Alrighty guys! Finally, here we have the next chapter. I know it's been a long time and I'm sorry T-T As some of you may know, I was having trouble with uploading but I fixed that the next day XD The reason it's been so long was that I was out of town, they I had family visiting over at my house for a week, then I was out of town again, and I just really haven't had very much time to write... but now I'm back!

OKAY, so this chapter takes place during "The Sword Of Hades" which is in the Demigod Files. I'm so sorry it's short T-T Anyway, after this chapter there will be two more. One that takes place during The Last Olympian, followed by The Lost Hero. After that this little story is wrapped up, and I will start uploading my new story (which I'm super excited about!) that I've been working on. Yay!

So yeah, that's that. Enjoy this chapter ;D

It's dark, wet, and even cave-like. I don't like it. Why am I even here? I don't want to be here. Not on a quest for him. The one who tried to kill me out of anger. Maybe that anger was somewhat justified. After all, he hadn't done anything wrong, yet he was painted as the bad guy. It was my father who made the mistake, not him. But that didn't mean that his anger had to be directed at me, right? It wasn't my fault. Maybe his anger wasn't so justified. Then why was I here? Maybe it was out of loyalty to Artemis. If I didn't complete this quest... I don't even want to think about the outcome. So here I am in the underworld with Percy Jackson and Nico Di Angelo, on a quest to capture and beat up a thieving demigod who stole a sword which belongs to Hades. A sword which neither my father nor Poseidon knows about. A sword that isn't allowed to exist. A sword that can actually lock and unlock death and solitude. I can't help but feel how wrong this is. Sure, If the thief gets away with the sword it would only be a matter of time before Kronos got his hands on it. From there, things could only get worse...But on the other hand, Hades has had it out for the Olympians for a very, very, very, long time. I'm not so sure returning this sword to Hades is that great of an idea. But then there's Bianca. Dead before she even knew that she was the demigod child of Hades. Even though she was the complete opposite of her father, she would want me to do this for Nico. Nico was going to do this with or without the help of Percy and I. Bianca wouldn't want him to be in danger, without anyone to protect him. She loved her little brother, but she could no longer aid him. And with her being a huntress before she died and all...

And so here we were, back at reasoning number one. My loyalty to Artemis. Being her lieutenant, it's my job to protect, aid, and honor all of her hunters...dead or alive. I don't think that I've ever felt so torn. I was betraying Artemis. I would be either way. I briefly asked myself why I should care about her. Luke had been right after all. The Olympians only thought of themselves. They argued amongst themselves and used mortals to get what they wanted. I mentally flinched as I realized what I had been thinking. This was Artemis. She had been the only one who was willing to fight for my life. When the Olympians were taking vote, she was the only one who honestly insisted that Percy and I be rewarded rather than destroyed. I knew that the only reason my father voted for me to live was for pride. He would look bad and be setting a bad example if he were to have me disposed of. Besides, my demise would only overjoy Hera. Artemis had taken me under her wing and protected me. I wanted to run away from the underworld. I didn't want involved in this quest. Sadly, I knew it was too late to turn back.

Percy, Nico and I had run into Sisyphus. He tried to run from us, and after I caught him, it soon became clear that the only way to get him to talk was for one of us to roll his boulder up the hill. In the end, that turned out to be me. While he played twenty questions with the boys, I journeyed up the giant hill while pushing the rock. I was so close when it began to roll back. I thought I could have done it if I were to try again. Maybe if I were to do it just once more...

It was Percy who reminded me that I was sweaty and tired. We had a job to do. Now wasn't the time to get sucked into tricky power games. No matter how warped and determined my mind is.

"Melinoe?" I asked, confused and worried.

"Afraid so." Nico said glumly. "If anyone has a way out of the Underworld, it's her."

I shuddered. The very idea of seeing Melinoe and asking for her help...was scary.

Percy of course, was just confused.

"Melon who?"

"Melinoe, seaweed brain. Goddess of ghosts."

"Oh. Great. Yay."

By the time Persephone's magical thief-hunting-time-telling plant was nearly out of petals, we'd been attacked by war spirits, Percy had nearly drowned and lost his memory thanks to the river Lethe, and worst of all, we were tired. I didn't know how we were going to fight once we caught this idiot.

I was busy thinking of what we were going to do, that I hadn't noticed the thickening fog wrap around my legs. When I finally noticed, I blinked, not fully comprehending. It wasn't until I looked at Nico and saw the absolute fear on his face that I started to realize what was happening.

Before I could yell to warn Percy, I realized that what I thought was Melinoe was actually just a ghost. A ghost of...of...

"Now you come back? Well it's too late!"

I stared, wide eyed.

"Mother?"

The ghostly figure was wearing a pink bath robe. Her blond hair was let down, and she had a wine glass in her hand.

"That's right, girl. Doomed to walk the earth, and it's your fault!" She threw her wine glass down, and it shattered into a million pieces. "Where were you when I died? Why did you run away when I needed you?"

The look of pure hatred on my mother's face sent complete fear through me.

"I...I..."

"Thalia!" Percy's voice startled me. I had forgotten they were there. "It's just a shade, it can't hurt you."

"I'm more than that, and Thalia knows it." Mother said.

"But...You abandoned me!"

"You wretched girl! Ungrateful runaway!"

I knew I was crying. I hadn't meant...I didn't want...I didn't know...

I heard Nico mumble, "Mama?"

I shook my head, confused.

"No. It's my mother."

I honestly don't know what happened, but I was frozen, entranced watching my dead mother for what felt like an eternity. Finally, the smoke began to fade, the image faded along with it. Where my mother once stood, there was a black and white thing. The figure was half chalky white, and half coal black.

I blinked. "What? Where..."

"She tricked us!" Nico yelled.

Us? What had Nico seen?

"The deal has been struck." The dark goddess laughed. "So many ghosts...soon to be freed. When Kronos rules the world, I shall be free to walk the earth. Both night and day, sowing terror as the deserve!"

Percy yelled, "Where's the sword of Hades?"

"Close. I will not need to stop you. Soon you will have many ghosts, and you will remember me."

I notched an arrow.

"If you open a path to the world, do you really think Kronos will reward you? He'll cast you off with the rest of Hades' servants!"

The goddess glared at me. "Your mother was right, Thalia. You're an angry girl! Good at running away, not much else."

I let the arrow fly, but Melinoe laughed and vanished.

"Stupid ghost..."

I wondered how afraid I looked. I hope it wasn't as bad as I felt. I was terrified, and seeing my angry mother again...I felt like I was going to be sick.

"You guys okay?" Percy asked Nico and I.

I glanced at Nico. I wasn't sure what Melinoe made him see, but he was pretty shaken up. I thought about what it could have been...Bianca? His own mother?

I pushed my curiosity and fear aside and realized that we still had a mission to complete.

With weak determination, we continued on our way.