★ 。＼｜／。★

𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖎𝖙𝖗𝖊 𝖖𝖚𝖎𝖓𝖟𝖊:
TILL FOREVER
FALLS APART

★ 。／｜＼。★

*I know I don't normally put a/n's up here but for this chapter I recommend listening to till forever falls apart by ashe and FINNEAS bc it heavily influenced this chapter. pls it made me cry so hard um anyways enjoy ig*

THE WHOLE CREW (well, besides Annabeth) stood at the helm of the Argo II. The ship sailed out of the Colosseum and headed south over the rooftops of Rome. Traffic had come to a standstill around the Piazza del Colosseo. A crowd of mortals had gathered around the Colosseum, probably wondering about the strange lights and sounds that had come from the ruins. Belle saw that none of the Giants' specular plans for destruction had happened. Rome looked the exact same before, and nobody seemed to notice the huge Greek trireme rising into the sky.

Jason was bandaging Piper's sprained shoulder while Hazel fed Nico ambrosia at the stern. Nico could barely lift his head and he spoke so softly Hazel had to lean in to hear what he had to say. With a frown, Belle turned to Frank and Leo, who took turns recounting what had happened in the room with the Archimedes spheres and the visions Gaea had shown them in the bronze mirror. All of them had decided that their best lead for finding Annabeth was the cryptic advice Bacchus had given them: the Emmanuel Building. Frank began typing at the helm's computer while Leo tapped furiously at the controls, muttering Emmanuel Building under his breath over and over again. Coach Hedge attempted to help by wrestling with a street map of Rome that was upside down.

Belle then leaned down with Percy next to Jason and Piper. "How's your shoulder feeling?"

Piper smiled. "A little sore, but it'll heal. All three of you did great."

Jason elbowed Percy and Belle. "Not a bad team, us three."

"Better than jousting in a Kansas cornfield with Belle trying to get us to stop with Piper," Percy agreed.

"Yeah, let's not do that again," Belle voiced.

"There it is!" Leo cried, pointing to a spot on his monitor. "Frank, you're amazing! I'm setting course."

Frank shrugged. "I just read the name off the screen. Some Chinese tourist marked it on Google Maps."

Leo grinned at everyone else. "He reads Chinese."

"Just a tiny bit."

"How cool is that?"

"Guys," Hazel cut in. "I hate to interrupt your admiration session, but you should hear this."

Hazel helped Nico to his feet. Belle felt her heart sink to her stomach at his appearance. He had always been pale, but now his skin was the color of snow. His eyes were dark and sunken in.

"Thank you," Nico rasped, his eyes darting nervously around the group. "I'd given up hope."

"You knew about the two Camps all along," Percy replied. "You could have told me who I was the first day I arrived at Camp Jupiter, but you didn't."

Nico slumped against the helm, not being able to hold himself up anymore. "Percy, I'm sorry. I discovered Camp Jupiter last year. My dad led me there, though I wasn't sure why. He told me the Gods had kept the Camps separate for centuries and that I couldn't tell anyone. The time wasn't right. But he said it would be important for me to know . . ." He doubled over in a fit of coughing, and Hazel held his shoulders until he could stand again. "I — I thought Dad meant because of Hazel. I'd need a safe place to take her. But now . . . I think he wanted me to know about both Camps so I'd understand how important your quest was, and so I'd search for the Doors of Death."

The air turned electric. Literally, because Jason started throwing off sparks. Belle sent him a confused glance, and he stopped.

"But you found the Doors, right?" Belle asked.

Nico nodded. "I was a fool. I thought I could go anywhere in the Underworld, but I walked right into Gaea's trap. I might as well have tried running from a black hole."

"Um . . ." Frank trailed off, chewing his lip. "What kind of black hole are you talking about?"

Nico began to respond, but he stopped himself. Whatever he wanted to say must've been too terrifying to talk about. He turned to Hazel.

Hazel put her hand on Nico's arm. "Nico told me that the Doors of Death have two sides — one in the mortal world, one in the Underworld. The mortal side of the portal is in Greece. It's heavily guarded by Gaea's forces. That's where they brought Nico back into the upper world. Then they transported him to Rome."

Piper apparently was nervous because her cornucopia spit out a cheeseburger. "Where exactly in Greece is this doorway?"

Nico took deep, rattling breath. "The House of Hades. It's an underground temple in Epirus. I can mark it on a map, but — but the mortal side of the portal isn't the problem. In the Underworld, the Doors of Death are in . . . in . . ."

Belle's eyes widened upon realizing what he was talking about and a cold shiver went down her back. A black hole. An inescapable part of the Underworld where not even a son of Hades could go. Belle had even been next to a hole that led to it back in the Labyrinth.

"Tartarus," Belle breathed out. "The deepest part of the Underworld. Oh Gods, you went there?"

Nico nodded. "They pulled me into the pit, Belle. The things I saw down there . . ." His voice broke.

"No mortal has ever been to Tartarus," Hazel explained after pursing her lips for a moment. "At least, no one has ever gone in and returned alive. It's the maximum-security prison of Hades, where the old Titans and the other enemies of the Gods are bound. It's where all monsters go when they die on the earth. It's . . . well, no one knows exactly what it's like."

Hazel's eyes drifted to Nico. The rest of her thought didn't need to be spoken: No one except Nico knows exactly what it's like.

Nico took his Stygian Iron sword from Hazel and leaned on it like a cane. "Now I understand why Hades hasn't been able to close the Doors. Even the Gods don't go into Tartarus. Even the God of death, Thanatos himself, wouldn't go near that place."

Leo glanced over at him from his place at the wheel. "So let me guess. We'll have to go there."

Nico shook his head. "It's impossible. I'm the son of Hades, and even I barely survived. Gaea's forces overwhelmed me instantly. They're so powerful down there . . . no Demigod would stand a chance. I almost went insane."

His eyes looked like shattered glass. Belle had a horrible feeling something inside Nico had broken permanently after being in Tartarus.

"Then we'll sail for Epirus," Percy announced. "We'll just close the gates on this side."

"I wish it were that easy," Nico responded. "The Doors would have to be controlled on both sides to be closed. It's like a double seal. Maybe, just maybe, all eight of you working together could defeat Gaea's forces on the mortal side, at the House of Hades. But unless you had a team fighting simultaneously on the Tartarus side, a team powerful enough to defeat a legion of monsters in their home territory—"

"There has to be a way," Jason interrupted.

Nobody volunteered anything. Belle glanced over to see the Argo II was descending towards a big building that looked like a palace. She was so caught up in Nico's horrible news that she had momentarily forgotten about Annabeth. Some best friend she was, huh?

"We can figure out that Tartarus problem later, but right now, we have to help Annabeth," Belle stated. "Is that the Emmanuel Building?"

Leo nodded. "Bacchus said something about the parking lot in back? Well, there it is. What now?"

Belle, unfortunately, had placed all of the pieces together again. Percy had a dream about a dark chamber with a buzzing voice of a monster called Her Ladyship. Annabeth had been extremely shaken up after her experience at Fort Sumter with the spiders. It was no secret that children of Athena were scared of spiders. But that all stemmed from the mother of all spiders, and if Belle was right about Annabeth being trapped down there alone with that creature for hours with a broken leg . . . well, let's just say she didn't care if her quest was supposed to be solo or not. That was her best friend and she wasn't going to let her go through that alone.

"We have to get her out," Percy said.

"Well, yeah," Leo agreed. "But, uh . . ." He looked like he wanted to say What if we're too late?, but he changed it back. "There's a parking lot in the way."

Percy looked at Coach Hedge. "Bacchus said something about breaking through. Coach, you still have ammo for those ballistae?"

The Satyr grinned wildly. "I thought you'd never ask."

Coach Hedge didn't even give them any warning. He just walked over to the nearest ballista and fired it. Belle flinched at how sudden it was and the fact that the light was so bright. The parking lot exploded in a blast of fiery light and was left with a big gaping hole in it. Chunks of asphalt and some cars tumbled through, but what shocked Belle the most was the huge statue standing there.

The Athena Parthenos. Annabeth had done it. She had found the lost statue. The statue was forty feet tall and was made of ivory and gold. She held a smaller figure of the victory Goddess Nike in her right hand and a spear in the other. Belle could feel its power radiating from here.

Belle ran to the rail and looked down as the Argo II began to descend, Percy right by her side. "Annabeth!"

"Here!" the voice of Annabeth sobbed.

Annabeth's figure came into view, and Belle let out a sob relief. Her foot looked hurt and it was in a splint. She was missing her backpack and dagger, but other than that, she looked all right. Annabeth was standing by a huge chasm in the floor for some reason and spider webs decorated the cavern. Belle could see the shadow of a huge spider right by Annabeth before a baby blue Fiat crashed into it, tumbling the monster into the chasm.

The rope ladder lowered when the Argo II was about forty feet off the ground. Belle raced over to it and was the first one to climb down, Percy right after her. The two of them ran to the girl and turned her gently away from the huge pit, wrapping their arms around her in a group hug. Annabeth buried her face into their shoulders and broke down into tears. Belle couldn't help but do so, as well. She was so relieved to see Annabeth alive.

"It's okay," Belle told her gently. "Everything's okay, Annabeth."

Percy nodded. "We're together. All of us."

After everything they had been through over the last year, that was the most important thing. Belle hadn't just lost the love of her live. Annabeth had lost her best friend and had seen Belle fall apart because of it. They were back together again. Just like Belle had said, everything was okay.

The three of them pulled away from each other while the others joined them. Belle laughed softly and wiped a tear off of her face.

"Your leg," Piper voiced, kneeling next to Annabeth and examining her cast made of Bubble Wrap. "Oh, Annabeth, what happened?"

Annabeth started to explain everything from when she had left Belle at that café to now. She told them all about how she had escaped the shrine of Mithras, broke her ankle, and how she had met Arachne and tricked her. Belle felt a surge of pride flow throughout her. She knew Annabeth could do it. Once she was finished, everyone's faces were slack with amazement.

"Gods of Olympus," Jason commented. "You did all that alone. With a broken ankle."

"Well . . . some of it with a broken ankle," Annabeth replied.

Percy grinned at her. "You made Arachne weave her own trap? I knew you were good, but Holy Hera — Annabeth, you did it. Generations of Athena kids tried and failed. You found the Athena Parthenos!"

All of them gazed at the statue. It looked so much like Athena that Belle wondered if Phidias had seen the Goddess personally.

"What do we do with her?" Frank questioned. "She's huge."

"We'll have to take her with us to Greece," Annabeth answered. "The statue is powerful. Something about it will help us stop the Giants."

"The Giants' bane stands gold and pale," Hazel recited. "Won with pain from a woven jail." She looked to Annabeth with admiration painted across her face. "It was Arachne's jail. You tricked her into weaving it."

Leo raised his hands and made a picture frame with his fingers around the Athena Parthenos like he was taking measurements. "Well, it might take some rearranging, but I think we can fit her through the bay doors in the stable. If she sticks out the end, I might have to wrap a flag around her feet or something."

"What about you guys?" Annabeth inquired. "What happened with the Giants?"

Belle and Percy then began to recount their side of the story. They told her about rescuing Nico, how Bacchus had appeared, and how they fought the twins in the Colosseum with Jason. Nico didn't say much, but Belle could see why. He had been trapped in literal hell for six weeks. Belle and Percy then went onto explain what Nico had found out about the Doors of Death and how they had to be closed on both sides. Their news made the cavern darken despite the sunlight streaming in from above.

"So the mortal side is in Epirus," Annabeth stated. "At least that's somewhere we can reach."

Nico grimaced at that. "But the other side is the problem. Tartarus."

That word seemed to echo throughout the chamber. The pit behind them exhaled a cold blast of air. Belle's eyes widened and she helped Percy guide Annabeth farther from the end. She knew with certainty that the chasm went straight to the deepest part of the Underworld. Belle wasn't very happy that she was standing next to it yet again.

"Bacchus mentioned something about Belle and I's voyage being harder than we expected," Percy revealed. "Not sure why—"

The chamber suddenly groaned. Belle's head snapped up to see the Athena Parthenos tilt to one side. The spider webs along the walls were trying to keep it secure, but the marble foundation under the pedestal was crumbling. If the statue fell into the chasm, it was all over. Annabeth would've have done all of that for nothing and their quest would fail.

"Secure it!" Annabeth cried.

All of them understood immediately. Belle and Percy helped Annabeth stand up.

"Zhang!" Leo shouted. "Get me to the helm, quick! The coach is up there alone."

Frank transformed into a giant eagle. He picked up Leo in his claws and soared them towards the ship.

Jason wrapped his arm around Piper and turned back to Belle. "Back for you guys in a sec."

He summoned the wind and shot into the air to bring them back on board.

"This floor won't last!" Hazel warned. "The rest of us should get to the ladder."

Dust and cobwebs blasted out from holes in the floor. The spider webs that supported the cavern trembled and began to snap. Belle clenched Sunflower's keychain nervously as she watched Hazel lunge for the rope ladder. Hazel gestured Nico to follow her, but he was in no condition to sprint.

Percy looked to Annabeth and Belle. "It'll be fine."

Grappling hooks began to shoot from the Argo II and wrap around the statue. One wrapped around Athena's neck. Leo shouted orders from the helm, and Jason and Frank flew frantically from line to line to try and secure them. Nico had just reached the ladder. Everything seemed to be going all right until Annabeth gasped and stumbled backwards.

"Annabeth?" Belle asked. "What's wrong?"

She attempted to stagger towards the ladder, but she kept moving backwards. Belle tried to pull her forward but it was no use. Annabeth's legs swept out from underneath her and she fell on her face.

"Her ankle!" Hazel screamed from the ladder. "Cut it! Cut it!"

Belle suddenly realized what was wrong. A web was wrapped around Annabeth's ankle and was pulling her into the chasm. Before Belle could even think about the consequences, she ripped Sunflower's keychain off her belt loops and flipped it in the air. Once it appeared, she quickly ran up and cut the web off of Annabeth's leg with the Celestial Bronze blade.

She helped Annabeth up and pushed her in the direction of Nico hobbling towards them. However, the gravity of the Underworld and the shaking of the cavern made her lose her balance. She fell on the ground and began to get dragged towards the pit of Tartarus. Sunflower fell out of her hand and clattered on the ground, the noise echoing throughout the cavern. Belle attempted to grasp it, but it was getting farther and farther away as Tartarus pulled her in.

"Belle!" Percy screamed.

He lunged forwards and grabbed her wrist.

"Percy," she whispered.

He tried to pull her back in, but it was no use. The momentum of Belle being dragged down by gravity pulled him along as well.

And then Belle slipped over the edge, Percy falling in with her.

Her body slammed into something hard. Belle, her gaze incredibly foggy from pain, blinked a couple of times so her vision could focus. She looked up to see Percy had grabbed a ledge about fifteen feet from the top of the chasm. He was holding onto it with one hand while gripping Belle's wrist with the other. Percy was attempting to get them back up, but the pull of the Underworld plus Belle's added weight was making it impossible.

The pit of Tartarus shook underneath them. Percy was the only one keeping Belle from falling to the deepest part of the world. Belle could see Nico and Annabeth kneeling over the edge of the chasm, but they were much too far away to help. Hazel was yelling for the others, but even if they managed to hear her over the chaos, there would be no time to help them.

Dark gravity from the Underworld continued to pull Belle down. Her strength had been dwindled, especially from earlier trying to trap Ephialtes in vines. She couldn't fight. And now, fifteen feet away from the top of the chasm, Belle knew she couldn't be saved this time. Percy was trying to. His face was white with effort, but Belle could see in his sea-green eyes that she loved so much that even he knew it was hopeless.

So this was it. She knew life as a Demigod was never easy, but she never expected to go out like this. Belle had to let go. Both physically and mentally. She had to let go of her life and fall, and she had to let go of Percy, her one and only true love, so he could keep living. It didn't matter if she wanted to or not. She had to.

"Percy," Belle said softly. Percy looked down at her properly, and her blue eyes filled with tears. She gave him a watery smile. "It's okay."

"Belle—" Percy started to protest.

"Let me go," she continued. "You can't pull me up. Just . . . please know that I had the best time falling into love."

"Belle, no—"

"I'll be yours forever."

"Belle, listen to me—"

She let out a small laugh, yet it was choked up with emotion. "Till forever falls apart."

"Belle," Percy stated firmly. "No. I'm never letting you go." He looked back up at Nico and a crying Annabeth fifteen feet above them. "The other side, Nico and Annabeth! We'll see you there. Understand?"

Nico's eyes widened. "But—"

"Lead them there! Promise me!"

Annabeth let a tear fall down her face. "We promise. Just . . . know that I love you guys, okay?"

"We love you too, Annabeth," Belle called up.

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. This was what Bacchus had meant by her and Percy's voyage being harder than they expected. They had to go to fall to Tartarus.

I'm sorry, Katie, Belle thought to herself, her heart aching for her best friends back home. I'm sorry, Connor. I'm sorry, Travis. I love you so much.

Percy tightened his grip on Belle's wrist. She opened her eyes and stared up at him. Belle had seen Percy at his best (including in a suit at a dinner date in Paris), but even now with a scraped up face and cobwebs in his hair, she thought he had never looked more handsome.

"I promised you that you wouldn't get away from me ever again," Percy told her. "And I intend to keep it, Beauty. If we go down, we go down together."

Belle knew with absolute certainty what was going to happen. A very hard one-way fall. One that they might never return from.

"As long as it's you and I, we can do anything," Belle replied.

"Till forever falls apart," Percy stated.

She nodded. "Till forever falls apart."

Nico, Hazel, and Annabeth were still yelling for help. Belle gazed up at the sunlight shining far above the chasm and could feel the warmth on her skin even from so far away. It possibly could be the last sunlight she would ever see in her sixteen years of existence.

Percy let go of his tiny ledge. Annabeth let out an agonizing scream, one Belle was sure that she would never forget. And together, while holding hands tightly, Beauty and the Beast fell into the endless darkness.

— [ ♡ ] —

𝓛𝓐 𝓕𝓘𝓝 𝓓𝓔 𝓛'𝓐𝓒𝓣𝓔 𝓤𝓝

. . . um. hey.

the way I did not want to post this

THAT FUCKING HURT OUCH. ALL I KNOW IS PAIN. ESPECIALLY WITH THE SONG PLS IT'S LITERALLY THEIR SONG 🤚🏻

act two coming out soon. until then we shall cry together <3

gifs by 1-800-SIMPINGFORSEB !