Percy Jackson's Twin Sister

Learning About The Doors Of Death

We sailed out of the colosseum and veered south over the rooftops of Rome.

As far as I could tell none if the giants plans had come true. The city looked the same as before.

All of the demigods gather at the helm. Jason was bandaging Pipers sprained shoulder. Hazel was feeding Nico ambrosia. He could barley lift his head. She had to bend down just to hear him talk.

I walk over and sit on the other side of Nico. His face had slightly more color. He still had dark spots under his eyes.

Frank and Leo recounted what had happened in the room with the Archimedes sphere, and the visions Gaea had showed.

Leo and Frank were working on a map so that we can find the Emmanuel building, and save Annabeth.

Nico lifts his head about as much as he could, which wasn't a lot.

"I'm sorry," he mumbles.

"It's ok. Everything turned out fine," I say.

"It was really hard not to tell you he was there, Phoebe. You were so sad and desperate to find him. I really wanted to say something but I... I wasn't suppose to," Nico says.

"Seriously it's ok. Everything was fine. We found him and he at least wasn't like... dead," I say.

Nico nodded his head. He leans in and gives me a hug. It felt awkward like he didn't really know what he was doing.

"Ok as cute as that was, Nico you need to tell everyone what you told me," hazel says.

He nods agreeing to do it.

"Guy," Hazel say to the rest of the group, "I hate to interrupt but you guys should hear this."

She helps Nico to his feet.

"Thank you," Nico rasped, "I'd given up hope."

I could have imagined a lot of things he would have said but that wasn't one of them.

"You knew about the two camps all along," Percy says, "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 and look at me. I shook my head a little telling him not to worry to much.

"Percy, I'm sorry. I discovered Camp Jupiter last year. My dad lead me there, though I wasn't sure why. He told me the gods had kept the camps separate from each other for centuries and I couldn't tell anyone. But he said it would be important for me to know..." he doubled over in a coughing fit.

I go over and hold his shoulder until he could stand again.

"I- I thought dad meant because of Hazel," Nico continues, "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 you quest was, and so I'd search for the doors of death."

The room goes quiet at that.

"Did you find the doors?" I ask.

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

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

Nico started to speak but whatever he needed to say must have been to terrifying. He turned to Hazel.

"Nico told me that the doors of death have two sides- one in the mortal world and one in the underworld. The mortal side in Greece is heavily guarded by Gaea's forces," Hazel says.

"Where exactly in Greece is this doorway?" Piper asks.

Nico takes a 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...."

A chill runs dune my spine. Nico was in that pit.

"Tartarus. The deepest part of the underworld," Percy guessed.

"They pulled me into that pit Percy. The things I saw down there..." Nico's voice broke.

"No mortal has ever been to Tartarus," Hazel explains, "At least no one has ever gone in and returned alive. It's the maximum security prison of Hades. It's well.... No one exactly knows what it's like."

Hazel hands Nico his black sword, "Now I understand why Hades hadn't been able to close the doors. Even gods don't go into Tartarus."

"So let me guess," Leo says, "We 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."

Nico's eyes shattered like glass. Maybe something inside him had broken permanently.

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

"I wish it were that easy," Nico says, "The doors have to be controlled on each side."

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

Nobody volunteered any brilliant ideas.

The ship begins to descend towards a big building, like a palace.

"We'll figure out the Tartarus situation later," Nico says, "Is that the Emmanuel building."

Lei nodded, "Bacchus said something about the parking lot in back? Well, there's it is, what now?"

"We get her out," Percy says definitively.

"Well yah," Leo agreed, "But, uh...."

Leo trails off. It looked like he wanted to say "what if we're to late." Wisely, he changed tack.

"There's a parking lot in the way," Leo says.

Percy looks at coach hedge, "Bacchus said we'd have to break through. Coach, you still have ammo for those ballistae?"

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