Warning: Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Magical Labyrinth' as well as the one shots 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Stolen Chariot' The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Sword of Hades', and The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Bronze Dragon' before reading this story as stuff that happened in them will be mentioned. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed as long as you inform me about it.


Hades is Being a Pain to Everyone

I expected emerged at where Persephone summoned us along with Thalia and Bianca (Long story), not in Central Park just north of the Pond.

"How many entrances are there in New York?" I asked.

"Only two commonly used ones, but there are private ones that my father and Persephone mostly know about," Nico said.

"Let me guess, the one Persephone pulled us through was the one your dad use to kidnap her?" I asked.

"Actually that one in one of the Last Great Prairies the last I heard," Nico said.

Meanwhile Mrs. O'Leary limped over to a cluster of boulders. She started sniffing around, and I was afraid she might mark her territory, but Nico said, "It's okay. She just smell the way home."

"So which entrance are we using?" I asked.

"The Doors of Orpheus," Nico replied.

"The son of one of the Muses?" I asked.

Nico nodded. "He used his music to charm the earth and open a new path into the Underworld. He sang his way right into Hades' palace ad almost got away with his wife's soul."

I remember the story. All Orpheus had to do was trust that his wife's soul would follow him back the way he came, but by the time they made it to the entrance he made, he couldn't take not knowing for sure and looked back to check on his wife and failed his task.

"So how do we open the Doors of Orpheus?" I asked.

"We need music," Nico said, "How's your singing voice?"

"Not that great," I responded before I got an idea, "But Grover's was last heard in Central Park."

"Yeah, but we lost contact," Nico said, "You said it yourself. You even had a hard time contacting him with your Empathy Link."

"That's because I never tried contacting him in Central Park," I said.

"I don't follow."

"Grover once told me, the closer we are the stronger our link is," I explained. "Just give me a minute."

I shut my eyes and opened the link. Sure enough I could sense Grover somewhere in the park, but not his emotions.

Grover, I thought.

All I got was a faint hum in the base of my skull.

Grover, I thought more insistently.

Hmm-hmmmm, something said.

My eye twitched as a realization came to me. I opened the link some more image came into my head. I saw a giant elm tree deep I the woods, well off the main paths. Gnarled roots laced the ground, making a kid of bed. Lying in it with his arms crossed ad his eyes clothes was Grover. He was covered I twigs ad leaves, like he'd been sleeping there a long time. The roots seemed to be shaping themselves around him, slowly pulling him into the earth.

Grover, I said. Wake up.

Unnnh-zzzzz.

Dude, you're covered in dirt. Wake up!

Sleepy, his mind murmured.

FOOD, I suggested. PANCAKES!

His eyes shot open. A blur of thoughts filled my head like he was suddenly on fast-forward. The image shattered, and I almost fell over.

"What happened?" Nico asked.

"I got through. He's on his way," I said. "I wish Grover warned me about what happened when you use the Empathy Link to wake someone though."

A minute later, the tree next to us shivered. Grover fell out of the branches, right on his head.

"Grover" I yelled.

"Woof!" Mrs. O'Leary looked up, probably wondering if we were going to play fetch with the satyr.

"Blah-haa-haa!" Grover bleated.

"You okay, man?"

"Oh, I'm fine." He rubbed his head. His horns had grown so much they poked an inch above his hair. "I was at the other end of the park. The dryads had this great idea of passing me through the trees to get me here. They don't understand height very well."

He grinned and got to his feet—well, his hooves, actually. Since last summer, Grover had stopped trying to disguise himself as human. He never wore a cap or fake feet anymore. He didn't eve wear jeans, since he had furry goat legs from the waist down. His T-shirt had a picture from that book Where the Wild Things Are. It was covered the dirt and tree sap. His goatee looked fuller, and he was as tall as me now.

"Good to see you, G-man," I said. "You remember Nico."

Grover nodded at Nico, then he gave me a big hug. He smelled like fresh-mown lawns.

"Perrrrcy!" he bleated. "I miss you! I miss camp. They don't serve very good enchiladas in the wilderness."

"I was worried," I sad. "Where've you been the last two months?"

"The last two—" Grover's smile faded. "The last two months? What are you talking about?"

"We haven't heard from you," I said. "Juniper's worried. I tried to open up the empathy link but I couldn't get through for some reason. We sent Iris messages, but—"

"Hold on." He looked up at the stars like he was trying to calculate his position. "What month is this?"

"August."

The color drained from his face. "That's impossible. It's June. I just lay down to take a nap and…" He grabbed my arms. "I remember now! He knocked me out. Percy, we have to stop him!"

"Whoa," I said. "Slow down. Tell me what happened."

He took a deep breath. "I was… I was walking in the woods up by Harlem Meer. And I felt this tremble in the ground, like something powerful was near."

"You can sense stuff like that?" Nico asked.

Grover nodded. "Since Pan's death, I can feel when something is wrong in nature. It's like my ears and eyes are sharper when I'm in the Wild. Anyway, I started following the scent. This man in a long black coat was walking through the park, and I noticed he didn't cast a shadow. Middle of a sunny day, and he cast no shadow. He kind of shimmered as he moved."

"Like a mirage?" Nico asked.

"Yes," Grover said. "And whenever he passed humans—"

"The humans would pass out," Nico said. "Curled up and go to sleep."

"That's right! Then after he was gone, they'd get up and go about their business like nothing happened."

I stared at Nico. I remember the list of minor gods Dionysus said had changed sides, and one came to my mind that had that kind of power.

"He's talking about him, isn't he?" I asked.

"Afraid so," Nico said. "Grover, what happened?"

"I followed the guy. He kept looking up at the buildings around the park like he was making estimates or something. This lady jogger ran by, and she curled up on the side walk and started snoring. The guy in black put his hand on her forehead like he was checking her temperature. Then he kept walking. By this time, I knew he was a monster or something worse. I followed him into the grove, to the base of a big elm tree. I was about to summon some dryads to help me capture him when he tuned and…"

Grover swallowed. "Percy, his face. I couldn't make out his face because it kept shifting. Just looking at him made me sleepy. I said, 'What are you doing?' He said, 'Just having a look around. You should always scout a battlefield before the battle.' I said something really smart like, 'This forest is under my protection. You won't start any battles here!' And he laughed. He said, 'You're lucky I'm saving my energy for the main event, little satyr. I'll just grant you a short nap. Pleasant dreams.' And that's the last thing I remembered."

Nico and I exhaled as Nico said. "Grover, you met Morpheus, the God of Dreams. You're lucky you ever woke up. I'm surprise the Nymphs didn't do anything though."

"Time is slower for a tree than it is to a mortal," I said, "At least, that's the theory we came up with to help explain why Thalia came out of her tree three years younger than she's supposed to be."

Grover nodded. "Two months is nothing to a nymph."

"I guess you were right to threaten Leneus to help and to call in the Hunters," Nico said.

"The Hunters?" Grover responded. "They're here?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. We sort of left the camp without finding out. Even if they were in the city though, I suggested that they should watch the areas around Manhattan. And I was hoping to get satyrs and Nature Spirits around the parks to be our eyes and ears."

Grover jolted up like that. "I can help with that! Just tell me what you need, and I'll gather up my forces."

"Thanks Grover," I responded. "There is actually something we need your help with—"

We told him our plan, ad Grover started tugging at his leg fur.

"You're not serious," he said. "Not the Underworld again."

"You don't have to come with us," I promised. "We just need you to open up the doors of Orpheus, since it requires music."

Grover took out his reed pipes. "I guess I could try—I can't be worse now than trying to calm Cerberus with music, right?"

I laughed. I almost forgotten we tried one of Orpheus' trick on Cerberus. Back then Grover was trying for his searchers license for the third time (long story) and didn't have much self-confidence in himself. But Grover isn't the same satyr he was back then. Ever since Pan's death, Grover's confidence grew several times.

"I know a few Nirvana tunes that ca split rocks," Grover said, "But, Percy, ae you sure you want to do this?"

"Please, man," I said. "It would mean a lot."

"Okay, here goes nothing," Grover whimpered.

He put his pipes to his lips and played a shrill, lively tune. The boulders trembled. A few more stanzas, and they cracked open, revealing a triangular crevice.

I peered inside. Steps led down into the darkness. The air smelled of mildew and death. It brought back bad memories of my trip through the Labyrinth last year, but this tunnel felt more dangerous. It led straight to the land of Hades. Most demigods have only gone down there once and back alive before their deaths, but this would be my third and hopefully last time before I died.

I turned to Grover. "Thanks, Grover."

Grover nodded. "I'll rally up the Nature Spirits while you're down there. I'll send info straight to camp on anything I find."

I nodded. "You better tell Juniper you're okay, too."

His eyes widened. "Juniper! Oh, she's going to kill me!"

He started to run off, the scrambled back and gave me another hug. "Be careful down there! Come back alive!"

Once he was gone, Nico and I roused Mrs. O'Leary, who had fallen asleep during our chat with Grover.

When she smelled the tunnel, she got excited and led the way down the steps. It was pretty tight fit, but I was sure Mrs. O'Leary would be fine, at least I hoped.

"Ready?" Nico asked me. "It'll be fine. Don't worry."

He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

I glanced at the stars one more time, hopefully the last time before we plunged into the darkness.

The stairs went on forever—narrow, steep, and slippery. It was completely dark except for the light of my sword. I tried to go slow, but Mrs. O'Leary had other ideas. She bounded straight ahead, barking happily. The sound echoed through the tunnel like cannon shots, and I figured we would not be catching anybody by surprise once we reached the bottom. Nico lagged behind.

"I take it Hades is expecting us?" I asked.

Nico nearly slipped at my question. "What—why would you ask that?"

I shrugged. "I figured you wouldn't go to such a length without your father finding out. I mean, we are talking about going into Hades' domain."

Nico didn't say anything, so I took my answer as a yes.

"Listen Nico. Hades might have plans for me that doesn't include the River of Styx."

"Percy…"

"Listen. If he does, we need a back up plan," I said, "And unless you want to destroy my trust, you better listen."

Nico reluctantly nodded.

After another hour, I started to hear the roar of a river.

We emerged at the base of a cliff, on a plain of black volcanic sand. To our right, the River Styx gushed from the rocks and roared off in a cascade of rapids. To our left, far away in the gloom, fires burn on the rampart of Erebus, the great black walls of Hades' kingdom.

Mrs. O'Leary was happy. She ran along the beach, picked up a random human leg bone, and romped back toward me. She dropped the bone at me feet and waited for me to throw it.

"Maybe later, girl," I said, "Let's get this meeting with Hades over with."

Nico nodded and led me to the gates.

Lines of the dead stood outside waiting to get in. It must've been a heavy day for funerals, because even the EZ-DEATH line was backed up.

I hope Hades wasn't up to something that might prolong the war. I doubt even he would do that. The first time we were here, he complained how the war of the gods would cause something like this, and prolonging the Titan war would most likely make it worse.

"Woof!" Mrs. O'Leary barked.

Before I could stop her she bounded toward the security checkpoint. Hades' guard dog Cerberus appeared out of the gloom—a three-headed Rottweiler so big he made Mrs. O'Leary looked like a toy poodle. Cerberus was half transparent, so he's really hard to see until he's close enough to kill you, but he acted like he didn't care about us. He was too busy saying hell to Mrs. O'Leary.

"Mrs. O'Leary, no!" I shouted at her. "Don't sniff… Oh, man."

Nico smiled for a moment before remembering what we came here for. "Come on. They won't give us any trouble in the line. You're with me."

I didn't like the sound of that, but we slipped through the security ghouls and the Fields of Asphodel. I had to whistle for Mrs. O'Leary three times with a taxi whistle—as I didn't want to summon the hellhounds found down here, before she left Cerberus alone and ran after us.

We hiked over black fields and grass dotted with black poplar trees. If I really die in a few days, I hope I don't end up here.

Nico trudged ahead, bringing us closer and closer to the palace of Hades.

We stopped when a shadow appeared overhead—something dark, cold, and stinking of death—a combination I'm not too happy to smell. Mrs. O'Leary growl as the source swooped down and landed in the top of a poplar tree.

The monster had a shriveled face, a horrible blue knit hat, and a crumpled velvet dress. Leather bat wings sprang from her back. Her feet had sharp talons, and in her brass-clawed hands she held a flaming whip and a paisley handbag.

"A Fury," I said.

She bared her fangs. "Welcome back, honey."

Her two sisters—the other Furies—swooped down and settle next to her in the poplar trees.

Nico looked up at the Furies and took a deep breath. "I've done what my father asked. Take us to the palace."

Two of the Furies flew toward us, ready to take us.

Mrs. O'Leary tried to attack the Furies after they got us.

"It's okay, Mrs. O'Leary! Stay!"

She whimpered and turned in circles, looking up at me.

After a while The fury carrying me dropped me like a sack of turnips I the middle of the Garden of Persephone.

It was beautiful in a creepy way. Skeletal white trees grew from Marble basins. Flower beds overflowed with golden plant sand gemstones. A pare f thrones, one bone and one silver, sat on the balcony with a view of the Fields of Asphodel. It would've been a nice place to spend a Saturday morning except for the sulfurous smell and the cries a tortured souls in the distance.

Skeletal warriors guarded the only exit. They wore tattered U.S. Army desert combat fatigues and carried M16s.

The Third Fury deposit Nico next to me. Then all three of them settled on the top of the skeletal thrones.

I stared at the empty thrones, waiting for something to happen. Then the air shimmered. Three figures appeared—Hades and Persephone on their thrones, and an older woman between them. They seemed to be I the middle of an argument.

"—told you he was a bum!" the older woman said.

"Mother!" Persephone replied.

"We have visitors!" Hades barked. "Please!"

Hades, one of my least favorite gods, smoothed his black robes, which were filled with the terrified faces of those in the Field of Punishment. He had pale skin and the intense eyes of a madman.

"Percy Jackson," he said with satisfaction. "At last."

Queen Persephone studied me curiously. I'd seen her once before in the winter, but now in the summer she looked like a totally different goddess. She had lustrous back hair and warm brown eyes. Her dress shimmered with colors. Flower patterns in the fabric changed and bloomed—roses, tulips, honeysuckle.

The woman standing between them was obviously Persephone's mother. She had the same hair and eyes, but looked older and sterner. Her dress was golden, the color of the wheat fields. Her hair was wove with dried grasses so it reminded me of a wicker basket. It was Demeter: goddess of wheat. Well, that explained what Hestia said earlier.

"Hmmph," Demeter said. "Demigods. Just what we need."

Nico and I knelt in front of them.

"Father," Nico said. "I have done as you asked."

"Took you long enough," Hades grumbled. "Your sister would've done a better job. But of course, she still staying with those hunters."

Nico lowered his head.

"Lord Hades, your son told me you wanted to talk to me," I said.

The god twisted his mouth in a cruel smile. "That's right. Don't worry. I won't kill you. Nico was quite sincere about wanting to help you."

"You promised if I brought him, you would tell me about my past—about my mother."

Queen Persephone sighed dramatically. "Can we please not talk about that woman in my presence?"

"I'm sorry, my dove," Hades said. "I had to promise the boy something."

Demeter harrumphed, which reminded me of Katie when she's angry with the Stoll Brothers. "I warned you, daughter. This scoundrel Hades is no good. You could've married the god of doctors, or the god of lawyers, but noooo. You had to eat the pomegranate."

"Mother—"

"And get stuck in the Underworld!"

"Mother, please—"

"And here it is August, and do you come home like you're supposed to? Do you ever think about your poor lonely mother?"

"DEMETER!" Hades shouted. "That is enough. You are a guest in my house."

"Oh, a house is it?" she said. "You call this dump a house? Make my daughter live in this dark, damp—"

"I told you," Hades said, grinding teeth, "there's a war in the world above. You and Persephone are better off here with me."

While this was going on, I can't help but think that this argument seemed to be a mixture of a disapproving mother-in-law visit and sibling rivalry type of argument.

"Father, your promise," Nico responded. "I want to know."

"Nico, maybe you should wait until Lady Persephone isn't in the same room," I said.

"Thank you, Percy Jackson," Persephone said.

"At least this one has the guts to speak the truth," Demeter said.

"But I want to know," Nico responded.

"And I shall tell you," Hades glanced uncomfortably at Persephone. "Forgive me, my dear, but this appeared to can't wait."

Persephone scoffed as Hades turned back to Nico.

"Your mother—what can I tell you? She was a wonderful woman—I mean for a mortal, of course. Her name was Maria di Angelo. She was from Venice, but her father was a diplomat in Washington, D.C. That's where I met her. When you and your sister were young, it was a bad time to be children of Hades. World War II was brewing. A few of my, ah, other children were leading the losing side. I thought it best to put you two out of harms way."

"That's why you hid us in the Lotus Casino?"

Hades shrugged. "You didn't age. You didn't realize time was passing. I waited for the right time to bring you out."

"But what happened to our mother? Why don't I remember her?"

"Not important," Hades snapped.

"What?" Of course it's important. And you had other children—why were we the only ones who were sent away? And who was the lawyer who got us out?"

Hades grit his teeth. "You would do well to listen more and talk less, boy. As for the lawyer…"

Hades snapped his fingers On the top of his throne, a fury began to change until she was a middle-aged man in a pinstriped suit with a briefcase. She—he—looked strange crouching at Hades' shoulder.

"You!" Nico sad

The Fury cackled. "I also do teachers well!"

Nico was trembling. "But why did you free us from the casino?"

"You know why," Hades said. "This son of Poseidon cannot be allowed to be the child of prophecy."

"You should be helping Olympus, not down here," I responded, "You told me four years ago you didn't want a war of the gods because it would backed up the Underworld, and yet you're letting the Olympians fight Typhon who is causing more deaths and destruction than the war itself."

"The boy does have a point," Demeter said.

"When's the last time Olympus ever helped me, half-blood?" Hades demanded. "When's the last child of mine was ever welcomed as a hero?"

"Bianca was!" I responded. "Two winters ago, when she helped us on the quest to save Artemis! And she joined the Hunters to make a difference for her and Nico! And you're showing your gratefulness for it by doing this?" I waved my arms.

"I'm doing this to make things right!" Hades yelled. "And my son Nico—" He looked at him with distaste. "Well, he's not much now, I'll grant you. It would've of been better if Bianca stayed here and train. Either way, give Nico four more years of training. We can hold out that long, surely. Nico will turn sixteen, as the prophecy says, and then he will make the decision that will save the world. And I will king of the gods."

"You're crazy," I said. "Kronos will crush you, right after he finishes pulverizing Olympus."

Hades spread his hands. "Well, you'll get the chance to find out, half-blod. Because you'll be waiting out this war in my dungeons."

"No!" Nico said. "Father, that wasn't our agreement. And you haven't told me everything!"

"I told you all you need to know," Hades said. "As for our agreement, I spoke with Jackson. I did not harm him. You got your information. If you had wanted a better deal, you should've made me swear on the Styx. Now go to your room!" he waved his hand and Nico vanished.

"That boy needs to eat more," Demeter grumbled. "He's too skinny. He needs more cereal."

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Mother, enough with the cereal. My lord Hades, are you sure we can't let this little hero go? He's awfully brave."

"No, my dear. I've spared his life. That's enough."

She shrugged indifferently, "Fine. What's for breakfast? I'm starving."

"Cereal," Demeter said.

"Mother!" the two women disappeared in a swirl of flowers and wheat.

"Don't feel bad, Percy Jackson," Hades said. "My ghost keep me well informed of Kronos' plans. I can assure you that you had no chance to stop him in time. By tonight, it will be too late for you precious Mount Olympus. The trap will be sprung."

"What trap?" I demanded. "If you know about it, do something! At least let me tell the other gods!"

Hades smiled. "You are spirited. I'll give you credit for that. Have fun in my dungeon. We'll check on you again in—oh, fifty or sixty years."