Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus Series.

Story: Divided Soul

Chapter 43: Immortal Sacrifice

Yellowstone National Park – Battlefield

The entire valley was quiet as both armies watched the sea god on his knees in front of Scipio. The demigod's blade was imbedded in the middle of his chest. Scipio pulled the blade out and Poseidon fell to the ground unconscious.

"Dad," Percy yelled. His outburst drew everyone's attention to him.

Scipio stared at him in wonder. "How can you be alive?" Scipio said in shock. He stepped over the body of Poseidon as he walked towards Percy. Percy stood up. Annabeth, Athena and Apollo followed his lead. Percy stood protectively in front of them.

Annabeth stared at her boyfriend worriedly. "You killed him," Percy said as he glared at Scipio.

Scipio smiled. "He's not dead yet, but he will be," Scipio replied. Scipio held his sword in the air. The gold ichor on the blade glowed in the afternoon light. "Now to finish what I started."

Scipio swiped his sword at Percy, but Riptide intercepted the strike. The two blades struck together, but this time Percy pushed Scipio back. Scipio glared at his rival. He swung his sword again with a feint to the left before he spun around to stab Percy in the shoulder. Percy moved like a blur and grabbed the sword with his bare hand. Scipio tried to pull the sword away, but Percy held on tight. The blade couldn't cut Percy's invincible skin. Percy pulled hard before the sword popped out of Scipio's grip. Percy threw the blade and it imbedded into a large boulder up to the hilt.

Scipio looked at Percy in awe. How did the boy get so strong? "I'm unarmed, it wouldn't be very sporting of you to fight me with your sword," Scipio said.

"I ought to run you through, but I don't fight dirty like you," Percy said angrily. He capped Riptide; the sword turned back into a pen.

Scipio took the chance and punched Percy in the face. Percy fell on his butt after the impact. Scipio stood over his adversary and gloated. Percy acted like he was tired, but at the last moment he swiped his leg and tripped Scipio. Scipio fell to the ground beside him.

Scipio lunged for Percy. The two gripped each other's armor and rolled on the ground. They both kicked and punched, but neither could hurt the other. They let go of each other and rolled away. Percy stood up first. Scipio stood and glared at home. He didn't look as confident as before.

Percy grinned at the look Scipio gave him. "I know you're immortal," Percy said.

A surprised expression spread across Scipio's face. "How?" he asked.

Percy's grin widened. "Let's just say that a goddess told me," he replied.

Scipio charged forward; he threw a left hook at Percy's head, but the son of Poseidon blocked the blow. The two warriors continued to fight hand to hand; but the battle was a stalemate.

Percy sent a roundhouse kick toward Scipio's head, but the immortal demigod blocked the kick with his forearm. They both struggled to find an opening until they both stopped to catch their breath near the edge of one of the thermal lakes. Percy stood with his back to the lake as he eyed Scipio warily.

Percy looked around; the demigod army and the gods stood on one side of the lake while the Giants and the monster army stood on the other side.

"You're such a fake," Percy said to Scipio. Scipio narrowed his eyes at his counterpart. "You became immortal and now you lead your world with an iron fist. You're no better than those you replaced."

"You know nothing," Scipio growled. "I fought hard for my position. I don't need someone like you degrading my achievements."

Percy laughed. "You're a hypocrite. What happened to the boy who wanted to unite demigods and make their lives better?"

"I united them against a common enemy; the gods," Scipio said as he glared at the gods closest to him.

"Would they have followed you if they knew that they would give up one set of rulers for one tyrant?" Percy asked with a smirk on his face.

Scipio scowled. "You don't have the right to judge me," Scipio replied.

"I have every right," Percy began. He looked at the demigods and gods around him. "I want to know why you turned out the way you did? I will never be like you, but I need to understand how you became such an evil person?"

"I'm not evil," Scipio replied a little taken aback by Percy's description. He looked around at the demigods nearby. "They needed someone to care for them. Someone to lead them; the gods never looked out for their children, but I did."

"So, you come to my world and join the enemy. Gaea will destroy the gods and their children. How can you do this?" Percy asked.

"This isn't my world. Why should I care?" Scipio asked. He looked at the hateful glares that the demigods were giving him.

Percy sighed. "How can you be so selfish now? You've changed from that demigod that wanted to help his brethren. Now you just want to take," Percy said as he raised his voice toward the end of his speech.

Scipio's green eyes glowed in anger. "I don't care about you or your demigods," he yelled.

Percy shook his head in disappointment. "That's the problem. I pity you," Percy said sadly.

"Die," Scipio roared as he rushed forward. He hit Percy head on into the thermal lake behind them. Annabeth screamed in horror as Percy fell into the boiling water with his evil counterpart.

Percy and Scipio both willed the water not to burn their Achilles spot. Scipio was immortal, so he wouldn't have died, but Percy would have been burned terribly. The two demigods held onto each other in a death grip as they sunk toward the bottom of the lake.

Percy could feel the heat from the water, but he willed the liquid around him to cool. It helped a little, but he could feel himself start to lose consciousness.

Use your power

Percy heard the voice of his mother in his head. He realized what she meant. He willed the water to cocoon around him and Scipio. The water that surrounded them cooled. Percy was able to think. He realized now what power his mother meant. Percy stretched out to the cocoon of water and willed it to change. The water turned a dark blue and Percy could feel his connection to it. He had turned the cocoon of water into water from the River Styx. Percy could feel the water touch his mortal spot, but it didn't burn him. On the contrary, the water energized him.

Percy opened his eyes and looked at Scipio. Scipio's eyes widened in shock; he could feel the change in the water around him. Percy watched as Scipio's body began to glow as the Styx water burned through his invincibility and began to dissolve his immortality. Percy couldn't turn away from the sight. Scipio's body glowed as if his skeleton had been illuminated from the inside. His skin melted away as golden ichor poured out and through the cocoon of water. The muscle and bone dissolved in the water until nothing was left of Scipio's body. Percy floated in the water in shock at the sight he'd seen.

Percy finally shook the images from his mind as he willed himself up and through the water. Percy opened the cocoon of water that was around him. The water from the Styx moved into the thermal lake waters. The lake turned ice cold and dark blue as the water from the Styx took over. Percy shot up and out of the water and at the same time he created a massive wave of water that erupted out of the lake. The wave rushed over the monster army and some of the giants. The wave killed almost half of the monster army and two of the giants. Porphyrion and his brethren along with the remains of his army rushed back up the hill that led to Gaea's cave.

Percy knelt on the ground. Steam rose from his body before he willed the water to move back into the lake. The water glowed before it morphed back into the turquoise water of the thermal lake. Percy stood up and turned toward the demigods and gods around him. They all stared at him in shock.

Percy smiled and said, "Hi"

Thalia began to laugh as the other demigods and the gods themselves joined in.

"Percy," Athena said from Poseidon's side.

Percy rushed toward the goddess and knelt beside his father. Apollo sat across from him as he tried to revive the sea god. "How is he?" Percy asked desperately.

Apollo looked up at the son of Poseidon. "Perce, I'm sorry, he's fading," Apollo said.

Tears began to flow down Percy's cheeks. Annabeth rushed to his side and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so sorry," she said. Percy looked at her before he pulled her into a hug. He cried into her shoulder.

Athena looked awkwardly at the son of Poseidon and her daughter. She looked down at her rival. She remembered the apology he'd given her before he fought Scipio. She reached forward and grabbed the cold hand of the sea god. "I'm sorry too," she whispered.

Apollo looked at the scene before him. He stood and walked toward the other gods. He stood before his sister with a sad and defeated look on his face. Artemis had never seen her brother so sad and serious before. She reached forward and pulled him into a hug. Apollo may have been a male, but he was her twin first. She held him tight as he began to cry. The other Olympians watched in shock and sadness. Even Zeus and Hera wore sad expressions.

Percy pulled out of the hug. Annabeth wiped the tears from his eyes.

You know what to do

Percy heard his mother's voice say in his mind. He looked at his father's still form. He pulled away from Annabeth and grabbed his father's hand. He saw Athena holding his other hand. He gave her a small smile. "Can I?" he asked. Athena gave him Poseidon's other hand. Percy held both hands tightly.

Percy looked up at the sky and yelled, "I call on the Fates."

The ground began to shake and the sky darkened. Three golden lights appeared beside Percy and his father. The lights dissolved into three beautiful women in white dresses. They looked down at the son of Poseidon and said with one voice, "You called for our aid nephew."

Annabeth looked at the Fates, and then at Percy. She couldn't read his expression. She looked at Athena. Her mother gave her a curious look, but Annabeth could tell that her mother knew what was going on.

Percy looked at the Fates with a sorrowful expression on his face. "I have decided," he began. The Fates looked at him expectantly. "I wish to give my immortality to my father."

The Fates stared at him in wonder. The gods looked at him with shocked expressions on their faces. Most didn't know what he meant, but Zeus smiled at his nephew.

Athena stared at Percy. She smiled at him brightly. She could see in his eyes how much he loved his father. She couldn't believe there was a time that she hated Percy because he was Poseidon's son, but now she couldn't imagine anyone else with her daughter.

"Close your eyes and concentrate on the connection between you and your father," the Fates said.

Percy nodded before he closed his eyes. The Fate began to glow. The gods and demigods looked away from their power. A beam of light shot from the Fates and struck Percy in the chest. Percy stiffened at the sensation. The power coursed through his body before it entered Poseidon's still form. Percy began to shake as the power continued to pour through him and into his father. Poseidon's body began to glow with power as the wound in his chest closed up. The light dissolved. Percy opened his eyes. The Fates were gone. He looked around to see Annabeth and Athena still holding their eyes closed.

"You can open your eyes," Percy said. Athena and Annabeth opened their eyes along with everyone else. Percy felt Poseidon's hands move. "Dad"

Poseidon opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw his son. "Hi," he said.

Percy and Annabeth laughed at how similar Poseidon was to his son. "Hi dad," Percy replied.

Poseidon saw Athena with a broad smile on her face. "You look much better smiling," he said. Athena's cheeks reddened.

"Come on dad, stop your flirting," Percy said with his crooked grin on his face.

Poseidon laughed as he sat up. He locked eyes with Zeus. Zeus smiled at his older brother.

Poseidon looked at everyone curiously. "What happened?" he asked.

Percy's grin widened before he explained everything to his dad. When he finished Poseidon had tears in his eyes. He pulled his son into a tight embrace. "Thank you son," Poseidon said.

Percy pulled out of the hug and looked his dad in the eyes. "I love you dad," Percy said.

"I love you too," he replied.

Athena smiled before it morphed into a mischievous grin. "As Apollo says, enough with the chick flick moments," Athena quoted.

Apollo smiled fiendishly at his sister before he looked at Athena. "The great Athena quoted me," he said. "I'm so touched. I feel a Haiku coming on." Artemis frowned before she slapped her hand over her brother's mouth. Athena whispered a thank you to her sister.

Percy helped his father stand. Annabeth and Athena stood up to join them.

"Hey, is anyone going to help me?" Mars asked as he sat on the ground holding his injured leg. Apollo jumped up and ran over to his side. "It's about time golden boy." Apollo frowned at the nickname.

Poseidon turned toward Percy. "What happens now?" he asked.

Percy looked up the hill where the Giants and the monster army had fled. "We take the fight to Gaea," he replied.

AN: Two more chapters to go. Percy saved his dad and gave up immortality again. Stay tuned more to come.