver had to be a maniac. He ploughed down demons, going out of his way to hit them. He jumped over fiery crevices and spun in circles, flashing his lights and honking his horn.

Then he came straight at them, and Percy let out a loud cheering noise, leaping up and down madly as she waved her hands.

Because there was only one god who drove like that. And the front ranks of demons scattered away from him- only a few brave winged demons had the nerve to chase him. Percy let out a whoop, leaping onto Sadie's back with a shriek that made Sadie laugh brilliantly as they both jumped and spun with joy.

It screeched to a halt halfway up their hill and Percy was letting go of Sadie and sprinting towards the car as the drivers door opened and a small hairy man in a blue speedo stepped out.

A very familiar small hairy man. "BES!" Percy barrelled into the god and he laughed as he caught her.

"There's my favorite firecracker!" His voice was beyond pleased, before he was letting her go and climbing onto the roof of his car. He turned to face the bat demons. His eyes bulged. His mouth opened impossibly wide. His hair stood out like porcupine quills, and he yelled, "BOO!"

The winged demons screamed and disintegrated.

"Bes!" Sadie ran toward them.

"That's my girls!" Bes leapt down and hugged Sadie too. "And you Carter, get your sorry hide over here!" when he yanked Carter into a hug he rubbed his knuckles on Carter's head- which Percy found funny.

"And Zia! Good to see you again kid, I got a hug for you-"

"I'm good." Zia was smiling widely though, even as she stepped back, "Thank you."

Bes bellowed with laughter. "You're right. Time for warm and fuzzy later. We gotta get you guys out of here!"