Do not hate me. 0-o

-Percy-

"What are we going to do?"

No one answered me; no one looked at me.

"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO!?"

Finally, Thalia looked up at me.

"What are we suppose to do, Percy? The entrance is blocked."

"We go after them. We take on the army and get Addie back before they kill her. We can't let Gaia rise!"

"How are we going to defeat an army?"

"I don't know! We've done it before! Won't the gods help us?" I asked, turning towards Apollo and Artemis. "The only way we can defeat them is with your help!"

"Percy, we can't just interfere with things on a whim. There are consequences to what we do," Artemis explained carefully. I stopped pacing, pausing directly in front of Artemis.

"Consequences? How about this? Gaia comes back, and the world falls to storm or fire or whatever. We all die or disappear or whatever happens to gods when they go poof! That seems like a pretty steep consequence to me!"

"I understand you're upset, but if we interfere, then the balance of the universe-"

"The balance of the universe is already screwed, and I think you've all done that quite enough over the years that you can't use that as a cop-out…my Lady," I added sincerely enough to apologize for my outburst. I couldn't hide that I was a little miffed at them. When did the gods not use us as pawns for their bidding? Artemis narrowed her eyes at me, and then looked over at her brother. He looked lost, like he wasn't quite there. She sighed, and then looked back at me.

"Perseus Jackson, I've known Euadne far longer than you have, and I have no intention in letting Gaia rise. Thalia?"

"Yes, my Lady?"

"Contact Athena. I think it is finally time for us to work together. Percy, Nico? Inform the others of what has happened, and get ready for a fight. I will send Thalia for you when it is time."

I nodded my head, and Nico and I headed out of the tent.

I was mad at Addie. How could she be so stupid? Now I understood why Annabeth got so angry about my loyalty thing. When you had it reversed on you, it was extremely annoying. I kicked at a stick in frustration as we walked back to the ship.

"I'm sorry, Percy."

Nico's voice was soft and hesitant, something I didn't really expect from him. I had always thought of Nico as a little brother. We had our ups and downs, but he was a good person. He was someone I knew I could trust when it came down to it.

"For what?"

"I shouldn't have let her stay. I mean, it was Addie. She has always seemed invincible, you know? Like danger can't touch her. I just never imagined that she wouldn't have been able to get herself out if things went bad."

"It's not your fault. Addie can be stubborn. You would have had to drag her kicking and screaming out of the cave, and she would have gone back."

"That's why they are scared of her, I think."

"The gods?"

"Because when she has her mind set on something, she's pretty much unstopabble," he chuckled. "Unless a god orders her not to."

"That she is."

We walked for a few more minutes, and then Nico quickened his pace, coming to stand before me. I stopped, a confused look on my face.

"Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't do anything stupid trying to get her back. You're life is just as valuable as hers, okay?"

I nodded my head, and Nico's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I realized that maybe I had the same tendencies as Addie, maybe my half-sister and I were more alike that I thought. Apparently, there were others that cared about me and my well being as well. I put my hand on Nico's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. For the first time, I realized that protecting the people I cared about wasn't always rushing into the fight after them. Maybe protecting them included protecting myself, because they cared what happened to me just as much as I cared about them.

-Addie-

The giant, whom I had realized was Mimas, grabbed each of us with a hand, lifting us out of the cage.

"Try any funny business, Son of Poseidon, and I will crush your sibling."

I tried to fight, but I was still way too weak. He threw us to the ground, and haughty laughter echoed around us. Orion's hands came under my arms, lifting me up from the ground. Our eyes locked, and we both had an unspoken agreement to not go quietly into the void. I've been alive for two thousand years, and I'll be damned if I go down without a fight. I felt a sword tip press into my back, pushing me forward.

"Move," Hyperion snapped.

My brother and I stayed together, and I reached for his hand instinctively. I don't know why, maybe it was the freaky twin thing, but my brother balanced me out. We always seemed to be the polar opposites of each other. I could be rash sometimes, but not nearly as often as he was. We knew each other better than we knew ourselves. I knew what he was up to. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze, coming closer to me.

"Do you have anything yet?"

He whispered it into my ear, just loud enough for me to get what he was saying. I closed my eyes, trying to move even the smallest of pebbles around me, but it was no good. That tug that I always felt was gone.

I shook my head, and Ry gave a quick nod. He had his thinking face on, trying to come up with a plan to get us out of here. We didn't have that many guards. Maybe a dozen, along with Hyperion, surrounded us. I began to think, and the best way to form a plan is to get information.

"Where are you taking us?" I demanded in my most authoritative tone. There must be something at the end, so even if we ran, we'd have nowhere to go. Hyperion chuckled behind me, giving another painful shove in my back. I was decently sure he had drawn blood with that one.

"To the Parthenon. It might have been a temple to that retched goddess of wisdom, but it represents much more than that. It was a symbol of the Greek's power, and it is part of their foundation. By tainting the jewel of the ancient capital, it will begin to undermine their power. Once we take over the ancient places, their powers will begin to wane, and our younger siblings will have no trouble disposing of the Olympians. Gaia will rise, and no god can defeat her with the Blood of Olympus running through her veins."

"Given in sacrifice? That's why it had to be demigods, so she would be invincible to them! Blood magic," I spat.

"I see Hecate taught you well. She is older than most of them, very knowledgeable in the ways of ancient spells," he sneered. Hyperion grabbed my arm, yanking me back into him. The blade of his sword came to my throat, pressing painfully into me. "Now, we have something better than demigods. Generations of Olympic blood flow in your veins, and it will make her stronger."

His breath tickled my ear, in a way I found eerily familiar. I flinched away from him, and he chuckled darkly in response. Hyperion pushed me away, but my brother's strong arms caught me before I could hit the ground. I glared at Hyperion, but his grin was more than satisfied.

"There will be no saving you either. Your mortal friends will be having their own battle to fight."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Between the attacks on the camps and the attack that is about to hit their precious ship, they will be too busy to stop the ritual in time-"

"Get ready," my brother whispered in my ear. "Trust me."

"-to save the two of you. Even if they manage to win the battle, there is no way they would get through the lines around the Parthenon," he finished with a laugh.

The distant sound of an underground stream reached my ears, and I stole a sideways glance at my brother. He gave me a look out of the corner of his eye, nodding to me. I had no idea what he had planned, but I knew I needed to be a distraction. I tripped, falling to the ground in front of Hyperion.

"Stupid brat," he shouted as he pushed me with his foot. "Get up!"

My brother summoned the water, a heavy stream racing towards the pair of us. It hit Hyperion square in the chest, wrapping him in a vortex of water. Ry flicked his wrist sending him against the wall, and my brother grabbed my hand, pulling me along with him. He formed a wall of water around us, wrapping us in his own personal hurricane. I could hear our guards around us, but they couldn't get through.

We ran.

I stumbled and fell, and Ry caught me more than once. His hand held tightly on to mine, helping me keep my balance while dragging me along. The tunnel filled with a faint light, and we knew we were getting close to the end.

"What are we going to do?" I panted.

"Figure it out as we go?"

I smiled, and he smiled back. It felt like the old days. It felt like we were running from the gods, trying to get to Athens all over again.

We broke out of the tunnel, and a heavy force sent us both to the ground. An enormous pressure came down on me, pinning me to the ground.

"What's this here?" a deep voice boomed. "Trying to escape?"

"RY! GO!" I managed to get out. I could barely breathe the pressure was so great. Polybotes stood above me, his foot pressing into my torso.

"I will stomp her into the earth, boy, if you take another step."

I locked eyes with the giant. My head started to spin from the lack of oxygen.

"He's bluffing," I tried to grunt. Polybotes just laughed, and I heard a yell from behind.

"Valiant effort, twin demons, but not good enough."

Polybotes picked me up with both of his hands, marching over to the Parthenon's remains. He held me against one of the columns, while I was tied to it. My arms were tied out to the side, my forearms facing up. I saw Ry on my left, and we locked gazes. Hyperion sauntered in front of us, and I turned to look at him. He walked over to me, grasping my chin in his hands.

"You'll watch your brother die once again, and I will watch as every drop of life bleeds out of you. If you want to pray for help, I'd do it now, but they will not respond," he responded smugly. I couldn't think of what to say, so I did the most cliché thing I could think of and spit in his eye.

Hyperion snarled, moving away from us. In the center of the Parthenon, the ground was raised, like earth from a freshly dug grave. The more that I stared at it, I realized that it was breathing. The mound was slowly rising and falling, and the fear finally hit me.

The moon was centered above us, bathing everything in silvery light. Hyperion, along with others that I couldn't really see, surrounded the mound. They began to chant, in an dark ancient language. I recognized a few of the words, and I understood the gist of the spell. I looked over at Ry, tears in my eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Ry. This is my entire fault."

"No, Addie. It's not. You fight them, okay? He will come for you, so you hold out for him. I'm sorry."

Hyperion walked over to Ry, a dagger of Stygian iron in his hand.

"I love you, Addie. Always."

Hyperion uttered a final word, and he slit my brother's throat.

"RY!" I screamed. He tried to speak, and I thrashed at my ropes. It was useless. I watched my brother's head droop, and Hyperion took the blood coated blade, sticking it into the mound of earth.

They began to chant again, and I was so overwhelmed. I was tired of the death, of the fear. I wanted to grieve my brother in peace, but I would never have that option. There was so much that I regretted in my life, and for the first time, I had a moment to anticipate my death. Maybe Apollo wouldn't hear my prayers, maybe he would, but it was a chance I was willing to take.

I'm so sorry, Apollo. They are coming, all of them. Please don't blame yourself, because I know you will. Save the others, if you can interfere at all. I lived in the dark for over a thousand years, and you brought light into my life. Never forget that. I love you.

Hyperion walked over to me, and I met his gaze with the fiercest expression I could muster. The blade penetrated my left arm, slicing it from my elbow to my wrist.

"No magic or gods to bring you back this time," he whispered in my ear.

I could feel the blood pouring from me, and there was nothing I could do. I was dying, just like my brother. I was getting sleepy, the exhaustion coming in waves. I had to fight. I had to. I promised Apollo I'd come back to him. I had orders. Percy, the others… if I died, Gaia would have a corporal form. If she didn't have her sacrifices, then she couldn't rise. How could I stop this if I was fated to meet death?

Maybe I had to die. Maybe this is what it took.

Sound began to drown out, and I wished that I had one more moment with Apollo. I hoped beyond hope that he had heard my plea. Maybe it didn't count for anything with him, but I wanted to tell him that I loved him.

My energy was draining, slowly, but surely.

Hyperion sliced my other arm, then walked with the blade to the mound of earth. The dirt and rock was shaking around us, and the faint moonlight that was there was fading away. There were shouts and jeers, like the sound of battle, but that couldn't be happening.

I was getting cold, and I tried with all my might to hang on.

Words, familiar words, I had heard before echoed quietly in my head. Like a final breath, their enormity hit me in that second.

Fate always works itself out. The gods know a lot, but even they cannot defy the will of fate. Only you can correct it, and the way to do that is to live by your rules, not theirs.

Gaia needed sacrifices. Apollo ordered me to come back.

Just like Tiberius said, I knew what to do.

-Apollo-

I heard her words, and I knew I was cutting it close.

The rage that filled me was unparalleled. I hadn't been this angry since Otus tried that awful business with my sister. I didn't care about the trouble I would get in. I would take any punishment, a thousand times, to see her alive and safe. Artemis fought at my side, shooting arrow after arrow into the small army that surrounded the Parthenon. Our plan was simple. Artemis and I would rescue the twins. We had both agreed that we would take whatever consequences we had to. I would save the woman that I loved, and I would save our domain, our world, from the evils of the Earth Mother.

No one messed with what was mine.

We fought our way through, but I realized that we were too late. The earth swirled around the center, Porphyrion, Polybotes, and Hyperion protecting it. We were too late to stop the ritual. I looked over at the far columns.

Orion's head was slumped, the front of his body covered in blood. Being the god of healing, I knew his heart was no longer beating. I looked to his right to find another head slumped against the stone. This one was a mess of brown, and her chest was slowly moving up and down.

Her heart was beating.

I looked at Artemis, and she motioned that we should go around.

"We need to get her out, to get her to a safe place. Saving her will mess up the ritual," she huffed.

"But it won't stop it," I countered. We made it to the column, and I ripped the ropes from her with my bare hands. The giants were not paying any attention to us. They were too busy resurrecting their goddess. I picked Addie up, cradling her to me. Her heart was barely beating, her arms and legs soaked in blood.

"Hold on, Addie!" I whispered desperately.

With Artemis at my side, we moved away from the Parthenon, dodging and slashing at anything that dared to step in our way. We stopped by a tree, the olive tree Athena planted for Athens. I laid Addie on the ground, healing the cuts on her arms. She was so weak, and I was scared.

"Cover me," I ordered Artemis as I continued to work on Addie. Artemis nodded her head, making sure I would be undisturbed. I could feel the life draining out of her. She was holding on by a thread. Were the fates waiting for this, waiting for me to heal her?

"Addie, you can't leave, you promised remember?" I reminded her.

I put my hand to her chest, pouring every ounce of my will into it. Her eyes fluttered open, searching for something.

"Ap-Apo-"

"Shh, Addie, no. Rest, I'm healing you."

"I'm s- tired," she whimpered. I leaned down, placing my lips on her forehead. She was barely breathing, her heart beating dangerously slow. It would take everything I had, but I would save her. I had to. In my whole existence, nothing except my family had every stayed around long enough for me to get attached. Mortals and lovers were a fleeting thing; they didn't last long compared to us. She had endured despite everything that she had ever been through. Faced with the rest of my existence without her companionship was unfathomable. She was so pale, but her eyes found mine. There was so much I wanted to tell her, and I was out of time to do it. As a god, that was something I wasn't use to.

"I know, love, I know," I said as I brushed her hair out of her face.

"You got…let…go," she whispered. Her eyes were glazed over, but she looked right into my own. Their color had dulled, now a murky shade of the sea.

"No, Addie. I can't. I can save you. You promised you'd come back."

"I know… prophecy…promise you…let me go."

I understood what she was asking, but I couldn't. I looked down as her heartbeat grew slower and slower. I couldn't heal her.

"I can't, no! I won't lose you, Addie. Fight for me," I begged.

She nodded her head. I put my hand to her cheek, brushing the soft skin there.

"Trust me," she pleaded. "Please."

"Always."

"Love…you…"

The pulse of magic left me as a last ditch effort to save her.

It wasn't good enough, and Addie's heart stopped beating. I failed at saving the one thing that mattered most.

I don't remember ever crying in my existence. Tears began falling hard and fast down my face. The fates were cruel, cruel beyond measure. I crushed her to me, but it was too late. She was gone. I couldn't bring her back from the dead. It was out of my power. I had let her die, all because she asked me to.

The scream of rage left me, the blast clearing at least fifty feet around me. I picked her up, and Artemis followed, tears in her eyes as well.

I laid Addie across a stone bench. Her skin was still warm to my touch. Artemis touched my arm, but I yanked it from her grasp. The only touch that I wanted was lying lifeless in front of me.

"Apollo, I'll help you kill them all."

I turned to look at my sister. She had the same rage in her eyes that I was sure was in mine.

They would pay.

A/N: Yes, I know this was a cliffhanger. And sorry I'm not sorry.

Good news? I should update tomorrow night. I won't leave you hanging for too long.

Were ya'll expecting that?

I expect a lot of outrage in the comments. Don't disappoint me! ;)