Percy Jackson's Twin Sister

Sword of Hades: 2

Honestly, I expected to fall forever. But the next thing I knew all four of us had landed in a garden all still screaming in terror.

"What- where are we?" Says Thalia.

"We've been here before," I say looking Percy.

We were here going to hades palace to retrieve the lightning bolt.

Nico plucks a pomegranate off the tree, " my stepmother Persephone's garden," he said with a sour face, "don't eat anything."

"Heads up," Thalia warned

I turned and found her aiming her bow at a tall women in a white dress.

At first I thought the woman was a ghost. He dress billowed around her like smoke. He long hair floated as if it was weightless. Her face was deathly pale.

I realized her dress wasn't white. It was made of all sort of colors booming in the fabric. Her eyes were the same way but washed out. It was like the underworld had zapped the life out of her.

"I am Persephone," she says, "welcome demigods."

Nico squashed the pomegranate under his boot, "welcome? After last time you've got the nerve to welcome me?"

I shift uneasily, "Um Nico-"

"It's all right," says Persephone, "We had a little family spat."

"Family spat?" Nico cried, "You turned me into a dandelion!"

Persephone ignored him, "As I was saying, I welcome you to my garden."

Thalia lowers her bow, "you sent the golden deer?"

"And the hell hound," she says, "and made the shadow that collected Nico and took brief control of Phoebe's Pegasus."

She can do that?

"But it was necessary to bring you here," Persephone continues.

"Why?" Percy asks.

"Lord hades has a problem. And if you know what's good for you'll help," Persephone says.

She guides us into the palace. We sit on a dark veranda overlooking the garden. Persephone's dead hand maiden brought us food and drink that none of us touched.

Persephone sat on her throne and studied us.

"If it were spring I would be able to greet you properly in the world above. Alas it is winter and this is the best I could do," Persephone says, "Hades is my husband and master. I would do anything for him. But in this case I need your help, and quickly. It concerns lord hades sword."

"My father doesn't have a sword. He uses a staff and helm of darkened during battle," Nico says.

"He didn't have a sword," Persephone corrects.

I sit up, "he's forging a new symbol of power? Without Zeus's permission."

The goddess pointed. Above the table an image flicked. Skeleton workers using hammers to beat into an iron blade.

"The war against the titans is upon us and my lord hades must be ready," Persephone says.

"Zeus and Poseidon would never allow hades to forge a new weapon!" Exclaims Thalia, " it would unbalance their power sharing agreement!"

"You mean it would make hades their equal," says Persephone "Believe me daughter of Zeus, the lord of the death has no designs against his brothers. He knew his brothers would never understand, which is why he forged it in secret."

The image over the table flickers.

"Is that a key?" Asks Percy.

Nico made a gagging sound, "The keys of hades?"

"Wait," I say, "what are the keys of hades?"

Nico looked paler than his stepmother, "Hades has a set of key that can unlock death. At least.... That's the legend."

"It is true," Persephone says, "The keys have the power to imprison a soul in the underworld or release it."

Nico swallows, "if one of those keys are in the sword-"

"The wielder can raise the dead," Persephone says, "or slay any living thing and send its soul to the underworld."

We were all silent.

"That's a wicked sword," Percy says.

I hit him in the back of the head.

"It would make hades unstoppable," Thalia says.

"So you see why you must help to get it back," Persephone.

"Did you say get it back. You lost it?" I say in disbelief.

Her eyes were deadly serious, "The blade was stolen when it was almost finished. I do not know how, but I suspect a demigod stole it. Probably a servant of Kronos. If the blade falls into the titan lords hands-"

Thalia shot to her feet, "You allowed the blade to be stolen! Kronos probably has it by now!"

Thalia arrows sprouted into long stem roses. Her bow melted into a honeysuckle vines.

"Take care huntress," Persephone says to her, " your father may fe Zeus, and you may be the lieutenant of Artemis, but you do not speak to me with disrespect in my own palace."

Thalia gritted her teeth, "give me back my bow."

The goddess waves her hand it turns back into a bow.

"What do you need us for?" I ask.

"The search for the blade cannot be common knowledge," Persephone said, "we have locked the realm but we have not announced why, nor can hades servants be used for the search. They cannot know the blade exists until it's finished nor can they know it's missing," she says, "the thief must be a demigod. No immortal can steal another immortals weapon. Even Kronos must abide by this rule. It must be a champion. And to catch a demigod we shall use four"

"Why us?" Asks Percy.

"You four are the children of the big three," Persephone says, "Who can withstand your powers combined? Besides, when you restore the sword to Hades, you will send a message to Olympus. Zeus and Poseidon will not protest to hades new weapon if it is given to them by their own children. It will show you trust hades."

"But I don't trust him," says Percy.

"Ditto," I say. Thalia nods her head in agreement, " Why should we do anything for hades, much less give him a super weapon? Right Nico?"

Nico states at the table.

"Right Nico?" I prompt.

He looks at me, "I have to do this Phoebe. He's my father."

"Oh, no way!" Thalia says, "you can't believe this is a good idea."

"Would you wrarher have the sword in Kronos's hands?"

He had a point.

"Even though the underworld is on lockdown souls keep finding new ways out. Faster than hades can close them. You must retrieve the sword before it leaves this realm, or all is lost," Persephone says.

"Even if we wanted to," I start.

"Which we don't," Thalia adds.

"How would we find this theif?" I finish.

A potted plant appeared on the table. A yellow carnation with a couple green leaves.

"This will guide you," the goddess says.

"A magic carnation?" Percy asks.

"The flower always faces the thief. As they get closer to escaping the petals will fall off."

As if on cue a petal turns grey and falls.

"If all the petals fall off and the flower dies that means the thief had escaped and you have failed," says Persephone.

"One condition," My brother says, "Hades had to swear on the river styx that he will never use this sword against the gods."

The goddess shrugs, "I am not lord hades but I am confident he will do it- as payment for you help."

"Fine. Let's go catch this jerk," says Thalia.