Hello everyone- it's that time again! Chapter 10 is finally here!

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians/ Heroes of Olympus or Divergent

Percy's POV

Percy made a mental note to talk to Hermes when he got out of Tartarus- that kid Agrios needed to learn what the words "No" and "Don't" meant, because they sure as Hades don't mean, "Yes, please set the wild lion free."

Now Percy found himself bouncing along on the sharp-furred back of the Nemean Lion, racing alongside the edge of a deep ravine. The monster would occasionally jerk its head this way and that, causing Percy to momentarily lose his grip on its mane and almost slide right off the lion's golden back.

"I hate that kid," Percy grumbled, still ticked off from their encounter with Agrios.

"Now, now," Annabeth said, her arms wrapped around Percy's middle to keep from falling. "No need to get testy." Her quote of what Percy had said earlier to the Nemean Lion made him smile, despite their unfortunate circumstances.

"Yeah, you're right," he replied, calming down a bit. "At least he set us off in the right direction."

Of course, the lion took that opportune moment to veer far to the left, heading directly out of the needed path and straight into the darkness.

"I just had to say that, didn't I?" Percy yelled into the sky in exasperation.

"Let's just get off now," Annabeth suggested, taking her arms off of Percy. "If we ride him any further we'll completely lose track of where we are."

"Good point," Percy responded while cautiously letting go of the lion's mane. Peering over the edge, Percy watched the rough ground fly by as the Nemean Lion barreled over the terrain. "Uh…are you sure this is safe?" Percy questioned Annabeth, turning to look at her doubtfully. His girlfriend was already sitting with two legs on the same side, ready to slide right off.

"I'm pretty sure," she answered, shifting her weight to and fro. She didn't look eager to test out her plan.

"You ever leapt off a moving lion before?" Percy asked sarcastically.

"Obviously not, Seaweed Brain, but they jumped off of a moving train in Divergent, so how hard can it be?"

"I don't agree with your reasoning," Percy stated frankly.

"Neither do I," she replied; next thing Percy knew, Annabeth had slid down the Lion's side, kicking off his hide so that she'd land away from his thundering feet.

"Hurry!" she called to him, already becoming farther and farther away.

Percy gulped and slid off, kicking out from the golden fur and momentarily soaring through the air. At the last second, he tucked himself into a roll, landing fairly smoothly, though not without any scrapes or cuts.

"Annabeth?" he called out. Until now, he had been using the lava's light to make his surroundings visible. Now that the lion had taken them far away from the ravine hosting the lava river- thanks Agrios- Percy could see nothing.

"Percy?" came a voice that was way closer than Percy had expected it to be. The next thing he knew he was being knocked down to the ground, and something was laying on top of him.

"Wise Girl?" he asked, pushing her off. "How'd you catch up so fast?"

"Seaweed Brain, I ran," answered Annabeth's voice. Even though he couldn't see her, he knew that she was rolling her eyes at his comment.

"Oh, right." Looking around- which was basically pointless- Percy saw pitch black and nothing else, but he felt like something was all around him. It wasn't the suffocation of the blackness like before. This was more like when you feel as if someone is standing right behind you, but when you turn around no one's there.

"Annabe-" was all Percy could get out before a light flickered on behind him, followed by another, and another. Twisting around, Percy saw that torches had just been lit, but by who was a mystery.

Torches continued to light themselves in a circle, surrounding Percy and Annabeth.

"What's going on?" Annabeth whispered in awe and anxiety at the magic torches' lighting. The light from their fiery flames washed the area in an orange and red glow, and Percy could now see why he'd felt surrounded. Lining the torches in an outer ring were roughly-built houses. They weren't in a perfect circle; some were farther back than others, some twisted so that their corner was angled towards the middle. Each one, however, was built the same way. Rotting wooden frame, grassy yellow roofs, and doorways hanging off their hinges. Percy counted seven homes in total. The odd part, though, was…

"Where are all the people?" Annabeth asked quietly. She was right. There were absolutely no signs of life anywhere. Had everyone abandoned the make-shift village? Obviously the homes couldn't have built themselves.

Slowly standing and helping Annabeth up as well, Percy called out, "Hello?" No reply. There weren't even any crickets to emphasize the silence he was greeted with.

Annabeth shivered. "This is beyond creepy, and I've seen some pretty crazy things in my life."

"No kidding," Percy replied absentmindedly. He found himself being drawn to a home that was facing directly towards himself and Annabeth.

Annabeth, realizing that Percy was planning to enter one of the houses, grabbed his arm. "I don't think we should go in there."

"Who knows what could be inside, Annabeth? There could be a monster, yes, but…there could be food. Water. A bed."

Percy hadn't realized till now just how hungry he was, and seeing the houses had stirred up images of what was usually found inside. The mention of those items had won Annabeth over, and she decided to follow Percy.

Stepping up the short stairs to the front porch, Percy winced at every creak and groan the old wood made. He swore he felt like he was trapped inside a horror movie of some sort. Percy knew that he was taking a huge risk by entering the strange house, but the possibility of food…of water…

The son of Poseidon hesitantly pushed open the broken door, calling once again, "Hello? Is anybody in there?"

It was darker in there that it was outside, and it took Percy's eyes a moment to adjust. When he could see through the shadows, Percy saw that he was looking at an empty room. Absolutely nothing on the inside.

Percy entered the house completely, closely followed by Annabeth. "What is this place?" Annabeth thought out loud. "I'd assumed that maybe it was a refuge for people in Tartarus, but empty houses serve no purpose."

Percy crossed to the left side of the house as Annabeth did the right. Mistake.

Their separation triggered a screeching noise, and in the middle of the shack a thick metal wall slammed down, blocking the demigods from reaching each other.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled, admittedly freaked out. He slammed his fists on the wall, but it did nothing.

"Percy!" Annabeth screamed from the other side. She was also banging on the metal divider; Percy could hear it, but the wall was so sturdy that it didn't even vibrate the slightest with the hits it was taking.

Turning to go out the door, Percy noticed that the wall had come down right in front of where the door would be, wide enough to cover the entrance and tall enough to reach the roof. There were no windows on Percy's side either, so now he was trapped in complete darkness for the who-knows-how-many time in Tartarus.

"Come now, there's no need for panic," a smooth voice said from behind Percy. Whipping around, Percy saw a ghostly man that looked about 20 years-old hovering a few feet away. He had short brown hair and wore a simple beige toga over his tan skin. He had a yellow cape flowing behind him in invisible wind, and his eyes were wide open as if he was scared, though they showed no fear at all. Instead, there was power inside them.

"Percy Jackson," the ghost man sighed. He hovered a few feet closer to the demigod so that the Percy could feel his breath. "I must say, I never expected to see you here."

Scooting away from the wall and ghost and out into the open part of the room, Percy uncapped Riptide and held it out in front of him. "Who are you," he demanded, "and how do you know my name?"

"Very brave, bravo son of Poseidon," the spirit clapped, watching him with no emotion to the fact that there was a sword pointed at him. Sailing forward, the ghost passed right through the sword, hovering closer to Percy and resting comfortably with the sword impaled through his midsection.

"I am Amfivallo," he answered simply, not offering up any more information than that.

"What are you doing here?" Percy asked, putting away Riptide. It clearly had no affect on the ghostly man.

"I'm wondering the same about you," Amfivallo stated, narrowing his eyes at Percy.

"I asked you first."

"I live here," he supplied, gesturing his hands to the room they were in. "Your turn."

"My girlfriend and I fell in here and are on our way to the Doors of Death. Now, if you'd excuse me, I'd like to get Annabeth and go." Percy started toward where the door used to be, but Amfivallo flew around and stopped in front of Percy. "Your little girlfriend will be fine. Trust me. Right now we're busy with our conversation, and it would be very rude to leave in the middle of it."

"Look, I've had a long day, and manners aren't a big priority to me right now," Percy snapped.

"Brave words for such a cowardly soul."

"What?" Percy asked, stunned by Amfivallo's comment.

"You can't possibly believe that you're some big-shot hero," the ghost scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest. "I know you. I can see it in your eyes. You're weak, useless, and obviously uncapable of protecting the one's you love."

"What are you talking about?" Percy asked him, unable to stop the quiver in his voice. He knew deep down inside that he couldn't let this ghost's words get to him, but Amfivallo had struck a nerve. Percy had to be able to protect those he cared about. If he couldn't…if he can't…

"You've lost your mother, your brother, your girlfriend, your friends, so many people, Percy," Amfivallo continued, circling the lone demigod. "Although some have returned to you, others you have been powerless to help."

"Stop," Percy said, too quietly for the ghost to hear. Then, raising his voice, he added, "You're wrong. I have always done the very best I can for everybody."

"Really? What about Bianca Di Angelo? Zoe Nightshade? Silena Beauregaurd? Charles Beckendorf?" Pain shot through Percy's heart at the mention of his friend.

"I know you still blame yourself for his death. You know it too. And you're right to blame yourself. It is your fault and always has been. You're a wimp. You can't do anything right. You are a fraud, Percy Jackson. Everyone thinks you're this amazing hero, a prodigy, but you're not. You're a fraud."

Don't let it get to you, Percy told himself. He's trying to mess you up. Don't listen to him. But it was so hard not to. He had some valid points. It was his fault Beckendorf died, wasn't it? He can't protect everyone. He can't…But he has to! He can't lose anyone else. It's his job to protect everyone…but he can't…he can't…can't…

"You're fatal flaw is loyalty, Percy. Though maybe you are the fatal flaw to them, huh? Maybe they're too loyal to you and they end up dying because of it!"

Percy felt tears well up in his eyes. Without thinking, he reached in his pocket with a shaking hand and brought out Riptide. He uncapped it and thrust it forward, straight through the heart of Amfivallo. The ghost had no time to become intangible before the celestial bronze blade sunk through his chest and disintegrated him on the spot.

Once the ghost had disappeared, Percy sank to his knees, feeling truly hollow in his heart.

Annabeth's POV

As soon as the metal wall had crashed down between herself and Percy, Annabeth knew that she had been right. It was a trap and she had known that; next time, she wouldn't give in to Percy's optimism. She would've loved to find water and food in the house, but seriously. A random, old, spooky house appears, and you assume that no, it's not a trap but a safe haven? In Tartarus? Doubtful.

As she was chiding herself over her rash decision, a female voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"It's about time you started thinking for yourself."

Annabeth turned around hurriedly just to find herself face to face with a ghost. Not the kind of ghosts you see in movies, ones that look like bed sheets; no, this was the ghost of someone who'd died.

The woman looked about 18 years old- not much older than Annabeth herself. Her dirty blonde hair was tied back in a long braid, and her maroon colored toga was tied at the waist with a black sash. She had dark tattooes swirling up her right arm, including all sorts of symbols. The word "Zilia" had been displayed on her bicep; Annabeth guessed that that was this ghost's name. Hidden in the mass of images were the markings of a Roman demigod who'd attended Camp Jupiter- dashed lines and an SPQR. While Percy had a trident on his forearm, this ghost had a peacock feather.

"Are you…a child of Hera?" Annabeth asked curiously.

The ghost rolled her eyes. "Obviously not, stupid. Hera doesn't have demigod children."

Annabeth felt her face flush with red. "I am not stupid. And if you're no child of Hera, what's with the tattoo of a peacock feather- her symbol?"

"I don't know who my godly parent is," she replied hautily. "I was unclaimed. I just favor Juno, that's all. I count her as my patron."

"You're not a follower of Gaea, are you?" was Annabeth's next question. So far, most people who had mentioned a 'patron' had been on Gaea's side.

"Are you sure you're not dumb? If I was supporting Gaea, don't you think she would've let me out of Tartarus to help by now?"

Annabeth looked down and didn't ask anymore questions. Every single one she'd asked, the ghost had found a way to retaliate and make her look foolish.

"I do know one thing about Gaea though," Zilia mused as an afterthought.

"What?" Annabeth pushed, looking back up.

"She has you and all your friends on a 'Wanted' list, and your little boyfriend next door is ranked way higher than you."

"That's understandable," Annabeth argued with the ghost. "I mean, he is very powerful, has been part of two Great Prophecies, and is the only demigod son of Poseidon." Annabeth couldn't help but feel a spark of pride at the thought of her boyfriend. "Speaking of him, I need you to get rid of this wall so I can rejoin him and continue our journey to the Doors of Death."

"No can do," Zilia replied casually. "I'm sure he's plenty occupied at the moment."

"What do you m-"

"Never mind him," she interrupted. "I'm sure you're tired of hearing about Percy Jackson everywhere you go."

"What?" Annabeth asked, completely confused. "I'm not tired-"

"Sure you aren't," Zilia interjected again. "You're not tired of being called 'Percy Jackson's sidekick' or 'Percy Jackson's girlfriend.' You're not tired of being paled in comparison to the great and mighty Percy Jackson."

Annabeth's face grew even redder. "I don't mind being paired with him all the time, but I'm nobody's sidekick."

"Oh I know that, but does the world?" the ghost asked. Annabeth was quiet for a moment. The ghost, admittedly, was right about that. Her accomplishments weren't famous, no matter how amazing. It was always 'Percy Jackson' this, and 'Percy Jackson' that. She'd never heard anyone talking about Annabeth Chase and her adventures.

Woah. Where were these thoughts coming from? She'd never thought this way before. My hubris, she thought bitterly. My pride is clouding my thoughts, and this ghost seems to be triggering it.

Of course. In Greek, "Zilia" means "Jealousy." How did she miss that? This woman was trying to make her jealous of her own best friend. Back in Greek myths, Zilia went around installing jealousy in others. She had a brother, too, named Amfivallo. He was the creator of self-doubt. They always traveled in a pair. So, if Zilia was in here talking to Annabeth, that meant-

"I'm sorry, Zilia, but I think its time we end this conversation," Annabeth said before she stabbed her dagger into Zilia, evaporating the ghost into the air.

And there you have it! Annabeth and Percy are venturing into the more...mental part of Tartarus. They've been faced with many physical tasks, but nobody yet has tried to mess with their minds. Therefore, Zilia and Amfivallo decided to give it a shot.

Thank you time!

A big thanks to DaughterofHestia13, sitrukpc, OMGitsagreendayfan, and sheltie26 for the favorites, and thank you to DaughterofHestia13, storyteller1333, Helen9957, OMGitsagreendayfan, and sheltie26 for the follows!

DaughterofHestia13: Thank you! I know, I wonder what's going to happen when the House of Hades comes out; my Tartarus will be invalid after its real description is released ;) .

Hibye: Haha yes, I am trying to keep my updates regular, and I got this in on time! Yay! And yes, they were total bawsses ;) .

WarLord of Poseidon: That sounds like a really cool idea! I may have to tweak it a bit, sorry, but I love the idea of Percy and Annabeth meeting their evil selves; when I post that part I'll give you credit for the idea, no worries. It may be a bit before that chapter arrives, but there's a very good chance it will arrive, so stay tuned...

8EternallyMortal8: Thank you!

Alright, that's it for today! See you all next week!

-8DemigodRunner8