Epilogue

"Well, well, well,"  I said, shaking my head.  "Look who's actually resting."  

"Help me,"  Nico said, trying to dodge the food Will was attempting to force down his throat.  "I'm being held captive."  

"You can just shadow-travel,"  I reminded him, standing at the foot of his cot in the Infirmary.  

"If he tries, I just spray him,"  Will interrupted, holding up a spray bottle.  "What?  It works.  He 's as moody as ever, but he stays to plot his revenge on me.  Whatever works.  EAT!"  

I stifled a laugh.  "I can probably get him to eat something.  He listens to me-sometimes, at least."  

Will sighed and stood op, handing me the soup he'd been fighting Nico with before storming off to check on other patients.  Nico crossed his arms and gave me his best intimidating look.  I rolled my eyes and brought out a McDonald's Happy Meal out from my bag.  

"Eat,"  I said, plopping it into his lap with no explanation.  

He looked at me for a second before tearing into to it.  I smirked and sat next to him, pulling out my own Happy Meal.  As usual, he stole a bunch of my fries, claiming they tasted better.  He tried to steal my chicken nuggets, but I smacked him.  

We heard Will's footsteps coming back and Nico quickly shoved the food under the cot, and I took a position on the floor to make sure it couldn't be seen.  Then I quickly stood and poured the soup out the window and put the bowl back on the table before sitting down again.  

Will came over and looked at us suspiciously.  "What are you two doing?"  He demanded.  

"I was about to show Nico a sketch I. . . sketched,"  I said, pulling out the sketchpad I had in my bag.  

"You draw?"  He questioned.  

"Not well,"  I told him.  "I just like seeing Nico try and struggle to figure out what's what."  

Will, giving one final suspicious look, finally left.  I pulled the Happy Meals out from under the bed, and we ate what was left, then I showed Nico my attempted sketch of Thalia's Pine Tree.  It took him a couple tries to get it right, and he criticized it endlessly until I threatened to leave.  

My eyes wandered to the cot where Asaka was still unconscious, though she looked bigger, maybe ten.  She stirred every now and then, but not too much of an improvement.  It didn't make sense, she should be awake by now, shouldn't she?  The Romans and Greeks were at peace now.  She should be strong enough to be at full power.  

"Ow,"  I muttered, clutching my gut and looking regretfully at my cup of Oreo frappe I'd gotten from McDonalds.  "Too much caffeine."  

"Need a doctor?"  Nico suggested, watching me try to find a comfortable position.  "I'm sure there's one around here who would love to put you on bed rest or something.  Solace!"  

"Shut it, Neeks!"  I muttered.  

I made the mistake of standing and with a helpful shove from Nico, fell to the floor, hitting the wall and other cot along the way.  Not only did it make my stomach worse, now everything was aching.  Will came running at the sound, concerned and eager at us calling him.  

"Doctor,"  Nico said in a disapproving voice.  "I think her everything hurts."  

-*- 

(Time skip: Leo's back but Trials of Apollo doesn't exist in this fanfic, Estelle is born) 

"What do you want?"  I said coldly, refusing to look at the person who had summoned me.  

"River,"  Neptune said, as if he was on the edge of patience.  "I have an opportunity for you.  No more quests or anything, daughter.  Just one last. . . favor."  

I scoffed and glared at the sea, the wind whipping past my pale blonde hair.  But what he said made me freeze.  There was no way. . . it would be impossible. . . both anger and confusion swirled inside me as I returned to Camp Half-Blood to think.  

I sat by the lake, watching campers, Greek and Roman, in canoes and swimming.  It was peaceful.  Asaka was still asleep, but she was twitching more and more, which Will said was a good sign.  She'd be waking up any day now.  

Nico was off with Reyna and the seven somewhere, I was supposed to be with them.  But I'd gotten summoned away.  Nico had given me a careful look before I'd left, and now I knew why.  He could sense it, but he didn't know exactly what it was.  

My mom was in labor, with Percy and I's little sister.  The day was March 15th.  The day my little sister was supposed to be born. . . I had until sunset to make my decision.  Was that enough time to see her?  I didn't know how long labor would last, but I needed to at least try.  

I mist-traveled to the Hospital and hurried inside.  The person at the front desk signed me in after a lot of paper work, and I was worried I wouldn't be able to make it, or my mom would still be in labor, or- 

"Mom?"  I whispered, entering the room the nurse led me to.  

My mom sat on a hospital bed, cradling an asleep newborn in her arms.  Paul stood next to her, still wearing a hair net, meaning I was just in time.  I walked over and hugged my mom, holding back tears as I looked at my little sister.  

"We're naming her Estelle,"  she said.  

I couldn't bring myself to say anything.  She was so cute and beautiful.  But when I glanced out the window my smile faded.  The sun was close to setting.  I hugged my mom and dad one more time, took a final, last look at Estelle, and left.  

I traveled to Camp Half-Blood one final time, taking a look at my brother and friends one last time from a distance.  They were laughing and talking.  Nico's head turned lightly in my direction, but he made no indication of seeing me.  

I rubbed my eyes and headed down to the lake, but before I could mist-travel away, someone caught my arm.  I didn't have to turn around to know it was Nico, I just knew.  

"Don't say it's nothing,"  he said.  "I can feel when someone's close to death, remember?"  

"It's not death,"  I told him quietly.  "Not exactly."  I looked him in the eyes.  "I care for you, Neeks.  More than I could ever admit.  But even if I stayed, I. . . I could never get rid of this guilt.  It will always be with me, no matter how hard I try to reconcile with it.  And I can't fight it much longer.  If I give in, then all their lives would have been for nothing.  I can't let that happen.  I have to give them a second chance."  

I hugged him as tight as I could.  "Thank you for being my best friend.  If you ever need me, just ask the sea."  

I placed a quick kiss on his cheek before hurriedly mist-traveling away, back to where I'd met Neptune earlier.  He was already there, looking at me with respect and fondness that made me sick.  But I ignored it.  

"I, Riverina Brooke Jackson, sell my soul to the sea, to bring back all those who died unjustly in the quests I tested in, to serve Neptune for eternity, as long as he shall reign.  And to bring back one more innocent soul."  

With that, my body became one with the sea, and everything drifted away.  

A/N:  hiiiiiii 

So, unexpected ending, but don't worry, I have plans for another book.  I published Star Dust because I thought I'd need time to think the plot for the next one, but I think I have it pretty figured out, so I think I'm going to start on the next one and put Star Dust On Hold or just very slowly update it.  I mean, I already have a few of the first chapters for the next one written, I just need to edit and possibly rewrite it... 

Anyways, thank you guy SO MUCH for reading, I didn't think I'd get anywhere close to 2k+ reads, but here we are.  You guys are just super amazing!!!  

Please comment and vote, I won't publish the next one (unless I get impatient and impulsive, which I happen to do a lot) until around June-ish, because I'm a bit busy with other projects, but I'll still be working as hard as I can to get the next book out as soon as possible!  

Another big thanks, be safe and have an amazing day/night!!!  

- Anne