A/N: Thanks for the reviews Kitty, Thalia, AwsomeGirl and Shia! Thanks for coming to terms with my spelling issues. Appreciated! Though there isn't a lot of reviews, your four reviews mean so much, so thank you ...thank you...and thank you! I wasn't planning on updating today but I feel like playing hooky tomorrow so who cares how late I stay up! Woot-woot. so here is a special treat...than I need to work on a painitng project I've been putting off. No questions asked so a short Authors note.
Bussing Across…er, into Another State.
'Are we there yet?' Tyson whined from the very back seat of their choice of low income transportation, the bus.
'Not yet, Tyson.' Percy gave a sigh as he flipped through his magazine. After hearing Tyson ask the same question over and over again Percy spoke without actually thinking about how close they had come to their destination. 'But I'll tell you when we get there.'
'Okay.' Tyson agreed with a nod of his head and turned back to his window. Of course he would ask the question again and a course Percy would repeat the same answer back at him. This happened every twenty minutes. Annabeth gave Percy a soft grin every time he showed patience with his 'little' brother.
With Tyson taking the whole back seat on the right and Thalia piled in the back sit on the left with Nico, Percy and Annabeth took the seat right in front of Tyson. They wanted the back seats just in case they were in need of the emergence exist door.
Thalia turned her seat buddy who got dibs near the window and who was digging dirt out of the soul groves of his shoe with a small pocket knife. 'Can I ask you something?'
Nico didn't glance at her but did pause in unsoiling his shoes. 'You can ask me anything but I might not give an answer.'
'Why are you helping in this quest?' Thalia asked. On seeing Nico's dark eyes fix on her she hurried on. 'Don't get me wrong. I really appreciate your help, Nico. I'm just curious. It's no secret that you don't exactly like the Hunters of Artemis.'
'I don't have anything against the Hunters of Artemis or even Artemis. Not really. I don't exactly understand your pack or whatever it is you want to call yourselves but I have nothing against any of you.' Nico voice was low enough that Thalia had to concentrate on actually hearing him. Nico sat up in the seat and put is knife away. The floor of the bus was litter with dry mud. 'I was asked to help so I'm helping. There isn't anything complicated or hard to understand.'
'What don't you understand about my sisters?' Thalia pressed, her curiosity rising. 'About us, I mean. The hunters.'
'Why anyone would want to be a huntress, not with the deal that has to be made. I just can't wrap my mind around.' Nico looked at her, studying her carefully. 'I mean, look at you. Becoming a hunter hasn't exactly done you any favors, has it? And indefinitely is a long time. People change. I can't see making a huge vow for the rest of your existent.'
'All of the Hunters have a different reason for joining Artemis.' Thalia now looked forward at the bus. 'I cannot tell what the other girls' reasons are, naturally but for myself it…' She turned slightly in her seat so she could face him. 'It's difficult. I didn't have a loving home. My mother was …a drama queen. A drunk, drama queen. She was so use to getting everything she ever wanted and neglected me and my brother. When I was nine, I ran away. After what happen to Jas, I just couldn't stay with her any longer. You know? It was the last straw. I couldn't do it. And no matter how far I ran it seemed like it was never far enough. She haunted me. My 'mother' was in my thoughts, my dreams, and my mind. It didn't matter what I tried, I could never get rid of her and the image of Jas! I thought he was dead! I thought he was torn apart by wolves or she gave him to some person who would do gods knows what…' Thalia let her shoulders slump in her own despair. 'He was so little, so helpless and I grew use to caring for him. I tried to look for him. I tried to get help but I really thought I had lost him and my own mother was to blame. I don't know how I would have turned out if I hadn't come across Luke. He picked me up. He taught me to push those memories in the back of my mind so I could keep on living again. With him, I remembered how to smile. I remembered how to live and how to breathe again. To finally feel that pressure of guilt torn away from my chest so I could breathe and at that time, Luke was my air. Then Annabeth came into our lives and it seemed like everything would be perfect. Our plans for the future was so grand. Just us. Just the three of us.'
'And then you got turned into a tree.' Nico offered a grin.
'Yeah.' With a bitter smile, Thalia looked down at her Hunters Uniform, smoothing down the suit. 'I was offered to join the Hunters before and it did sound promising but I couldn't do that to Luke or Annabeth. When I turned back from a tree, it was such a surprise to find that the person that I really cared about turned to be my biggest regret. When a second chance came around to join the hunters, I took it. I already lost…' Thalia gave a brief shrug, fighting back her emotions. 'I lost him. The Hunters gave me what I was looking for. They gave me acceptance and a place that I feel I truly belong. And I was no longer in the runner up of the prophecy.'
'And then you take the curse for Artemis. Without hesitation, you step up to take that cursed arrow but where did it get you, Thalia?' Nico asked quietly. 'Artemis is probably deciding which little furry critter she will turn you into so her girls, who you call sisters, can hunt you down and take your last breathe away.' Nico shook his head. 'I don't get. It just seems to me that you gave up a lot out of fear of the future.'
'That's not how it is. You just don't understand.' Thalia started to explain. 'Mothers are supposed to cherish and love her kids forever but mine didn't. She was a drunk and wanted beauty and youth forever. My brother and I was too much baggage for her, I guess. Then with Zeus being my father, there is so much pressure to live in his footsteps. People expect so much from me. Then having your own father turn you into a tree, watching everyone you cared about grow older while you stand still. Watching summers go, winter, fall, spring, new faces, old faces. They keep moving on but I stayed there in that tree form. Add that the one person that I thought I could always trust, to be at my side turned into a monster. The hunters became my salvation. They understood where I was coming from. They understood that similar pain and the wanting of not experiencing it again.'
'I understand some things, Thalia.' Nico's brown eyes seemed to darker caramel. 'I understand about mothers and how they are supposed to love and cherish their kids forever. My mother didn't get that chance. My mother got blown up by your dad when I was only ten. My own father locked me away for seventy years so I could have a shot at a prophecy that could had destroyed me. Time moved on for me as well, Thalia. The world I knew disappeared and I had to learn new ways while not understanding what happen. And that one person that I thought I could always trust, to be at my side turned into a Hunter of Artemis. I was too much baggage for her.' Nico ducked his head slightly so he could see Thalia's eyes. 'My sister died for your mistress. For the good of Artemis' name. And you might end up doing the same.'
Eros' Castle
'Cupie! Sweetdum?' Aphrodite floated through the lovely silver and gold corridors of her son's vacationing home. Though the palace was very grand, it was lacking a lot more statues of herself in Aphrodite's opinion. Of course she expected her daughter-in-law probably had something to do with that.
'Maybe he isn't home.' Aries gruffed from behind her. He stepped closer to Aphrodite, breathing in her flowery fragrance. He put a hand around her waist, pulling her closer to his muscular frame. 'Maybe we might find him in a more…secluded place?'
Aphrodite gave a throaty purr, turning around and putting her arms around Aries' neck. 'Where do you have in mind?'
'Perhaps in one of the bedrooms?' Aries wagged his eyebrows.
'Mom?' Eros popped his head out of one of the rooms on hearing his mother's voice. 'Dad? Oh you two aren't going to…not in my place? I mean…come on!'
'Oh no.' Aphrodite quickly pulled away from Aries, giving a little more space between them. 'We have been over for…'
'Decades.' Aries hurried.
'Yes, decades.' Aphrodite agreed. 'We are actually here to speak to you.'
'You are?' Eros narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He gave his father a quick glance and then his mother. 'Am I to expect another sibling? I thought you said you were done.'
'Oh no, nothing like that.' Aphrodite smiled brightly while Aries shook his head firmly. 'I'm not expecting! Don't be silly.'
'Hush.' Aries held a hand in the air and tilted his head as he listened. 'Things are very quiet in here, Son.' Aries smile broaden. 'Where is my little bliss?'
'Physic is putting Hedone down for a nap.' Eros eyed his father carefully. 'Don't go around trying to wake her up either. She's in a foul mood as it is and a nap would ease her temper.'
'Since I'm here I will see my granddaughter, boy.' Aries growled. There was no way he was not going to spend a little time with the sweet, golden haired cherub. He loved that child and what better way of showing it than adoring her with spoiled affections and gifts. 'Look what I got her.' He held out a little golden sword for his son to inspect.
'Ah. This is nice!' Eros took it from the war god's hand. He switched it in the air. 'Very light and a perfect balanced! Very well crafted! She'll love it!' Eros handed it back to his father. 'But…Physic won't let her have it.'
'What!' Aries barked. 'My granddaughter not allowed a sword!'
Eros shrugged his winged shoulders in a what-am-i-to-do-about-it manner. 'Physic doesn't trust her with pointy objects. Doesn't think she's old enough yet.'
'Eros. Son.' Aries put his arm around his son's shoulder, drawing the boy closer to him. 'Tell me. Be honest with me. Who is the man in this castle? You or your wife?'
'I am.' Eros nodded his head. There was no doubt, he wore the pants in this household.
'Why then are you letting Physic, who knows nothing about weaponry tell you what your daughter can and cannot have?' Aries asked him.
'I know what you mean.' Eros snapped his fingers, hiding his laughter inside. 'I am the man and she should be listening to me!'
'That's right! That's my boy!' Aries slammed his hand into Eros' arm.
Aphrodite titled her head, folded her arms in front of her and rolled her eyes.
'But…'Eros leaned closer to his father. 'She uses sex as leverage. I got nothing.'
Aries stepped back and looked at his son who just gave him another shrug. 'Oh we'll see about this!' Aries stormed off to find his son's wife and daughter.
Eros and Aphrodite watched him go with amusement and pity. There was no way he was going to get through to Physic.
'Why are you both here, Mom?' Eros looked at his mother.
'Oh this is a favor of your granddaddy!' Aphrodite hooked her arm through her son's and together they started to walk. 'He would like you to make peace with Artemis.'
'Peace?' Eros laughter echoed the halls. 'I'm not the god of peace!'
'I know. That is exactly what I told him but he so tired of your Auntie Artemis nagging about this…girl.' Aphrodite shook her head as it was such a nuisance to even discuss the topic. 'And oh…whatever her name is, well she's Zeus' kid too and you know how he is about his children. Always better than all the other little demi-mutts. Well, not my demi-children. They are such the cutest things! You really need to take some time to introduce yourself to them! You'll love them. So precious.'
'Mom.' Eros shook his head. He had so many mortal siblings it didn't faze him any longer.
'Oh, right.' Aphrodite cleared her thought and got back to the subject at hand. 'Well Zeus would like you to just destroy the matching arrow Artemis would give her jaw a break. I never saw her throw such a little hissy fit!'
'I was so close to getting her.' Eros snapped his fingers. 'Then Thalia had to get in the way. But it doesn't change anything. I'm not destroying the arrow but I have a few plans. And you will be happy to know that I am bonding with brothers as they help me.'
'Really!' Aphrodite smiled brightly. 'Which ones?'
'Phobos and Deimos agreed to help out.' Eros smiled wickedly.
'Oh sweetie, not them. They are nothing but trouble!' Aphrodite whispered as she quickly looked around. She didn't want Aries to hear her, not speaking badly about his sons.
'Don't worry, Mom.' Eros kissed the top of her head. 'I got it all worked out.'
Deep in the bowels of the Underworld….
'Let me get this straight, Sissy.' The dark haired boy scratched his cheek. 'You want me to roll that oversized marble up that much too big to be a hill because…?'
'It's Sisyphus! King Sisyphus!' The old, dirty ragged man jumped up and down causing a bit of loose sand soil to puff up over his bare feet.
The boy wrinkled his nose, waving a hand back and forth. 'Don't hafta yell in my face, I can smell you from here!'
'What! Why I oughta!' The old man waved his little fist in the air.
'Calm down! You're like Rumpelstiltskin getting a hemorrhoid.' The boy frowned and looked up at the hill. 'I just don't see the reason for rolling that thing way up there. What is the point?'
'The point? The point!' Sisyphus barked and started to pull at his white puffy hair. 'There is no point, that is the point!'
'Yeah and you don't understand my hesitance.' The boy started to back away.
'Wait!' Old King Sisyphus held up his hand, beckoning the boy back to him. 'We can make a deal!'
'I don't wanna roll that rock up there!' The boy pointed up to the hill.
'We can make another deal.' The old man rubbed his hands together and looked longingly at the bag the boy carried. 'Er…I didn't catch your name son.'
'Diesel. My name is Diesel. With a D.' The dark haired boy answered him.
'Diesel? Odd name.' Sisyphus muttered.
'Yours isn't too hot either. Mine might have something to do with gas but yours sound like a disease that a health advisor would warn people against.' Diesel commented.
'You little basta…' The king started grumbling again.
'I'm not going to deal with you if you keep insulting me!' Diesel started to walk away again.
'No! No! No more insults.' The king begged him to come back.
'You're like a dog with an invisible fence.' Diesel green eyes glimmered with amusement. He noticed that the old man could only go so far before he returns to the bolder. 'You can only go so far before that invisible leash pulls you back.'
'A deal!' The king hissed. 'We can make a deal!'
'Of what?' Diesel asked carefully.
'For that bag and I will give you a map of my treasures!' Sisyphus nodded his head. 'Yes? Deal? It is a good deal!'
'You don't have a map.' Diesel looked at the man's ragged clothing and noted that there were no pockets.
'I can make a map if you have something I can sketch it out on.' The king smiled sincerely.
'Anyone can sketch a map and make it phony.' Diesel shook his head. 'If I give you the sack, you give me a bogus map and when I get up there – what do I get then? I piece of paper with an old man's idea of a witty con.'
'I know a way out!' The king grinned. 'You want out of this death world, don't you boy? Well I know how and I'll tell you but the bag. I want the bag first.'
'Uh huh.' Diesel again shook his head. He rummaged in his bag and pulled out a sword. 'Tell you what. I'll give you this sword AFTER you tell me how to get out of here. That's a deal I am willing to make. This sword means nothing to me and me getting out of here, means nothing to you. Fair trade? Nothing for nothing.'
Sisyphus chewed on his lower lip for a moment, thinking it over. He would rather have the bag but a sword is better than no sword at all. 'It's a deal.' He held out his hand in order to shake on it.
Diesel eyed the withered yellow callus hand with a wrinkled nose. 'Uh..,we don't have to shake.'
At The Entrance of the Underworld
The bus trip proved to be uneventful but this was not to be a good sign to the small group. So far the plan had been a success and though they wanted to embrace on the possibility of having a quest actually go through without a hinder to their plans, they were also weary. Very weary.
It was the calm before the storm. The moment when everything seemed to be falling into place perfectly that you just knew there was a big screw up coming around the corner in full throttle. They were just waiting for that impact to catch up to them.
The five stood around this manhole size gap in the earth, all peering down into the depths of blackness. Just hoping to catch a glimpse of what to expect down in the death's pit.
'I'll go down first.' Nico sat at the edge of the hole, slipping his legs into the darkness below. 'Count to sixty and the next person follow. That way we aren't hitting each other in the end of the slope.'
'Tyson will be okay on this?' Percy asked, noting the size of his brother.
'Sure. Yeah.' Nico smiled up at Tyson. 'He'll be going too fast that his size won't be a factor.'
'And you are sure there is something to break our speed?' Annabeth asked. If they were going to be going as fast as Nico is saying, she wanted to be sure there were breaks on this ride before hitting the side of a cavern wall.
'There is something like a net to stop you. I swear! You won't crash.' Nico promised Annabeth but avoided looking at Percy, which made the other boy really suspicious.
'There is nothing down there for us to worry about?' Percy asked, searching for some kind of clue on what Nico was hiding. He was sure the younger boy was in fact hiding something. That was Nico. He was always telling only half the story until you too far in trouble to back out.
'Percy.' Nico looked up at the other boy. 'It's the Underworld. There are many things you should worry about. Hitting the cavern wall won't be one of them.'
'Okay.' Thalia took a deep breath. 'I know I'm going to hate this but let's do this.'
'You should come after me, Thalia.' Nico looked quickly at her. 'Then maybe Tyson.'
'Why?' Percy asked.
'So only Annabeth can witness your cowardliness!' Nico broke a smile before sliding down into the shaft.
'Trouble is going to catch up with his mouth one of these days.' Percy mumbled staring coldly at the spot Nico had just been sitting a moment ago.
'Can I go next?' Tyson hurried over to the hole. 'Please, Thalia? Can I have your turn!'
'Go for it, Tyson.' Thalia patted him on the back.
'Yay!' Tyson hopped over to the hole, actual hopped like a bunny, and plopped down at the entrance of the hole. 'One…two….three….four….five….six….seven….eight…nine…ten….'
'You can go now, Tyson.' Percy patted his brother on the shoulder.
'But Nico said to count up to sixty.' Tyson reminded Percy.
'I know but I already counted.' Percy fibbed. 'Just go feet first and keep your arms tucked in at all times.'
'Okay.' Tyson took a deep breath as if he was going to go underwater and slipped into the darkness.
'Awww.' Thalia cooed. 'You are going to make a good mommy one of these days, Percy.'
'Ha-ha. That is so funny.' Percy rolled his eyes as the girls exchanged wide grins.
