The tension in Percy's jaw threatened to crack his teeth. His pace was akin to a snail's but Zoe had been explicit in her instructions. Slowly creeping around the edges of the garden was the only way that they could get around Ladon. The periphery heads of the hundred-headed dragon kept staring, but he never left his post. Most of them looked perplexed, contemplating whether or not they were worth a tasty snack.

"It's me." Zoe soothed. "I used to feed thee."

Zoe's sisters, the Hesperides, looked on in disgust. "Foolish Huntress," they sneered. "He will devour you."

Zoe just shrugged. "I do not think so sisters, but we shall see, in time."

Ladon continued his perplexing shifting. Half of him looked like he wanted to eat Zoe right where she stood, defending the golden apples like he had been trained. The other half seemed to sense her familiarity. In a way, it almost made him seem like the family dog, eagerly awaiting the eldest child's return home from college for winter break.

The head closest to Zoe snapped, and she narrowly darted out of the way. The other heads began to hiss at the aggressor. The outside set never left Percy and the other Hunters, watching them with intrigue, but without malice. Despite lack of hostility, the dragon's golden eyes felt unsettling, as though they could see right through him.

As they approached the other side of the clearing, opposite the tree, the one closest spoke up. "Enough." She commanded. "Ladon, dispose of these strangers."

All of Ladon's golden eyes glazed over, like he was in a trance. He swayed slightly as nearly every head trained its gaze on Zoe. "It has been a pleasure to see you again." Ladon crooned, a deep dulcet tone. "Unfortunately, I see nothing more than four Hesperides, four Hunters, and a demigod."

Zoe kept up her soothing speech as she continued to creep around the garden. "I used to feed thee, remember?" Her voice wavered at the end as she repeated the words. "From the time thou was but a hatchling."

Ladon just sighed, his hundred heads drooping in unison, as though he was an unwilling executioner. "Goodbye, Zoe."

He lunged. Zoe whipped out a long hunting knife to parry his strike. She was nearly fast enough, but Percy saw the edges of Ladon's teeth scrape Zoe's side. Her blades clashed against them, but the damage was already done.

A fierce wave of frustration swamped Percy. They were so close to success, and failure was not an option. His frustration trickled into the earth, shaking the ground and forcing Ladon's attention onto him. He had no love lost for the Lieutenant, but he couldn't stomach the thought of abandoning her. In the back of his mind, the thought creeped that Thalia would be less likely to join the Hunters if Zoe could stay alive.

"Hey, Dragon-breath!" Percy called, trying not to cringe at the nickname. "Over here." Ladon turned, looking mildly amused, or as much as a terrifying hundred headed dragon could look amused. His swaying had resumed and Percy's stomach dropped. Well, that's unsettling. Zoe quickly darted beneath a distracted head to join Percy on the other side of the garden.

"Impressive." Ladon said. "You are not here for the apples, so I'll let you live. This time." Then, his glassy eyes began to return to normal, the Hesperides' enchantment beginning to fade. "It has been millennia since I have interacted with a demigod, much less one who caused me to falter." His hundred sets of golden eyes narrowed. "If I ever see you again, it will be far too soon." Satisfied with his warning, Ladon turned around, curling around the massive golden tree, and fell back into slumber. The other Hunters quickly caught up with them, gathering around Zoe with worried expressions.

Percy let out a sigh of relief before he caught Zoe wincing.

"You alright?" Percy asked.

She waved him off. "It's nothing. I've dealt with far worse. Besides, we don't really have time for this."

He desperately wanted to believe her, but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that not all of the souls who had started this quest would be finishing it. Percy noticed her hands, pressed tightly against her side, were shaking as she tried to keep pressure on her wound.

"Just don't die on me alright?" Percy flashed her a winning smile. "I am a forbidden one, and that sounds hella cool. You've gotta live to tell me more about that"

A small, tense smile crept onto Zoe's face. "Perhaps the things I know are best left forgotten to history." She said, "If you were to know the truth, you may not survive what follows."

That sounded an awful lot like a riddle, and it made him want to pull his hair out. He shook his head. The proper time for interrogation would be after the rescue mission.

They started the trek to the looming pathway just beyond the garden. Percy could faintly make out the way it wound to the top of the mountain. It taunted him as his mind raced. He tried to calm it, like Annabeth might tell him to do, knowing the battle that awaited them.

He replayed the prophecy in his mind again, just to see if he could glean any more clues from it. Lyra had told him not to obsess over it, but it was just too tantalizing to ignore.

Five shall go west to the goddess in chains

The price of freedom the Titan's curse strains

Blinded eyes shall set a new stage

Lightning and Ocean dawn the new age

Yet success is not all that can be paved

Two alone cannot be saved.

Each line swirled around in his head, begging to be solved. The first one was easy; the five Hunters had gone to find Artemis, and he replaced Bianca as the fifth member. Quest math was complicated, and he wasn't sure if the rules of substitution applied, but his internal ease told him that it wasn't really important.

The second line made him feel like his stomach was full of lead. The Titan's curse was easy enough, but he wasn't sure if the supposed price of freedom was referring to Luke letting Atlas go, Thalia taking the sky from him, or Artemis currently holding it. Still, no matter how he sliced it, there were always loose ends, like he was trying to fit the line into the wrong-sized box. Chiron mentioned to him once that if he had to try and convince himself that a prophecy was complete, it definitely wasn't.

The third and fourth lines remained a mystery. He thought that it was referring to some kind of blindness from the Gods, but he wasn't sure what that could mean. He knew the gods met on the solstice. Maybe they would make the wrong decision today? That was as good of a guess he had.

It was the fourth line that filled him with dread.

He figured that Lightning and Ocean were referring to people, or gods. The only ones who came to mind were Poseidon and Zeus. He groaned internally as they continued up the mountainside. He just hoped that he wouldn't be accused of stealing another lightning bolt. He had enough of getting shocked for one lifetime already.

The last two lines felt obvious. There was no success without sacrifice. That much was clear. Percy's heart twisted, grappling with the uncomfortable future ahead. No one was going to die on his watch, and if it truly was foretold by the Fates, he would just pray Thalia wouldn't be numbered with the dead. The dream he had last night didn't really help his worries. She had looked beyond ragged, massive bags marring the skin beneath her eyes, and she had begun muttering to herself. In a way, he was grateful he hadn't been shown the finer details last night, otherwise he might have been willing to go march into the Garden and slaughter the Hesperides himself, an act of violence that would likely not help his case if the gods decided they wanted to kill him again.

His backpack began to weigh him down. Not in terms of mass, but as a reminder of exactly what was at stake. Rachel had insisted he leave it at her place, and he nearly agreed, but when he tried, the simple act became nearly impossible. Aphrodite's incessant itching demanded he take it. In a way, he was grateful for the excuse. Even though he had slept with Thalia's hoodie the previous night, it still felt like something had changed, as though a new portion of himself had surfaced, beginning to wrestle with his heart over the direction he wanted to go.

He shook his head. Just get this back to her and worry about it later. But he couldn't help it. The thought that he might run into her at the top of the mountain, even with the inevitable fight ahead, filled his stomach with butterflies. The more he tried to think of what he wanted to say, the more the faucet that was his racing mind dried up. He felt more comfortable fighting monsters than talking to girls.

His breathing came harder, and he realized that they had nearly made it up the mountain. He glanced back at the four Hunters, his only companions for what was sure to be a bloody battle. He pulled Riptide from his pocket in anticipation and felt the thrum of the liquids inside, the sea and the Lethe. Despite his nerves, he felt calmer with the sword in hand. He relished the feeling coming from it, the pulses from the water matching his heartbeat. His breathing steadied. He was ready for this.

They had nearly crested the hill, and everyone paused, catching their breath and readying weapons before the final ascent.

"I'm glad we have you." Zoe said, flashing him a rare, genuine smile. "Even if you are a boy."

"Yeah, yeah." Percy scoffed. "Just don't die, alright?"

Lyra hit his shoulder playfully. "Don't worry, we know what we're doing."

Percy shot the Hunters a smile. "Then let's go. We've got a goddess to save."

He was sure they wouldn't catch the double meaning of his words.

Ruins littered the top of the mountain, silver and black rubble painting the landscape as they reached the peak. Weathered stone walls lined the pathway, half-melted bronze statues and murals hidden among the wreckage.

"Mount Othrys." Zoe paled. "This is not good."

"I'm assuming it moves like Olympus does and all that junk?" Percy asked.

Zoe nodded. "It's no secret the titans wish to return, hence the ruins around you, but this mountain is particularly troublesome."

"Atlas's mountain right?" Percy glanced around again. "I can feel the air here. It's not very fun."

"Exactly." Her eyes narrowed. "I'm surprised you know that it's this one in particular."

"You're not the only one that gets dreams, you know." Percy snarked. "Why else would I just leave camp on my own?"

Lyra snickered in the background and Zoe shot her a glare, but there wasn't any venom behind it. "Whatever." Zoe said. "Let's just rescue our Lady and get out of here." Then, she shuddered. "I don't want to be here any longer than I need to."

"Agreed," Percy muttered.

A wild look flashed across Zoe's face before she broke into a sprint. Percy let out a strangled yell as the other hunters took after her instinctively. Because it was better than just standing there, Percy followed them. As he got closer, he could see exactly what it was that had caught Zoe's attention. Right at the epicenter of the mountain, near a configuration of tunnels, a figure strained beneath an impossible weight. Her auburn hair stood out in stark contrast to her now pale skin. Her forehead glistened with golden sweat as she shouldered a weight that looked seconds away from breaking her back. She was nearly unrecognizable compared to the first time Percy had seen her. At first, the wild beauty she displayed had made his jaw drop, but now, her glow had dimmed, and she nearly seemed mortal. Trapped before him was Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt.

He nearly stopped breathing as he took in the sky settled against her shoulders. The clouds above them seemed to bend toward her, a swirling vortex of blues and whites. He tried to comprehend the expanse of what he was looking at for only a moment before giving up. Percy forced himself to set aside the mixture of dread, awe, and mortality that filled him, instead focusing on Artemis.

Bronze shackles were locked around her ankles and wrists, chaining her to the spot. Not that it would have really mattered, but Percy got the impression that they were more for show than anything else.

"My Lady!" Zoe's voice was somewhere between a sob and a shriek as they closed in around the goddess . She began hacking at the chains, the other Hunters joining her and cutting them free. They fell away easily, confirming Percy's suspicion. Atlas was just keeping her on display, like a zoo animal.

"It's no use." Artemis strained to speak. "I cannot be free unless someone takes the burden from me."

Zoe opened her mouth, likely to volunteer, but a massive towering figure appeared from the shadows.

"She's quite right, you know." He said. "It's really quite ingenious if you ask me. I'll give Zeus his credit. When it comes to devising curses, he truly has no equal. It makes me wonder if he's really the hero in all of this."

As he stepped out into the light, Percy immediately understood the figure to be Atlas. After all, he was the father of the Hesperides, and now that Percy could see his face, the family resemblance became clear. His broad, strong shoulders looked tense, but it was obvious what he was made for. His birthright was to be claimed on the battlefield, a trait that he had passed onto his children, including Zoe.

"Let her go!" Zoe demanded. "Why are you doing this?"

"You would do the same after millennia of the Burden." Atlas shrugged, wincing at the motion. "The time for revolution is at hand. My Lord rises quickly, and I am needed elsewhere. I think once this is all over, I will have the Olympians all take turns beneath the Burden. Have them on, oh I don't know, a one hundred year rotation. Although maybe they would just abandon whoever was left like they always do. They aren't known for their kindness."

Percy bristled. "Where are Thalia and Annabeth!" He demanded. "I know you're keeping them here."

Atlas laughed, the booming sound grating Percy to his core. "Be patient, little hero. They will be here soon. I have sent for them."

He made his way over to Artemis, crouching to regard her, a triumphant look on his face. "Besides. I think the little nature goddess likes her new position." He stretched out his hand, clearly intending to replace the chains, but Artemis lashed out and bit him. Hard. Percy swore he saw silver fire raging in her eyes, even as the titan pulled back, snarling.

"You tricked me!" Artemis ground out. "It will not happen again."

Atlas just shrugged, a small smile tugging at the edge of his mouth as the skin closed over his hand. "I don't need it to. There's no way you could resist helping a young maiden."

"You're sick, you know that?" Artemis growled. "I will skin you alive."

Atlas just looked up, pretending to be lost in an amusing thought. "Let me know when you get out and I'll arrange the opportunity."

Zoe opened her mouth again, and Artemis snapped her gaze to her lieutenant. "No!" She commanded. "Zoe, I forbid you."

Zoe glared, but dipped her head. Even she would never disobey a direct order from her Lady. She directed her ire to her father, eyes shooting daggers through him.

"You'll pay for that." Zoe threatened, her voice a deadly calm.

Atlas just smiled. "You're welcome to try. Although I don't see why we need to rush. Five minutes would not matter either way, no? To us immortals, time might as well not exist. Although I guess you sacrificed some of your immortality to join your little girls' club."

Zoe was visibly shaking but she did not move. Her hands were clenched into fists so tight Percy worried her nails were slicing into her skin. Lyra and the other two Hunters had drawn their bows, awaiting Zoe's order to fire, but it never came.

"You talk a lot of smack for someone who takes orders." Percy snarked, sarcasm becoming his default weapon. "I mean, 'your lord rises quickly.' I thought you were the one in charge here. I didn't realize you'd be so afraid of a disembodied voice."

Atlas bristled, turning to look at Percy for the first time. "I see respect has been lost over the millennia of my absence. You may not respect your Uncle, boy, but mine is a visionary. He will restore things to their proper place."

"Even your own brothers, Prometheus and Epimetheus, didn't want to join you." Percy said. "Even they could see the truth. You're just a servant."

Atlas's confident smile returned. "Can a general truly thrive without serving his troops? Acts of service do not demean, instead, they enhance. My brothers were fools, playing slaves to your Uncle. Instead of remaining strong like they once were, they became muddled and confused, molded by the weak minds of the mortals." His dark eyes bore into Percy's soul, sizing him up. "You are an abomination, a violation of the separation of the mortal and divine. Mankind shall serve their masters. That is their purpose."

"Yeah, I don't give a shit about that." Percy spat. "Fuck Zeus, and fuck you too. I'm here for one reason. You have my friends, and I want them back. Get your political bullshit out of here."

Percy meant every word. His sword hand trembled, from rage, not fear, as he felt his days of frustration and anticipation boil over. The earth began to tremble, shockwaves emanating from where his feet met the ground. The Hunters stared, slack jawed, and even Artemis looked surprised. Percy glanced down at his body, only mildly shocked to see what looked like black and green flames dancing along his skin. He briefly caught his reflection in Riptide's blade before snapping his gaze, his glowing green gaze, to where Atlas now regarded him with a mixture of hostility and bewilderment.

"Now, that's–"

He didn't get the chance to finish as Percy cut him off. "Blah blah blah. You haven't seen someone like me in millennia, right? Because I shouldn't exist. Whatever. Go fuck yourself." He hoisted Riptide, settling into a fighting stance. "Are you going to bring me my friends or am I going to have to get them myself?"

"Ah, young demigod, haven't you noticed? They are already here." Atlas nodded towards a tunnel to his right and Percy's stomach dropped. Emerging from the hallway were Dr. Thorn, Luke, and Annabeth. She looked fairly unsteady, and incredibly pale, but she still glared with defiance. Luke looked mildly uneasy, but otherwise normal. His appearance hadn't changed much from Percy's dream. He still walked with a limp, and his skin looked gray.

A cyclops came next, carrying Thalia with him. Percy fought back emotion as he took her in. Her limp form was draped over the monster's shoulder. Black lightning scars danced up her arms and her joints sat at awkward, unnatural angles. Her skin was nearly translucent and she shook violently, tremors coursing through her weak body. The cyclops dropped her to the ground, and Percy felt something in him break when she didn't so much as move.

"Thalia!" Percy screamed. The sight of her crumpled body channeled rage through him, shaking the entire mountain. Cracks began to appear as he turned toward Atlas. "What did you do to her!?"

"Nothing really." Atlas responded with a shrug. "She did not want to comply, so she is paying for her crimes. It's just business."

"Well fuck you." Percy spat. Without thinking, his legs began to dash over to the prone form of the daughter of Zeus, but Atlas appeared in his path, moving faster than Percy would have anticipated for a being of his size.

"I can't let you do that." Atlas warned, face stony. "You see, my Uncle has big plans for her. I can't just let you leave with her. It would really make a mess of things."

"Move." Percy demanded, raising his sword. "I'm not going to ask again." The flames around him flickered higher. He couldn't really describe what he was feeling, but the shadows around him began to quiet, pleased at the outcome. His body began to vibrate and time began to slow. One thought consumed him. Retrieve Thalia.

"Percy-" Zoe began, but Atlas cut her off with a booming laugh.

"Do you really think to stand against me?" Atlas snarled. "I know of your escapades with the puny war god, but he is little more than an arrogant fool. I am the commander of the Titan Forces, second-in-command to none other than Kronos himself." His glare turned serious. "You may be a demigod, a powerful one at that, but at most you are only half of what makes me what I am."

Percy readied Riptide. "I don't give a shit about any of that. You're in the way, and I'm rescuing my friends." He nodded toward Annabeth and Thalia before pointing the tip of Riptide at Luke. "Then, I'm gutting you."

Luke paled.

"Would you abandon Artemis? Abandon the Olympians?" Atlas asked. "They would kill you for abandoning her. Of course, they wouldn't take the blame for themselves. They would simply turn you into a scapegoat in an attempt to delay the inevitable."

"I'll do whatever gives me the best chance at getting Thalia to safety." Percy glared. "Even if it meant fighting Olympus by myself." He paused for a moment. "And I'd rather drink the water of the Styx than join you monsters."

At that, Thalia flinched.

Atlas smiled mockingly. "What makes a monster and what makes a man? Do you not know what your little friend has done? Massacred hundreds for the smallest chance of escape. Even my best dream of having that kind of blood on their hands. Yet she did it without a second thought. What makes her any better than them?"

"The difference is," Percy's voice was dangerous. "If she stopped breathing, there is not a single monster responsible that could run from me." A weight lifted from him at the confession, and he charged the titan without thought.

Atlas drew a sword Percy hadn't noticed he carried, parrying the first strike effortlessly. Percy stepped back, sizing up his opponent. His arm felt sluggish, as though he was trying to sword fight with a controller rather than his limbs.

"Fuck you and your stupid curse, Ares." Percy cursed under his breath.

"What's the matter?" Atlas goaded. "I thought there wasn't anything that could run fast enough, boy."

Percy gritted his teeth. It didn't matter. Ares' curse or not, he was done with divine bullshit ruining his life. He readied Riptide once more. The blade, for the first time, felt unbalanced in his hand. The cold wind sliced through him, and the world around him became deadly silent, as though there only existed himself and the Titan in front of him.

Atlas's strike came faster than he could have imagined. He could feel the blade slicing through the air before his eyes picked up on the movement. Instinctively, he raised Riptide to block it, causing a collision that forced him to step back, but Atlas gave no quarter.

He continued relentlessly, Percy relying on his instincts as Riptide met the colossal strikes of his opponent. Curse of Ares aside, he felt incredibly sharp, as though the air itself was guiding his movements. He pushed massive tremors into the ground, creating a fissure at his feet. The small wiggle in the pathway of Atlas's sword was all he had been waiting for. He launched himself at Atlas, ready to strike.

The faint but unmistakable sound of tearing flesh greeted him. Atlas responded with a howl. A shallow cut adorned his torso, a steady stream of golden ichor painting the ground beneath him.

"Impressive." Atlas remarked, "But I'm afraid it's going to take more than that to get rid of me."

Percy breathed deeply, his racing heart pounding in his ears. "Naturally." He said, letting sarcasm ooze into his voice. "I thought you'd die if I sneezed in your direction. Disappointed to know I was wrong."

Atlas shrugged, his shallow stomach wound already beginning to close. "We'll see how long you can keep up with this attitude of yours."

Their blades danced, trading blow for blow across the scattered ruins. No matter how he tried, Percy could not maneuver himself closer to Thalia. Atlas kept his massive back to her, keeping Percy away. Her breathing had somehow become even shallower. A quick glance told Percy that the cyclops from earlier was now leading to a steady onslaught of monsters from the tunnel to the mountaintop. The Hunters had taken on that responsibility, posting themselves between the monsters and where Thalia and Artemis were positioned. Annabeth was even up and moving, supporting them wherever she could, despite her weakened state.

"You're running out of time, young demigod." Atlas mocked, one of his blows finally connecting. Percy let out a strangled yelp as the massive bronze blade sliced through his skin, sending hot streaks of pain down his arm. He was losing, and now he had a massive wound on his sword arm to prove it. Riptide's lack of balance only continued to worsen, and doubt sunk in his stomach like lead. What if he truly failed here? What if Ares ended up winning? What if Thalia truly was the second person to die?

He steeled himself. Failure was not an option. His muscles ached, and his reaction time was slowing, but fatigue was a luxury he couldn't afford. He tried to remember the most basic tactic Chiron had ever taught him. Create space against a stronger, more powerful opponent. He continued his flurry of parries, gritting his teeth against the pain, waiting for an opening. Atlas had wisened up to his earthquakes, and there wasn't enough water around for him to do anything. He felt a small amount of moisture in the air, but decided against wasting his energy trying to use it.

Luke flashed through his periphery and caught his focus for a split second. The shadows urged him to seek his revenge, and before he could stop himself, he turned toward Luke. Atlas, as punishment for Percy's divided attention, hit him in the ribs with the flat of his blade, sending him careening towards Artemis beneath the sky.

"Percy!" Zoe yelled, jumping between him and the rapidly advancing Atlas. A flurry of silver blades hurled toward her father, who had long since recovered from the surprise of fighting his child. His face stretched into a grin as he advanced, and Percy felt sick .He was having fun toying with them.

Percy winced as he tried to suck in a breath. Spots danced in his vision as he forced himself to get over having the air knocked out of him. Rolling, he staggered to his feet before nearly collapsing again. Thalia's shivering form now lay across the clearing in front of him. He looked behind him and found Artemis, laboring beneath the sky

"It's no use." she said, startling Percy. "He will never let you get to her."

"I don't have a choice." Percy responded, setting his jaw and forcing himself to his feet. "I won't let her die here."

"When there are others on the board, sometimes it does not matter what moves you make." Artemis gritted, shifting beneath her burden. "I was played like a fool, and you have no hope of victory. Especially not after your little spat with Ares."

"Well fuck him too." Percy said, clenching his jaw so hard he thought his teeth might crack. "So it's his fault Thalia is about to die."

"It is the fault of many." Artemis said wearily. "Not the least of which is the Titan responsible for keeping me here." She shifted the weight again, an uncomfortable grimace settling over her features. The silver fire in her eyes danced ferociously as she looked toward Atlas, still locked in battle with Zoe, as though she had fantasized about a thousand ways to skin the titan alive. "He had better pray I never escape."

The price of freedom the Titan's Curse strains. The second line of the prophecy settled into Percy's mind. What had Artemis said about pieces? Sometimes It doesn't really matter what moves you make? An idea clicked into place, and he nearly hated himself for it.

He kept his gaze on Atlas, stepping backward until he was directly in front of the goddess.

"Give me the sky." He demanded, voice low.

"No!" Artemis snapped. "It will crush you and then we will all die."

"I can't beat him!" Percy nearly yelled in his frustration. "At least not with this stupid curse on me. I don't really care. You took the sky to save Thalia, so save her!"

"I don't think you understand what this will do to you." Artemis warned.

"Thalia and Luke both took it. I can too." Percy set his jaw. "We have no other options."

Artemis was silent for a moment, which Percy took to mean tacit acceptance. He shifted, crouching alongside her, and she shifted ever so slightly to the left. An invitation, and his final chance to back out. Now that he was here, the literal and metaphorical weight of the vortex he was standing beneath stole the breath from him again. It was just like in his dreams, the dim constellations of dusk funneling towards the epicenter. The air felt like it was laden with curses.

He took a deep breath, his intuition and self-preservation warring with each other, and took his place right alongside Artemis, beneath the weight of the sky.

For the briefest of moments, he bore the burden alongside her. The crushing weight on his shoulders threatened to drive him into the ground. He felt tendrils of the sky drive themselves into his back like a power drill, and his vertebrae felt like they had been welded together with a blowtorch. The moon goddess slipped out from beside him, and he was suddenly left to shoulder it alone.

Immediately, the world faded from his vision, replaced by hazes of color. Time felt like it slowed to a crawl, and the slithering temptation to just let it go became overwhelming. His knees hit the ground, the weight bearing down in ways he hadn't imagined possible. His bones felt like they were turning to jelly, and he felt like his soul was trying to rip from him, away from the agony.

Interesting. A voice boomed in Percy's mind, cutting through the haze. I seem to be getting passed around.

The agony in his joints prevented any kind of coherent response, but the voice seemed to expect that.

That's a normal reaction, It said. I must warn you though, those who take me with a divided heart will find a stake driven through that divide.

Percy could only formulate a one word response, the entire reason he took the sky in the first place.

"Thalia." He choked out, the weight now forcing his face parallel to the floor.

Good intentions are not enough, the sky warned. I do hope you'll prevail.

The haze began to change, and the weight began to shift. The constellations and clouds began to swirl like a tempest on Percy's back, threatening to drive him even deeper into the floor. He had no strength to open his mouth, but he felt a renewed strength fill his bones, although it did little to fight back against the unimaginable burden on his back.

Dancing around the edges of his vision were what he thought were sirens. Beautiful mermaids began cooing in his ears. "Come on," they urged. "Let it go. Listen to us."

Percy's eyelids felt heavy as he tried to shake off their charms. They weren't anywhere near water. They couldn't be real. This had to be a trick from the sky.

"No," He stammered through clenched teeth. "I can't."

The one closest to him sighed as she floated over. She placed her finger under Percy's chin, a wispy sensation that felt like a small current of electricity. "Just let go." She crooned. "Besides. It's not like you'll have anywhere to go. Whether you give up now, in five minutes, or five hours will be meaningless. No one is coming to get you."

"It doesn't matter. I took the sky to save someone, and if I let go she's going to die." He growled. "I will not let that happen."

"Give up." The swarm of mermaids surrounded him. "There is no hope for you."

Percy closed his eyes. He couldn't, no matter how badly his limbs ached and his back cracked beneath the sky. He wouldn't.

He pictured the very face of the girl he had been willing to bear the burden for. The girl with electric blue eyes and wavy black hair, the smile that he had missed so badly in just a few short days of being apart.

He cracked his eyes open, a movement that seemed to take all of his energy, and only one siren remained. In the next breath she morphed, just as Aphrodite had. The mermaid now looked exactly like Thalia, just like he pictured in his mind. She took his face in her wispy, incorporeal hands, and kissed him, leaving his lips tingling as she vanished from sight.

Sea and sky. The voice mused. Above the earth and below it. What an interesting combination.

Who are you? Percy thought, the effort of physical words too great. If I'm gonna be stuck here forever, it would be nice to know who's talking to me. If he had the energy, Percy would've jumped when the voice spoke.

I am Ouranos, long since dissipated, merely a small remnant of what I used to be. Forced to reside at the very place my children were conceived.

Despite the crushing weight, a small inkling of disgust managed to weave its way through Percy's fatigue. He had never been more glad that Ouranos had been castrated.

Do not worry about that. I do not have a physical form anymore. He said, reading Percy's thoughts. I may as well not even exist at all.

Then why are you here? Percy's knees felt like they were cracking. Can't you fade or something?

Perhaps. Atlas had kept me company for so long. We spent millennia together. A sense of longing had seeped into his voice. No matter. Whatever happens will happen. Fate is not my jurisdiction, and I do not possess the strength to challenge it in any way.

In Percy's mangled vision, a blur of silver slowly crept closer.

Our time is coming to an end. I do hope your body can recover. You may not have wavered like those before you, but the toll will always be paid. He sighed. I have always wanted to try this, and I wish to finally pass on. Good luck. My children will not give up easily.

Ouranos became strangely silent, leaving Percy to struggle against the weight without a distraction. There was a new emptiness to the sky, and Percy had the distinct thought that he had vanished completely. Percy's hands felt numb as they strained against the weight, yet he also felt a bit stronger. The overwhelming oppressive haze was starting to dissipate, just slightly.

Artemis' voice rang through his mind .Get ready. He focused on the silver blur and suddenly, like looking through a telescope, he saw the goddess engaged in combat. Her silver hunting knives were clashing at impossible speeds as Atlas pursued her relentlessly. Artemis shot him a wink and he instinctively knew what was going to happen. He loosened his grip on the sky and it began to swirl above him, embracing its newfound freedom. Once again it tried to burrow into him, but by now, he was completely numb to its taunts. Thalia's warm face found its way into his mind, and he did something no one beneath the burden of the sky had ever done before. He smiled.

Artemis was now directly in front of him. Her edges began to flicker with silver, and the tension that had plagued her under the sky looked completely gone. Her back was to Percy, but he could've sworn she was smiling, enjoying toying with her prey. Atlas lunged once again, this time overextending. His bronze blade found itself inches from Artemis's throat. She deftly sidestepped and gripped it between her two silver Hunting knives, lurching him forward as her voice spoke in Percy's mind.

Let go! She said, and Percy did what he was told. Before he could blink, the hulking form of Atlas careened into him, sending him flying from beneath the sky. He landed with a thud, gasping as he once again struggled to pull air into his lungs. He grimaced at the feeling of daggers in his sides, stabbing with each breath he took. He attempted to roll over and stand but was immediately met with a face full of dirt as his body refused to support him.

Glancing up, he saw that Atlas had managed to struggle to his knees, bellowing curses towards the gods. Artemis stalked toward the once haughty titan, trapped again beneath his burden. She reached for the remnants of her bronze chains as she gave him a look of false sympathy.

"Well. It looks like you'll be here a while." She grinned. "Guess I should help you with that." She closed the shackle around his wrist, throwing her knife to the ground to pin the chain down. "You just looked a little too comfortable."

"I will skin you alive!" Atlas bellowed. "A million curses to the gods!"

Artemis spat on him in response.

"Thalia." Percy groaned, trying again to lift his head and failing.

"Patience." Artemis chided, still gloating in her victory as she snapped the remaining shackles on the titan. "You are in no condition to move."

"I don't care," Percy responded, letting his boiling frustration numb the exhaustion and pain in his joints. "I came here to save her."

Artemis sighed, pointing across the clearing. "She's over there." Thalia had struggled to a sitting position, propped against a crumbling pillar but still swaying unsteadily. "I must go assist my Hunters now." With that, she turned and ran into the fray of the battle, assisting her Hunters as they brought down monster after monster. Percy imagined the fight wouldn't last very long after that.

For all his faults, Percy had to give Luke credit for being able to walk after his duration beneath the sky. Every movement sent tremors of pain through his bones, protesting even the slightest movement after being sapped of everything. His tendons felt like they were on the verge of rupturing, and his organs felt like they were seconds away from bursting. But there she was. So close. Resolve settled through him. He wasn't about to let her slip away from him again.

Percy struggled to his knees, fighting the lead that filled his limbs. The bleeding on his shoulder had slowed, although his shirt now felt sticky with a mixture of his blood and sweat. He tried to focus on the new feeling that had appeared when Ouranos vanished, the soft tingle that spread throughout his limbs and now helped him to move.

His stomach rolled as he staggered to his feet, vision going temporarily black. His hands trembled, skin slick with sweat. He took a deep breath, steeling himself. He was alive and that was all that mattered.

His backpack, discarded on arrival, now sat in the corner of an old ruin. He let out a sigh. It was, blessedly, near where Thalia now sat. He took one step. His knee nearly buckled, but it held his weight. That was all he needed.

The journey was only a few hundred feet, but it might well have been an ultra marathon. Percy figured he probably looked like a newborn giraffe, but he figured it didn't matter as long as he reached his destination. Thalia was now just a few yards away, but she didn't so much as acknowledge his presence.

From this distance, he could make out lightning scars up her arms and covering the palms of her hands. Reaching for his backpack, Percy startled when he caught sight of his own arms. They matched. Black, charred scars marked his body, a physical representation of the toll of carrying the sky. Grabbing his pack, he began the slow journey to Thalia's side. Now he could see that her hair bore a gray streak near her temple, and Percy imagined he had one of his own. In a morbid way, it would be something that would forever bind them, even if the circumstances of their new scars would be best left forgotten.

Icy dread sluiced in his stomach as he approached her. Something was wrong. He had been expecting her to be delirious, but he could sense her very soul leaving her. The thread that held her to mortality, once a strong rope, was now little more than frayed twine. He wasn't sure how, but it was as though she was oozing away the essence of life.

He collapsed beside her and closed his eyes, silencing the painful protests of his joints. In his mind's eye, he saw what he was looking for. Electric blue mist was slowly leaving her body. In a way, he understood. It's what his soul wanted to do from his brief stint beneath the sky, and it seemed she had succumbed in one way or another.

The shadows began to call to him, but this time they held no bite. Let us help you. They urged. We are the same. We can teach you to see it. Percy closed his eyes even tighter, desperately resisting their inviting call. He wasn't sure he could hold onto his body if he accidentally melted into them.

He could sense Thalia's mortal tether weakening, and his heart sank at the thought that there was nothing he could do. He was little more than an observer to Death's unstoppable march. He took a deep breath. She will not die, Percy repeated in his mind like a mantra. He began to listen to the shadows, carefully distinguishing what made them special. I promised you I would stay safe, and now I'm holding you to your end of the deal. He thought.

Intentional or not, the hand on Thalia's shoulder began to feel very cool. The skin became translucent and he knew he had overstepped. Still, he felt nothing grabbing him, rather, he felt drawn to the blue mist of Thalia's soul. Tentatively, he reached out, letting its mild buzz comfort him.

It responded to his hand, but only the one that had morphed into shadows. On cue, the shadows began to gleefully demand thanks, which Percy granted. Thank you, He said. He began to slowly scoop Thalia's soul into his hand, guiding it back toward her weakened body. She sat vacant, a thousand-yard stare, eyes open yet seeing nothing. Percy swallowed. It was now or never.

Beginning at her arms, a massive cavern was open. Coming out of it was the same blue mist that permeated the air. He gingerly placed what he gathered back into the rift. With some protest, it was reabsorbed into Thalia's skin. Percy breathed a shaky sigh of relief. His ever growing anxiety had been beginning to overwhelm him, but now he could focus on the task at hand.

He continued the tedious process of scooping her soul back into her body. It could've been minutes or hours later, but eventually he had gathered all of the blue mist. Now it was simply a matter of sealing the rift. Carefully, he placed his hand over it, expecting it to respond to his will.

A few moments passed, but nothing happened. He frowned, different ideas bouncing around in his brain. Briefly, he even considered trying to sew it manually, but he quickly dismissed it. This was a spiritual injury, not a physical one.

Still, he could see the volatility of her soul in her veins, once again reaching the edge and seeping into the air. He placed his off hand into the shadows, joining its twin in its translucent form. He grit his teeth, physical body aching. He shook off the pain, refocusing on Thalia. He had a job to do. He could rest once she was safe.

He placed his hands over the wound, and to his surprise, it felt incredibly warm. A strange language filled his mind, and he began to repeat the jarring syllables aloud. His palms began to heat, matching the temperature of Thalia's spiritual wound. A strange black and gold glow emanated from him, casting soft shadows around them.

As he continued speaking, he felt what little strength he had left continue to leave him. He ignored it. Her wound was closing, and despite the exertion, he knew this was the only way to mend a rent soul. Thalia's eyes had regained a little bit of life, but her stare remained blank, looking, but not seeing.

The final words of the incantation slipped past his lips and the golden glow abruptly disappeared. The wound, once a gaping chasm in Thalia's skin, was now little more than a scratch, and even that was fading quickly. He slumped, exhausted, and began to visualize his hands returning to their solid form.

Slowly, but surely, his hands became solid again, their permeable nature slowly fading. He had only shadow-traveled once, by complete accident, but the sensation of returning to the physical plane felt remarkably similar to this. In front of him, Thalia grimaced, the glassiness in her eyes fading. Her electric-blue eyes flitted to him, vibrant again.

"Hey Thals," he said weakly. The world began to spin as his hands regained their form completely. The edges of his vision darkened, stomach churning as he tried to force his hands up to stop himself from falling. His muscles refused to respond to the commands as his entire body shut down. The last thing he saw was Thalia's terrified face as he collapsed into her lap.

AN: Hey guys! Excited to post this one. Not much to say other than I hope you enjoyed. An easier one today, and now the reunion is finally here! Finishing up the first arc here in the next couple chapters. Reviews are always appreciated and I smile whenever I get the notification in my email. I hope ya'll have a wonderful next couple weeks! Now, time for review responses

Robotdocter: Don't worry, we'll see a reckoning with everything soon. If every character was always morally perfect we wouldn't have a story

anaklusosdude16: Percy has a bit of a different powerset from canon because his dad is slightly different. When he wakes up from Shadow travel Chiron tells him. From there, you'll find my sourcing.

Ginocide02: Glad you enjoyed. Don't worry. These heavy chapters will be kept few and far between, otherwise they lose their luster. Our girl is definitely going through it though.

Guest: Well it's your lucky day! Here's the next one.