A/N: I just can't seem to stop.

PJandLGequalsLove: Gotta wait my friend.

Surya25addanki: Yeah, but new shit tends to creep people out.

Onwards!

Chapter 3

Annabeth was holding Frank's hand tightly, just so they wouldn't get separated again. The Yomi was so dark and silent that she could hear her heartbeat slamming against her ribcage.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Frank whispered, which almost made Annabeth jump because of the unnerving silence.

"No." Annabeth admitted. "But it's not really a good idea to stay in one place, is it?"

"What if Asanagi is searching for us?" Frank added. "We should stick around so that it'd be easier for him to find us."

While Frank did have a good point, it wasn't enough to convince Annabeth otherwise. Besides, she couldn't shake up this bad feeling in her stomach.

The more Annabeth walked, the more she felt like the atmosphere was getting heavier. It's like the air around them was getting thicker with . . . something.

"Do you feel that?" Frank asked.

Annabeth nodded, although he probably didn't see her. "The air is getting heavier."

"It's like we're in an underground wine cellar." Frank muttered. "I don't like this."

"Me neither." Annabeth said. "Let's try and find a way out of -"

That's when the situation got from bad to worse.

Annabeth, being the idiot she was, forgot to leave her phone behind. And her phone lets out a blinding flash of light whenever it gets a text message or a call. Annabeth had never bothered to turn it off or change it because it wasn't bothering anyone. After this, Annabeth swore to turn of the flashlight on her phone.

The flash of light from her phone momentarily illuminated their surroundings and Annabeth had finally known why you shouldn't bring a light to Yomi.

The decaying and maggot ridden bodies lying around wasn't the things that made Annabeth scared for her life. It was the dozens of demons, monsters and ghosts that had been surrounding them this entire time. All around them were just packed with monsters, including above them. There were these creatures that looked like a Ninja Turtle reject, ghouls with horrible masks, ghosts that looked like they came from a Japanese horror movie (which is probably the other way around), and so many more creatures that if Annabeth had seen for a second longer, her mind would've actually exploded out of terror.

That explains why the air got heavier. They were surrounded and were completely outnumbered.

"D-D-Did you see that?" Frank whispered so softly. Even after seeing all that, it was still deathly silent.

Annabeth gripped Frank's hand tighter. They can't fight their way out of this. They certainly can't talk out of it.

"Stay calm," Annabeth muttered but it was more like to herself rather than to Frank.

It was then that something broke the unsettling silence. A low distinctive growl that sounded awfully close to Annabeth's face.

With fear crawling up to her chest, she raised her sword and struck in front of her, but a hand stopped her swing.

"Don't." A voice whispered. It wasn't Frank's and it wasn't Asanagi's either. "You kill one and they will all go wild."

"Asanagi?" Frank called out, but the guy didn't answer.

"You don't belong here." The voice said. He then handed Annabeth something that felt like a prayer bead. The leather rope was woven into a series of spherical beads, about five of them to be exact. "This will help you go back."

"Who are you?" Annabeth asked.

Again, the guy didn't answer their question. "You must hurry. They are agitated. Your light has drawn their attention."

Annabeth wanted to argue, but she knew that he was right. It felt like dozens of eyes were now upon them, like vultures gazing at a carcass.

"Frank, hold on to me." Annabeth said. Frank held Annabeth's hand as Annabeth gripped the prayer bead in her other hand. She didn't know how she was supposed to use this, but she just gave it a shot.

She wished to go home and get out of this hellhole. She wished so that she'd be in the comfort of her bunk bed. She wished for the warm sunlight to wash over her skin like a skincare commercial.

When she opened her eyes, she was in the middle of the Field of Mars. Luckily, the place was empty today.

After being in the darkness of the Yomi, the night time seemed bright. Annabeth didn't realize how bad she was trembling until she collapsed on her butt.

Frank, who was standing next to her, was sweating and his skin was pale, as if he'd just seen a ghost. Given where they've been, he probably did see a ghost. He too collapsed on his back.

"That was . . . an unusual experience." Frank muttered. "Not sure about doing it again though."

"Same here." Annabeth said. Annabeth had been through Tartarus. She'd already seen the worst that the Greek world could provide. And yet, the Yomi unsettled her. Annabeth didn't know what it was about the place, but it frightened her.

"Figured you'd pop out here." A voice said behind them. Annabeth turned around to see Asanagi standing there with his arms crossed. He was now wearing a hooded black jacket and blue jeans. Again, Annabeth can't see his face. "You had me worried."

"How did you find us?" Frank asked.

"The Yomi and the world of the living are like mirrors of each other. To an extent, the Yomi is just like our world, except it's only for dead people. I can see your aura walking through the Yomi from this side, so I just followed you." Asanagi explained.

"What happened?" Annabeth asked.

"I believe I'm the one who's supposed to ask you that." Asanagi said. "When I looked for you two, you disappeared."

Annabeth sighed. She started to explain herself, but Asanagi stopped her. "Before you tell your story, I suggest you take a bath at the river."

"You mean the Little Tiber?" Frank asked. "Why?"

"You've been in the Yomi for too long." Asanagi said. "Your clothes and body are polluted by the Yomi. I suggest you burn your clothes before it turns into a Yokai."

"What's a Yokai?"

"You would call them monsters." Asanagi said. "Which is basically true. Yokai are spirits, demons, ghosts, animal-like creatures, basically anything that's not human."

"So you're saying our clothes will turn into monsters." Frank said simply.

"If you don't burn them, then yes." Asanagi said.

"This was my favourite shirt as well." Frank grumbled. "And why do we need to bathe in Little Tiber?"

"To cleanse and purify your body." Asanagi said. "Unlike normal baths with soap and shampoo, the river has power. It will be sufficient to remove the Yomi pollution from your body."

"Why can't we dip in the river along with the clothes?" Frank asked. "Don't they get cleansed as well?"

Asanagi shrugged. "You can try, but there's no guarantee it will work. Inanimate objects require rituals to cleanse, unlike humans."

"Fair enough." Frank said. He turned towards Annabeth. "Can you help me?"

"With what?" Annabeth asked.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't plan on skinny dipping in Little Tiber right now." Frank said. "There're buckets we can use to carry some of the water back to the bathhouse." He turned towards Asanagi. "That counts, right?"

"As long as it's water from the river." Asanagi nodded.

"Sure." Annabeth said. Although she seemed okay, her mind was distracted by the incident in the Yomi.

Who was that man?

And why did he sound like Percy?

Line Break

After washing herself with water from Little Tiber, Annabeth felt surprisingly better. She didn't realize how heavy her body had been until the Tiber washed it away. After she made sure of it, she dipped herself into the bath.

There were two building for the baths, one for male and the other for female. Annabeth hadn't seen what the male bathhouse looked like, but she was sure it's basically the same.

The bath itself was really just a big and really glorified jacuzzi. The water was glittering emerald green and was really warm. Annabeth figured if the bath was deeper, they could have practiced swimming here.

Alongside the bath were marble black pillars with lounge chairs placed next to them. Due to the steam of the bathhouse, it can also be sort of used as a "sauna". But that's only if you set the water the boiling temperatures, which Annabeth wasn't keen on after what just happened.

She felt the warmth engulfing her body as she relaxed herself. The water wasn't really deep. If Annabeth stood up, it would barely reach her knees. So she sat down so that almost all of her body was submerged.

Although her body felt heavenly good, the same couldn't be said about her thoughts. Her experience in the Yomi was overwhelming, but what caught her attention the most was the man that saved them from the Yomi.

It was dark so for all Annabeth knew, it could've been just another demon. But that voice . . . No matter how she replayed it in her head, it really sounded like Percy's voice.

Annabeth sighed as she gently washed her face so that her thoughts would clear. Then, she was greeted with a voice. "You look like you have a lot on your mind."

Annabeth yelped in surprise. She thought she was alone. She was sure she was alone. It's about dinner time and everyone should be at the dining hall. And yet, someone was here with her.

The woman sat across the bath from Annabeth. She looked older than her, probably in her late twenties. Her hair was lusciously black and was so long that it reached the water when she's sitting down. Her skin was fair and yet pale.

Annabeth noticed something on top of her head. She thought it was some sort of towel at first, but as the woman gets closer she notices that it was a headdress. It was shaped like one of those handheld folding fans that Asian woman likes to bring along. So it looked like there was a peacock feather fan on her head.

The woman moved closer towards Annabeth and sat next to her. Annabeth normally wouldn't have minded and would be glad since she had someone to talk to, but given that she'd never seen this woman before made her nervous.

"Sorry." Annabeth started. "I thought there was no one here."

"It's fine. It is a bathhouse after all." The woman smiled. Annabeth didn't want to sound racist, but she looked Asian.

"I don't think I've seen you before." Annabeth stated. "Are you new?"

The woman smiled sweetly and nodded. "I guess you can say that."

Annabeth smiled back. "I'm Annabeth."

"Izanami." The woman introduced herself. "Izanami Mikoto."

"I see." Annabeth nodded. So her hunch had been right, since that's a Japanese name if she's ever heard one. "Where are you from?"

"For a brief time, Japan." Izanami admitted. "And then, well, anywhere you can possibly imagine."

"You travel a lot?"

"You can say that." Izanami said as she brushed her hair with water. "What about you, Annabeth? You seem to have a lot on your mind."

Annabeth managed a small smile. "I guess I do."

"People say a good story can help clear your thoughts. Would you like to hear a story?" Izanami offered.

Annabeth studied her. She seemed friendly. She gives off a vibe of a caring mother. "Sure." Annabeth smiled.

"I know a very famous story from my hometown." Izanami said. "It's how the islands of Japan came to be."

Annabeth smiled as she waited for Izanami to continue. She always appreciates it when someone tells her about something that she didn't know. It's always good to learn something new.

"In Japan, gods are born in pairs. So naturally, they are basically brothers and sisters. One particular pair would bring to the existence of Japan itself." Izanami started. "The seventh generation of gods, Izanagi and his sister, were the ones responsible for that. From the bridge between the heavens and the Earth, they used the Ame-no-nuboko, the Heavenly Jeweled Spear."

Annabeth listened intently as she brushed her hair gently.

"The spear formed the very first island of Japan called Onogoro. Izanagi and his sister decided to make Onogoro their home. There, they fell in love with each other." Izanami explained. When she caught a glimpse of Annabeth's expression, she giggled. "I'm sorry. Did that detail disturb you?"

"Well, I come from a Greek family. Siblings get married all the time there. But still, eww." Annabeth muttered.

Izanami smiled as she continued her story. "Izanami and his new wife decided to mate. The first time they tried it, Izanagi's wife greeted him first, which was not the proper manners."

"Of course. Guys should start first, right?" Annabeth agreed. This might be a good story to tell other people one day.

Izanami nodded. "As a result of this, his wife gave birth to a baby that was badly deformed."

Annabeth figured that the Greeks had a similar story with Hephaestus. "Please don't tell me the baby got thrown off a tall mountain."

"Ah, the couple decided to send the baby into the sea on a boat. The baby will survive thought, but that's a different story."

Annabeth was somewhat relieved.

"Anyway, when they try for the second time, Izanagi was the one who greets his wife first. And as a result of their love, the islands of Japan were born along with a lot of new gods."

Annabeth had almost asked how come someone gave birth to an island, but she then remembered about how Athena was born and decided not to question it.

"It was going great until Izanagi's wife gave birth to a fire god named Kagutsuchi." Izanami said in a sad tone. "The process had killed her and in anger, Izanagi chopped off the head of his infant child."

"That's horrible." Annabeth said, but who was her to judge? The Greek gods have done their fair share of horrible things as well.

"I know, right?" Izanami said. "Izanagi was very distraught and dissatisfied with how his wife died. And so, he ventured into the Yomi, the Land of the Dead."

Annabeth shuddered a bit at the mention of the Yomi. That place creeps her out.

"Izanagi searched for his wife until she finally found her in a mansion. It was too dark for him to see, but he recognized his wife's voice anywhere." Izanami continued. "Izanagi begged and pleaded for his wife to come back, but she said that it was too late. She'd already eaten food from the Yomi, so she couldn't return to the world of the living."

Izanami turned towards Annabeth. "I believe the Greeks have a similar story to this."

"Yeah, the Goddess Persephone." Annabeth confirmed. "Similar thing. She ate the pomegranate and couldn't leave the Underworld."

"Ah, but this is different." Izanami said. "After lots of pleading, his wife decided that he would return to the world with Izanagi but demanded time to rest. She made Izanagi promise not to walk into her bedroom as she rested, and Izanagi did."

Annabeth wanted to ask who in their right mind would rest in the Land of the Dead, but considering his wife was already dead it would make sense.

"And so, Izanagi waited. He waited patiently for hours. Those hours turned into days. Finally, he couldn't wait any longer. Izanagi broke his promise and walked into her bedroom. He uses a comb to light up a fire so he could see. That's when he saw his wife's decomposing body, nothing more than a corpse-ridden maggot."

Annabeth felt like throwing up. Then, she remembered something. "A friend of mine told me that the last time someone lit up a light in the Yomi, he raised the Goddess of Death."

Izanami nodded. "We're getting there." She said. "Horrified by what he saw, Izanamgi ran from his wife. His wife, distraught with the thought of her husband leaving her, chased after Izanami. Their chase included all kinds of creature from the Yomi but eventually, Izanagi managed to exit the Yomi."

"He just left his wife?"

Izanami nodded. "It's a very sad tale. Izanagi closed the entrance to the Yomi with a boulder. His wife then promised that if he left her, she would destroy a thousand people's lives. Izanagi replied that he would give birth to a thousand five hundred lives." Izanami sighed. "And that's how the Goddess of Death, ruler of the Yomi, was born."

"Sheesh, that was harsh of him." Annabeth stated out.

"Ah well, it was understandable. Most people would do silly things over love. When they realize they're not cut out for it, most of them know that it was a bad decision." Izanami said. "Though the only thing that bothers me about it . . ."

"What is it?"

"Why would someone make a promise that they can't keep?" Izanami said. "I mean, I did tell him that I couldn't leave but he just wouldn't let it go."

"Boys can be-" Then, Annabeth noticed. "Wait, you told him?"

"Ah, I haven't mentioned the name of Izanagi's wife, haven't I?" Izanami stifled a small laugh. Annabeth felt like kicking herself.

If gods were born as pairs, it would make sense if they have similar names. Why didn't she realize it before?

"You're his wife." Annabeth muttered.

Izanami smiled. "Goddess of Death. Pleasure to meet you, Annabeth Chase."

A/N: Ah, that felt good.