The Forgotten Heroes || PJO

T W E N T Y - F I V E: Secrets Revealed

--- Kat POV ---

"I'LL BE FINE! I'VE BEEN BEFORE." Nico shouted.

The room went dead silent. I looked up - things had just gotten interesting between the two children of Hades.

"You... What?" Bianca said in shock.

"I didn't say anything." Nico said quickly.

"You've been to Tartarus before?" Bianca asked. I inhaled at the name. No one but Zale knew that I'd been, but no one had known Nico had been either. Everyone knew Percy had been though.

"Yes." Nico sighed. "I went looking for answers during the Giant War and I was caught and hauled out in a jar like the twins once captures Ares in. I fell a week or two before Percy fell in. The Seven rescued me from the jar."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was a long time ago." Nico mumbled. "It didn't seem important, and it never came up." Bianca didn't reply.

"Has anyone else been to Tartarus before?" Clary asked. Everyone looked at each other, but no one said anything. Zale nudged me. I sighed.

"I have."

Everyone looked at me.

"When?" Percy asked.

"I...I was six." Everyone gasped.

"I'm sorry," Thalia started, eyes closed, "How did you manage to fall into Tartarus when you were six?"

"I didn't know anything about my heritage. I'd run away from home, because my mother hated me. There were monsters chasing me, and I would go anywhere to escape them. I was running through a forest, and out of nowhere, a huge cave showed up. I ran in, and got lost. I could hear the monsters, following me, and they seemed to be everywhere. I ran straight over the edge of a drop, but I grabbed an edge a little ways down. Needless to say, the monsters didn't follow.

"I pulled myself onto a ledge, a little further down, and watched the monsters- one of them glowed- and eventually they left. I tried to pull myself up, but the pull of the pit was too strong. I tried to jump for it, and found myself falling. I bloodied myself pretty badly, grappling for a hold on the wall, but climbed down once I had one. I came across a shrine to Hecate, and hung out there for a while, getting my bearings. Hecate is the only goddess who can freely travel through the underworld, except Hermes, and she appeared to me down there, and explained everything. She taught me, and she helped me, and she watched over me, and I'm only alive because of her."

"Wow.... So, Hecate can feel pity?" Hazel said with wide eyes.

"Yes." I stated clearly.

"Who knew?" Skylar muttered. She seemed to be deep in thought, likely about the quest she was about to leave on.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and we all looked at it as Jacob answered it.

"Hi." I heard Frank's voice. "It's time for the four to go. We're all meeting at the Big House for a quick farewell. Are they ready?"

"Yeah, I think so. We'll be up in a minute." Jacob said.

I stood up. "I'll go now." I quickly walked over to the door and shut it behind me. "Hi."

"Uhm, hi?"

"Sorry. We were having a conversation when you knocked, and I really don't want to continue it. Shall we go?"

"Oh. Yeah, sure." We started walking. After minute or so of silence, Frank said, "Storm? You are Storm right?"

"Yes."