"Hel?" I asked. "What on earth are you on about?"

Henry – Hel – just laughed at me, yet her expression stayed grim.

"Oh, Eden, you are in the dark, aren't you?" she mused, her voice having an alien aspect to it. Almost raspy. "If you don't even know who I am, then you are in trouble. I am the ruler of Helhiem, the Norse Underworld. I have been sent by… an associate of mine to test you, to see what makes modern day demigods tick. And, oh, have I had fun playing with you!"

She approached slowly, as if stalking. I made the rings surrounding me a little brighter.

"So many ways to torment you, so many bonds to break! It was especially fun taking this form. It's been so long since I've been to Midgard, and even longer since I'd met a descendant of mine. I didn't even know there were any left."

Descendant?

"I don't mean a literal descendant, of course," she said, coming ever closer. "I hardly ever have time to get out of Helhiem, let alone have a child. I was barely able to get out to come and play with you. I had to leave Ganglati and Ganglot in charge, something I regret every moment I'm away from home.

"But it's all worth it for this," she concluded, coming right up to my bands of light. "The conclusion to my little game. The finale, if you will. Your last moments."

What?

"I am sorry I have to kill you, she said, almost looking remorseful. "I haven't had this much fun in eons. But after finding out we exist, I cannot let you live. That would break the truce and then war would break out and who knows what after that?!"

She was cracking up now, her eyes wide and pupils becoming pinpricks. Then she doubled over in pain, screaming and clutching her head.

"Master doesn't want me to kill you," she snapped. "But for once I'm going to do what I want! I'm not going to listen to him! I wanted to kill you from the start, but he said no. Now I'm going to, no matter what!"

Then she lunged at me. I sidestepped her, allowing her to fall to the floor by my feet.

"Who's this Master?" I asked. "Why doesn't he want me dead?"

"My Master is a secret," she said, "He will not be named by me."

She went for me again, but I managed to disorientate her by flashing light straight into her eyes. Quickly, I created several light doubles of myself surrounding her. When she stood up straight, she spun around, confused. Snarling, those black runes started swirling around her, her eyes turning blood crimson.

"If you think cheap tricks can fool me, girly, you are sadly mistaken!" she spat.

Using her skeleton hand, she slashed through my illusions.

"The only way you'll defeat me is by using the old magic, that forbidden to you. Too bad!" she cackled with laughter.

I pulled out by daggers and bent my knees, keeping my stance low. I started bounding on the alls of my feet, ready to move whenever I needed to.

"Ooh," she mocked. "Girly's gonna fight, huh? You should watch yourself, girly, I too can play with sharp objects!"

The nails on both her hands grew immensely, becoming ten medium sized daggers. Great. She came at me, slashing away. I blocked all of her attacks, but it was like she'd grown extra arms. When I blocked a move, another came just as quick. Slowly, I was backed up against the wall, hands trapped at my sides, Hel breathing heavily in my face.

"Is that all the fight you've got, girly?" she asked, her teeth back in an ugly sneer.

"Not even close," I ground out, kicking her sharply in the shin. Whilst she whirled away in pain, I ran back into the centre of the room. I glanced around for anything that might help. It was a big empty, derelict room. Hel certainly knew where to stage her final battles. There was nothing around to aid me. There weren't even beams in the roof for me to hide on.

Instead, I poured my power into the daggers. I'd done it once before when I'd gotten into a particularly nasty fight with Phoebus. My daggers lit up, shining a glorious golden colour, the colour of the morning sun.

Hel just laughed at me. "You think your mother's light is going to save you?" she asked. "Pathetic."

We circled each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

"You know, Hel," I said to her. "In some cultures dawn is considered the purest of all things, especially light. It had inspired artists, poets, writers, playwrights and musicians. Dawn is a symbol of hope in the next, new day. I'm sure my mother's light can save my friend from your darkness clouding her vision."

"As if some twinkly little light beam is supposed to stop me!" she thundered. "I am a goddess, the goddess that everyone fears because all meet me in the end!"

"Yes, they do," I said calmly. "They meet you in your cold, dark, dank realm where only the dishonoured go. For everyone good and just goes to Valhalla, do they not?" I knew I'd hit a nerve when she snarled, so I carried on down this tangent. "You get stuck with the cowards and deserters, the scum of the nine worlds. And you were thrown from Asgard because of your appearance. It seems the gods just want to punish you in any and all ways they can. Don't you think?"

With a furious screech she dove right for me. Just as planned. I grabbed her outstretched arm, twisted it around her back and, using my mother's dawn infused blade, stabbed Hel in the gut. She screamed as a deep green light erupted from her. That light engulfed her body from the inside out, escaping from her eyes and mouth. The dark runes around Hel's body shuddered and collapsed, Hel's body doing the same. Red smoke came from Hel's mouth as her dead half became alive again, flesh and tissue stitching itself together before my eyes. With one last banshee like scream, the spirit of Hel sunk through the floor, leaving Midgard for good.

Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw the man from my dream, the one with dark hair and green eyes, his face taunt with concentration before the image snapped violently from my sight. I ignored it, focusing instead on the stirring Henry in my arms.

I laid her gently down on the floor, using my blazer as a pillow for her head. It was strange to think that not an hour ago I was in school.

Henry's eyes fluttered open.

"Eden?" she croaked, her voice her own once more.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm here," I said, smiling down at her.

She tried to sit up but I kept here down. "I am so sorry, Eden," she said, her eyes swimming. "I didn't mean to do anything I've done for the past two weeks. That thing came to me and took over my body. It was horrendous: I could see everything that was going on, but had no control over it. It was like being in a cage looking out while someone else drove my body."

"How was she able to possess you in the first place?" I asked, confused. "And what did she mean about you being her descendant?"

She sighed. "My family, on my mother's side, originates from Norway. My ancestors were priestesses of Hel. It's believed that the very first one had her blood infused with Hel's, so potentially her blood could flow through my veins, even if very diluted.

"And please don't believe that nonsense I came out with about not being able to cope with you being a demigod. Eden, that's the coolest thing I've ever heard. I really am sorry about what I've done." She looked away from me. "I'd understand if you never wanted to see me again."

I hugged her fiercely. "If you think that I'm going to let one of my best friends go because of something she had no control over you've got another thing coming!" I released her. "Just as a side note, you don't happen to know where we are, do you?"

"Hel, I think," she said. When I stared at her, she amended. "I don't mean Helhiem, I mean Hel, Poland. There's a little village just along the harbour if you want to get in touch with someone to pick us up."

"Just get me near a rainbow," I said. "I can handle the rest from there."

When she was ready to walk with my help from me, we walked outside. There was a gentle stream of water causing a rainbow a few meters away. Setting Henry down, I went over. After sending an IM to Nico, I sat next to her and asked her if she remembered who was calling the shots. She apologised and said no, everything was a little fuzzy, but she'd try to remember and tell me as soon as possible.

A moment later Nico showed up and Shadow Travelled us to my apartment, where he stayed and helped tend to Henry. She was understandably a little shook up about being possessed by the goddess of the dead. Since his dad was Hades, he talked her out of shock.

I called her parents, who were ecstatic I'd found her – she hadn't been home since the start of term, apparently. After they'd been and picked her up, I had some dinner and got into bed. This was one chapter of my life I was happy to bring to a close.

A/N: Almost done now, just the epilogue and this story is complete! I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and stayed with this story. I hope you all enjoyed it! There will be a longer version of one of these at the end of the epilogue with news of a sequel if people want it...