Disclaimer: I own not Harry Potter nor Percy Jackson. That good enough for you?


~The Riddle Quest~

000 Nico 000

I trudged up the Fields of Punishment with a bunch of souls chained to my fist.

Ever since Alisa disappeared, going to camp has been... depressing.

I usually just spend my time in the Underworld now.

Really, I've just been Hades' errand boy. Go get these souls for me, feed Cerberus, whack Charon on the head. The worst of my errands is killing a mutated Underworld monster. A mutated monster is something you definitely do not want to meet. It's a combination of a monster and Kronos' essence which makes it more powerful and gives it some torturous new weapons. A monster like that used to appear once in a few years, but it's been happening more often since Tartarus is trying to purge itself of Kronos' essence.

The chain jingled and rattled, shaking me from diverting my attention to a particularly annoying soul that's trying to get free for the fourth time.

"Shit! Stay still, you dead idiots!" I shouted at the souls attached to me. Then, drawing out my blade, I pointed at the soul whose been giving me trouble for the past twenty minutes. "If you try to escape one more time, I will personally make you wish you were swimming in molten lava for all eternity."

The soul cowered and said, "Y-yes, my l-lord."

After I finished 'escorting' them to their eternal punishment, a loud screech echoed from the castle. "GRAAAH!"

A few minutes later, a very large raven came down and perched on a tree in front of me, "Caaaw!"

I stared at it for a bit, probably with a pissed-off look on my face. "What do you want, Chamos?" I said. Chamos was my... pet? I'm not sure really, more of a... familiar... I guess.

"Caw!" In my head, Chamos' raspy voice spoke, My lord, Master Hades summons you...

I sighed, "Ngh... fine..." I held on to Chamos' thick talons as he flew across the Fields of Asphodel. Usually, flying disturbs me, but since Chamos was an Underworlder, like me, I was fine.

Chamos entered the castle through a large window that was beside Dad's throne room. I quickly let go the his talons and landed squarely on my feet.

"NICO!" my father's voice echoed through the hall.

I walked up to him and bowed respectfully. "Yes, father?"

He through a fireball above my head, this happened often so I just stood there, unflinching.

"TOM RIDDLE'S SOUL HAS ESCAPED!" He screamed as he threw more fireballs at the obsidian walls.

I frowned, Tom Riddle... Tom Riddle... I feel like I knew that guy. Then it hit me.

Crap. That's the guy whose soul came in here in eight pieces. Not good. That gave my father a whole mountain of paperwork to fill out, and if there's anything my Dad hated more than his brothers, it's paperwork.

He glared at me, "You!" he motioned for me to come forward, "Come, boy!"

I walked until I was in front of him, "Yes, father?"

"I've sent an IM to Chiron about this matter, you will have to lead a quest to capture Tom Marvolo Riddle's soul. Go to Camp and get yourself a prophecy." His anger flared suddenly. Throwing another fireball, he shouted, "Go! Go now, and take Chamos with you!"

I quickly ran from the throne room and whistled for Chamos.

I held up my arms as Chamos swooped down and grabbed them.

Camp Half-Blood. Sigh.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Chamos let me land in front of the Big House. Gloom spread over me as I thought of Alisa.

I knocked on the door of the blue building.

Chiron opened the door, "Ah... Nico. Your father has told me about his... predicament."

"Yeah, yeah." I said, "Can I just go ask Rachel for a prophecy?"

Chiron's tail twitched slightly, "Okay, you know the way, correct?"

I nodded and turned to the direction of Rachel's cave.

As I was walking past the Cabins, Percy came up to me, his arm on Annabeth's shoulder.

"Nico!" He exclaimed, "Where've you been?"

I walked on, mumbling "Underworld."

"Oh, no, no, no." Percy walked up to me, "Your not getting rid of me that easily, come on!" He draped his arm over my shoulders, "Spend some time with your ol' cousin, Perce!"

I looked at him and he had a goofy grin on his face.

I sighed, "Sorry, cousin Perce, but my father's making me go on a quest to retrieve a lost soul that wants to take over the world."

He shrugged, "You can put it off, right?"

I rolled my eyes, "I did mention it wanted to take over the world, right?"

"Aw, come on, Nico. We saved the world, twice. You can take a break."

I looked at Annabeth, "Help me?"

She laughed lightly and whacked Percy's head, "Hey! What was that for, Wise Girl?"

"Come on, Seaweed Brain, Nico's obviously doing something important. Unlike some people who still hasn't finished Illiad." she said, walking the opposite direction, winking at me.

"Hey!" Percy said, "I haven't been reading that long!"

I could feel Annabeth rolling her eyes, "You started it last summer!"

"Exactly!" Percy said, jogging to catch up with Annabeth.

I rolled my eyes at them and continued walking to Rachel's cave.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~

The first thing I saw when I walked into Rachel's cave was Rachel lounging on a bean-bag chair in a black-and-white kimono eating sushi. Weird.

"Oh, hey Nico!" she said cheerily when she saw me, "Want some?"

"Er, no thanks." I replied, "I'm here for a prophecy."

"Oh, well, that's great then! Have a seat and I'll go get the Spirit of Delphi." she said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes and smiled.

"Y'know, 'cause, I can totally summon the Spirit of Delphi at wi-" she suddenly sat up straight as green smoke poured out of her.

She turned to me with glowing green eyes,

"Child of Hades, Among the Hecate-blessed you should be,

To find the lost soul with the children of the Eldest Three.

The son of the forge shall go with thee,

To repair the night's soul so Riddle will finally flee"

Rachel suddenly collapsed back into the bean-bag chair.

"Er... what was I saying?" she said, woozy.

I helped her sit up as I jokingly said, "I guess you can summon the Spirit of Delphi at will."


A/N: Well, Obviously, I'm back~! Isn't that great? Anyway, I know the prophecy's crap but... I just couldn't think of anything else, okay? Read & Review! ~Nyx