━━ chapter forty-three
to fall alone?

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    ━━Fiona had started to think she had lost Nico forever. 

   They had never been close. She always felt like she was competing with his dead sister. But right now, none of that mattered. He was here, he was alive, and they had gotten him back. She and Hazel tended to him at the stern, feeding him as much ambrosia as they dared. He could barely lift his head, and his voice was so quiet, she and Hazel had to lean in whenever he spoke. 

    What he did tell them sent shivers down Fiona's spine.

    She had forgotten about her knee, too worried about Nico to realise she had bent it perfectly, sitting normally as she tried to keep him up. The rest of the demigods had gathered around the helm, and Jason bandaged Piper's sprained shoulder. Frank and Leo recounted what had happened in the room with the Archimedes spheres and the visions Gaea and showed them in the bronze mirror. It made Fiona more worried for Annabeth. They had to find her. 

    While Leo and Frank searched for the Emmanuel Building, Percy knelt down next to Jason and Piper. Sam joined him. But their conversation was brought to a quick close when Nico pushed Fiona to let him go to the others. She and Hazel had to help him stand up and make their way over. Fiona wrapped a tight arm around her brother. He was younger than her, but he had always seemed the oldest and the wisest. And in a way, Fiona was the youngest out of all of them. 

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

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

    "You knew about the two camps all along," Fiona knew Percy was angry, but she appreciated he kept it down. "You could have told me who I was the first day I arrived at Camp Jupiter, but you didn't."

    Nico slumped against Fiona. "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, coughing.

    Fiona held him, her fingers shaking slightly. He was barely anything; weak, torn-down, a sack of skin and bones. 

    "I━I thought Dad meant because of Hazel," Nico continued. "I'd need a safe place to take her. And then Fiona," he glanced at her briefly. "To let her know who she was. 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."

    There was bated breath. 

    "Did you find the doors?" asked Percy.

    Nico nodded. "I was a gool. 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."

    "Uh..." Frank chewed his bottom lip. "What kind of black hole are you talking about?"

    Nico started to speak, but he choked up. Fiona has never seem him so ... broken. He turned to her, and she swallowed hard. She spoke for him. "Nico told us 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 was nervous; her cornucopia spat out a cheeseburger. "Where exactly in Greece is this doorway?"

    Nico took a rattling breath that must have shook his bones. "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 ..."

    He didn't finish. Fiona already knew. Tartarus. 

    She met Percy's gaze, and knew he had thought the exact same. He pursed his lips, "Tartarus," he spoke the dreaded word. "The deepest part of the Underworld."

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

    Hazel glanced at Fiona, worried. "No mortal has ever been to Tartarus," she explained. "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."

    Her eyes drifted to Nico. No one, Fiona whispered to herself. No one except Nico. And by the look in his gaze, Fiona could tell it was far worse than any nightmare. She handed him back his black sword, and Nico leaned on it. But he still gripped Fiona's arm, keeping her close. She eagerly helped him, trying to keep her tears in. "Now I understand why Hades hasn't been able to close the doors," he said. "Even the gods don't go into Tartarus. Even the god of death, Thanatos himself, wouldn't go near that place."

    Leo glanced over from 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."

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

    "I wish it were that easy," rasped Nico. "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 simultaeously on the Tartarus side, a taem powerful enough to defeat a legion of monsters in their home territory━"

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

    No one had any ideas. Fiona felt weak in her knee as part of the prophecy came back to her. Foes bear arms to the Doors of Death ... she thought she was sinking in her sick realisation, but then she realised the entire ship was descending towards a big building like a palace.

    "Annabeth," she whispered. 

    Percy paled. "We'll figure out the Tartarus problem later," he said. "Is that the Emmanuel Building?"

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

    Percy glared down at the building. "We have to get her out."

    "Well, yeah," said Leo. "But, uh ..." he stopped himself. He looked like he wanted to say, What if we're too late?

    Fiona shook her head. "Annabeth's alive. I can feel her ... usually I can tell when someone I know has died. She's alive."

    Percy met her gaze, grateful. She managed a weak smile.

    "Well, we still have a parking lot in the way," then said Leo, gesturing to the concrete. 

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

    The satyr grinned, wild. "I thought you'd never ask."

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    ━━The parking lot never stood a chance. 

    As soon as the ballistae struck, concrete, tarmac and cars all sunk in downwards to a cave-in that shuddered blocks on end. Fiona saw light seep into a dark cavern, where on the floor amongst webs and old, damaged wood floors was Annabeth. Fiona breathed a smile, relieved to see her friend alive. A mass of black was hit by a falling car, and Fiona heard a scream fade into darkness below. 

    Percy was at Fiona's side. "Annabeth!" he shouted down.

    "Here!" Fiona could just hear her weakly sob.

    They descended down. Eyes were wide to the demigods as they all saw the statue. The Athena Parthenos. Annabeth had found it. She found it. After centuries of being missing, here it was, as if time had never scuffed it at all. As they got closer, Fiona could see what looked to be a large spider's nest, wrapped around the statue and keeping the boards together from breaking down into a vast depht below. Annabeth stood at the edge of it, bloody, bruised, her hair a rat's nest. But alive.

    Percy was the first to go down the rope ladder as soon as it lowered. Fiona and the others were quick to follow. He rushed to his best friend by the edge and slowly turned her into a hug. She broke down into tears.

    "It's okay," he murmured to her. "We're all together."

    The rest gathered around. Hazel helped Nico. Fiona came over and knelt down while Sam rushed forward. She pulled away and hugged her brother, clutching on tight. Fiona examined the bubble-wrap cast around her ankle. 

    "Your leg, Annabeth," Fiona said. "What happened? Oh, gods, you're covered in webs ..." as she explained, Fiona started to cut away the spider webs wrapped all around her. She knew Annabeth was terrified of spiders, and she must feel like she was covered in nightmares. Sam never let go of her hand, in his own tears. 

    Once she finished, they were stunned into silence.

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

    "Well ... some of it with a broken ankle."

    Percy grinned. "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!"

    Everyone gazed at the statue. 

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

    Fiona saw the statue of her grandmother in Athena's palm. She stiffened. It was as if her beady eyes found her, even now, and murmured, and you couldn't have done this. Look at yourself. It was so stupid to think of herself, but she couldn't help it. She locked eyes with that small statue, and felt her bile.

    She forced herself to look away and returned to cutting away the webs covering Annabeth. She was half done. Gods, they were sticky. 

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

    "'Giants' bane stands gold and pale'," Hazel murmured. "'Won with pain from a woven jail,'" she looked at Annabeth with admiration. "It was Arachne's jail. You tricked her into weaving it."

    Fiona smiled at her friend. Piper decided to come and help, pulling away the threads of webbing from her ankle. 

    Leo raised his hands. He made a finger picture around the large statue. "Well, it might take some rearranging, but I think we can fit her through the bay doors in the stable. If she sticks out of the end, I might have to wrap a flag around her feet or something."

     "Find one to wrap around the Victoria statue, too," grumbled Fiona, giving her grandmother another disdainful look. 

    "What about you guys?" Annabeth then asked. "What happened with the giants?"

    Percy told her about the endevours they experienced while she was underground. Fiona gently reached up to tug Sam's hand, gently giving him a smile to ask whether he wanted to help. He had a knife as well. He nodded weakly and crouched down.

    "It's okay," she told him softly as he joined her while Piper stood back up. "All the spiders are gone."

    "So, the mortal side is in Epirus," Annabeth said once he finished and the conversation when to the Doors of Death. "At least that's somewhere we can reach."

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

    Fiona gently brushed the web out of Annabeth's hair. She had never been so soft with her fingers before, but she knew Annabeth appreciated it. She leaned into her slightly and Fiona touched her forehead against her temple, taking a deep breath between friends.

    "We'll worry about that later," she said, feeling a sudden pull behind her. She ignored it. She knew the depth was Tartarus, she had sensed it immediately. She guided Annabeth a little further from the edge. They had finished taking the webs away. 

    "Bacchus mentioned something about my voyage being harder than I expected," then said Percy. "Not sure why━"

    The chamber groaned. The Athena Parthenos tilted to one side. Its head caught amongst wevs, and the foundation under the pedestal began to crumble. 

    Annabeth grew dazed. "Secure it!" she cried.

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

    Frank transformed into a giant eagle, and the two of them soared towards the ship.

   "Sam," Fiona turned to the boy, "get Annabeth out of here." When the blonde argued, she shook her head. "We'll get the statue out. But we need to get you out of here, go━" Sam took his sister's arm over his shoulder and they started to the rope. 

    Jason wrapped his arm around Piper. He turned to the others. "Back for you guys in a sec," he summoned the wind and shot into the air.

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

    Plumes of dust and cobwebs blasted from holes in the floor. The spider silk cables trembled and began to snap. Hazel lunged for the bottom of the rope ladder and gestured for Nico to follow, but Nico was in no condition to sprint. Annabeth and Sam were a little whiles up. Sam helped his sister get up.

    Grapping lines shot down from the Argo, but they weren't quick enough. The statue was going to fall.

    Fiona felt a jolt in her stomach. They needed to be faster ... 

    She met the gaze of her grandmother in Athena's palm, and she taunted her. Go on ... you can't do it ... you coward.

    And Fiona had had enough.

    She leant down and ripped off the padding around her knee. Percy frowned at her. "Uh━what, what are you doing?"

    "Leo!" Fiona shouted up at the Argo. "Keep the lines coming━!"

    And with that said, she ran.

    For a second, Fiona couldn't believe it. She felt the air around her thin, and everything turn into a blur except for her gaze in front of her. Her knee didn't buckle━in fact, she felt no pain whatsoever. 

    She glanced at her grandmother, and wondered for a second ... had she blessed her, in her own, cruel way? Had she given her a victory again?

    Fiona took the chance. She didn't want to jinx it. As the ropes fell, she grabbed them and wrapped them around the Athena Parthenos before the others could blink. In her momentum, she ran up her side and snatched them over her shoulders and under her armpits. Sprinting through webs, they didn't matter. All that mattered was Fiona was going to win. She was not a coward. She will win for them all. And she will not let this stupid chamber take away the win of her friend. 

    When she finished, she ran back to the ground. Stepping back, she examined her work. She grinned. The statue was secured. And better yet━she had ran! She could run again! She did it!

    She turned, grinning at Percy with bright eyes. 

    Then something tugged her knee.

    Her grin fell away. She saw Percy's face drop. 

    Her knee dislocated, and she stumbled. 

    She gasped as she hit the ground, face-first. Fiona cried out in pain, and tried to pull herself back to her feet, but something was stopping her. She was moving backwards, not forwards.

    "FIONA!" Percy yelled, and leapt forward. 

    Fiona didn't know what was happening. The pain put her in a little bit of a daze. She tried to crawl, but the pull only made her pain worse. Her pugio fell out of her hands, scattering along the wood. It landed by Nico's feet. She didn't see him pick it up.

    "Her leg!" Hazel shouted from the ladder. "Cut it! CUT IT!"

    Percy's fingers reached her wrist, and he grasped a tight hold of her. She cried out, tears falling as it all started to reach to her. She was being dragged ... dragged down into the dark dephts. 

    "Help them!" cried Hazel.

    Fiona could feel Percy be carried along as well. She sobbed, trying to let go, to not take him with her, but he had an iron grip. He was not letting her go. She glimpsed Nico struggling in their direction. Hazel tried to disentangle her cavalry sword from the rope ladder, and Hazel's cry was lost in the sound.

    Her belly scraped the edge of the pit, scratching her skin. Fiona screamed, desperately trying to kick her way up. Percy gritted his teeth, trying to pull her up. A massive tug pulled her down further, and Fiona realised. In all of her running, she paid no attention to the webs she sprinted through. She had gotten herself tangled ... tangled to something having already fallen down below. 

    "No ..." Percy strained, light dawning in his eyes. "My sword..."

    He couldn't reach Riptide without letting go of Fiona's arm, and her strength was gone. She slipped over the edge, and Percy fell with her. 

    Her body slammed into something. Black dots circled in her eyes, and she believed she must have blacked out briefly. When she could see again, she was dangling partway into the pit. Percy had managed to grab a ledge about fifteen feet below the chasm. He was holding on with one hand, gripping Fiona's wrist with the other, but the pull on her leg was much too strong.

     My heroes, a voice in the darkness whispered below. Or was it from the earth around them? Fiona's ears buzzed. My sacrifice. 

     The pit shook. Percy was the only thing keeping her from falling, his fingers grasping onto a ledge the size of a bookshelf. 

    Nico leaned over the edge of the chasm, thrusting out his hand, but he was much too far away to help. Fiona jolted more awake at the pain of her leg, feeling it be pulled against her body━she wondered whether it might fall away from the socket. Her knee was the worst, making her see red with pain. 

    But she knew. 

    She knew she couldn't be saved. This was it. 

    Fiona tried to slip her hand away from Percy's, but his fingers tightened around her skin so harshly it burned. "No," he told her. "No."

    "Percy," she croaked, her voice barely louder than a whisper. She didn't know if he heard her or not, but his eyes met her, tearful in the strain. "Percy, let me go. It's okay. Please."

     She saw it in his gaze. Even he knew it was hopeless, but he wasn't letting go. 

    "Percy," she sobbed. "Please, let me go━"

    "Never," he said, with such fierceness it shut her up. He looked up at Nico, fifteen feet above. "The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"

     Nico's eyes widened. "But━"

    "Lead them there! Promsie me!"

   "Percy, no..." Fiona's voice hurt as much as everything else. She pleaded, shaking her head.

    He ignored her, glaring up at Nico for an answer.

    "I━I will," he managed.

    Sacrifice.

    Percy tightened his grip on Fiona's wrist. He met her gaze again. His face was gaunt, scraped and bloody, his hair dusted with cobwebs. And yet, he looked the most handsome he's been. There, refusing to let her go. He was going to fall with her, no matter what. She sobbed, nodding. He took a deep breath, and like that, he let go of the tiny ledge.

     Hazel was still screaming for help, but that didn't matter. 

    Fiona felt his arms meet her, pulling her flush against his chest, and she clung on. With a sob, she hid her face into the cook of his neck. She felt his own tears wet against her shoulder. 

    Together, they fell into the endless darkness. 

THE END

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    a/n: *sobs in i just did this, finished a book and realisation i'll have to write tartarus differently twice*. 

    WE'VE MADE IT TO THE END OF THE FIRST BOOK GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH FUKKKKKKK THE PAIN!!!!!!!!

    I'll let you all know when the second book is out!! But i'm so excited guys! we have tartarus percy and fiona, but also━oh, what's that? sam point of view chapters? WHAAAAAA????????