Chapter 1:

Chapter 1:

I decide to make a time machine.

I noticed that Nico wasn't much of a talker with everybody around. I decided to wait until everybody was done with the celebration to talk to him alone. I wanted him to have some fun, something they probably have a shortage of in the underworld. I introduced him to my mom, she looked at him speculatively, and I couldn't blame her, how would you feel if the son of the death God just walked into your living room.

"Well Nico," My mom asked with a smile. "Would you like some cake?" Nico lit up at the word. We all watched astonished as he ate four pieces in a matter of two minutes. He finally looked up and saw us all staring at him.

"What?" He said with a full mouth of cake. We all quickly looked away and started talking about other things. My party actually lasted a few hours we all talked, well everybody but Nico. Even Tyson talked some, granted we had to decipher half of what he said. Paul finally had to leave and he kissed my mom goodbye and. Tyson was starting to get tired and knowing how heavy a sleeper he was, I called him a Huge Pegasus to take him back to camp.

"Percy," Nico said putting his dish in the sink, "Do you think we could talk now?"

"Sure. Mom, me and Nico are going to go talk in my room."

"Okay, If Nico wants he can stay the night." I looked at Nico.

"Well, you wanna stay and sleep over?"

He had to stop and think, finally he said, "Sure, it will give us more time to talk." We walked down the hall and got him a sleeping bag from the closet. We went into my room and we sat down.

"Alright, hit me!" I said anxious to hear what he had to say. He took a big breath and he started explaining.

"Do you remember when you went on your first quest?"

"Yeah"

"Well, you almost didn't meet the deadline because of a series of events."

"And?"

"Well, when me and…my sister, were on our journey we went and ended up 80 years in the future."

"And?"

"Well, what is the one place that makes time go faster outside then in?" I gasped as I remembered.

"The Lotus Hotel and Casino!" I paced my room, "But how could we defeat Luke with the Lotus Hotel?"

"Well, the prophecy said that a child of the big three will decide the worlds fate on their sixteenth birthday. What if we skipped our sixteenth birthday?"

"Of Course! We go into the Hotel right before our sixteenth birthdays and then come out after it's passed. We wouldn't destroy Kronos, but we would stop him from destroying mount Olympus!" I couldn't believe it. It's so simple, I can't believe nobody thought of it, not even Chiron. Nico somehow figured it out. Wait a minute.

"Did you come up with this plan Nico?" I asked him. He looked around nervously.

"Of Course." He retorted.

"Daedalus, made it didn't he?" I gazed at Nico waiting for a reaction.

"Yes" he said solemnly, "I wanted to get credit. I'm sorry Percy."

"Who cares who created it, we have a plan." I grabbed Nico and I pulled him along towards the kitchen where my mom was doing the dishes.

"Mom, we have to go to camp, now!" I said, pulling Nico into the kitchen.

"Why, you just got back?" She dropped the dishes into the sink and turned to look at us. She was looking worried so I explained.

"Nico just found out a away for us to be protected on our sixteenth birthdays!" I couldn't wait, I had to share this with Chiron.

"Fine, but you better send me an Iris message when you're done talking to Chiron." I agreed and then said goodbye. I called blackjack with a whistle. he landed right next to us.

"Hey Boss, How's it going?"

"Fine blackjack." Suddenly I remembered one crucial detail. Horses don't like Nico. Then I had an idea.

"Hey Nico, can you summon a Pegasus skeleton?" He looked at me with skepticism.

"Lets find out." He knelt down and started praying in Greek, then he clapped his hands together and a crevice split open in the ground. Out came a Pegasus skeleton, with a saddle, reigns, and everything.

"Awesome!" I was surprised, it was just like a Pegasus, the wings actually were like bat wings more then bird wings like a normal Pegasus.

"Lets go," he said, climbing onto his new steed. I noticed that the horse liked having Nico as his rider (not to mention when it comes to dead Pegasi, we could both probably talk to it), I also saw that Nico wasn't tired at all. Usually when he summons something like that, it drains his energy. He must have been training.

"Lets go," I yelled to the horses. They sprang into the sky and like that we were on our way.

We managed to get to camp in a matter of fifteen minutes. As we landed, I noticed that everybody was at campfire for the night. I let blackjack go back to the stable and Nico sent his "Skelesus", as I now call it, back to the under world. We ran up to where the campfire was being held and saw everybody, they all looked at Nico as we came through. I saw Chiron and Annabeth and sat down next to them.

"Well, hello Percy, what brings you here on your birthday, and with Nico none the less?" Chiron asked in his elderly way.

"Hey Chiron, Hey Annabeth," She waved and smiled then turned back towards the fire, "We need to go back to the big house," I told Chiron, "We have something extremely important to tell you!" Chiron nodded and he tapped Annabeth and they got up and started out of the pavilion. Chiron walked in front in Centaur form. Annabeth and I walked behind him and talked a little.

"How was your birthday?" Annabeth asked.

"Great actually, my dad came and paid me a visit. Granted it was a bit awkward with my moms boyfriend and Tyson there." I was glad to be back a camp though. For some reason I was especially glad to see Annabeth. She had definitely changed. I don't know how, but I knew. She looked at me and blushed, I didn't know why until I realized I had been staring at her the whole entire way to the big house. I looked away quickly, I was absolutely sure that my face was beat red.

"Where's Grover?" I asked just noticing he wasn't there.

"Amazonian Rain forest, trying to restore the wildlife." She replied. I suddenly remembered about the god Pans death, and the duty of all the Satyrs now.

We finally got to the big house and went inside. We sat down in the main room, Annabeth and I grabbed a drink, and Chiron addressed Nico and I.

"So, what was so important it couldn't wait until morning?" I took a big sip of my coke and I set it down. I prepared myself.

"We figured out how to skip our sixteenth birthdays." As soon as I was done Chiron stared at me with intrigue and Annabeth dropped her coke and spilled all over. She didn't even notice, she was just staring at me. I decided that was my cue to continue.

"Annabeth, remember the Lotus hotel?" she suddenly woke up and nodded slowly as she took out Daedalus's laptop and clicked a few buttons. I went on. "Well if Nico and I go into the Lotus hotel before our sixteenth birthday then we come out when it's the next day, wont that stop them from using us to destroy Olympus?" After I was done Chiron was scratching his chin and Annabeth started typing furiously on the golden laptop. I watched as Chiron stood up and looked at me.

"That is a great plan but, unfortunately as I recall, The lotus Hotel is no longer there."

"What? What happened to it?" I was very confused.

"Well nobody knows, but its not there, so unfortunately that plan wouldn't work."

"Wait!" Annabeth stood up holding her laptop, "Maybe Daedalus could help us. He could probably design a machine that could do the same thing as the lotus hotel!" We all looked at each other, I pretty much knew what was going to happen next.

"A Quest!" We all looked and saw Clarisse standing at the door.

"Of course there's going to be a quest," I replied sharply, "now try and guess who's not going." Clarisse glared at me and I could see a hint of flame in her eyes, just like Ares. Chiron walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Well, it's not a guess as to who is going to lead it, Percy, consult the Oracle." Chiron gave me a slight nudge towards the stairs.

"Great" I muttered under my breath. I started up the stairs and I wasn't sure what the oracle was going to say, the last time she had given me a prophecy, she was up and walking around. The time she gave Annabeth a prophecy, Annabeth wouldn't even tell me all of it. I reached the attic and I worked my way over to the oracle. She still looked exactly the same. Which is, like the mummy of a hippy. I walked up to it and I sat down. Green smoke rolled out of her mouth and covered the floor of the attic. I heard the prophecy recited in my head.

"Descend into the land of doom.

Distort time in the metal room.

Go to where evil rules the land.

Upon Return make your stand.

An old friend shall help reveal.

You must save Olympus with true loves seal."

With that the Oracle fell back into position, the green smoke clearing. I was a little worried I will admit. Not about the land of doom, or where evil rules…but that last part. On my way down I was trying not to jump to conclusions about the last part of the prophecy. After all it might not be me, I didn't want to get my hopes up. As I reached the main floor everybody was waiting for me. Chiron came up and asked:

"Well, what was the prophecy?" he put his hand on my head.

"Chiron," I glanced at Annabeth, "I'm going to have to talk to you in private."