Reyna's POV

Everything was dark. It was black and I knew this was it. The moment where I'd finally met my match. Where the end had finally taken me from the world I called home.

But my fears were silenced when I heard voices bounce around in my head and my eyes were forced open to a bright light being shone into them. Blinking furiously I tried to make sense of where I was, of what was happening, but I was disoriented.

Everything blurred together into one massive blob in my head, sound, noise, smell all of it. But one thing kept repeating over and over in my head. Thalia. I glanced about to see wires sticking out from my skin and some sort of machine beeping and whirring nearby.

Sitting up I pulled the IV from my arm and chucked it aside and worked on the stupid breathing device someone had stuck up my nose.

"Hey no!" Will said running over. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm fine." I said flatly and winced as I pulled it out of my nostrils feeling funny and sore.

"No you're not lay down." He insisted trying to push me back down into the bed. I grabbed his hand in a firm hold and pulled him closer so our noses were nearly touching.

"Listen up Solace. I'm fine. Now get the hell out of my personal space. There's someone I need to find." With that I let go of his hand and he held it gingerly his eyes wide with surprise. He hurriedly got out of my way which was probably very wise of him.

I stood shakily and glanced about to see that I was part of the dozens of victims crammed in the infirmary tent. It was overwhelming to see the many bandaged and bruised figures with the stench of blood thick in the air as flies buzzed about.

"Rey!" I turned to see Hylla sitting up and smiling from where she'd been previously. She waved me over with her good arm and pulled me down to her level and hugging me tightly. "I heard what you did. You're so stupid!"

"I know." I laughed lightly and hugged her back tightly. "Nice to see you're feeling better."

"Yeah I still feel like shit but we won." Hylla said.

"How?" I asked pulling back.

"We got pushed back to the third wall and were barely hanging on. The Gods were weakening and I thought we were going to lose but. I don't know whatever you did on Olympus it caused them to panic." Hylla smiled proudly at me. "They lost control of their army and we managed to fight back with everything we had left. We subdued the enemy gods and they're currently locked up and being guarded."

"Good. Good I'm glad." I smiled but it was a bit bitter.

"Mom would be proud of you Rey. So would Dad. I know I am." Hylla said gently. "But I know you aren't looking for me. Not sure where they took her but apparently she was in  critical condition."

"Oh no." I felt worry grip me. "I'll be back okay? I love you."

"I love you too, now get going." Hylla said. I nodded and turned walking briskly out of the tent towards the real infirmary where the most critically injured had been kept.

I had yet to assess my own injuries but it didn't matter to me. My condition wasn't important. Sighing, I entered the tent only to find dozens of Apollo kids bustling about in a frantic frenzy as they struggled to save the lives of their friends and siblings.

I scanned the faces before finally spotting someone familiar. Percy. He stood pacing back and forth and as I got closer I saw the others gathered around as well. All of them were in various states of injury but it was clear, none of them were worried about themselves.

"Shouldn't you be in the infirmary?" Frank asked standing up in surprise and offering me his chair.

"I'm fine. You can sit." I said. "What's happened?"

Jason was bouncing his knee nervously and Piper was trying to whisper calming words to him but he didn't seem to be listening. He was too absorbed in his own worry.

"It's bad isn't it?" I asked. Hazel nodded her expression grim.

"Apollo is helping but his power is weakened from what happened on Olympus. But she's got a better chance than most do." Annabeth said finding the positive in the situation.

"Good." I nodded. "I trust you are all better for the most part."

"Exhausted but holding up okay." Percy said looking tired. A long silence filled the room and no one talked. It was full of tension and anxiety so thick you could cut it with a knife.

The day wore on until the sun dipped below the horizon and the moon came out. People came and went, some people were healed, others would be staying the night. I only imagined what was going on outside.

The worry and grief of everyone else as they were forced to retrieve fallen demigods from the battlefield, or to clean up the damage and try to repair what had been lost and broken.

"Let's go Percy." Annabeth said. "You're exhausted."

"I'll be fine". Percy insisted but he was struggling to stay awake. Annabeth helped him up from his chair and guided him slowly out of the room. Slowly they all drizzled out one by one reluctantly but each of them had an excuse as to why.

Even Jason left but I had a feeling he was only leaving because he didn't want to cry in front of everyone. So I stood there, the last one out of all the visitors to remain where they were. The minutes ticked by slowly when at last I spotted Apollo come from a back room looking tired.

"Apollo sir-" He held up a hand cutting me off a gentle smile on his face.

"No need to ask you can see her but it won't be pretty." He rested a hand on my shoulder for a moment before walking off. I took a deep breath trying to muster up the courage for what I was going to see but I don't think anything was going to prepare me.

I eased the door open the slightest amount and crept inside shutting it gently behind me as to not make any loud noises. Thalia was on a cot like all of the others curled up on her side yet I noticed for the most part her clothes had been cut away.

I could understand why though, a majority of her body was hidden in bandages. I wasn't sure if she was asleep or awake or what state of consciousness she was in. But I decided it would be best not to bother her and so I sat down in a chair in the corner.

"You don't have to sit in the corner you know. Nobody put you in time out." Thalia mumbled. I smiled slightly, it would figure the first thing she'd say to me was a joke.

"Right sorry. I didn't want to wake the sleeping princess." I replied.

"Right." Thalia said. "I'm sure I look more like a mummy but whatever."

I rolled my eyes and moved so I sat on the edge of the bed next to her. She shifted slightly and I could tell she was biting back a wince.

"How bad is it?" She asked.

"Well..." I took a moment to observe her. A long vertical wound on her back had been stitched together the deeper areas were covered in bandages. It was hard to look at. Her shoulder was bandaged heavily as well though blood had already seeped through most of it. The long cut that had graced her face ran across her eye and was stitched as well.

It was familiar and a little hard to look at because it reminded me of...well it reminded me of Luke. But if she was lucky it would heal and leave no trace behind. Her other shoulder looked to be in pretty bad shape but it too was soaked with blood and bandages. I couldn't see the other wounds that were covering the rest of her as they were hidden beneath the sheets.

For the first time I noticed how many other scars decorated her skin in wild patterns. Without thinking I traced them curiously following the marks across her back. "It's bad but you're tough. You'll heal just fine."

Thalia didn't say anything for a moment. I noticed the saddened look in her eyes and I felt the need to question it.

"I uh...I'm fine." Thalia said forcing a smile. "It's just I was thinking back to Olympus."

"Oh." I nodded and pulled my hand back.

"Before you came when it was just Páthos and I." Thalia started. "Do you remember when I told you about Sila's place? About the stones and hearts?"

"Yes of course," I nodded.

"Páthos had mine, and yours. He uh, he was going to crush them." Thalia said her voice dropping down to gravelly whisper. "But he did mine first. I never thought that I'd experience anything that painful in my entire life. It felt like something had been ripped out of my chest."

Her voice cracked but I decided not to mention it. I thought back to my own searing pain. How strong it had been to cause me to collapse in the alley way. "He didn't, he didn't break mine...did he?"

I expected the answer to be yes. I expected her to tell me he had but that's not what she said. "No. I didn't let him. I couldn't. Not to you. You deserve better than having that happen."

"So do you." I said. I felt my heart sink in sadness. It was a bitter kind of sadness. Thalia the perfect, gorgeous idiot, had saved my heart and ruined her own. It was so cruel, so ugly and twisted of a thing but so beautiful. Because what was unknown to her was my realization that yet again love had thwarted my advances.

Yes I'd finally admitted it to myself in those last few moments standing in that damn throne room. I admitted it. My mind had flashed through every memory I'd had with her.

Run. Thalia running for her life and ending up on my doorstep as fate would have it. Missing. The realization that this girl who'd seemed so strong was struggling with the idea that her friends were missing. MIA. The crashing reality that my sister was gone as well and the fateful promise I'd make with Jason that would only lead to more grief.

Nightshade. Thalia showing me a glimpse of who she really was. Telling me the smallest part of her past that small doorway that would lead to so much more. Goodbye. Running from that damn invisible monster and hopping on the train that would carry me away from my home. The start of our journey together. Plan. Jumping off of the train to avoid Lycoan. The first time she said she trusted me as we dangled outside of a train. When I learned that she was afraid of heights. Past. When we made our pact. Signing our fates together with blood.

Newcomer. Meeting Becca, Thalia's friend for the first time along with a few of her other Hunters. It was the first time I saw how much she really loved people. How she desired to protect them and keep them out of harm's reach. Heights. Our ride to Paris on the back of the Pegasi. How she'd refused to look at anything and held onto me like I was her life line. Faded. The realization that maybe my mother really didn't exist. But that Thalia had been adamant she didn't care. She thought that it just made me different in a good way.

All of it flashing in my head like one big movie. Key words triggering the memories. Awake. Hurry. Power.Torture. Saving Grace. Okay. Should've Known. Eyes. Healing. The Game. Maps, Sleeping Bags, and Midnight Dancing. Base. Boom. Reunions, Brooding, and Ponytails.

All of it building up to the moment when I realized I was too late. To late to love her. And though I'd believed I was given a second chance with her now it was stolen before I'd even gotten to try.

"Thank you." I whispered. But I realized that in my long hesitated response Thalia had drifted off to sleep. That she wouldn't see me cry if I did. Because maybe she couldn't love me back, not in that way, but we could be friends. And that was enough. And when I said it again my words had an entirely different meaning.

"Thank you." Thanks for everything. For all of it. For every memory every moment that broke me out of my shell. That brought me a little closer to what it felt like to be loved again. I was a better person now because of it. That's more than I'd ever hoped for.

I stood up to leave and hastily wiped my tears away with the back of my hand when I heard Thalia talk in hardly more than a whisper. "You know I never got my hug right?"

"Yeah I know." I said smiling slightly.

"I'm getting two tomorrow then." She mumbled.

"Wouldn't expect anything less." I said laughing slightly. I opened the door and eased it shut again behind me to leave her be. I walked the rest of the way in the dark with only the moon and my tears for company.