Thanks for all the reviews.
This one's a little bit different than the first two. Hope you like it.
TARTARUS
"It's impossible. I'm the son of Hades, and even I barely survived. Gaea's forces overwhelmed me instantly. They're so powerful down there...no demigod would stand a chance. I almost went insane." Nico looked around at the other six demigods on the Argo II. They were on their way to save Annabeth and then they were going to go on to the House of Hades to close the Doors of Death. The only problem was that the other side of the Doors of Death were in Tartarus and not even a son of Hades could survive.
Three hours later...
Hazel sat with Nico on her bed on the Argo II.
"There's nothing we could have done, Nico. There is no way we could have saved them," Hazel said trying to comfort Nico.
"I could have done something! I could have jumped after them! I should have done something! I didn't try hard enough. I'm worth nothing," he yelled.
"Nico, don't say things like that!" Hazel exclaimed. "You barely survived the first time. There is no way you could have gone back into that pit. Percy and Annabeth have each other. They will be fine."
"That's the only thing that's keeping me from turning this ship around and jumping in after them," Nico replied.
"What part?" Hazel asked.
Nico paused before answering. "Have you ever heard what happens when someone takes a dip in the River Styx?"
Hazel looked taken aback by the subject change, but answered, "The person becomes invulnerable."
"Yeah, but to survive the Styx so that they can become invulnerable, they have to focus on the one thing tying themselves to the world. Percy thought of Annabeth. Annabeth is the only reason Percy even came out of that river alive."
Hazel's eyes were wide as she looked at Nico. "How is this keeping you from turning the ship around?" Hazel wondered aloud.
"Tartarus is almost exactly the same in that way. The only way to stay sane is to focus on the one thing tying you to this world. Thinking of the only reason you even want to live. With Percy and Annabeth in there together, they should be okay as long as they focus on each other. It's the only thing that kept me sane."
"Thinking of Percy and Annabeth?" Hazel asked with confusion.
Nico laughed darkly, without any humor behind it. "No, Hazel. I stayed sane by thinking of the one thing tying me to this world."
"What was it, Nico?"
Nico looked at Hazel as if trying to see if he could trust her with something so personal. He finally spoke, "Thalia Grace. The one thing tying me to this world is Thalia Grace."