AN: Hey guys I'm back sorry but I just had to take some time (like a lot) but now I should be back at it :) Also in response to MasterTrident the fact that they were both in the labyrinth which warps certain laws of nature and that it was a dream should allow Nico to be in the presence of the primordial true form and not be dissolved

(Camp half-blood, Rachel POV)

I rushed into the clearing cursing those stupid mortals for detaining me because of my dagger which for some reason appeared to them as a dagger and not it's metal water bottle mist form.

Just as I reached the front steps to Nico's cabin I was tackled into a bear hug by Grover. I frantically stepped out of his grasp but he persisted.

"Rachel I'm so glad you came! I've missed you so much!" He bleated, crushing me once more.

"Let me go Grover!" I shouted as I pushed him away from me and pounded up the steps to the cabin. He suddenly appeared in front of me blocking my path to Nico.

"That wasn't nice, you know, I missed you and all you do is yell at me for missing you," he bleats sadly. "Now come here and give me a hug," he said as he began to envelop me again.

"Urgh! Grover! Move!" I growl as I push him aside roughly and he tumbles to the floor.

I ran into the room and saw Nico laying in his cot, his eyelids had a golden tint to them. I ran to him and started shaking him. "No! Nico please, please don't leave me!" I cried as I felt a lump in my throat. I don't remember for how long I shook and slapped him crying his name over and over but it couldn't have been long because I felt his face wince beneath my palm after yet another slap to the face in a desperate attempt to wake him.

I looked at his face and saw his eyes flutter open. "Nico! Your alive!" I exclaimed as Nico gave me a look of gratitude before passing out again. I put my hand on his forehead and felt him burning up. Taking off my backpack, I took out a square of ambrosia and some nectar, which I then slowly fed to him, ambrosia first. The little square of god food dissolved into his mouth and the nectar slid down into his throat, applying their healing effects. The golden glow left his eyes completely and the fever he had was receding, but still lingered.

(Camp Half-Blood, Percy POV)

Rachel just finished explaining to us, me, Clarisse, Artemis, and Grover, what happened to Nico and why he was in such a state. "I'm so sorry Rachel I didn't mean to stop you from saving Nico," Grover said, fidgeting with his hands and a look of worry on his face. I noticed something off, as if he was hiding something. 'Oh well, he'll probably reveal what he is hiding after the capture the flag game,' I thought.

"Very well, since Nico won't be participating in the games tonight Percy will have to fill in his role, which means he'll be playing for the campers, and that also means we'll have to do our archery practice some other time," Artemis says while looking at me with a malicious grin after saying the last part.

'Wow I'm so fucked' I realized as a look of terror graced my face. We all got up and left the rec room, heading towards the field. Grover informed the campers that I would be playing for them while Artemis explained to the hunters that I would not be playing for them. I could hear cheers from both sides as I donned the standard armor of the campers. For the safety of the hunters I wouldn't use the Oceanic Silver blade that I picked up, and told Clarisse to do the same.

Once we were all in place, Grover blew the horn that Chiron used to start all games. Clarisse and I instantly dashed off towards the enemy lines. "Stop!" I whispered harshly as I stopped to a halt. "What's wrong?" Clarisse asked as she too stopped. I said nothing as I grabbed her shoulders and started concentrating. "Percy what are you doi- "Clarisse started as I shadow traveled us in the canopy of the forest. She immediately understood what I did and we started to run silently, jumping from branch to branch.

I looked ahead and saw several hunters being led by Phoebe doing the same thing as us. I quickly grabbed Clarisse again and shadow traveled us not far behind them, and with one glance at Clarisse, she and I moved as one creature, in perfect sync, and sliced the branch they were on, and watched on, stifling laughter as Phoebe and her team fell to the ground noisily. When they tried to find the culprits, they found nothing but leaves because we had shadow traveled a few trees away. Then we continued to the direction of their flag.

We came to a stop just above the flag, and saw three hunters guarding the flag. Among them was Madeline, and I knew this would only serve to complicate things. I pointed at the hunter to the right of Madeline, and Clarisse nodded her understanding of the plan. I counted down three fingers, and when my last finger went down, we leapt down at our targets.

Positioning the hilt of Riptide to be the first thing to hit the huntress, a landed to the ground, my hilt hitting her near the forehead. She crumpled to the ground immediately, and looking over, I saw Clarisse used her shield to knock out the other huntress.

Madeline let out a cry of shock, and seeing as how I didn't have the heart to knock her out, and neither did Clarisse, I quickly tackled her to the ground. "Here take this!" Clarisse yelled, throwing me some sturdy rope. I quickly tied Madeline's hands and then legs with the same piece of rope, effectively making sure we had enough time to bring the flag over the creek several times before she got loose. "Sorry Madeline," I whispered apologeticly. I didn't expect her to start yelling, so I had to act quickly. I took the flag and gave it to Clarisse, then shadow travelled to a sturdy branch in the nearest tree. "Quick, Clarisse! Throw the flag!" I whisper-shouted.

"Oh yeah we can't shadow travel the flag," she exclaimed as she threw the flag perfectly into my outstretched hand. "Get the flag over and don't fail, Jackson!" she said as she dashed into the woods, yelling at the top of her lungs. I waited half a minute before launching myself from tree to tree. It was a good thing I had too, as I saw huntresses passing ten feet ahead of me. Had I not waited I would have been directly overhead and they would have spotted me. I was leaping from tree to tree, spending less than a whole second on each tree, until I saw Phoebe and her team scouting not far from me, thankfully, on the ground this time. I threw the flag into a tree far enough away from them, bottom first, and it embedded itself into the trunk fairly noiselessly. I drew the shadows around me and appeared right next to the flag.

I pulled it from the trunk then continued. "There! Get the son of Poseidon!" yelled Phoebe. "Fuck," was all I managed to say before several arrows embedded themselves just a few feet from where I stood. I smirked as my last-minute thinking had saved me, then then jumped from an outstretched branch right onto the other side of the creek.

Grover blew the horn, and all the campers rounded up with sad faces. "Why aren't you guys cheering, we just won!" I yelled. It took the campers a few seconds to realize we had actually won, and when they did, they burst out cheering. "Percy! Percy! Percy!" they chanted as the lifted me on their shoulders.

I looked over and saw Phoebe marching towards me, fuming mad. "Jackson, how did you manage to escape our arrows!" she growled menacingly.

I just laughed. Seeing that she was about to pulverize me, I hastily explained my ruse. "I used my power over shadows to conceal my actual location and make me seem a few feet to the right," I said as I gloated over my victory. Before she could do anything, Grover spoke up.

"The campers have won! For the first time in pretty much forever!" Grover shouted as the campers continued cheering. After a while they set me down and I saw Clarisse walk up to me. "So you didn't get your ass handed to you, good job," she said with a smirk as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "No, I guess I didn't," I said, while leaning in for my victory kiss. "Ahem," I turned and saw Artemis looking at us both in disgust. "Well done! A fine victory, I must say. I watched the both of you work, and I'm impressed that you work so well together." She said with a forced smile. I guess she can't be too happy I just ended the Hunt's winning streak. "Thank you, Lady Artemis," I said, bowing.

She waved her hand and pulled me upright, with a genuine smile this time. "No need to bow to me, Percy. Well, I would suggest getting some rest, we leave tomorrow in the morning. Morning means 6, Percy," she said with a warning look. "Yea I know," I sighed. I started to trudge to my cabin when I noticed Clarisse wasn't following. I looked back and saw her standing in the clearing with a weird look on her face. "Clarisse? You coming?" I asked, as she turned back and shook herself out of the daze. "Of course," she said with an uneasy smile.

When we reached my cabin and had settled down into the bed I looked at her. "What was that all about?" I asked, slightly worried. "I don't know, something just seems off about Grover. There's something he's not telling us, it feels like he's taking up Chiron's habits," she said as I realized she was right. "Yea, now that I think about it, Chiron did hide things from us when things got a bit dangerous. Grover hasn't been camp director for a few days and he's already acting like Chiron. "I said as Clarisse nodded. "Well if he's already acting like Chiron then there would be no point pushing him to tell us, so let's just go to sleep, we leave camp at 6," Clarisse said after giving me one last peck on the lips. "Yea…" I say, as I feel her descend to the world of sleep. I, however, cannot sleep just yet, so I stay awake for a while, alone with my thoughts, staring at Clarisse's peaceful form laying on my chest.

(Unknown, Unknown POV)

"So, Percy Jackson can shadow travel, which means he now has the blessing of Hades. Now I understand why Pontus is so interested in him. He now has the power of all the big three flowing in his veins. Pontus wants him to be the vessel," she mused, as the puny god teleported in with a flash of light, cowering before the woman on the Stygian iron throne. "Well? Where is Pontus?" she asked menacingly. Looking on in disgust at the scared god.

Suddenly the god stopped cowering and stood up to his full height. "Oh, he sends his regards," said the god with a dark smirk, who was now slowly turning into a being made of half ice, half swirling water. To complete his transformation, he was encased in Oceanic Silver armor of intricate design, depicting a sun rising over a calm ocean in the center where the chest is, with a wicked sharp blade of the same material and design in his hands.

"Hmph. Why am I not surprised," she said, as she stood up and unsheathed her own blade, which seemed to be made of space itself, an inky darkness with little moving spots of lights that look like stars.

'This should be an interesting fight,' I thought as I remained hidden in the same dark, dusty corner I had been in before.

(Olympus, Aphrodite POV)

I stared into the mirror, watching Percy lie awake with a sleeping Clarisse on his shoulder. "Go, do as I have told you," I say, swerving to look at the being still at my door. It bowed, then slowly walked away.

I turned back to the mirror. "Soon, Percy, shall you be mine," I said with a smirk and a longing gaze at the one person who somehow managed to resist my charms.

AN: Well, that's a wrap. It feels good to be back, and all these ideas are just swirling around in my head. Clearly Grover is hiding something, and who is the mysterious god who was sent to find Pontus, or the woman who sent him on that mission, or the spy in the corner? And what is Aphrodite planning? All in due time, farewell ;)