I did manage to update this weekend. Yay! Thank you for your reviews TheSimpleFrenchLady and supernatural-lover568. Enjoy!

Chapter Forty Seven: A Battle and I Love You

I was in the middle of the cabin area, talking to Lee, Michael Yew, and Will Solace about me and their dad ( the definition of awkward right there), when the questers arrived. All four of them were there, plus one. They arrived on pegasi. Chiron, Sirius, and Silenus were there as well. The extra boy turned out to be Nico. I Hugged Tyson, then Percy. Next came Grover and, finally, Nico. I told him off for running away from camp.

They told us how they had seen Kronos rise (and how Rachel hit him in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush) and that Quintus was really Daedalus. Chiron and Sirius shared a look like they had suspected this all along. Why didn't they tell me! Grover told us how they had watched Pan fade. Poor Grover, he spent so long searching for him just to watch him fade. You see, immortal beings can't die, but they can fade. They fade when people stop worshipping them or their domain disappears. The wild is slowly disappearing so Pan faded. Silenus didn't believe him and started yelling at him before storming off. Chiron sighed and told us to grab our armor and get everyone prepared for battle. I nodded and ran off to the archery range to warn those who were training.

Everyone was out there in the clearing and helping in some way. The Hermes and Apollo cabins were scattered throughout the trees and in the forest armed with bows. The dryads were armed with bows as well. The Hephaestus cabin had set up tons of traps using Greek Fire around Zeus' Fist. The Ares cabin was set up behind them in Phalanx formation. Clarisse was shouting out orders. Behind them, stood Beckendorf. He was armed with two catapults the size of pickup trucks. They were both aimed at the entrance. Behind him stood the rest of his cabin with their weapons. I looked over at little Harley. He had just turned eight last week and already, he was fighting in battle.

The satyrs were running around with wooden cudgels and trees made of tree bark. The Athena cabin were figuring out battle plans with the help of Remus who had a bow and quiver strapped to his back. I had seen him at the archery range and did not want to be on the wrong side of his bow. The Aphrodite children were running around straightening people's armors. I saw Silena kiss Beckendorf's cheek for good luck. If we all make it out of this alive, I swear I am going to get those two together. Lav, Vati, and Padma stood around me with their weapons drawn. Padma had never been one to miss out on the action and Lav and Vati just refused to leave my side. The twin sons of DIonysus were running around giving everyone juice boxes and water bottles. The children of Demeter were encasing the entrance in vines to make it harder for the monsters to exit the Labyrinth.

Sirius came up to me with Nico trailing behind him. Sirius had a sword strapped to his hip and Nico was holding one with a black blade. "It's not enough," he murmured so only Nico and I could here. I shook my head sadly. I looked around. At the edge of the clearing, Grover was holding Juniper's hands and whispering to her. I wish Apollo was here so I could tell him I love him. I had never said it to him even though he told me he loved me. I was just too nervous and didn't know if I really loved him yet.

"Chiron said he wants you guys to go where reinforcements are needed most when the battle starts," Sirius informed all of us. I nodded. I was watching Tyson move boulders next of the catapult. I felt the ground tremor and would have fallen over if Sirius hadn't caught me. I pulled Mov from its sheath and flicked my wrist. My wand shot from its holster into my left hand. SIrius had pulled out his sword. I turned of see Remus behind me with his bow aimed at the rock formation, arrow notched and ready to fly. I saw the red gleaming eyes of a dracaena through the vines that the Demeter cabin had conjured. She pulled out a bronze sword and easily sliced through the vines. The army of the Titans burst forth.

"Fire!" shouted Beckendorf. Two huge boulders hurtled towards the monsters and took out the dozen Laistrygonians up front. They were cannibalistic giants that were fire proof. Thirty or forty dracaenae burst forth from the Labyrinth next. The Apollo and Hermes cabins easily took them out with a volley of arrows. That's when Hades broke loose. The monsters seemed to stop coming in groups and just swarmed out of the entrance. I started to slash and hack my way through the creatures. I was separated from my friends.

I saw a hellhound leap from the Labyrinth and charge the satyrs. It was not Mrs. O'Leary who had disappeared along with Daedalus. I chased after it and knocked it off a satyr who lay motionless. I sent curses at the hellhound, but I was too late. It pounced on top of me, knocking my wand from my hand.

The hellhound opened its mouth and began to lunge at me. In the distance I could see Juniper's tree was on fire. I couldn't do anything to help. I was going to die getting eaten by a hellhound. I closed my eyes. The hound's breath smelled like rotting fish. One of its paws was pushing down on my chest. I couldn't breath, but in a few moments that wouldn't matter. There was a large crunch and I assumed I was dead. But wait, I'm breathing again. I can't be dead.

I opened my eyes and did I see a sight for sore eyes. In front of me was Mrs. O'Leary and on her back was Daedalus. He slipped off the huge hellhound and stabbed the smaller one that had attacked me. He picked up my wand from where he was standing and tossed it to me. I caught it and stood up, rubbing my bruised chest. "Thanks for that."

"Any time," he grinned back, shakily. He pulled his sword out of the sheath that was attached to his belt and ran off back towards the monsters with Mrs. O'Leary trailing along behind him, crushing monsters as she went.I ran off to help others. I saw a son of Dionysus battling a cyclops and losing but before I could get there, he went down. I charged the cyclops. I jumped into the air and slashed downwards with Mov. That cyclops lost its head. A large group of monsters broke off and began to lumber towards the cabins. Nico saw them and raised his hands. His eyes were closed and he was doing some son of Hades thing. A fissure opened in the ground and a bunch of undead warriors erupted out of it. Nico collapsed to his knees. I wanted to help him, but I was too engaged fighting two telchines. They were these doberman and seal crossbreeds that betrayed the gods.

I heard a scream behind me as I finished off the last telchine. I turned to see a brown haired girl fall to the ground. It was Lavender. It took me only a second to realize what happened. An empousa had shot an arrow t my back and Lav had taken it for me. It was embedded in her stomach. I knelt down to help her, but she pushed my hand away. She coughed weakly before whispering, "Win this one for me, Nina." I carefully hugged my friend and stood back up. I started firing hexes from where I was standing. I wasn't going to leave Lav undefended. The first hex I shot was a blasting curse at the empousa that had hurt my friend.

Juniper ran passed me. She held a stick and had a murderous fire in her green eyes. SHe looked ready to tan someone's backside with that thing. I thought the battle had finally evened out. Then, out of nowhere, an ear piercing screech came from underground. A horrid monster with bat wings burst forth from the Labyrinth. It was a being I had hoped to never meet. She was the guardian of the original cyclopes and the hekatonkheires, or hundred-handed ones, Kampê. She had two long katanas. They were bright green and dripped with poison. She spotted something and started flying. She landed in front of me. "Hello, Daughter of Poseidon. Let us see if you fight better than your brother."

Oh, that something was me. I was so dead. I looked up at the sun. 'I love you, Apollo' I thought. I looked back at Kampê. I raised my wand and muttered a slashing hex. It reflected off her scales and back at me. I had just enough time to create a protego. Spells were not goingt of work. I slipped my wand back in its holster and raised Mov. I stepped over Lavender and got ready for the fight of my life. I was ready to charge when shadow covered the sun. The monster and I looked up to see a boulder sailing towards us. It landed on top of Kampê, crushing the monster. Only her blades stuck out. I looked to see Tyson frowning at the boulder and dusting off his hands. I grinned, BEST BROTHER EVER! Tyson pointed next to him and my mouth dropped open. There was a hecatoncheir standing next to him. I believe that would be the one Percy was telling me about, Briareus. Briareus threw a few more boulders on top of Kampê before turning around to kill more monsters.

I thought the monsters were going to retreat when one dracaena shouted, "Ssssslay them! Kill them all or Kronossss will flay you alive!" The threat was obviously more frightening than us because all the monsters surged forwards. One hit Chiron in his hind legs and he collapsed. Six giants rushed forward in glee. I heard Percy shout. I wanted to run to help, but I couldn't leave Lavender.

That's when it happened. Grover opened his mouth and a horrible screech escaped him. It was like a banshee only 1,000 times worse. I covered my ears to block the noise. It was the sound of true fear. Grover had caused a Panic. In the first titanomachy, the god Pan had made that sound. It struck fear into the hearts of the enemies. It s later named Panic after Pan. Grover truly was the Lord of the Wild. The enemy army quickly ran back into the Labyrinth. All the monsters were gone, for now.

I dropped down next to Lav. Vati saw us and rushed over. I pulled my friends head into my lap and carefully undid her helmet. Her skin was so pale from the blood loss. Vati removed the armor that covered her torso and picked up the knife that was still in Lav's hand. She started to cut open the arrow wound more. We couldn't just pull it out because the arrow head would more than likely get stuck in her stomach and then there would be no way to get it out. When the wound was big enough, Vati grabbed the shaft at the base and yanked the arrow from her sister's body. I summoned ambrosia and nectar from my bracelet and gave the nectar to Vati to pour on the cut. I force fed Lav the ambrosia. Her eyes fluttered open and a little color returned to her skin. She smiled weakly at us and told us to go heal others and that she would be fine. We each hugged her before running off.

I saw Sirius leaning over someone and ran over to help him. Nico was lying unconscious in the grass. The surrounding grass was yellow and dead. Smoke was curling off his body and Sirius was holding him up in a sitting position. I gently poured some nectar down Nico's throat. He coughed and opened his eyes. Sirius laid him back on the ground and felt his forehead and pulse. "Never tried to summon so many before. I-I'll be fine." Mia bambino cugino sat up and stared at something behind me. "Daedalus," he croaked. The old inventor walked up to us and knelt down.

"Yes, my boy. I made a very bad mistake. I came to correct it."

"I found the hundred handed one as I came through the maze," Daedalus explained as Percy, Tyson, and Annabeth joined us. "It seemed he had the same idea, to come help, but he got lost. And so we fell in together. We both came to make amends."

"Yay!" exclaimed Tyson.

"As long as the Labyrinth is here, your enemies can use it," continued Daedalus.

"What do you suggest?" I asked.

Daedalus looked at me for a second. "The Labyrinth cannot continue."

"But you said the Labyrinth is tied to your life force," argued Annabeth.

Daedalus smiled slightly and pulled a silver laptop with a blue delta symbol on the top out of his satchel, or man purse, whichever you prefer. He gave it to Annabeth, telling her it had all his work saved on it. He asked Percy to take care of Mrs. O'Leary. Percy was very happy to do so. I could tell he had somehow bonded with her and he now had a third familiar as well. Mrs. O'Leary licked Daedalus one last time before lumbering off to stand next to my brother. "Will you take my soul for ransom?" Daedalus asked Nico. "You could use it to reclaim your sister."

Nico shook his head. "I will help you release your spirit, but BIanca has passed. SHe must stay where she is."

"Well done, son of Hades. You are becoming wise. One last thing, Sirius. Make sure these idiots don't get themselves hurt too badly. I would hate to see their souls in the Underworld for at least 80 more years." Sirius let out a bark of laughter and we all started laughing as well. "I am ready to see my son...and Perdix. I must tell them how sorry I am."

Nico placed his hand on the side of the inventor's face. "Your time has long since come. Be released and rest in peace." Daedalus smiled as his body turned to ash. I curled into Siri's side. I may not have known him well, but I would still miss him. A rumbling sounded and I felt the earth shake as the Labyrinth collapsed.

"Come on," Sirius said, pulling me up. "We have work to do. I looked around at all the dead bodies. the injured had been all taken care of.

I sighed. The funeral for all who had died was today. Everyone was wearing black. I was wearing a long, black dress. Many on our side had died. There were also some enemy demigods that I recognized from my first few years at camp. Lee had died. I hadn't seen Apollo since before the quest into the Labyrinth had started. I wondered how he was coping with the death of his eldest. I hoped he was okay.

At noon the next day, there was a meeting of the Council of Cloven Elders, or the fat satyrs. I prefered the latter name for them. Chiron as there as well, in his wheelchair. He would be confined to t for the next couple months while his broken leg healed. Silenus wanted to exile Grover, but Chiron made him hear evidence first. Everyone who had been on the quest recounted their version of the meeting with Pan. Everyone who was at the battle was willing to tell the council that Grover had caused a Panic. "A vote!" Silenus demanded. "Who would believe this young satyr, anyway?"

"I would," came a voice from behind us. Mr. D. was back. He looked the same as usual. The only difference was he seemed to be suffering more from grief than wine withdrawal. The satyrs all stood and bowed and Dionysus waved his hand. A throne of grapevines appeared next to Silenus. "Miss me?" The satyrs were quick to agree. "Well, I didn't miss this place. Bad news, the minor gods are joining the Titans." Oh, that is bad news. "I want to hear Grover's story again, from the top."

"But, my lord," complained Silenus, "it is just nonsense."

"I have just learned that my son, Castor, is dead, Silenus. I am not in a good mood. You would do well to humor me." The old satyr gulped and sat down. Juniper held Grover's hand as he retold the story. The three satyrs on the council voted to exile him while Dionysus and Chiron voted against. Thank the gods a god's vote is counted twice when the council is made up like this. The matter was dissolved and Grover was not exiled.

Nco left that night. He wanted to find out more of his past since he didn't remember any of it. When I was walking back from saying goodbye, Mr. D. asked me to walk with him to the campfire. Apparently, I was needed because I always managed to annoy him and he was feeling too good. I choose to ignore that comment. We talked about the war until we reached the amphitheater. I w a large hispanic boy sitting next to Clarisse. He had just told her a joke and they were both laughing. "You cured him?" I asked, excited that my friend was better.

"Madness is my speciality. It was quite simple." I grinned at Mr. D. and ran off to go say hi to Chris.

I went home with Percy for some odd reason. We talked to Annabeth on top of the hill for a little on top of the hill. I actually had a decent conversation with her. Annabeth and I didn't hate each other anymore. We had worked on a lot of projects on Daedalus' laptop together and had gotten a lot closer because of it. We still weren't friends. We were more like co-workers. We worked together and that was it.

While we stood on top of the hill, Hera showed up and began talking about how Percy and Annabeth succeeded in their quest. We realized something. The queen of the gods only care about perfect people. Not people with flaws. She kept glaring at me like I had killed her puppy or something. I was very thankful when the camp van showed up. Percy and I waved goodbye to Annabeth and ran down to it.

Mine and Percy's birthday fell two days after we got back. We didn't have a real part since none of us had mortal friends and Lav, Vati, and Padma had gone back to England. Chiron had agreed that I should go to the Quidditch World Cup and Bill and Charlie Weasley were coming to pick me up tomorrow. It turns out, Sally already told Paul that I was witch and he was cool with it.

Tyson, Sally, Paul, Percy, and I were the only ones there. When I walked down this morning, I almost died of a heart attack. Sally actually hugged me! I looked around to see if there was anyone there she was pretending for. There wasn't anyone so I awkwardly hugged my mother back. I had no idea what was going on. Maybe, she was going to poison me.

Sally had made a purple cake and a blue cake. Why was there one for me? She never did anything for me. This was starting to scare me. While Sally and Tyson were blowing up balloons, Paul asked us to com in the kitchen with him. Uh oh, this is never good.

"I hear your mom is signing you two up for driver's ed next summer," he said.

"You did?" I asked. He nodded. "Wow, I didn't know she was signing us up for that! Why doesn't anyone ever tell me stuff like this!"

Percy laughed at my expense. "Yeah, I'm really psyched."

"You've had a tough summer," he said after studying us for a while. "I'm guessing you lost someone important and...girl and er, guy trouble."

"A couple of friends passed away. And Percy and his friend Annabeth are in love, they just won't admit it."

"We are not in love," Percy snapped at me. Paul and I laughed as Percy began to blush.

"I'm sorry," said Paul. "Percy, Nina, I feel kinda bad giving you another thing to think about, but I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah?" Percy and I asked at the same time.

"Girl stuff."

"I'm out," I said and started to leave the room. Percy grabbed my shoulder and turned me back around.

"What do you mean?" aske Percy, politely. That's a new one.

"Your mom." I started to giggle. I knew where this was going. Percy was still oblivious.

"I give you my full permission," I said.

"You mean...marrying her? You and her?" Sometimes I worry about you, Perce.

"Well, that was the general idea. Would that be okay with you?"

"I think that's a great idea, Paul. Go for it."

Paul grinned at us. "Thanks you two, let's get back in there.

Percy and I were just about to blow out the candles when the doorbell rang. I ran to get it. "Daddy!" I yelled as I jumped into my dad's arms. He laughed and hugged me back.

"Do you mind if I come in Sally?" he asked.

"Oh no, of course not," Sally was a little surprised. I jumped down and dragged my dad into the living room. Yes, I realize he's an all powerful god. Get over it. I sat him down on the couch and curled up into him.

Paul stepped forward and my dad attempted to stand up, but I was curled up into his lap. He picked me up and plopped me down on the couch so he could rise to shake Paul's hand. "Hi, I'm Paul Blofis."

"Blowfish, did you say?" I giggled. Both Percy and I had made that mistake.

"No, Blofis."

"Oh, pity. I rather like blowfish. Call me Poseidon."

"Like the god of the sea?" asked Paul. Dad smiled and nodded.

"Daddy!" said Tyson as he came back from the bathroom.

"Hello, Tyson," Dad said as he hugged Tyson. I heard Paul ask Sally if Tyson was hers. She said no and that it was a long story. Dad asked to borrow me and Percy for a minute and we went into the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Dad told us about the war. He told us to be careful and remember to keep our heads. He gave us each a sand dollar, saying it would be useful. I had no idea why, but I stuck it in my pocket for safekeeping. My dad gave each of us a kiss goodbye before disappearing into mist.

Percy dragged me up to his room to show me a flower he had gotten from the Ogygia which is the island he got stuck on. He had brought back two and he gave one to me. I decided I should give it to Professor Sprout. Percy planted the other one. We wer about to go downstairs, when we heard a tap on the window. We turned to see Nico standing there. I quickly let him in.

Nico informed us of Daedalus' punishment. He was building roads in Asphodel for all time. That doesn't seem too bad. He gets to see his son and Perdix on the weekends too. He seems to have lucked out. Nico was about to tell us a way to beat Luke when I heard his stomach growl. Percy took him downstairs for some cake. I was about to close the window when a golden glow appeared. I grinned and climbed out the window onto the fire escape. The light dimmed and a blonde man appeared. "Apollo," I sighed as he wrapped me in his arms. I snuggled into his embrace.

"Happy birthday, Sparkles." He was pretending to be a 15 year old again. He mostly stayed that age when he was around me unless he was driving me somewhere.

I pulled back slightly and Apolo looked at me, concerned. "How are you doing with y-you know..."

"My son's death," he whispered. He leaned up against the railing. "It's been hard. It's always hard when I lose a child. Lee, he was a good kid. Hads said he was in Elysium and that always eases the pain a little." I took his hand in my own.

"He was a good friend," I sighed. "'Pollo?" Apollo turned to face me. "At the beginning of the battle, I was scared. I knew we didn't have enough forces. I didn't think I was going to see you ever again." Apollo took my face in his hands and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. "I realized something that I was scared I would never get to tell you. I love you, Apollo."

Apollo smiled at me. His eyes reflected the light just enough to make them sparkle. He leaned down and I stood on my toes. Our lips met in the middle. I didn't see fireworks. Instead, I felt like I was invincible. I felt like there was nothing that could stop me from winning this war. Apollo slowly pulled back, my face still in his hands. "I love you too." That was our first kiss. Well, we'd kissed each other's cheeks and Apollo always kissed my forehead, but that was our first kiss on the lips. It was amazing.

I grinned at my boyfriend. "C'mon, let's go downstairs. You can join the party. We already have two mortals, two children of Poseidon, a son of Hades, and a cyclops. Let's add a god to the mix." Apollo laughed and I led him downstairs.