Beware of pain in this chapter lol- I can't wait for your reactions to it because this chapter just makes what's gonna happen soon even more intense- and remember like I said, this chapter is set before last chapter by a good few hours- so technically Nico and Leo haven't found the bracelet yet and Bob isn't looking yet. Also- I have officially written the final chapter for this fic so yay! I hope you'll all enjoy it. There's lots of hurt but also quite a bit of lovely comfort for our faves.
Replies:
Thickneck: Hm, that would be entertaining I suppose. But you have to wait and see.
JjlovesPJO: Lol, lots of people seem to want that, you'll have to wait and see. And you guys just want Bob to be free! What about Damasen! He doesn't get enough love.
Guest: I mean, he wants to get them both out of the pit- he'd rather do it without actually helping Nico and Leo despite what he's said, and he would like to start over with her- which he actually currently thinks is possible.
Drizzle: He is a great rescuer.
Undeath9087: So many people are excited about the idea of Bob vs Alabaster because he could swat him like a fly. And thank you :).
AkitoshTheBold: This chapter is not gonna help with that lol- even I almost feel bad for him- I mean, he's an asshole and he has it coming but the dude is madly in love with Percy. He'd do anything for her.
ArachnidHiveMind: I love the vivid imagination there, I do hope I do Percy justice, and Alabaster of course.

Unhappy would be an understatement to describe how Percy was feeling currently. Oh she was smug about the bracelet thing- but she was aching all over still, and she'd been so distracted by her little victory that she hadn't even noticed when they'd walked into the very weird forest.

It was as they wandered through it that Alabaster spoke. "I haven't been in this part of the pit before."

"Of course not." Percy gave him a sidelong glance, "You haven't been here much longer than I have Bas. Don't be surprised." she glanced around, "Though- I really don't like it in here, too much cover for monsters. We should get out."

"Right-" Alabaster paused, "Except- I'm not sure which way is out." And- and okay that was less than ideal. She wasn't sure either.

"Right- okay-" she shifted anxiously- she felt like she was being watched- the hair on the back of her neck was standing up- and- was that a faint noise- movement from up above.

She had Riptide in her hands and uncapped almost instantly- and she heard Alabaster suck in a sharp breath, and a moment later he was clutching his annoyingly familiar golden sword tightly. "Where-"

"Above us." Percy said quickly, moving so that she was pressed back to back with him- it would at least mean there was somewhat less of a target for the monsters.

And then the first monster dropped to the ground, only five feet away from them and Percy blinked rapidly as Alabaster cursed loudly.

"The Furies!"

"No, no they are not the Furies Bas" Percy gripped her sword tighter, "The Furies work for Hades they'd never attack me. Uncle Hades would smite them." though- she could understand the confusion. The creature looked almost exactly like one: a wrinkled hag with batlike wings, brass talons, and glowing red eyes. She wore a tattered dress of black silk, and her face was twisted and ravenous, like a demonic grandmother in the mood to kill.

"I am well aware of the fact that your uncle is soft on you." Alabaster pointed out, a slight sharpness to his tone, "He was personally invested in my punishment because he likes you-"

"Right- right but now's not the time to dwell on that too much Bas." because more were dropping down- maybe six or so, surrounding the duo- and Percy could hear more of them hissing in the trees above. Very much not good.

"Okay, okay I know you're not the Furies because Alecto and I have a witty back and forth so what the heck are you guys?"

"The arai." the voice was a hiss more than anything else. "The curses." And okay, okay that was incredibly creepy, zero out of ten Percy did not approve at all. They weren't speaking exactly, the voice simply floated overhead like a narrator in a movies voice.

"They're the daughters of Nyx." Alabaster said quickly, "We're in trouble Perce. They're the spirits of curses- if we kill them they
unleash their curses."

"Yes-" the voice cackled, "Yes, curses, we will destroy you a thousand times in the name of Mother Night!"

"Only a thousand times? Maybe my luck's getting better-" and then the circle of demon ladies closed in.

And it went wrong fast.

Percy did what came natural to her, she jabbed Riptide at the nearest shrivelled hag, but she only sneered.

"We are the arai," said that weird voice-over, like the entire forest was speaking. "You cannot destroy us."

"You wanna bet?" Percy twirled Riptide. "Cause I tend to destroy things even when I don't mean to so like- I'm betting on me-"

"Be careful Percy-" Alabaster grabbed her free hand, threading their fingers together, "They're the spirits of curses, we can't be sure what effect they'll have if you touch them."

"We serve the bitter and the defeated." said the arai. "We serve the slain who prayed for vengeance with their final breath. We have many curses to share with you." and oh but that couldn't be good. How many monsters had she killed that had prayed for vengeance with their final breaths? She was willing to bet that there were a lot.

"Uh- wow uh, that's a real great offer." Percy would have finger gunned if Alabaster wasn't clutching at her hand tightly. "But I am gonna have to call it a no to that one. Sorry but my mom wouldn't approve and Sally Jackson is a power higher than the gods."

The nearest demon lunged. Her claws extended like bony switchblades. Percy cut her in two, but as soon as she vaporized, the sides of her chest flared with pain. She stumbled back, clamping her hand to her rib cage. Her fingers came away wet and red.

"PERCY!" Alabaster screamed her name. "No-"

"Calm down." Percy's voice cracked, "I'm fine." no, no she wasn't, she really wasn't. Both sides were bleeding, as if she'd been run through by something- but- but how nothing had run her through- it didn't make sense. Percy felt dizzy.

"Feel the pain you inflicted upon Geryon-"

"I didn't even kill him!" Percy yelped the words, "That was Kayla!" but- she had taunted him, had led him to his death and distracted him for long enough to buy Kayla the time she needed.

"So many curses have been levelled at you Percy Jackson, so many. Which one will you die from? Choose, or we will rip you apart!"

"Oh shit." Percy's voice cracked, "Oh gods-"

"Percy-" Alabaster moved to stand in front of her protectively- and gods but it hurt- it felt like she had a hot metal curtain rod sticking through her ribs. "Percy we can't kill them."

"What-"

"You killed one and it cursed you." Alabaster's voice was almost shaking, "Fuck-fuck if we kill them it curses you. We can't kill them."
"And what exactly is our alternative?" Percy ground out, forcing herself to stand straighter, her head spinning from the blood loss and the pain.

"Choose!" the arai cried, "Will you be blinded like you blinded your brother? Will you be crushed like Kampe? Or disintegrated like the young telkhines you slaughtered under Mount St. Helens? Or-"

"We get it!" Percy yelled, "We freaking get it! Monsters have been cursing me since I was twelve!"

"It's what you deserve-"

"Stay the fuck away from her!" Alabaster roared the words, blocking one of the demons when she lunged, and he brought his sword around, slicing the monsters head off- and he let out a terrified noise a moment later, dropping to his knees, shaking violently.

"Bas! Bas what's wrong?!" for fuck sake she needed him alive!

"I-I'm sorry." his voice was choked, shaking.

"His curse is not a physical wound-" and Alabaster was shaking his head, his eyes blank as he flailed his eyes, as if he was trying to fend off invisible touches. "How many times have you cursed the son of Hecate." and okay, okay Percy had no expected that- and she had, she could admit that, during her time on Mount Orthys she'd often wished he could feel how she felt, that crushing loneliness, the terror that almost drove her to insanity.

Fuck.

"Bas- Bas-" Percy darted to his side, dropping to her knees next to him. "Alabaster please I forgive you I forgave him-" lies, lies but fuck she needed him right now so she had to lie. She'd never forgive him never forget.

"It does not matter. You cursed him-"

"Oh gods." Percy grabbed his wrists, "Alabaster, Alabaster please-" she cried out in pain when one of the demons lunged again, claws slicing across her back. "You can't leave me alone here-"

"Alone- cursed, you will die-"

"Please Bas-"

"P-Percy-" Alabaster's voice was weak, "Gods Percy I'm sorry I'm sorry I- I didn't- I never-"

"There's no point." Percy's voice cracked. "There's no point in dwelling on what you did and what I cursed you for pl-AHHHHHHH!" another lash across the back, Percy was leaning over Alabaster, protecting him, and she twisted, swinging her sword- she winced when the arai burst into dust before she let out a pained scream- it felt like someone had stabbed her eyes- and wonderful, wonderful a curse from Polythemus. Just great- the world went black almost instantly and she could feel blood dripping from her eyes.

"Percy!" Alabaster screamed Percy's name but she couldn't see him- she could feel his arms though, hauling her to her feet, holding her as close as he could. She heard him let out a pained cry, felt him wave his sword, there had to be something attacking but Percy had no clue where.

She clutched Riptide tighter, sobbing in pain as Alabaster tried to drag her along with him. He was chanting something- and Percy stumbled and she tripped, coming down hard, pain flared through her face as she came down on her chin.

"Alabaster! Alabaster help me!" She was screaming his name, but Alabaster wasn't coming- and she'd dropped her sword when she fell- fuck fuck fuck.

"HELP ME!" she was screaming the words, "Alabaster! Alabaster please don't leave me-" and she could hear something- moving too quick to be Alabaster- she fumbled desperately in the darkness that was her world. Some how she managed to yank one of her daggers out- and when the arai- because that was what it had to be, came close enough she slashed blindly, catching something, once, twice, three times and the- and then she was alone- she'd never felt so lost, never felt so alone before.

Everyone always left, everyone always left her she was alone. She was alone she'd always be alone- she was sobbing and screaming. "Don't leave me! Don't leave me! Please! Please!" she felt a bone deep despair- and she was crawling, crawling around on the ground. She'd twisted her ankle, maybe broken it when she'd fallen but the truth was that all the pain was blurring into one, her whole body was a mass of agony, and she felt more claws, slicing across her skin, and the world was still black. She was sure she was dying, she was bleeding out, she was dying- and then Percy felt arms around her.

She was sobbing as something was lifting her up, carrying her away, every movement was painful, but despite her screaming whoever was carrying her didn't stop, they didn't stop for what felt like a lifetime-and when they did she felt hands on her face, felt fingers prying her mouth open, pressing something into her mouth- something familiar, with a taste like warm cookies-and Percy felt the despair lifting.

She wasn't alone.

She wasn't alone she was with Alabaster-and gods no matter how much she hated him she was glad in that moment that she wasn't alone.

"I'm here." Alabaster's voice was barely even a whisper, "They- they can't see us now. They can't see us now. Or smell us. I managed a concealment spell baby it's okay. It's okay I've got you." his voice was shaking with the fear. "I'm not going anywhere."

"H-hurts-"

"I know baby." she could feel his fingers soothing through her hair, "The ambrosia well help- it'll take time but it'll help Percy."

"Y-you came back for me." Percy was clinging to him- purely out of desperation.

"I never left- I had to cast the spell- they wouldn't let me near you and it was the only way to get you out. But I'm with you right now and I'm going nowhere." she could feel his lips pressing against the top of her head.

"T-that was the last of the ambrosia."

"It's worth it. You were dying. I- I managed to avoid getting hit by too many curses baby. I'm pretty much fine, a bit sliced up but nothing that won't heal."

"W-we're really safe?"

"We are. For now anyway."