A/N: I'm so sorry for the late chapter! I had some insane writers block. There's an important note after this chapter, so make sure you read it! Also, I'm going to be gone for a few days and I won't be able to write anything so the next chapter will probably be late, too. Pleasedon'tkillme

People say ignorance is bliss. They are correct.

I'm sure I would be having a lot more fun if I didn't know that my imminent death was just around the corner. I mean, sure, everyone knows they are going to die eventually, but it's a completely different situation when you know the exact day you are going to die. And how.

So, two hours into the train ride, I lost my calm composure and started to freak out again. My breath came in short gasps and my heart thundered in my chest. I sat up in my seat and pulled my headphones out of my ears. My hands were shaking so bad that I could barely unzip my backpack to put my iPod away. I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants and tried to calm myself down.

Deep breathes. I told myself. Breathe in, breathe out. But it didn't help at all. I looked around at the people in the train, wishing that one of them was Nico. If he were here then everything would be alright…

He's gone. I told myself. But even as I did, I started thinking of ways that Nico could have made his way onto the train.

He could have seen me run away and then followed me, but that would have meant leaving Oliver alone to fight Kelly and I knew Nico would never do that.

My second idea was that he could just shadow travel onto the train. Hope flickered in my chest like a warm candle flame. But almost as soon as I got the idea I dismissed it. I remembered during the first week of camp Nico told me the rules of shadow traveling.

"It's nearly impossible to shadow travel onto moving objects." Nico had said. "See, you have to know the exact location of the place you want to travel and it's hard to pinpoint the location of something that moves."

I could practically see Nico in front of me, pacing and gesturing with his hands. I smiled at the way his eyes sparked with interest whenever he talked about the things he was passionate about. It always made me so happy to see Nico finding things to enjoy; finding things to love.

Thinking about Nico made another memory swim to the surface of my mind. It was exactly one week after I arrived at camp and we were sitting in our usual spot by the lake. It was the hottest day of the month and everyone was either staying in their cabins or jumping in the lake. Everyone, but us.

I was sweating like a dog even though I was wearing shorts and a tank top. I glanced over at Nico and marveled at the way he could wear long pants and his aviator jacket in this heat. I wondered why he never took it off, but I didn't ask him about it. After a week of seeing him wear that coat I knew that it must be special to him.

I had my legs sprawled out in front of me, but Nico had his knees hugged to his chest. He usually sat like this, curled up in a tight ball. It made him look defensive, like he was closing himself off from the world and retreating inside himself.

The more I looked at Nico, the more I realized how he possessed a fragile kind of beauty. My eyes trailed down the curve of his thin nose and over his sharp cheek bones. My gaze lingered along his smooth jawline where his hair fell like dark feathers. His skin was so pale it almost looked translucent, like it was made out of tissue paper. His figure was slender and he was always careful about where he put his feet which resulted in unintended gracefulness. That's what I liked most about Nico; he didn't realize how beautiful and reassuring he was.

Despite his delicate appearance, Nico was anything but weak. Beneath his tired eyes was a raging fire; a fire that could leave a city in ruins or a forest in desolation. Nico was powerful in a silent way. He didn't go around destroying everything in his path; he waited for the right moment and for the right reasons.

Looking at him, I realized that Nico reminded me of a fallen angel. He was a soul who deserved more than what he was given. Nico had always seemed out of place at Camp Half-Blood, and not just because he was the son of Hades. People were afraid of him, of what he could do. Now I wondered if it was because he was destined for greater things. Maybe everyone knew that he was too powerful to be held down. Maybe he had lost his wings and if he could only find them he would be whole again. Nico would no longer be the outcast, the broken boy. He would soar above everything that had ever brought him down in his life and for the first time in years he would be free; he would be untouchable.

That was the moment I promised to become Nico's wings.

Back on the train I sighed sadly to myself. I hadn't known that dying would be part of that plan. But in the few weeks that I had known Nico I had learned what it means to have a friend. No, not a friend; a part of my heart that I hadn't realized was missing.

Yes, I realize how ridiculously cliché that was. And, yes, I have read too many romance novels.

I looked around at the people in the train. They were all just minding their own business; completely unaware that the world was in mortal peril. Completely oblivious to the fact that I was going to save them all.

My chest ached with grief. The pain was so sudden and intense that it took my breath away. Along with this unexpected sorrow came a horrible realization; in less than two hours I would be nothing more than a name on a long list of dead heroes.

Abraham Lincoln, Anne Frank, Ulysses S. Grant, Hercules. All people who changed the world. Everyone remembers their name and what they accomplished, but no one actually remembers them.

No one knows what Anne Frank did for fun or who her best friend was. There's no one around who remembers Abraham Lincoln's favorite color, what he liked to do on Sunday evenings, or if he always ate one too many slices of cherry pie.

No one cares about them. They only care about what these heroes accomplished and how it helps them get ahead in life. To everyone else they're just people who were special enough to make a difference.

But I'm just now realizing that you don't have to be special to be a hero. I mean, I'm anything but special. I'm average (and quite boring) and yet here I am sitting on a train, harboring a goddess in my mace, about to save the world.

Everyone at Camp Half-Blood will know my name and what I did, but only Nico, Oliver, and my half-siblings will remember me.

But for how long?

I rubbed my temples and tried to will the depressing thoughts away. After a minute of concentrating on not thinking about death (which ultimately made me think about it more), I finally gave up and just let my mind roam.

At first I thought about everything that could go wrong with the quest. Erebos might not be in Jazzland. He might be too powerful for Hemera to defeat. Hemera might not even come out of my mace! That would be embarrassing…

After a few minutes of making myself even more anxious, my thoughts drifted to (you'll never guess!) Nico. It was like he was glued to my brain! Curse him for being so adorable that I couldn't stop thinking about him.

I started imagining what it would be like -what we would be like- if I had never been assigned this quest. Images and impossible dreams immediately began to fill my head; Nico and I spending lazy afternoons by the lake. Arguing about whether or not Batman could beat Superman in a fight. Casually resting my head on his shoulder as everyone sang songs around the campfire. Sneaking out at midnight to steal kisses behind the Hades cabin. Drifting off to sleep and waking up in Nico's arms.

Falling in love with my best friend.

I was certain that I would have, given a little more time. I guess the gods just weren't in our favor, as usual.

I sighed heavily and ran my fingers through my hair, sitting up straighter in my seat. Darren glanced at me hopefully but quickly looked away when I glared at him. I tapped my fingers against my knees as the train continued on its way. I didn't know how much longer it was before the train reached New Orleans and I was starting to get antsy. I really wanted to jump up and walk around, but I figured that would annoy people. Instead I tapped my toes against the floor and tried to contain my sudden urge to move. I almost started feeling impatient –like I actually wanted to find Erebos and just get this whole ordeal over with.

But I also wished that time would freeze so that I would never have to face him. I would just ride this train into eternity, although it would be more enjoyable if Nico and Oliver were here. I was so tense and on edge that I nearly jumped out of my seat when I heard the over speaker announce that we were ten minutes away from New Orleans.

I suddenly felt chilled to the bone, as if I were absorbing the darkness outside the train. By now the night was so thick that I could barely see the city lights. They looked like they were being sucked away into the inky blackness. I forced myself to look away from the window and I leaned back in my chair, clutching the armrests until my knuckles were white.

I must have looked terrified because Darren raised an eyebrow at me, but didn't say anything. Even the old lady next to me glanced at me and offered me a toothless smile. She reminded me a lot of Hemera, which made me feel worse.

"I know just what you need, sweetie." She said overly-kind. She dug around in her purse for a moment before pulling out a hairy caramel candy. She beamed at me as if this candy had the power to save the universe. If only…

I forced a smile onto my face and accepted the gooey treat (which did not have a wrapper). Honestly, there was more hair than candy! I was pretty sure that if I ate it I would be dead before it reached my stomach. There was even a nasty looking tic tac stuck to the side of it.

Sweet. Two in one. I thought numbly. The old woman looked at me expectantly, like she thought I was actually going to eat this abomination. I flashed her another pathetic grin before saying, "I think I'll save it for later." I shoved it into my pocket next to the two train tickets that never got used.

Darren suppressed a laugh but the old lady didn't notice. She just hummed a tuneless song quietly to herself and stared off into the distance. Darren looked at me and smiled as if we somehow had a special connection now.

Yeah, no. I folded my arms and looked away. I knew I was being a jerk and that Darren hadn't actually done anything wrong, but I guess when you're about to face a psychopath god who was trying to take over the world, it puts you in a bad mood.

All too soon, the train lulled to a stop and even though I could barely see the train station I knew we had arrived in New Orleans. It felt like a rock dropped in my stomach; it was heavy and uncomfortable. I cleared my suddenly dry throat and stood up, slinging my backpack over my shoulder.

I looked back at Darren and the old lady and gave the both a small but genuine smile. These would probably be the last people I would talk to in my entire life. The old lady beamed back at me and Darren smiled flirtatiously, although he did look a little surprised. I rolled my eyes, turned around, and joined the flood of people exiting the train.

I welcomed the feel of being pushed effortlessly through the train. It was like I melted into these people and I didn't feel like I was being set apart as "the chosen one" or whatever. It felt strangely comforting. All too soon I was pushed out of the train and fell, stumbling, onto the pavement.

I couldn't see three feet in front of me, it was so dark, and the people stepping off the train looked more like shadows than humans. I stood in the same spot, turning in circles like an idiot. I had absolutely no idea where to go from here. I didn't know how far away Jazzland was or if I would even be able to get inside. I guess I should have thought ahead… whoops.

I breathed out softly and listened for the sound of a highway. Off to my right I heard the distinct hum of distant cars and began walking towards it. After five minutes of shuffling like a blind man, tripping over cracks in the pavement, and nearly breaking my neck falling over benches and trashcans, I arrived at the edge of the highway.

The constant light from the cars' headlights was reassuring. I waved my arms for a taxi, but none pulled over; they just zoomed past me. They probably couldn't even see me because it was so dark. Finally, after ten minutes, a taxi cab pulled over next to me.

I breathed a sigh of relief and climbed into the back seat. There were muddy footprints on the floor and crumpled paper in the seat, so I assumed it was near the end of the driver's shift.

"Where to, Miss?" A sluggish voice asked me.

"Six Flags New Orleans, please." The driver looked at me through the rearview mirror. His eyes were dark and squinty.

"It's been shut down for years, Miss. It's closed off from the public." I leaned back into the seat.

"That's okay." I replied. The driver shrugged and pulled back onto the highway. I watched the lights of the cars zoom by for a few minutes before asking, "How far is it to Six Flags?" to which the man replied, "Little more than twenty miles. Forty or so minutes."

I hugged my arms around myself and sunk deeper into my seat. With the darkness pressing through the window I felt so small and helpless. This was a new feeling for me because, as child, I had never really been afraid of the dark. In fact, I kind of liked the way it enveloped me like a blanket and hid me from the rest of the world. It almost felt like there was a barrier between me and everyone else and nothing could touch me. I felt like a completely different person and all it took was one flip of the switch.

Now that I think about it, that's kind of the way I felt around Nico.

Ah, yes, there he is. I almost didn't think about him for… twenty minutes? Ten?

Ugh, I am pathetic. I told myself. I was about to meet my death, for Hade's sake, and all I could think about was some stupid boy.

Not stupid. My consious corrected me. Mysterious, shy, charming, funny, cute, goofy, enthralling, and –let's be honest– he has a seriously hot bod.

Shut up! I yelled at myself, clenching my eyes shut. I told myself that thinking about Nico would just be distracting and painful, but I secretly welcomed the distraction. I mean, there wasn't much I could do about the whole Erebos situation. All I could do was find him and release Hemera. It sounded so simple, but it scared me so bad I was constantly shaking.

So I eventually welcomed the image of Nico's smile, of his tousled hair, of his dusty pink lips. Thinking about him made my heart beat fast, but not because I was afraid. For the bajillionth time today I wished that he were here with me. I wished I could bury myself inside his aviator jacket which smelled so strongly of the forest. I longed for him to tell me that everything would be okay, even though I knew it wouldn't. I wanted to hold his face and kiss him until I couldn't think straight.

I drifted deeper into my fantasies while the taxi drew closer to Jazzland and Erebos. I was so caught up in the idea of Nico and I dancing that I didn't even realized that the taxi had stopped. Nico in a tuxedo was so adorable that I wasn't able to snap back to reality until I heard the driver talk.

"… too dark? Will you be alright, Miss?" Squinty Eyes watched me through the mirror. I took one look out the window and all thoughts of Nico were chased away. It looked like a wall of pitch black clouds was surrounding the entire amusement park. There was no way in Hades that I was going to be alright.

I nodded to the driver and pulled a twenty dollar bill out of my back pocket. My cheeks burned as I handed he money to Squinty Eyes. The same money that I stole from Oliver's bag. I pushed aside my shame as I stepped out of the cab.

As the taxi drove away, I was immediately struck by how cold it was. I'm sure I would have been able to see my own breath if it wasn't so dark. If I was scared before, I was utterly petrified now. My teeth chattered and my entire body shook. I took a small step forward. The sound of my shoes against the gravel was much louder than it should have been. I slowly made my way forward, reaching my hand out to feel for anything I might trip on.

Eventually my fingers latched onto something; a chain link fence. I knew that if I followed the fence it would lead to a gate, so I began to walk while trailing my fingers along the twisted metal. I walked for quite a long time without feeling a change in the fence. I figured the gate must have been the other direction so I turned around and retraced my steps.

I tried to ignore the ominous feeling that the swirling darkness was creating. I almost felt like it was pulling me towards it; like it wanted me to come. I shivered and walked a little faster. After what felt like an eternity, my fingers brushed against a space in the fence. It wasn't a gate, just a small missing place in the fence.

Someone must have cut it out. I thought to myself as I squeezed through it. I stopped right inside the fence, too afraid to move forward.

It was a strange type of fear. I was so terrified that I felt calm. Well, other than the sweating and shaking. For some reason my mind was oddly blank. I wasn't thinking about Nico or Erebos or death or anything. It was almost like I wasn't even in my body anymore; now I was just the empty husk of a human who was going through the motions to save the world.

So I took a step into the wall of inky darkness. And another. And another. Until I found a rhythm; step. Breathe. Step. Breathe. Step.

I didn't know where I was going and I couldn't see where my feet were taking me, but I could feel Erebos tugging me closer. The darkness stretched around me like icy fingers, luring me further into the heart of the danger. I didn't know when to pull out my mace and release Hemera. I didn't know the exact location of the Erebos' core. So I just kept walking and hoping that Erebos would lead me right to him.

And I was right.

The air grew colder and thicker. For some reason, however, it was lighter here and I could see the vague outlines of abandoned gift shops and broken rides. My hand flicked to my mace, which was strapped to my belt. It felt cool and there was no sign that Hemera would be coming out soon. I breathed deeply and stopped walking.

I turned slowly in a circle and stared at my surroundings. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but the only way I could describe it was that I this feeling that Erebos would be on one of the rides. Don't ask me why I thought this. Maybe I was just so scared I was making up dumb ideas that sounded logical at the time. Either way, I began to move towards a broken down merry-go-round. As I approached it, lightning spilt open the sky and lit up a giant sign in front of me; the same sign that I had seen in my dream. I had almost forgotten about the clown, but now its dead eyes were burned into my vision.

At least I know I'm in the right place. I thought glumly. I could feel the sign's presence as I passed under it, almost as if the clown's eyes (or lack of) were following me. I unhooked my mace and held it tightly in both hands. It felt better holding a weapon in my hands.

As I neared the merry-go-round my breath came short and shallow. Just like the clown sign, this ride was the same as the one from my dream. Only it wasn't spinning.

I really, really didn't want to get on it, but the pitch black air pulled me closer. I hesitantly placed one of my feet on the ride. Nothing happened. I grabbed onto one of the plastic horses and hauled myself up. The moment I placed both feet on the ride it started to spin. At first it was slow, just like a normal merry-go-round, but it quickly gained speed. I couldn't believe that my nightmare was actually coming to life.

I breathed out shortly. Well, this is it. I gripped tightly to one of the horses and held my mace just as tightly in my right hand. The merry-go-round spun and spun and dark clouds rolled in, causing everything to be blurred by the hazy, black smoke.

I didn't know how long I had been on the ride; it could have been seconds or hours. Erebos was playing with me. He knew I wasn't strong enough to last much longer. Pretty soon I would be flung off the ride and into the deadly fog that surrounded me.

Tears were ripped from my eyes and each time I drew a breath it was torn from my lips, almost as if the inky darkness were reaching down my throat to steal the air from my lungs. I gripped the side of a plastic horse with one arm and in the other I held my mace. The ride was spinning too fast. I was getting dizzy and I knew I wouldn't be able to hold on for long. I prayed for Hemera to come now, but nothing happened. The wind wrenched my mace arm back and bent my shoulder at a painful angle. I cried out and more tears stained my cheeks.

"Hemera!" I screamed. Still nothing. But I had to do this; I was not letting go. My grip on my mace tightened as the merry-go-round spun even faster.

Just when I thought this couldn't be worse, a shadow emerged directly in front of me. Dread filled my stomach; Erebos had finally come to finish me off. He was done playing games. I closed my eyes and was met with more darkness. My mind was empty as I waited for the final blow to come.

But it never did.

What did come, however, might as well have been the killing blow because I felt like my breath was being squeezed out of me. The dark figure laughed cruelly and my stomach twisted.

"I thought I might see you here" was all the shadow said, but it was enough to send my world crashing down around me because I recognized that voice. It was a voice that I had spent hours laughing with. A voice that I trusted with my life. A voice that I had grown to love.

A voice that I never thought would betray me.

ATTENTION ALL READERS: Okay, so I came up with the idea to start a contest. The person to write the 70th review will receive –drumroll, please– a one-shot on any PJO or HoO pairing written by yours truly! I'll PM the winner and ask them which couple they want me to write about and then I'll PM them the one-shot, as well. If you have questions or anything just ask. So, yeah. Let the games begin!