Author's Note: Last chapter! Finally. Sorry it's a little short, but remember there is a sequel. I will be posting that story too, but it's going to take some time. You might want to check out the Aleika Kai series I'm writing too, it will tie into this book and chapter 15 here is a major part of that story's plot. Thanks, Riptide2

Chapter 16

After Hades dismissed his army and they left, we regrouped by the Styx. Travis never said a word and walked away a minute later, Nico came over and stayed for a few minutes before heading over to his father, Clarisse glared at me before heading off after Travis, ( just one big happy family NOT ) and Thalia came running over a minute later. The look on her face told me something was really wrong, she had a cut on her arm and her lieutenant band was half falling off.

"Come quick! It's Malcolm."

He was lying on his side, his right arm bent at a funny angle, he was frighteningly pale, and his breathing was shallow.

Thalia dropped to her knees pulling some Nectar and Ambrosia from her pack.

"Percy is there anything you can do?" Annabeth asked kneeling beside him.

"Sorry, but broken bones just aren't something I can heal."

She nodded tensely but a minute later the Nectar started to work.

He gasped and his eyes fluttered open, "What... what happened?"

Thalia shrugged, "Oh nothing much. Just some skeletons trying to use you as their personal punching bag."

He tried to laugh but groaned and held his arm.

"Come on. Can you get up?" Annabeth held out her hand and he took it, stumbling to his feet.

Nico came over, throwing a glare over his shoulder at Hades, "We have to get back to Camp." He did a double take at Malcolm, "What happened to you?"

"I'm fine. Let's go."

Hades was driving his chariot back to the palace. Well so much for a thanks-for-saving-my-godly-butt. Ungrateful egghead.

Malcolm was still pale but we grabbed our packs and started the climb back to the world above.

When we emerged from the Door of Orpheus it was about five or six in the evening with the sun peaking through a thick cloud cover,

"Come on. We need a taxi."

I looked at Thalia incredulously, "In this traffic?" I gave three loud whistles and a few minutes later about half a dozen large shapes descended from the sky.

Yo Boss! Blackjack spoke in my mind You manage to stay alive okay without me?

Yeah Blackie, I'm fine. I answered him mentally.

Don't call me that, boss! It makes me sound like a My Little Pony reject.

I was about to answer when some dude that was walking by came jogging over.

He looked about sixty but was dressed like a geek, some plaid sweater vest and these big round glasses that made him look like an owl ( no offense to Athena ). He looked like a prof. that turned middle aged in a trailer park, he was literally a cross between one of those scientist people, whatever their really called, and a hippie that would sit around a campfire singing Cum- By-Yaw and tell everyone " peace man" and "we're all one with the universe, man".

Guido gave him an incredulous look, Yo dude! The 1970s are calling you. They want their haircut back.

He didn't even look twice at them though as he turned to yell at us, "How dare you kids torment these poor pigeons!"

He gestured at Blackjack and I burst out laughing as he neighed indignantly, Pigeon! Do I look like a pigeon?

I couldn't resist teasing him Well... now that you mention it. Maybe just a little.

Boss!

Just kidding. Just kidding.

Annabeth was trying to reason with Mr. Hippie-mac-hipster. Well, this should be interesting.

The hippie dude got in her face, screaming his head off, "I should call an animal rights group on you kids. Teenagers! No respect for your fellow creatures. What a generation! I'll tell you back in the day..."

"Well go on back to your day!" She yelled jumping on Candy. Somehow I think he was one creature she'd rather live without.

I mounted Blackjack and the others picked a Pegasus and did the same, though Guido complained in my head that Nico "smelled like dead people".

The hippie yelled about animal rights and teenagers "with no respect for the universe and bad vibes from our karma" well we took off.

Annabeth was practically spitting bullets as we flew through the air to Camp.

When we arrived everyone was gathered in front of the Big House, instead of at dinner and green mist was swirling around Rachel.

I jumped off before Blackjack had even stopped, the others at my heels, "What's going on?"

Rachel turned and her eyes glowed a freakish green, when she spoke her voice was tripled like three people were talking at once, "The prophecy is not complete."

Then she started to repeat a new prophecy that would haunt me for a long time to come:

Four must take a quest

to the lands of the west.

The foe of Olympus must show the path,

but to the war of storm the world shall fall,

and thus the fifth age is brought to death.

The End