Disclaimer: I don't own PJO

Ariella's POV

I was practicing making animals out of my shadows when I feel eyes watching me. I look over my shoulder to see Kronos staring at me with his golden eyes.

"My lord?" I ask.

"What are you doing?" He asks pointing to my shadow wolves

"You said that I could not leave your side, so I'm trying to figure out how much control I have over my shadows, so that during the final battle I don't lose control again."

"What do you mean lose control again?" He demands.

"I was ordered to protect camp half blood and the campers, but those 2 stupid sons of Hermes pulled a 'prank' and I lost control I and hadn't even called all the shadows in camp to me. Only with Hades and my father Thanatos there was I able to regain control, but that was only because Hades made me pass out." I explained

"What caused you to lose control?" He asks.

"The Stolls mixed centaur's blood with paint and threw it at me, it landed right between my wings where it is super sensitive. When they rushed towards me I accidently shadow travelled into the lake to get away from them." I say.

"And if you were to call all of the shadows in Manhattan to you now?" He questions

"It wouldn't matter if Percy and his friends somehow found a way to stop you, I wouldn't I have enough control to keep all the shadows at bay. Olympus would be destroyed anyways." I explain.

"Hmm, and why were you creating animals out of your shadows?"

"I was trying to give them a shape so that I could send them out to fight with the rest of the army, but the only why to test it is to have them bite someone and wait for a scream." I say.

"Do it." Kronos commands.

I knnel down and call my shadow wolves to me and whispered, "go to the infirmary and bite one of the patients, make sure he screams. The rest if you go to where there is fighting, and report back to me if they need help." I command my shadows.

I stand back up and wait about 15 seconds. Then Kronos and I here a blood curling scream echo through the camp, then Kronos and I smile coldly to each other.

Suddenly some of my other shadow wolves come running out of the shadows and tell me that Hyperion needs help.

"Go to him! Make sure he has the strength to reform soon. Go, now!" I command

"What happened?" Kronos demanded, I had forgotten he was here.

"My lord, I sent my shadows to help Hyperion, who is currently being imprisoned in an oak tree by Percy and his friends. I thought that you would need him when you conquer Olympus, my shadows will give him enough strength to reform soon." I answer fearfully

"Ah good, it's good that you have joined the Titans in this war." He said.

-the next day-

I had been circling above the battle for a few minutes when Annabeth screamed at Kronos. I landed beside him as Kronod raised his scythe. Percy got ready to defend, but before Kronos could strike, a dog's howl pierced the air somewhere behind the Titan's army. "Arroooooooo!"

For some reason Percy called, "Mrs. O'Leary?"

The enemy forces stirred uneasily. Then the strangest thing happened. They began to part, clearing a path through the street like something behind them was forcing them to.

Soon there was a free aisle down the center of Fifth Avenue. Standing at the end of the block was my giant dog, and a small figure in black armor.

"Nico?" Hecalled.

"ROWWF!" Mrs. O'Leary bounded toward him, ignoring the growling monsters on either side. Nico strode forward. The enemy army fell back before him like he radiated death, which of course he did.

Through the face guard of his skull-shaped helmet, he smiled. "Got your message. Is it too late to join the party?"

"Son of Hades." Kronos spit on the ground. "Do you love death so much you wish to experience it?"

"Your death," Nico said, "would be great for me."

"I'm immortal, you fool! I have escaped Tartarus. You have no business here, and no chance to live."

Nico drew his sword—three feet of wicked sharp Stygian iron, black as a nightmare. "I don't agree."

The ground rumbled. Cracks appeared in the road, the sidewalks, the sides of the buildings. Skeletal hands grasped the air as the dead clawed their way into the world of the living. There were thousands of them, and as they emerged, the Titan's monsters got jumpy and started to back up.

"HOLD YOUR GROUND!" Kronos demanded. "The dead are no match for us."

The sky turned dark and cold. Shadows thickened. A harsh war horn sounded, and as the dead soldiers formed up ranks with their guns and swords and spears, an enormous chariot roared down Fifth Avenue. It came to a stop next to Nico. The horses were living shadows, fashioned from darkness. The chariot was inlaid with obsidian and gold, decorated with scenes of painful death. Holding the reins was Hades himself, Lord of the Dead, with Demeter and Persephone riding behind him.

Hades wore black armor and a cloak the color of fresh blood. On top of his pale head was the helm of darkness: a crown that radiated pure terror. It changed shape as I watched—from a dragon's head to a circle of black flames to a wreath of human bones. But that wasn't the scary part. The helm reached into my mind and ignited my worst nightmares. Only Kronos's power and authority kept his ranks from fleeing.

Hades smiled coldly. "Hello, Father. You're looking . . . young."

"Hades," Kronos growled. "I hope you and the ladies have come to pledge your allegiance."

"I'm afraid not." Hades sighed. "My son here convinced me that perhaps I should prioritize my list of enemies." He glanced at me with distaste. "As much as I dislike certain upstart demigods, it would not do for Olympus to fall. I would miss bickering with my siblings. And if there is one thing we agree on—it is that you were a TERRIBLE father."

"True," muttered Demeter. "No appreciation of agriculture."

"Mother!" Persephone complained.

Hades drew his sword, a double-edged Stygian blade etched with silver. "Now fight me! For today the House of Hades will be called the saviors of Olympus."

"I don't have time for this," Kronos snarled.

He struck the ground with his scythe. A crack spread in both directions, circling the Empire State Building. A wall of force shimmered along the fissure line, separating Kronos's vanguard, my friends, and me from the bulk of the two armies.

"What's he doing?" I heard Percy muttered.

"Sealing us in," Thalia said. "He's collapsing the magic barriers around Manhattan—cutting off just the building, and us."

Hades caused a distraction. He charged at the wall of force, but his chariot crashed against it and overturned. He got to his feet, cursing, and blasted the wall with black energy. The barrier held.

"ATTACK!" he roared.

The armies of the dead clashed with the Titan's monsters. Fifth Avenue exploded into absolute chaos. Mortals screamed and ran for cover. Demeter waved her hand and an entire column of giants turned into a wheat field. Persephone changed the dracaenae's spears into sunflowers. Nico slashed and hacked his way through the Kronos's army, trying to protect the pedestrians as best he could.

"Nakamura, Ariella," Kronos said. "Attend me. Giants—deal with them."

He pointed at Percy and his friends. Then he ducked into the lobby, as I followed him.

We took the elevator up to the 600th floor.

Kronos roared: "Brick by brick! That was my promise. Tear it down BRICK BY BRICK!"

When we were almost to the gods' throne room.

"Finally!" he bellowed. "The Olympian Council—so proud and mighty. Which seat of power shall I destroy first?"

Ethan Nakamura stood to one side of Kronos and I stood in the shadows, trying to stay out of the way.

Annabeth, Grover, and Percy stepped forward into the torchlight. Ethan saw us first.

"My lord," he warned.

Kronos turned and smiled through Luke's face. Except for the golden eyes, he looked just the same as he had four years ago when he'd welcomed me into the Hermes cabin. Annabeth made a painful sound in the back of her throat, like someone had just sucker punched her.

"Shall I destroy you first, Jackson?" Kronos asked. "Is that the choice you will make—to fight me and die instead of bowing down? Prophecies never end well, you know."

"Luke would fight with a sword," Percy said. "But I suppose you don't have his skill."

Kronos sneered. His scythe began to change, until he held Luke's old weapon, Backbiter, with its half-steel, half-Celestial bronze blade.

Next to him, Annabeth gasped like she'd suddenly had an idea. "Percy, the blade!" She unsheathed her knife. "The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."

"Wait!" Annabeth yelled.

Kronos came at him like a whirlwind.

Ethan ducked to one side, trying to get behind Percy until Annabeth intercepted him. They started to fight, but Percy couldn't focus on how she was doing.

Kronos backed him up against the throne of Hephaestus—a huge mechanical La-Z-Boy type thing covered with bronze and silver gears. Kronos slashed, and Percy managed to jump straight up onto the seat. The throne whirred and hummed with secret mechanisms. Defense mode, it warned. Defense mode.

That couldn't be good. Percy jumped straight over Kronos's head as the throne shot tendrils of electricity in all directions. One hit Kronos in the face, arcing down his body and up his sword.

"ARG!" He crumpled to his knees and dropped Backbiter.

Annabeth saw her chance. She kicked Ethan out of the way and charged Kronos. "Luke, listen!"

Kronos flicked his hand. Annabeth flew backward, slamming into the throne of her mother and crumpling to the floor.

"Annabeth!" Percy screamed.

Ethan Nakamura got to his feet. He now stood between Annabeth and Percy. He couldn't fight him without turning his back on Kronos.

Grover's music took on a more urgent tune. He moved toward Annabeth, but he couldn't go any faster and keep up the song. Grass grew on the floor of the throne room. Tiny roots crept up between the cracks of the marble stones.

Kronos rose to one knee. His hair smoldered. His face was covered with electrical burns. He reached for his sword, but this time it didn't fly into his hands.

"Nakamura!" he groaned. "Time to prove yourself. You know Jackson's secret weakness. Kill him, and you will have rewards beyond measure."

"Look around you, Ethan," Percy said. "The end of the world. Is this the reward you want? Do you really want everything destroyed—the good with the bad? Everything?"

Grover was almost to Annabeth now. The grass thickened on the floor. The roots were almost a foot long, like a stubble of whiskers.

"There is no throne to Nemesis," Ethan muttered. "No throne to my mother."

"That's right!" Kronos tried to get up, but stumbled. Above his left ear, a patch of blond hair still smoldered. "Strike them down! They deserve to suffer."

"You said your mom is the goddess of balance," he reminded him. "The minor gods deserve better, Ethan, but total destruction isn't balance. Kronos doesn't build. He only destroys."

Ethan looked at the sizzling throne of Hephaestus. Grover's music kept playing, and Ethan swayed to it, as if the song were filling him with nostalgia—a wish to see a beautiful day, to be anywhere but here. His good eye blinked.

Then he charged . . . but not at Percy.

While Kronos was still on his knees, Ethan brought down his sword on the Titan lord's neck. It should have killed him instantly, but the blade shattered. Ethan fell back, grasping his stomach. A shard of his own blade had ricocheted and pierced his armor.

Kronos rose unsteadily, towering over his servant. "Treason," he snarled.

Grover's music kept playing, and grass grew around Ethan's body. Ethan stared at me, his face tight with pain.

"Deserve better," he gasped. "If they just . . . had thrones—"

Kronos stomped his foot, and the floor ruptured around Ethan Nakamura. The son of Nemesis fell through a fissure that went straight through the heart of the mountain—straight into open air.

"Ariella! Call your shadows, all of them!" Kronos shouts at me, as I step out of the shadows.

"But I won't be able to control all of them!" I shout back

"Do it! Now!" He commands

"Shadows, come to me! All of you!" I yell toward my shadows in Greek. I can see the shadows in Manhattan melting off the buildings to come to me. Soon I have all of the shadows of Manhattan swirling around me like a storm. I tap my necklace to take off my helmet so that I can see better. My eyes have turned completely black, I lose my physical body, and black tears are streaming down my face as I try to keep my shadows from destroying Olympus.

I can't tell how long has passed, but suddenly 12 aruas of light enter the throne room. The Olympian Gods, they're here. Some of them rush over to where Kronos, Percy, and Annabeth were.

"Lady Artemis, Lord Apollo, please I can't hold my shadows back much longer. Kronos made sure that if he was stopped, that Olympus would still be destroyed. Please, I need light to block out my shadows." I beg the 2 gods.

"How much light?" Artemis question me

"At least 2 gods in their true form, my shadows were able to hold back Hyperion's light for a few moments and I didn't even have a fraction of the shadows I do now. Please I can't keep them at bay much longer!" I tell them

"Athena, come we must take our true forms." Artemis tells her.

So Athena, Artemis, and Apollo all take their true forms, and slowly my hold on the shadows fail once more. My physical body returns and I collapse to the ground.

"T-thank you." I tell them. I look over to where Annabeth, Percy and Grover are leaning over a body. I rush over and kneel next to them.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Luke was the one in the prophecy, a cursed blade shall reap. He killed himself to defeat Kronos." Percy murmured

"We're going to need a shroud," he calls out to the gods in the room.