Percy Jackson's Twin Sister

Sword of Hades: 6

The taste of nectar brings me back. I sit up and see Percy sitting up. His eyes are closed but he's sitting up.

"We're close," says Nico, "can you two walk?"

I get up slowly. Percy staggers up next to me.

"Ready," he says.

"I don't like this," Thalia says.

"A creepy cave with the goddess if ghosts," I says, "what's not to like."

As if a response, a hissing sound echoed down the mountain. Fog flows from the cave. In the fog and image appears, a tall woman with long blonde hair. Her face was stern and disapproving.

The other three were frozen in fear.

"Now you come back," she growls, "it's to late!"

This must be melinoe. They all stood frozen staring at her.

Thalia lowers bow, "mother?" She asks teary eyed.

Percy shakes his head and he looks at me concerned.

"That's right girl. Doomed to walk the earth, and it's your fault. Where were you when I died? Why did you run away when I needed you?" Says melinoe.

"I— I—"

"Thalia," I say, "It's just a shade! It can't hurt you."

"I'm more than that and she knows it," melinoe says.

"But- you abandoned me?" Thalia says.

"You wretched girl! Ungrateful runaway!"

"Stop!" Nico yells.

The spirit changes to face him. He stops in his tracks.

"No..." he says.

"My son," the ghost says the ghost.

"Guys!" Yells Percy.

The goddess turns to him. It flickers to Zoë nightshade.

"Zoë..." Percy yells.

(I had to come up with a death for him so I went with her. I thought about Bianca but with Nico there I didn't like the idea.)

They all stare at her. She turns to me. Her image flickers but nit to a person, to the goddesses true form.

"Why can't I see yours?" She demands.

Honestly I hadn't  seen many people I care about die. And the ones I had I had made price with.

"I've made peace!" I say, "they've passed on. Now let my friends go!"

I slash at her with my sword. She backs up and the fog disappears around her. My friends stood blinking at her as if they were now seeing how hideous she really was.

"What is that?" Says Thalia, "Where-"

"It was a trick," Nico said, "She fooled us."

"You are too late demigods," Melinoe says. Another petal falls off the carnation leaving only one, "The deal had been struck."

"What deal?" I demand.

Melinoe makes a hissing noise. I realize it's her form if laughing, "So many ghosts young demigod. They long to be unleashed. WhenKronos rules the world, I shall be free to walk among the mortal day and night."

"Where's the sword of hades?" I demand, "Where's Ethan?"

"Close," Melinoe promised, "I will not stop you. I will not need to. Soon, Phoebe Jackson, you will have many ghosts and you will remember me."

Thalia notches an arrow and aims at the goddess. She shoot but Melinoe disappears and her arrow hits a rock and shatters.

"Stupid ghost," Thalia mumbles.

The three of them looked shaken. Thalias hands trembled, Nico looked stunned, and Percy looked scared, like he didn't know what to do anymore.

"The thief," I say, "he's probably in the cave. We have to go before-"

Just then last petal falls off the floor and it wiles to black.

"-too late," I said.

A man's laughter echoed down the mountain. At the mouth of the cave stood Ethan Nakamura holding the unfinished sword and next to him was a giant man.

The giant had silver eyes and a scraggly beard. His clothes were scraggly. He'd spent a few thousand years in a pit, but even in his weakens state he looked plenty scare. He held out his hand and a giant spear appeared. This was the piercer. This was Iapetus.

The Titan smiled cruelly, "And now I will destroy you."