(AN) Before I start I would like people to know that the first chapter pulls a lot from the actual book Percy Jackson : The Titan's Curse. It's more adjustments by me to an already great chapter but I just wanted to get certain things into it. After that I will be writing from the top of my head. Oh yea and this is my first FanFic so good luck me! I know how annoying it is when people abandon stories. I can't guarantee anything about long waits though. I tend to write fast but at my age in London, exams are freaking stressful. This is more a way to relieve some of that stress for me as I just love creative writing and Percy Jackson is a great series. Sorry if I bored you but just some info :).
As Per Usual I do not own not hold any rights to Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus. Those belong to Rick Riordan (rather sadly cause he ruined the last book in HoO).
Enough with my rambling and onto the story. (/AN)

Chapter 1: A Friend Says Goodbye

Percy POV

"Thou were right Perseus. Though art no —" Zoë coughed violently spitting out blood, "Thou art no Heracles."

I looked at Zoe and opened my mouth to say something, but couldn't bring myself to say anything.

"Thou does not need to say anything Perseus." She said before I made a fool of myself. She turned to Artemis," Milady, I thank thee for this great life. No one lasts forever, I am off to be with the rest of our sisters, those of whom we've lost over the years. Tell the hunters that they were a good family." Artemis smiled sadly.

"And Percy," I looked up in surprise that she did call me Perseus, "thank you, for helping me see, that not all men are bad, even if most are. I am honored that you should carry my sword. If anything should happen to Thalia, I hope thou uses thy sword to defeat Kronos. I know thou can do it. Please, Perseus, do me that honor and let it be the sword that I made that defeats him." She said pleadingly.

"I will Zoë, I owe you that much. I swear it on the River Styx, that it shall be your sword that slays Kronos" I said to her and she smiled gratefully.

She looked at the sky and whispered, "Stars, I can see the stars again, my lady"

A tear trickled down Artemis' face, "Yes my brave one, they are beautiful tonight."

"Stars." She repeated. Her eyes fixated on the night sky.

She did not move again.

Thalia lowered her head. Annabeth gulped down a sob, and her father put his hands on her shoulders. I watched as Artemis cupped her hand above Zoë's mouth and spoke a few words in Ancient Greek. A silvery wisp of smoke exhaled from Zoë's lips and was caught in the hand of the goddess. Zoë's body shimmered and disappeared.

Artemis stood, said a kind of blessing, breathed into her cupped hand and released the silver dust to the sky. It flew up, sparkling, and vanished.

For a moment I didn't see anything different. Then Annabeth gasped. Looking up in the sky, I saw that the stars were brighter now. They made a pattern I had never noticed before—a gleaming constellation that looked a lot like a girl's figure—a girl with a bow, running across the sky.

"Let the world honor you, my Huntress," Artemis said. "Live forever in the stars."

"I get back to Olympus, I have a winter solstice meeting to attend to, I can't take you but I will send you help." Artemis said to us between sniffs. Her form was flickering and I was getting worried that she might let her true form slip accidentally and vaporize us all.

"Hey Artemis," I said in as soothing a tone as I could muster, "don't worry about her, she is in Elysium now, with all the friends she's lost over the years."

She smiled sadly and nodded her head. She snapped her fingers and a chariot pulled by reindeers appeared in the sky and moved in their direction coming from the moon.

When it arrived she mounted it and readied herself to take off but stopped herself and looked at me. "Percy, you did well… for a man" The chariot began to glow and we averted our eyes. There was a silver flash and when we looked back she was gone.

"Well," Dr. Chase sighed. "She was impressive; though I must say I still prefer Athena."

"Dad!"

"Relax, I was joking, I know who she is." He said trying to lighten the mood but Annabeth just rolled he eyes and glared at him.

YO BOSS! I heard Blackjack call and I groaned internally but smirked. He never was going to stop calling me boss.

I turned around and shouted back, "Hey Blackjack! Stop calling me Boss!" The others looked at me strangely, probably where Blackjack was.

Whatever you say Boss! He called back and I rolled my eyes. As they got closer the everyone else heard the whoosh of large wings. Three pegasi descended from the sky.

Hey Boss! The other two pegasi said to me at the same time.

Blackjack looked me over with concern, then checked out Dr. Chase, Thalia, and Annabeth. Any of these goons you want us to stampede?

"Nah," I said aloud. "These are my friends. We need to get to Olympus pretty fast."

No problem, Blackjack said. Except for the mortal over there. Hope he's not going.

I assured him Dr. Chase was not. The professor was staring openmouthed at the pegasi.

"Fascinating," he said. "Such maneuverability! How does the wingspan compensate for the weight of the horse's body, I wonder?"

Blackjack cocked his head. What?

"Dad!" Annabeth complained. I would have thought that Dr. Chase were a son of Athena were if it were not for Annabeth's existence.

"Oh sorry, I do that sometimes. Well, you guys must be off." Dr Chase said before giving Annabeth an awkward but well meant hug. I chuckled internally as I could see why Athena had taken a liking to him. "Annabeth, I know San Francisco is dangerous for you, but please remember you will always have a home with us. We will keep you safe."

Annabeth turned away and mounted Porkpie not responding. Dr Chase made as if to say something but thought better of it and instead waved his hand before trudging across the dark field. Thalia mounted Guido whilst I got on Blackjack and we all flew off towards Olympus.

"Luke isn't dead you know." Annabeth said to me as we glided.

"Look Annabeth I hate to break it to you but there's no way he survived that fall. Besides how would you know?"

"I just do!" Annabeth snapped, "Okay? Just like how you knew I wasn't dead."

I just sighed with a bit of disappointment as I looked up at Zoë's constellation. As we soared through the night sky I continued to stare at the constellation wondering how things could have gone differently and saved both Bianca and Zoë's life.

"BIANCA, Oh crap how am I going to tell Nico," I thought to myself. My whole purpose being here was to protect her.

I banged my head lightly and repeatedly against the pommel of Anaklusmos slowly getting harder with each hit. It seemed to disturb Thalia and Annabeth as they stared at me. "Is something wrong Kelp Head? Last time I checked you didn't have the brain cells to spare to be doing that." She joked trying to lighten the mood but I just gave her a withering look before letting out a sigh and staring back up at the constellation.

"I'm sorry Zoë, I'm such a failure." I muttered to the constellation of Zoë in particular, not really intending either Annabeth or Thalia to hear, but of course knowing my luck they just had to. Thalia purposely rode up to me and slapped me upside of my head.

"You're not a failure you stupid Kelp Head," she said but I just stared off into the night sky, wishing that I could believe that were true. "You made a promise to Zoë. And I intend to make sure you keep it."

"But how, your sixteenth birthday is tomorrow. You're the child of the prophecy, I swore an oath that I can't keep, now I'm doomed to die and burn for the rest of eternity in the River Styx." I retorted knowing full well what the consequences of breaking an oath on the River Styx were. Thalia just smirked and winked at me before drifting off to sleep, leaving Annabeth and I in silence.

The landscape zipped by and within half an hour we had arrived at New York. Now most people would call me crazy when I say this but believe me, There is a mountain on top of the Empire State. Right there, in plain sight, where everyone can see it. That is, if they know what to look for and how to see it.

"You don't believe me about Luke," Annabeth said, "but we'll see him again. He's in trouble, Percy. He's under Kronos's spell."

I didn't feel like arguing, though it made me mad. How could she still have any feelings for that creep? How could she possibly make excuses for him? He deserved that fall. He deserved to die. Unlike Bianca. Unlike Zoë. Luke couldn't be alive. It wouldn't be fair.

"There it is." Thalia's voice; she'd woken up. She was pointing toward Manhattan, which was quickly zooming into view. "It's started."

"What's started?" I asked.

Then I looked where she was pointing. High above the Empire State Building, Olympus was its own island of light, a floating mountain ablaze with torches and braziers, white marble palaces gleaming in the early morning air.

"The winter solstice," Thalia said. "The Council of the Gods."