Synopsis: "Even after his death, Python causes great despair. And the gods do nothing to stop him." (written pre-TON)

I fell on my knees, finally inhaling air that wasn't contamined with Python's venomous breath. I was extremely tired, and I felt pain radiate from my head throughout my whole body, but I was somehow satisfied. We did it. The emperors were defeated - Nero was defeated by Meg, of course, and I was really proud of her for that; she finally overcame her fear.
The demigods of both camps were working together to rebuild what was destroyed in the battles. We freed the Oracle of Delphi. My punishment was over.

Was it?

Something wasn't right, I sensed it. My mortal memory may have been flawed, but I remembered every little detail of my fight with Python - it gave me nightmares for centuries. He was a monster, obviously, and like all monsters after being defeated - and by that I mean: after hundreds of arrows had hit him - he disintegrated, leaving behind only a pile of dust and a couple of disgusting green scales that I decided to burn right after. This time was different: Python, in his sixty meters of pure evil, layed on the ground of the cave, silent and still. I couldn't see his face, but he seemed to be dead to me.

Then why didn't he disintegrate?

I saw Meg run around the cave, curious to get to know every corner of it, jumping up and down to see things that were situated higher up and that her gaze did not reach. In fact, it was a place of great beauty: despite being covered, the cave was somehow illuminated by the strange silvery glow that came from the fountain that flowed nearby - a little waterfall that came out the dark stones of the walls. From some cracks on the ground, once source of the steams that I always found really unhealthy but which, still, gave me the chance to get in touch with my priestesses, grew plants and delicate flowers. Over time, many stalagmites and stalactites began to stretch from the ground and from the ceiling.

Pan would have liked this place, as it is now. Well, without the corpse of the giant snake, of course.

As my lips stretched in a tired smile, Meg approached me. — This sure is a cool place for a giant evil noodle.

I stared at her for a long second.

— Okay Meg, wait, wait. We just defeated something that overcomes any enemy we ever fought against in speed, power and intellect, a giant monster that is mostly deadly and that would have given us a really horrible and painful death if we didn't kill him first, — I said, emphasizing the concept with big hand movements. — and you call him noodle.

She scratched her nose. — Exactly.

I sighed.

We sat in a corner, covered in blood and wounds, trying to regain strenght and discussing on how we would return home. Of course, the first thing to do was to try and see if the communications were functional again and to give the good news to everyone. Somehow, I found a dracma in the pockets of my now ripped jeans. A small hole in the ceiling - so this cave wasn't completely covered! - let a ray of light pass through a cloud of waterdrops formed by the waterfall, and that guaranteed a perfect rainbow for the high-resolution video chats. I just hoped that Iris wasn't busy with some kind of social protest.

I heard a weak wheeze coming from somewhere in the cave, but I thought that it was just the water flowing, or some definitely not funny joke that my mind decided to play on me. Even so, I couldn't get off me that feeling of unease, a pressure on my chest that I felt from the first moment I made eye contact with Python.

I came close to the water, the tail of the dragon-snake behind my back, trying not to groan for sitting down too fast. I started this adventure with broken ribs; the Fates, I supposed, decided that I had to end it in the same way. Just as I was about to throw the dracma into the rainbow, Meg shouted behind me: — APOLLO, LOOK OUT!

Now, the warning of my young friend was quite useless. I mean, the mortal curiosity - which now I, sadly, possess - always prevaled on the survival instinct in these situations: to the cry of a "Look out!", someone will always turn around to see which type of car is about to hit them; to the cry of a "Look out!", someone will always look up to see how badly was made the piece of wall that is about to fall on them; to the cry of a "Look out!", I tried to save humanity from the coming of electro dance, in vain.

So, as mortals do, I turned back too, without getting out of the way first; Meg probably knew I would do that. I saw the tail of Python, tall, enormous, but trembling, as if it was vanishing. I saw the end, and closed my eyes. Idiot!

To whom would I have prayed for the last time?

Before it could hit me with all its force, the small and fast silhouette of a child got in between, opening her arms - Meg.

It happened in a blink of an eye. One moment she was standing in front of me, the other I didn't see her anymore: after a short scream, I hear the frightening sound of bones breaking, one by one and all together at the same time, in a sick and horrible melody that would have haunted me for the rest of my life. Then another long, long scream filled my ears and filled that place that I once thought was so big but which now was trying to suffocate me - only after some time I realized that it was my scream, the cry of a desperate man that couldn't stand to see another of his friends getting caught too soon by Thanatos. All my past lovers, my friends, Jason, Crest. Now Meg, too.

Python turned his head to look at me, faking sadness.

— Oh no, what a shame. I didn't want to hit her, you were the target. Well... nevermind.

An evil grin stretched on his serpentine face; he looked at me with his gold gaze and spoke with his dying, ancient voice: — Have fun, Sunny.

And he exploded, finally turning to dust.

Have fun, Sunny. In my ears, I still heard the deep echo of his voice.

I would have been happy, in another situation. Ah-ha! I beated you even as a mortal, Python! Take that!

But I could not be happy. Not then.

I heard my heart throb in my chest, in my ears.

Meg lied on the ground, ten meters from where I was. She didn't move.

I got up, running towards her even if my legs were heavy and my muscles were extremely proved. The silence in the cave was innatural. I didn't hear the flowing of the water, I didn't hear my steps, I didn't hear my heavy breathing. Just a constant buzz in my ears.

"Father, please", I thought. "Please, please, please. Let me save her. I can, with my powers. Please, father, please."

A small pool of blood was extending on the ground beneath her, a red rose that stood out on the almost black ground, a terrific parallelism with the death of her father. Her glasses broke again, and were lying right next to her.

Many more injuries covered her skin. Her left arm was folded in an innatural position. In some spots I could see her bones coming out of the skin. She was terribly pale. Her head - oh, her head! - was completely covered in blood.

In spite of everything, her expression was peaceful - if all that red weren't there (the red, more red that filled my thoughts) I could almost think that she was asleep.

I knelt slowly, with my hands trembling. Did any of my useful medical knowledge remain?

Don't move her body, you'll do worse, said my conscience.

Thank you very much, I responded.

— Meg. Meg, stay with me, please. Oh you- you can't die, you can't, come on. — I whispered, while trying to think of something, and my voice cracked as I thought of Jason. Tears rolled down my cheeks. — Meg. There are still many things you have to do. There are many people who want you to be alive. I-I want you to be alive. You still have to learn t-to play the piano, you must learn to play it well, and you pro-you promised me in New Rome that you would teach me gardening, you promised, y-you...

— Crybaby. — I heard her murmur, as the pain strained her face. I never felt so happy in my whole life. She was alive! There was still hope!

But that happiness wouldn't last.

— Meg, resist. I-I'll call someone. They will help. — I started, showing her the dracma. Desperation filled my voice. — I can still save you. I can-

— No, don't.

I looked at her, confused. What?

— Meg, but-

She interrupted me again: — Don't call. It's... — She coughed. — ...useless. They won't... — A cough, again. A thin stream of blood came from her mouth. — ...come in time.

— But Nico can shadowtravel! I'll call...

— Apollo, you... you can't do anything. — she told me, her eyes cloudy and her voice quiet. More quiet than I've ever heard it being. I understood what she meant, even if the truth teared my heart apart. I, too, felt the Fates' stare on us. — But I'm a bit scared. I feel like my head split up. — Because it did, I wanted to add, but I knew that it wasn't the best thing to say to a dying person, so I kept silent. — It's painful, I think. I-I feel numb. Am I going to... — She coughed again, squeezed her eyes because of the pain. How was she still alive?

She paused, opened her eyes. Then she glanced at me, saw my sad eyes and understood. — Can you- Can you stay with me?

I smiled, trying not to cry in front of her. My sweet, impulsive friend. So brave for her age.

How many demigods like her have died while trying to complete the impossible quests that we, the gods, assigned to them? How many? — Of course, Meg. I will always be here for you. Did you really think that I would have left you here?

She stayed silent for a bit, looking around the cave.

Then she spoke again: — I'm sorry.

— For what? — I asked, holding her hand, trying to give her some comfort.

— I wa-was rude, didn't treat you well. I betrayed you. — Meg muttered, looking up at the black stones. — We never really talked about that. I'm... sorry.

— Don't feel guilty, it wasn't you fault. Even if you think so. — I replied, preceeding her. — I'm not holding a grudge for that, I never did. You were just scared, it was normal. And I had my flaws too. Actually, I was a jerk. Worship me, miserable mortals!

She tried to laugh, but her ribs were contrary to that. Her face frowned with pain.

Okay, okay, no more extremely funny jokes. Just normal funny jokes.

I prayed for the gods to heal her, somehow, prayed my Father to give me back my powers so I could use them to heal this child. Tears of rage blurred my vision, but I did not let them flow. Not yet, not yet, not yet.

Help me, gods of Olympus! Where is your might now?

— I have to say sorry to you too. — I trembled, looking at her. Her eyes shifted at me, and she looked like she wanted to punch me. Well, not really different from the usual. That was a good sign. — You wouldn't have gotten into this mess if it wasn't for me. You wouldn't...

I sighed, closing my eyes. "I can't do this.", I thought. Then I said again: — Why did you save me?

She did not reply at first, and I think she was trying to find a really cool last sentence to say as she was ending her mortal life.

While Meg remained silent, I held her hand, muttered a melody I heard at Delos - the song my mother used to sing to me and Artemis when we were still young gods. A melody of happiness, hope, sweet memories.

She finally answered. — Because I felt like it. And because you're a goofball.

I laughed lightly, continued singing, trying to impress in my voice all my gratitude. Her expression relaxed a bit, her eyes were closing. — Meg? — I murmured, as life was abandoning her body. Don't leave, please. Not you too. — Many people love you - Josephine, Emmie, Leo, Calypso, all the people you met. I do too. We are your family, we always were. I thought that you- I thought that you would have liked to know that.

She smiled, a true smile, and her eyes closed. She didn't breath again.

After a while, the tears I tried to hold back - tears of fear, sadness, sorrow - finally came out, and my heart sank into the ground: one hundred, two hundred meters down, until it got to the most deep abyss of Tartarus. I suddently realized how cold it was there, and started shivering.

It was just me and my feelings. Nobody else. Nobody who was alive, at least.

Now that there weren't any risks, I took Meg's body, holded it in my arms - it was almost like holding a bag of marbles. How did she resist for so long?

Her red blood stained my clothes, my hands.

As many memories crossed my mind, I heard the voice of Styx, loud and clear, painfully mocking.

Look at what you did with your promises. She's dead now.

— Go away! — I cried, grinding my teeth. — I don't need another reminder!

But she was right. It was my fault.

It had always been my fault.

I looked up, got lost in the stretched forms of the stalactites.

I think I got a vision, in that moment. A consequece of freeing the Oracle, I guess.

I saw Meg growing up, living a life somehow normal. Going to camp during summer, living in California with the nymphs the rest of the year. Going to school, making friends.

It would have never happened. Sometimes the Oracle did that: showed you some of the possible futures, the results of the many other choices you could have made.

I got back to reality, looked down again and wanted to scream.

Scream with all my energies, scream with all the air I had in my lungs to the point of almost consuming them. Scream until I could scream, continue to scream even when I didn't have the voice to do so.

I wanted to scream because I thought that the gods didn't hear us, that they didn't hear the sick sounds of the battle; because I thought that the gods didn't care about the death of a brave girl, a girl who fought agains the evil for their sake - for my sake? - until her very last bit of strenght.

Oh, but deep down I knew damn well that they heard us. They just didn't care, on that I was right. I didn't care, once.

A sob echoed in the cave. Another. And another. My vision blurred, because I started to cry again without even realizing it. "I don't want to cry!", I thought, taking deep, shaky breaths. The tears continued to mix with the blood on the ground anyway.

Red, black, red, black in my vision. In my nightmares. Do gods have pity?

I held my friend, who was now so light in my arms.

And right there, even if just for a moment, I stopped believing in gods.