It took two days to get everyone on the same page and formulate a suitable plan, thanks to Athena. All twelve of the Olympians (plus Hades and Hestia) stood in the hall ready to flash to the camp.

"Is everyone ready?" I ask. I look around to see nods and hear murmurs of yes.

"Then let's go."

*****

We arrived in the center of camp but I didn't see anybody. I only had a second to process this thought before Zeus starting shouting, like always.

"TARTARUS, PERCY COME OUT AND PREPARE TO BE BEATEN."

It was only about a minute before a disgruntled and scared Percy came into view and all of the gods tensed, ready for a fight. He ran up to me and started talking, his voice shaking with worry.

"What do you think you're doing here??!!"

"It's for your own good Percy," I answered.

"What are you talking about??!!"

"I'm here to knock some sense into you and make you come back to our side, no matter how much I hate the other Olympians, th-er we need you."

"Well, I need you guys to stop shouting! I'm trying to get the campers out of here without them being slaughtered and you're just drawing more attention to the camp!!"

My look morphed into the one Percy wore earlier, confusion.

"What?"

"You heard right, I'm tired of watching my friends die and I need to do this. Now you guys have probably got Tartarus' attention."

"Are you doing this alone?"

"Of course not! Without Nico- OH MY GOSH NICO! I NEED TO GO HELP HIM!"

Percy turned around and started to run towards where he came from before I heard a gruff voice behind me.

"Too late."

I turned back around and found Tartarus holding Nico by the neck, Nico trying his hardest to get free but Tartarus remained unfazed.

"So, you thought you could just plan an escape without me knowing about it. How stupid do you think I am?"

I didn't say anything and opted to just glare at him.

"It was all in vain anyway."

I gave Nico a questioning look and he just shook his head sadly.

"Oh, you thought that the campers would escape," said Tartarus, feigning pity. "My army of monsters spotted this one," he pointed at Nico," and the rest of the campers trying to sneak over the borders and I had them all slaughtered. Well, except for Nico here, I wanted to save him for you but it seems you had a hand in the plan as well. Do you have no fear for the wrath that will be inflicted upon you now that you have broken your oath?"

"I DON'T CARE!" I shouted, tired of him talking. "JUST SHUT UP."

"Well, in that case, I guess I'll just kill you myself when I finish with this one."

Before I could move, Tartarus slit Nico's throat and threw his body at my feet.

"NOOOO!!!" I screamed. He was my last friend and it was all my fault. Within seconds, my vision was clouded with red and I was enraged. I launched myself at Tartarus and the gods weren't far behind.

From there it was a blur. The gods were attacking Tartarus alongside me and we launched blow and blow after another but it was no use. Tartarus was winning. Suddenly, a gap opened up in the line of attack. I rushed towards Tartarus and his sword pierced my body, going all the way through. At that moment, the battle stopped and I heard Apollo cry out. Tartarus dropped me on the ground and the gods worked together to finally subdue him. Apollo rushed to my side, tears rolling down his cheeks knowing there was nothing he could do to save me.

"It was going to happen anyway," I managed to croak.

He gave me a confused look.

"What."

"I broke my oath."

Realization seemed to trickle into his features and he began to cry even harder. He kissed me on the forehead and held me in his arms like I did with Annabeth and my eyes slowly began to close. Eventually, I was swallowed by darkness.

I held Percy in my arms until his eyes fully closed and he didn't open his eyes again. He slowly started to pale and I began to sob openly. My mother tried to offer support but I could not be consoled. About an hour passed before another word was said.

"We need to make a shroud," said Poseidon who was clearly distressed, even though he had disowned Percy and left him to die in Tartarus. I looked around at all of the Olympians and it seemed that they all had the same expression of regret. I looked away, not caring what anyone else felt and instead continued to mourn Percy.

It felt like only minutes but before long the Olympians had lit the bonfire and made a shroud that looked fit for even the gods. I reluctantly let Percy be carried away to the fire and shrouded. I watched as the Olympians put him in the flames while I sobbed and had to be supported by Hestia. She held me in a tight hug while a wept limply into her shoulder. Once I composed myself enough to sit down, Hestia sat me at one of the benches near the fire and I was lost in a daze. A few hours passed and I was aware of an unfamiliar man sitting quietly beside me. I looked over and he gave me a small smile before looking into the fire again. I decided to start a conversation.

"Excuse me, who are you?"

"I am Chaos and I presume you are Apollo."

I gaped at the man whose name I had only heard in stories. He looked at me as if he got the same reaction all the time.

"You better close your mouth you'll catch flies."

I quickly closed my mouth and tried to compose myself.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I couldn't help but notice how torn up you were about this Percy of yours dying and I wanted to give you an opportunity to save him."

I looked at him like he had grown two heads and he continued.

"Of course with every promise, there is a drawback. I can save your Percy but the only way to do that is to go back in time and save his friends, too. There will be a whole new timeline, one in which you and Percy will never have been romantically involved. You will remember this time you spent together but he will not."

I thought about the possibilities but then I realized that even if Percy didn't remember me as I remembered him, having Percy back would be better than having him dead.

"Let's do it." Chaos held out his hand and I shook it. Suddenly, everything went black and I appeared on a battlefield.

*****

Piper glanced over. Percy's nose was still bleeding. He seemed unaware that a trickle of blood had made its way down his face to the end of his chin.

"Percy, look out . . ." Piper tried to say, but for once her voice failed her.

A single drop of blood fell from his chin. It hit the ground between his feet and sizzled like water on a frying pan.

The blood of Olympus watered the ancient stones.

The Acropolis groaned and shifted as the Earth Mother woke.