Piper walked around the pavilion nervously, drawing up the courage to ask Chiron to go on a quest to save Jason. The logical answer would be for him to say "no" and let the dead stay dead, but she had a gut feeling that he wasn't supposed to die this way. That he had a greater future than just dying at seventeen. She knew deep down that she had to save him for a reason greater than herself. If she could just get the Oracle, Rachel, to give her a prophecy that could prove that this quest was important.

Piper walked into the Big House and greeted Chiron and Dionysus warmly.

"Piper, what brings you here, dear?" Chiron asked kindly.

"Chiron, I don't think that Jason should have died. I believe that he still has a life to fill out here on earth. When he died, didn't you feel it? Something wasn't right. He shouldn't have died so early. It felt like a book that took a sudden turn in the wrong direction which the writer decided not to finish. There's so much more he was supposed to do. You felt it didn't you?" she pleaded.

Chiron scratched his beard, "Yes, Piper, I did. But that does not mean that he should be brought back. The world is thrown into chaos when unjust lives are brought back, you witnessed that first hand with Gaea."

Piper sighed. She knew she couldn't convince him to let her go on a quest solely on gut feeling. She didn't want to take advantage of him like this, but she decided to try again but with a hint of charmspeak.

"Please, Chiron. All I ask of you is for you to allow me to seek Rachel so she can give me a prophecy. If she has none, I will let him go. But if she does, I hope you will allow me on this quest" she begged.

The centaur leaned back thoughtfully. He looked conflicted.

"Alright, Piper. But you must tell me the prophecy if you are given one." he sighed.

Piper jumped out of her seat. "Yes! Thank you, Chiron! I will." she gave him a hug before dashing out to find her redheaded friend.

In Elysium

Jason wandered the beautiful streets of Elysium quietly. Of course, it was magnificent here. He saw dead heroes laughing as they sailed the ocean or flew in the sky. It was much like earth, but even prettier. There was no trash littering the streets and the water here was cleaner. The food was amazing, and the best part of this place was the fact that there were no monsters. But Jason couldn't help but feel miserable. Elysium adapted to be exactly what you wanted it to be. Right now it was the Argo 2. Whatever you wanted, snap your fingers and poof, it was there. He could get just about anything. The only rule was that you couldn't summon souls of the living or the dead unless they were in Elysium. Jason felt so alone. He could easily summon images of his friends, acting as if they were real, being identical to the real ones, but Jason knew it was all fake. They were all a part of the Mist. He decided he would much rather live the painful truth than a beautiful lie.

He made some ancient demigod friends, but the time barrier was still too weird. They said he would adapt to it, though.

All he knew was that he missed Piper. Seeing the pain in her eyes when Nico summoned him made his gut clench. He wanted to hold her so desperately but he knew that he was just a ghost and would do any different.

Jason sighed. For now he was just going to have to wait. He would do that for Piper, even if she hadn't meant what she said about loving him. He feared that what she said was influenced by guilt. He still didn't understand why she broke up with him. He really thought they felt the same way towards each other. However, she was the daughter of the goddess of love. Maybe she understood things he could never.

Back at the camp

Piper spotted the young Oracle across the basketball fields.

"Rachel!" she screamed, barreling into her friend breathlessly.

The two fell to the ground. Piper was the first to get up and extended a hand towards Rachel.

"Jeez, Piper," she laughed, taking her hand. "Were you trying to kill me?" she fake glared. The truth is, she was glad to see Piper smile. It felt like she hadn't been happy in a milenia.

"Sorry," she grinned.

Rachel patted herself down. "Whats up?" she asked

"Rach, I have a quest to go to the underworld to save Jason!" she smiled

Rachel looked at her pitifully. She wondered if Piper had finally gone insane.

"Piper, Jason's gone. He's dead. You know that. The Doors of Death are closed." Rachel said, looking down.

Piper shook her head. "I know that Rachel, but there has to be a way for me to bring him back. Please if you could just try to give me a prophecy, I'll know how." Piper said the last sentence laced with charmspeak.

Rachel nodded. "Okay, give me a minute."

The Oracle closed her eyes and for a moment seemed asleep before she shot open her eyes to reveal them glowing bright green.

Her friend now was possessed with an ancient voice

The dove in seek of a quest

Must achieve the blessings of the best

She must enter the world of the dead

With only the words of a melody, said

Her only weapon, her mirrored knife

But end the quest in a life for a life

Rachel slumped forward, dazed.

Pipers eyes filled with tears. A life for a life. That could mean so many things. A mortal life? A monsters life? She hoped it was the latter.

"Oh, Piper," Rachel whispered.

"I'm fine," Piper answered quickly, wiping her tears. "Thank you, Rachel."

"You don't have to go, you know." she replied.

Piper stood up. "I do. Thank you for everything, Rach." And with that, she hugged the redhead and went to the Big House to tell Chiron of her quest.

Chiron was deep in thought. He truly did not want to risk another demigod's life, especially know the odds that she could make it back alive were slim. But he knew that he couldn't keep her from not going.

"Piper, I want to be sure that you know what you are doing." The centaur looked her dead in the eyes.

"I do, Chiron. I need to at least try. I owe him that." Piper said.

"Very well. You must pack. You will be supplied with ambrosia, nectar, mortal money, and gold coins." He said sternly.

"Thank you, Chiron. Goodbye." Piper hugged him.

"Good luck." he grimaced.

Piper left the Big House and went to her cabin to pack.

Piper brought with her the bare minimum. Some clothes, her toothbrush and toothpaste, and Katoptris, along with what the camp supplied her.

"Piper we're going to miss you" her blonde friend sobbed.

Piper laughed. "Don't worry, Annabeth, I'll be back for dinner"

She smiled, thinking back to when they were aboard the Argo 2. She remembered wishing those days would end. She remembered hating having to live every day with monsters constantly attacking them. What she would do to go back to those days.

Annabeth nodded. "Remember, when you get there, be respectful, especially to Zeus. He has a very short temper."

By "there" Annabeth meant the Empire State Building. That's where the gods lived, on the 400th floor. She knew because she'd been there multiple times before. Piper had to go in order to get the blessing of her mother, Aphrodite, and hopefully of the other gods.

"Bye, Pipes," Annabeth said before giving Piper one more hug. She stepped into the cab with Argus, the one hundred eyed giant. Piper looked out at the Long Island Sound. The ocean was blue and gleaming against sunset. She fell asleep on the car ride to New York City.

I'm coming for you, Sparky. Just wait.