The Great War - Chapter 33 - accio_jackson - Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2024)

Chapter Text

The first thought that flashed through her mind was how much pain she was in. Her second waswhere is Ivy? They weren't in the elevator anymore. There was this heavy, dark mist—

Was she still in Tartarus? No, no, they left that. They left Tartarus...right. Had that all been a bad dream? Had that all been a trick, and they never left the Mansion of Night? Has all of this been a trick? Bob, Damasen, was that real? Tartarus—no, that part had to be real—

"The chains..." A hoarse, crackly voice said from practically on top of her. Then there was a cough and Vivi pressed her hands into her eyes. When she blinked again, she saw Ivy practically laying on top of her, checking for her heartbeat.

The second her eyes met Ivy's she began sobbing on her shoulder.

"Alive," she croaked out between her sobs. "Your heart beat—"

"I'm fine," Vivi groaned out, raising her arm to grab onto Ivy's arm. Her own voice sounded awful, unlike her own. "Where—"

Ivy lifted her head, and she looked awful. She looked worst then in the red hue of Tartarus. She could see all the cuts, dried blood, scratches and tears that coated her face. She was so injured that Vivi wanted to heal her, but she wasn't sure where they were. She grabbed for her sword.

"I don't—"

Vivi distantly saw a shadow moving towards Ivy. Without thinking, she pushed Ivy down and thrusted her sword up, stopping the shadow in it's spot. The only reason she didn't stab completely through is because they lifted their hands up and she saw flames on his finger tips.

"Touch her and I'll rip your head from your neck," Vivi snapped, still in defense mode. She doesn't know where she and Ivy are at, and Ivy is in no position to protect either of them. Although, she's thought that before and Ivy still had.

"Hey—Woah!" The shadow laughed nervously. She couldn't place the voice. Her head felt clouded, heavy, aching. "Nice, uh, nice sword you got there can you get it away from my neck? I kinda need my neck."

The mist around them seemed to no longer be black. Was her eyes playing tricks on her? Was her mind?

"Leo," Ivy croaked out, nudging her arm down. "V, Leo, mist is f*cking with us. This is Leo."

It was hard, but Vivi lowered her arm, all but dropping the sword. Ivy helped Vivi sit up, she somehow didn't seem in pain, and with all her injuries, she wasn't sure how that was possible.

Then it hit her and she turned to Ivy, who's eyes were so dark, even in the white tint, they seemed piercing and as black as Night.

"We made it," Vivi whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "We made it."

Ivy swallowed, letting out a cough into her arm. She grimaced at the sight of blood but turned to Vivi, "I think we did, V."

That's when she broke. She didn't care that there was a monster probably ten feet away. Vivi began sobbing in Ivy's arms, who wrapped her arms around her tight. She wants to feel the burning of the sun. She wants to see the stars and the moon. She wants to feel the warm arm and the feeling of healing. She wants to see the mortal world once again, away from the cold, red Tartarus.

They were wrapped in this tiny bubble. Vivi could feel Leo nearby, could hear the thumping of his heart, it was faster then it should be. She felt a wind wrapping around her, and she knows it's Ivy. It was harsh, fast, sharp, but Vivi didn't care.

Ivy and Vivi were alive. Both made it. That's what matters.

Then it was gone. Ivy's grip loosened on her but there was still the harsh mist wrapping around her somehow.

"Ivy...Ivy!" Vivi shouted in fear. She laid Ivy down and the wind expanded, giving Vivi room to move. Vivi forced herself to calm herself down and focus on Ivy. This is what she knows. This is what she does.

But can she still do it?

Thump...

Thump...

Thump...

Ivy's heartbeat was slow, but she was alive. She is alive.

"Oh sh*t. Oh sh*t," Leo said in fear, dropping down next to Ivy. "Percy's going to kill us all. What's wrong with her? Is she okay? Please tell me she's okay."

Vivi shot him a look and he held his hands up.

"Hey! I adore Ivy, I do, but I rather not die by drowning. Kinda a bad rep since, well," Leo lit his hand on fire and it took everything in Vivi not flinch at it. It reminded her too much of the firewater.

"There could be a lot that made her pass out," Vivi mumbled, putting her hand over Ivy's forehead. "Exhaustion. Her lungs are making it difficult to breath thanks to the fire water—"

"Fire water?"

"There's also her broken rib—ribs. Three of them," Vivi muttered, talking more to herself than Leo. "They healed, but not correctly. The easiest thing to do would be break them again then let me heal them."

"Ouch."

"Help me push her on her side," Vivi said. Leo glanced behind him, but Vivi couldn't care less if there were forty monster about to attack. She will make every last one explode without blinking an eye. "Valdez."

"Yeah, yeah," Leo said hurriedly. Vivi could see that something changed with him, but she truly couldn't care at this given moment.

Leo helped Vivi push Ivy to her side. Vivi felt along her back and she winced. Oh, this is so much worst than she thought.

"That's not a good look. That's a very bad look."

"Her wings survived horrible trauma these past..." Vivi froze. How long had it been? What day is it? What month? "Since we started this trip. It's caused severe back trauma that will take me and Will to correct, if she's lucky."

Leo help set Ivy down and pulled out a piece of ambrosia from histool belt? Whatever. She took it hesitantly, not letting herself touch his skin as she stared at the piece. When she chewed it, she expected it to taste like her mom's quesadilla with green peppers, onions, dipped in red chile.

There was nothing. It tasted plain, dry, but she could already feel her body healing.

"Why can't we just fed her ambrosia?" Leo asked as Vivi looked over her other injuries.

"She so has a sprained wrist, broken ankle, dehydrated, malnourished," Vivi lifted up Ivy's eyelids. "No more blood in her eyes anymore. That's good. Her chest is still congested, her lungs...those are what worries me. She has a bunch of cuts but...those are nothing."

"Nothing!" Leo looked at Ivy. There was a large, jagged cut that went from the corner of her left eye to the bottom of her chin. Vivi's eyes looked at the jagged scar that went from her left temple to the corner of her mouth. The one Kelli gave her.

"I can heal that in seconds. I just need..."Rest.

Leo looked up and relief clear in his face. Vivi glanced behind her, and in between the harsh mist. Frank, Jason, Piper—and bless her saints, Percy, Nico, and her Annabeth, standing at...a doorway? Where are they?

As if they could feel her staring at them, Percy and Annabeth turned towards the circling, black and golden mist. The others ran towards the—okay, Vivi has no idea what is going on outside this circle, but the only thing she cared about was the fact Percy and Annabeth came towards her.

Two small entry ways opened up from the mist. Vivi nodded at Leo, pain shooting through her skull, "Go. Help them do—you know what, I don't even care at this point."

Leo glanced at Ivy before running out of the mist. That side closed just as Annabeth and Percy came in through the other side.

Vivi met the stormy grey eyes that she knew, she knew washerAnnabeth. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, deep circles under her eyes, frown lines around the corner of her lips that shouldn't be there. Her cross necklace, it hung around her neck. She looked so exhausted, but there was something in her eyes.

Relief.

"Annie," Vivi breathed out. The words sounded uncomfortably soft in her lips. It's been so long since she spoke so quietly, so softly.

"V," Annabeth swallowed.

Percy imagined a lot of ways seeing Ivy again would go. Some, he didn't. Some, well, they were a lot happier. This, he couldn't imagine this.

Ivy, his beautiful Ivy was laying in the middle of this mist, eyes were shut and for a moment he thought she wasn't breathing. But then he saw her chest rise and fall, and he assumed Vivi would be a lot more of a mess

Her shirt was ripped apart, covered in blood from what was left of it. There was a scar that was barely healed from her left temple to the corner of her mouth. Another one, this one fresher from the corner of her right eye to her chin. Her face was coated in blood, mostly dried, soot, and tears. She was pale, had a black eye, lips was busted. Her arms, legs, stomach, they were full of cuts. There was a bite mark, from maybe a vampire, on her shoulder.

Percy couldn't help it when he dropped to his knees beside her and pushed her hair back from her forehead.

Oh, Ivy, what did you go through?

"Vivi," Percy called out quietly. He lifted his head to meet her eyes. She had just pulled away from Annabeth, tears and blood on her face as she looked at Percy. Immediately, he could see the difference in her. "What—What happened to her, is she—"

"What didn't happen would be easier to answer," she mumbled, rubbing at her right ear. Her throat was scratchy like she has me screamed for hours. "She's...she's alive."

"But—"

"She's alive," Vivi repeated, her voice thick in pain. "She's alive. But she needs some serious medical attention. I couldn't—I couldn't—I tried but it wouldn't—it wouldn't—"

"V. V." Annabeth called to her.

Percy looked back down at Ivy. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to it. He didn't like seeing her like this, unloving, full of blood. Her chest rose slowly, too slowly for his liking.

My poor Ivy.What happened to you?

"Percy," Annabeth called out to him, making Percy look away from Ivy. Vivi was curled into her side. "We have to get her to the ship. Both of them."

She was right, but Percy looked around them. "How can we do anything with this mist? Is this Ivy or Hazel?"

"Haz—"

"Ivy," Vivi croaked out. She pulled away from Annabeth and raised her hand. Her hand glowed and Ivy's chest stopped rising.

Did Vivi just stop her heart? What the f*ck—What the f*ck? Ivy of all people? How did she even do that? How—How—

Then Ivy's chest started rising again. Slow as before.

"Did you stop her heart!" Percy stared at Vivi, but she only stayed looking at Ivy.

"V," Annabeth breathed out in shock. "Vivi, how did you—"

"You made it!" Piper cried out loudly. She came over and threw her arms around Vivi. She looked uncomfortable but wrapped her arms around Piper anyway.

She stopped her heart.

"Oh gods, is she okay?" Hazel looked horrified at Ivy.

"She's alive," Percy repeated quietly.

The ceiling shuddered. Cracks appeared in the remaining tiles. Columns of dust spilled down.

What happened?

"We've got to get out of here," Jason said. "Uh, Frank...?"

Frank shook his head. "I think one favor from the dead is all I can manage today."

"Wait, what?" Hazel asked.

Piper raised her eyebrows. "Your unbelievable boyfriend called in a favor as a child of Mars. He summoned the spirits of some dead warriors, made them lead us here through...um, well, I'm not sure, actually. The passages of the dead? All I know is that it was very, very dark."

To their left, a section of the wall split. Two ruby eyes from a carved stone skeleton popped out and rolled across the floor.

"We'll have to shadow-travel," Hazel said.

Nico winced. "Hazel, I can barely manage that with only myself. With nine more people—"

"I'll help you." Hazel tried to sound confident, but Percy knew she's never done it before. If Ivy was awake, she could help.

Annabeth looked between him and Jason, "Do you think you two can carry—"

"I've got her," Vivi cut in. Annabeth looked at her with a frown.

"V, you can barely stand."

"I've got her," Vivi repeated, sending all of them a look to even try and argue with her. Percy wanted to protest, he didn't want to let Ivy away from him every again, but he remembered Vivi's glowing hand, the way Ivy stopped breathing.

Vivi pushed away from Piper and Annabeth and leaned down. She looked up at Percy. It was so sharp, so intense, she was trying to see if she could trust him. "Put one arm over your shoulder. Be careful, she's got a lot of injuries."

Percy listened, carefully help Ivy up, putting one arm over his shoulder. Her head dropped onto his shoulder and she mumbled something about aBob.

An entire section of tiles peeled loose from the ceiling.

"Everyone, grab hands!" Nico yelled.

They made a hasty circle. The cavern collapsed, and they dissolved into the shadows.

They appeared on the hillside overlooking the River Acheron. The sun was just rising, making the water glitter and the clouds glow orange. The cool morning air smelled of honeysuckle.

Nico quickly dropped his hand and Leo staggered backward. "You know...I think I'll sit down."

He collapsed. The others joined him. The Argo II still floated over the river a few hundred yards away. Vivi and Percy laid Ivy down on the grass. He looked over at Vivi, she seemed close to crying. She was staring up at the sun. Annabeth handed her something, it looked like a necklace, and Vivi never seemed so in love with her. Vivi glanced at Ivy, then Percy.

"She tried, Percy;" she mumbled, her voice still scratchy. "She tried really...really f*cking hard."

Percy was slightly taken aback, but Vivi didn't even bat an eye, just turned to Nico as she stood.

"I need to talk to you."

Nico just as taken back as everyone else. They all stared between them. "Me?"

Vivi far enough away where the others couldn't hear her and Nico talk. She looked down at the rosary in her hand, gliding her thumb over each head. It was her yellow one, the one she was given when she was baptized as a baby. It represented resurrection of Christ, joy, hope, renewal, it made Vivi almost laugh.

Nico stood beside her, still a good distance, but he was looking at the rosary in her had as if it was going to attack him.

"I didn't know you were..." Nico trailed off, speaking first.

Vivi looked over at him, "Catholic? I'd say I'm more Christian then I am Catholic, just don't tell my grandmother that."

Nico glanced away from the beads, "You're Catholic and you're still..."

There was a lot Nico could have implied, but he glanced over at Annabeth and for a minute, Vivi wanted to be offended, but a part of her could tell that he didn't mean it as disrespect. He seemed genuinely...genuine.

"In love with a girl?" Vivi raised her eyebrows. "If the gods can date their siblings, I think me with a girl isn't the end of the world. But I didn't want to talk to you about my sexuality."

Nico winced slightly, "What did you want to talk about?"

Vivi swallowed and looked down at the rosary. "I wanted to...thank you. You saved our lives because you talked to Bob. I don't know how you did it all by yourself, that's something I couldn't do."

"You don't have to thank me," Nico muttered out, not looking at her.

"I hope that...if you ever need anything, I'm here."

"You don't owe me anything. You don't have to pretend—"

"When did I say anything about owing you?" Vivi said in amusem*nt. "If I remember correctly, me and my brother saved your life when you fell off the lava wall at camp your second day."

"I fell a foot and skinned my knee."

"She's alive, Percy," Annabeth murmured, glancing over to Vivi and Nico. "They both are."

"Look at her, Annabeth," Percy said. "She looks closer to death than she does the living."

Okay, he has a point there, she looked horrible, but she's alive. She's alive. That's what matters is that she's alive. Somehow, it made her only feel more guilty for blaming her. But she does, she blames her since the moment they fell, and even still when she looks over at Vivi.

Oh, her girlfriend. When Annabeth first saw her, she was so full of relief, she cried. She didn't see the change in her, not until she reached her hand out and stopped Ivy's heart. Just like that. There was no hesitation, no even flinch. She didn't even know Vivi had that type of power.

Vivi didn't hurt people, it's one of the many things Annabeth loves about her. Somehow, someway, she can see the good in anyone and anything. She loves and she heals and she helps.

And she still does. Annabeth knows that nothing can change that, but there was still something. Something changed in her, and it sounds stupid, she knows, but it was something more than that.

"What do you think their talking about?" Annabeth asked Percy. Percy looked away from Ivy. He watches her like she is bound to disappear at any moment, but she can't bring herself to make fun of him. She gets it.

"Tartarus, probably," Percy murmured, looking back at Ivy. "Nico would get what it was like."

Annabeth watched as Vivi smiled at something Nico said before walking back over to them, her rosary still tight in her hand.

"Now," Vivi called out. Everyone stop and turned to her, "can someone tell me what day it is?"

Everyone turned to each other and began to exchange their stories. Hazel on what happened with the giant. Frank explained what had happened with the ghostly legion and the army of monsters—how Nico had used the scepter of Diocletian, and how bravely Jason, Percy, Annabeth, and Piper had fought.

"Frank is being modest," Jason said. "He controlled the entire legion. You should've seen him. I resigned my office, gave Frank a field promotion to praetor. Unless you want to contest that ruling."

"We agreed if anyone deserved it, it was Frank," Percy said, his eyes not leaving Ivy.

Annabeth squeezed Vivi's hand.

"Praetor?" Hazel stared at Frank.

He shrugged uncomfortably. "Well...yeah. I know it seems weird."

She tried to throw her arms around him, but settled for kissing him. "It seems perfect."

Leo clapped Frank on the shoulder. "Way to go, Zhang. Now you can order Octavian to fall on his sword."

"Tempting," Frank agreed. He turned apprehensively to Vivi. "But, you guys...Tartarus has to be the real story. What happened down there? How did you...?"

Vivi's eyes darkened and she looked over at Ivy. Her jaw clenched and she had to take a deep breath. She looked like she wanted to snap at Frank, but she didn't with obvious effort. That wasn't Vivi.

"It doesn't matter," she spoke coldly. Her tone sounded sharp, but it might've just been the raspiness of her voice. "There's no story. We fell, we survive, we cut the chains. The Doors of Death are back to normal."

Everyone shared a look.

Annabeth gazed toward the river and faltered. "Uh, I think our ride is coming."

The Argo II veered to port, its aerial oars in motion, its sails catching the wind. Festus's head glinted in the sunlight. Even from a distance, Annabeth could hear him creaking and clanking in jubilation.

"That's my boy!" Leo yelled.

As the ship got closer, Annabeth saw Coach Hedge standing at the prow.

"About time!" the coach yelled down. He was doing his best to scowl, but his eyes gleamed as if maybe, just maybe, he was happy to see them. "What took you so long, cupcakes? You kept your visitor waiting!"

"Visitor?" Hazel murmured.

At the rail next to Coach Hedge, a dark-haired girl appeared wearing a purple cloak, her face so covered with soot and bloody scratches that Annabeth almost didn't recognize her.

Immediately, Vivi made Percy help her take Ivy to the infirmary. Vivi started to pull out different kinds of herbs and medications.

"Percy, I need you to leave."

Percy looked up and stared at her like she just betrayed him, "What! No! I'm not—"

"I have to get her change—"

"But—"

"Look, I can't heal her," Vivi told him and fear was immediately in his eyes. "Not like I normally can, not now. All I can do is give her some ambrosia to have it heal what it can for the moment and give her some painkillers so she won't wake up in absolutely horrible pain."

Percy still didn't want to leave and Vivi had to stop herself from forcing him out.

"I'll make sure to come get you the moment I'm done okay," she said. "Go talk to Reyna or something."

Percy, very reluctantly, like Vivi had to shove him boy out the door, but right before she shut it, he stuck his foot in. Vivi opened the door again and went to tell him she will be fine but he might not be, but he spoke before she could.

"Are you okay?"

Vivi was taken aback slightly. It took her a minute to really register what he said. She's not okay. She's not, but she hasn't had time to dwell on it. Since the moment she's woken up, she's been able to put all her focus on Ivy. She doesn't want to dwell on it, not yet.

"I will be."

Percy stared up at the Athena Parthenos, he's been waiting for the day it finally strikes him down.

Leo's new mechanical hoist system had lowered the statue onto the hillside with surprising ease. Now the forty-foot-tall goddess gazed serenely over the River Acheron, her gold dress like molten metal in the sun.

"Incredible," Reyna admitted.

She was still red-eyed from crying. Soon after she'd landed on the Argo II, her pegasus Scipio had collapsed, overwhelmed by poisoned claw marks from a gryphon attack the night before. Reyna had put the horse out of his misery with her golden knife, turning the pegasus into dust that scattered in the sweet-smelling Greek air. Maybe not a bad end for a flying horse, but Reyna had lost a loyal friend. Percy figured that she'd given up too much in her life already.

The praetor circled the Athena Parthenos warily. "It looks newly made."

"Yeah," Leo said. "We brushed off the cobwebs, used a little Windex. It wasn't hard."

The Argo II hovered just overhead. With Festus keeping watch for threats on the radar, the entire crew had decided to eat lunch on the hillside while they discussed what to do. Percy and Annabeth couldn't eat, Annabeth tried to bring Vivi lunch, but she wouldn't the door for anyone, only to let them know she's okay.

"Hey, Reyna," Annabeth called. "Have some food. Join us."

The praetor glanced over, her dark eyebrows furrowed, as if join us didn't quite compute. Percy had never seen Reyna without her armor before. It was on board the ship, being repaired by Buford the Wonder Table. She wore a pair of jeans and a purple Camp Jupiter T-shirt and looked almost like a normal teenager—except for the knife at her belt and that guarded expression, like she was ready for an attack from any direction.

"All right," she said finally.

They scooted over to make room for her in the circle. She sat cross-legged next to Annabeth, picked up a cheese sandwich, and nibbled at the edge.

"So," Reyna said. "Frank Zhang...praetor."

Frank shifted, wiping crumbs from his chin. "Well, yeah. Field promotion."

"To lead a different legion," Reyna noted. "A legion of ghosts."

Hazel put her arm protectively through Frank's. After an hour in sick bay, they both looked a lot better; but Percy could tell they weren't sure what to think about their old boss from Camp Jupiter dropping in for lunch.

"Reyna," Jason said, "you should've seen him."

"He was amazing," Piper agreed.

"Frank is a leader," Hazel insisted. "He makes a great praetor."

Reyna's eyes stayed on Frank, like she was trying to guess his weight. "I believe you," she said. "I approve."

Frank blinked. "You do?"

Reyna smiled dryly. "A son of Mars, the hero who helped to bring back the eagle of the legion... I can work with a demigod like that. I'm just wondering how to convince the Twelfth Fulminata."

Frank scowled. "Yeah. I've been wondering the same thing."

Percy still couldn't get over how much Frank had changed. A "growth spurt" was putting it mildly. He was at least three inches taller, less pudgy, and more bulky, like a linebacker. His face looked sturdier, his jawline more rugged.

"The legion will listen to you, Reyna," Frank said. "You made it here alone, across the ancient lands."

Reyna chewed her sandwich as if it were cardboard. "In doing so, I broke the laws of the legion."

"Caesar broke the law when he crossed the Rubicon," Frank said. "Great leaders have to think outside the box sometimes."

She shook her head. "I'm not Caesar. After finding Jason's note in Diocletian's Palace, tracking you down was easy. I only did what I thought was necessary."

Percy almost smile. "Reyna, you're too modest. Flying halfway across the world by yourself to answer Ivy's plea—which I'm still shock on how that happened—because you knew it was our best chance for peace? That's pretty freaking heroic."

Reyna shrugged and took another small bite of her sandwich, "How is Ivy, and, it's Vivi, right? You said they made it back from Tartarus."

Percy looked down at his untouched food. Annabeth cleared her throat. "Yes, it's Vivi. And Ivy was unconscious by the time we got to her. Vivi is, uh...looking after her."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Vivi said she'll live," Percy mumbled.

Leo pulled a tiny screwdriver from his tool belt. He stabbed a chocolate-covered strawberry and passed it to Coach Hedge. Then he pulled out another screwdriver and speared a second strawberry for himself.

"So, the twenty-million-peso question," Leo said. "We got this slightly used forty-foot-tall statue of Athena. What do we do with it?"

Reyna squinted at the Athena Parthenos. "As fine as it looks on this hill, I didn't come all this way to admire it. According to Ivy, it must be returned to Camp Half-Blood by a Roman leader. If I understand correctly."

"You did."