Percy In Tartarus

27: Separate Fates

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Word Count: 6,685 words

POV: Third Person

Chapter 27: Separate Fates

The explosion rocked the sky and forced demigods and monsters alike to take cover as debris and shrapnel fell from above. The fiery comet soared over the west hills and disappeared, leaving the sky sore and dull. Shortly after, a tsunami came from the beach of Long Island Sound, engulfing the shore and forest, further damaging the camp.

Teams were sent out to look for the lost heroes.

The entire Hephaestus cabin scoured the valley, finding bits and pieces of the Argo II's broken hull, but no sign of Festus the dragon or his master.

No one found Percy, either. He wasn't on the battlefield, nor the beach, nor where the Argo II was. There wasn't even a body – he was completely missing, like Leo. People assumed the worst, suspecting the tsunami to be from Poseidon's grief over losing a son. Not even Grover could confirm whether Percy was alive or not through their Empathy Link; he said it felt empty, neither dead nor alive.

On the brighter side, all the monsters had been destroyed or scattered from the aftermath. The tsunami had been a big part of clearing out the remaining monsters. Greek and Roman casualties were heavy, too, but not nearly as bad as they could have been.

Following the Battle of Gaea, the satyrs and nymphs disappeared into the ruined woods for a convocation of the Cloven Elders. In the morning, Grover Underwood reappeared to announce that they could not sense the Earth Mother's presence. Nature was, for better or worse, back to normal. Percy and Leo's sacrifice had worked. Gaea had been separated from her source of power and forced to sleep, and then atomized in the combined explosion of Leo's fire and Octavian's man-made comet.

An immortal could never die – not truly, not in the way mortals did – but now Gaea would be like her husband, Ouranos. The earth would continue to function as normal, just as the sky did, but now Gaea was so dispersed and powerless that she could never form a consciousness.

At least, that was the hope.

Octavian would be remembered for saving Rome by hurling himself into the sky in a fiery ball of death. But it was Leo Valdez and Percy Jackson who had made the real sacrifices in the final battle.

The victory celebration at camp was muted due to grief – not just for the loss of two prophecy demigods, but also for the many others who had died in battle. Shrouded demigods, both Greek and Roman, were burned at the campfire. Chiron asked Nico to oversee the burial rites. Nico agreed immediately. He was grateful for the opportunity to honour the dead. Even the hundreds of spectators, which normally would have put him on edge, didn't bother him. Not when they were all gathered for something so important.

The hardest part was afterwards, when Nico and the remaining five demigods from the Argo II met on the porch of the Big House (or rather, what was left of the Big House) for one final meeting.

The atmosphere was dead.

Jason hung his head. His hair hadn't been cut in a while, and his traditional buzz-cut had turned into wheat-blond bangs that covered his eyes. "We should have been there at the end. We could have helped them. I should have never listened to Percy and Leo – of course, they would sacrifice themselves. That's what they do."

"It's not right," Piper agreed. "All that work getting the Physician's Cure, for nothing."

Hazel broke down crying. "Piper, where's the cure? Bring it out."

Bewildered, Piper reached into her belt pouch. She produced the chamois-cloth package, but when she unfolded the cloth, it was empty.

All eyes turned to Hazel.