Percy Jackson: The Guardian

Chapter Eleven: Old Friends and Enemies

So far, these tasks have been easy. I felt that they were hardly a challenge. So, I figured these last two couldn't possibly be that bad. Boy I was wrong.

The day started out with me standing before the gods.

"Today, is the final day of your tasks. These by far will be the hardest ones yet." Zeus said lumbering over me. "Your first task, is in the underworld. Good luck."

After that, I was flashed away to the underworld. I was expecting to be in the fiery hellish part of the underworld, instead I was in a lush village-like area. Elysium.

Five figures stood in front of me. Some faces that haunted me to this day. Luke Castellan, Charles Beckendorf, Selina Beauregard, Zoë Nightshade, and Bianca de Angelo.

"Hey Perce." Luke said with his classic grin. He looked like the Luke I used to know.

"Why are you guys..." I mumbled, it was great seeing them all again. Especially Zoë. I see her face whenever I look into the stars. I have always felt guilty about her death. I was the reason she was no longer with us.

"We are one of your last tasks, or last, depending on what you chose." Bianca said.

"What do you mean?" I said confused.

"Follow us." The six of us then walked outside the gates of Elysium and into this dark gravel path. The place seemed familiar.

"How are you guys my task?" I said, "Please tell me I don't have to fight you." I pleaded

"No Percy, you must make a choice." Charles said, he seemed lime he was being forced to say these words.

"We all died because of the choices we made. Now it is your turn to chose." Selina said.

"WHAT CHOICE?" I yelled, I was starting to get mad. Yeah it was great to see them, but they refused to give me the answer I wanted.

The five of them stopped, "You must chose, bring us back to life, or be with Artemis and face the final task.

I felt like I was shot. Bring all of my friends back to life? Was that even possible? I almost wanted to bring them back. But I remembered how they kept bringing up their choices. They chose to sacrafice themselves. They all did it so my friends and I could live. They chose death. They wanted it to be this way.

I struggled to get the words out, "I choose Artemis."

The five of them smiled, "Then turn around and face your final task."

I hugged them all goodbye, I felt like I was on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you all..." we had one last group hug.

"We don't blame you Percy, we never have." Zoë said.

"Thank you all." I separated from the group and turned around. The obsidian gravel path, the cave, this was the entrance to Tartarus, the one that Grover was almost forced into. I already survied Tartarus once, Annabeth or not, I could do it again.

I took one last breath and stepped up to the ledge. If I was going to die on my way down, I wanted my last words to be this, "If you can hear me Artemis, I love you." With that, I jumped of the edge.

I was glad this fall to Tartarus wasn't as long as my first one. My first one seemed to be days long. This barely felt like a hour. Thankfully there was this large lake-like pool of water I suppressed my fall and checked my surroundings. I was in a  arena, much like the one I was just in. The same poisonis air filled my lungs. On the other side of the arena a dark figure with a bow in their hand. It looked old and seemed like it was roughly put together.

"Hello Perseus." The figure said. It was obviously a guy.

"Let me guess your some Titan or Giant. Am I right?" I said yawning.

"Your correct." He turned around and removed his hood, "Zeus gave me a choice, A. Rot in Tartarrus. Or B. Kill you and start a new life on earth." He knocked a arrow, "Guess what chose."

I looked at his face, he had some metallic contraption on his eyes. The bow, the contraption, he was a Giant. It didn't take a idiot to realise who it was. Orion.

He released his arrow at impeccable accuracy. I was just able to dodge it. I uncapped Riptide and and charged into battle. On a normal day and normal circumstances, I could have finished him by now. But I was in freaking Tartarus, the air legitimately kills you. My biggest problem was is that there was a short on gods in Tartarus. I had idea, but first I had to nab his bow. I slashed and hacked his arrows out of mid air. I was finally able to get close. I pierced riptide into his hand grabbed the bow from him. I climbed his mych larger body and snached a arrow from his quiver. I jumped into the air and aimed at his body.

'Artemis, guide this shot. I if you do, I will take you on as many Pizza and coke dates you want!'

On queue the arrow turned silver and gained a purple glow. The arrow flew threw the air and connected to Orion's skull. The final task was over. Artemis and I could finally be together.