A/N: Oh my gods...Camille Elisabeth updated The Courage to Live! Oh, joyous day!

I do not own PJO.

We walked into DOA Records and I got shivers. Aidan gulped and turned around, grabbing the door handle. Tanner pulled him back and he stood looking terrified. I looked around, seeing the spirits. They flitted around, talking like chattering bats. They grouped around us, tugging on our cloths, whispering to us.

A man sat at a desk, flipping through a magazine. He glanced up, then back down at his reading material.

Tanner whispered, "Let me do the talking."

He marched up to the desk and slid a drachma across the surface. "Hey," he said casually.

The man looked up again. "Oy! Who are you?" His accent was thick, like a British cockney accent, but older.

Tanner narrowed his eyes and looked around slyly. "A guy," he said slowly.

"Alright, mate, I don't have time for this. What's your name?" the man said impatiently.

Tanner slipped another drachma across the desk. "The name's Moarte. Tanner Moarte. And who pray tell art thou?" Tanner said, putting on a dramatic fake accent.

The man rolled his eyes. "Can't you tell who I am? I'm bloody Charon!"

Tanner raised his eyebrows. "Hmm, I've heard stories about you. Aren't you Pluto's moon?" he asked, pursing his lips.

Charon rolled his eyes again. "I'm not a moon, kiddy. I'm a boatman. Besides, Pluto isn't a planet anymore," he said impatiently. "Oy, wait a minute. Who are you children?"

Tanner shrugged. "We died yesterday in a car accident," he lied smoothly.

"Ahh, makes sense then I suppose. Welp, you're just going to have to wait a couple of hundred years." Charon flipped a page in his magazine. I squinted my eyes to read the title, but I couldn't figure it out. "Hey, wait another minute. What are you looking at?" he asked me.

I snapped my eyes away, and stammered, "Uh, the er, magazine."

"Having trouble, then?" Charon raised an eyebrow.

"Er, no sir. Just my eyes playing tricks on me," I lied.

Tanner slid another drachma across the desk and Charon studied it. "Real drachmas? You kids are dead, right?" he said skeptically.

Tanner nodded, but Charon scaned our faces. He pointed to Aidan. "Are you kiddies dead?" he asked.

Aidan's voice shook and was ten times higher than usual. "Yes, sir, Mr. Charon, sir. Dying was...not fun?" he said slowly.

Charon sneered. "Are you demigods?"

Channing smiled. "Yep!" he proclaimed. Tanner slapped his forehead.

"I told you to let me do the talking!" he cried.

Channing shrugged. "Lying bothers me."

I rolled my eyes. "Look, we just need to get into the Underworld to stop the sadistic god of death. There's a prophecy and everything, okay. So, please, sir, just let us in," I begged.

Charon smiled. "Sorry, love, but the Underworld is on lockdown. Specific orders from Lord Hades to let no demigods in. So, I'll see you ducklings when a monster gets you," he said cheerfully.

Hayden slammed her hands down on the desk. "Listen, buddy," she growled. "You're either going to let us in or I'm gonna shove that magazine right down your immortal throat!"

Tanner wacked her arm. "Shut up!" he cried.

Dakota smiled and pushed Hayden behind her. "What my lovely friend meant to say was that we really need to get in," she said sweetly, batting her eyelashes. She reached into her jeans and pulled out a drachma. "I believe this should cover the charge." She winked and tossed it to Charon.

Charon caught it and slipped it in his pocket. "Nope, but thanks for the drachmas. Now run along before I decide to let you in the easy way," he threatened.

"Please?" Chase offered, in one last vain attempt to get in.

Charon sighed and slapped his magazine down. "I said no. Now scurry along," he said calmly and resumed reading. "Buh-bye now!"

Hayden started to argue, but I clamped a hand over her mouth. "Thanks, er, Mr. Charon, sir," I said, backing away. As soon as we were out the door, I heard a click. Channing tried to pry it open, but it was sealed shut.

Tanner groaned. "Why'd you tell him we're demigods?" he yelled at Channing.

Channing rolled his eyes. "He would have found out eventually, then been mad," he explained.

Hayden just sat and pouted. "We failed. Can we go home now?" she whined.

"Nope," Chase announced. "Wanna know why? 'Cause I'm Chase Sieg and I'm a son of Nike. I refuse to give up, it's just not right. We're gonna find a way to get in there if it's the last thing I do!"

"You should be a motivational speaker," Dakota said cheerfully.

Chase shrugged and mumbled, "My dad is a motivational speaker."

Dakota sat down on the sidewalk. "Well if you guys don't mind, I'm just gonna work on my tan," she said, leaning back and closing her eyes.

"You've never been able to tan, Dakota," I reminded her.

She opened one eye and said, "Well you've never been able to juggle but I don't hold that against you." I shrugged and plopped down next to her. "Your hair is sticking up," she said and smoothed the top of my head.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically. "You're hair isn't. It's just kinda...flowing?"

Aidan sat behind Dakota and ran his fingers through her silvery hair. "Yep, it's definately flowing. Do you use a deep conditioner?" he asked seriously.

Dakota smiled and said, "Nope!" She turned around to face him and he smiled brightly. They just kind of stared at each other, laughing. I felt like I was intruding, so I got up and strolled over to Chase.

"Hey, Victory Boy. Long time no see," I said.

Chase looked up at me from the curb. "Well Rainbow Princess, you should come to this side of town more often," he said and smirked.

"Rainbow Princess? I'd rather you keep the nicknames a little more normal," I requested.

"Hey, Stryker!" Dakota called.

"Hmm?"

"Do you still have that mythology book? I'm bored," she said, sighing and cupping her chin in her hand.

"Yeah," I said and fished in my purse for it. It appeared in my hand and I pulled it out and tossed it to her.

Dakota caught it and flipped to a random page. We sat in silence for a while, and I watched Tanner and Channing play an intense game of ninja.

Just when Tanner wacked Channing's hand, Dakota stood up. "I've got it!" she cried.

We all turned and faced her. She held up the mythology book and said, "Ever heard of Orpheus?"

Aidan snapped his fingers and exlaimed, "He's my brother!"

"I don't see how this is gonna help us," Hayden muttered.

"Shut up," Channing hissed.

Dakota cracked a smile and kept talking. "Do you guys know how he got into the Underworld?"

Tanner shrugged. "Lied about being a demigod," he said and glared at Channing.

Dakota shook her head. "No! He played music! He charmed his way in!"

"So if we have music―" I began.

"We can get in!" Dakota finished.

Aidan blushed and mumbled, "I didn't bring any musical instruments."

"We could steal some," Chase suggested.

Dakota pouted a little, but Channing and Tanner were already nodding vigorously.

We snuck around, looking for a music store, and soon we came to one. A young woman behind the counter strumming a guitar and humming along to the tune.

I looked around, but the only things out were bagpipes. Channing and Chase were poking them, and Tanner was eyeing a certain one. Aidan raised an eyebrow and tapped the woman at the desk.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but how much for one of those?" Aidan asked, pointing at the bagpipes.

The woman smiled. "No charge, little buddy!"

Aidan's mouth dropped open and he stammered, "Are you sure?"

The woman nodded. "We've met before kiddo. Your mom says hi!" she said cheerfully. She snapped her fingers and disapeared, leaving us in an empty store. Aidan picked up a bagpipe and blew carefully. It sounded harsh and loud, but Aidan smiled.

"This is perfect. My aunts really are the best," he said.

"That was a Muse?" I gasped.

Aidan nodded. "Euterpe if I'm correct," he said.

Channing snatched the bagpipes away from Aidan and studied them. "You're not Scottish," he said suspiciously.

Aidan rolled his eyes. "Well of course not! But I'm still musically talented!" he scoffed.

Channing shrugged and handed the instrument back. "Let's just get into the Underworld," he mumbled.

We tried the doors again, but they were still locked. "Play!" Dakota commanded.

Aidan brought the instrument to his lips and began playing as loud as humanly possible. The doors cracked and began to glow gold. Light streamed out from the cracks and soon enough the doors were opening slowly.

Charon sat at his desk staring at Aidan. "Orpheus?" he said quietly.

"Don't stop playing," Dakota whispered. Aidan kept it up, and Charon smiled dreamily.

We climbed onto the boat carefully, Aidan keeping his music at a steady beat. The boatman ferried us quietly over the toxic river, the water steaming.

"What happens if I drink this?" Channing whispered.

"Try it," Tanner urged.

"Shut up!" Dakota hissed.

Channing sat next to me and grabbed my hand. "Sorry," he mumbled and pulled away.

I bit my lip. "Nah, it's okay. I'm nervous about this," I amitted. Charon was staring straight ahead, humming in time with the music.

"Maybe we'll see my mom," Channing whispered.

Charon landed the boat on black sandy shores and Aidan backed out carefully, still playing loudly.

We crept away and turned around. "That was freaking weird," Hayden mumbled.

Tanner nodded in agreement. Aidan had stopped playing after Charon paddled away and he was taking deep breaths.

"Bagpipes," he gasped, "are very hard to play."

"Oh quit your whining," Chase said, clapping his hands together. "Who's ready to kick some death god butt?"

Tanner shrugged. "I'd recommend we visit a certain woman first," he suggested.

"An ex-girlfriend?" Channing said, nudging him.

"Your mom," Tanner retorted.

"Hey, man. Not cool," Channing scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Dude, I'm serious. We need to see your mom," Tanner said seriously.

Channing rolled his eyes and turned to face the deep blue doors. "This isn't gonna work," he mumbled.

We were standing in Underworld, in front of the House of Nyx. It was just me and Channing; the rest of our group was attempting to locate the House of Thanatos.

"Just knock!" I urged.

Channing took a deep breath and shook his head. "She was never there for me, so why should I knock?" he mumbled. Instead, he threw his body into the door and it burst open.

"Channing!" I hissed, but he marched in.

"Mom!" he screamed. "Mother!"

A muffled voice came from down the pitch dark hall. I gulped, half expecting some horrible monster to attack us, but Channing was gripping his sword loosely.

I took my bracelet off and it glowed brightly in the dark. I stepped closer to Channing as the darkness got colder.

"Channing, I don't like this," I whispered.

He held my hand and suddenly pulled me into a hug. We stood there for a long moment when I heard soft laughter.

"My son is a pimp," a quiet voice said.

Channing pulled away quickly and I saw the hall had been lit by red torches. A girl stood in front of us. She couldn't have been more than sixteen years old. She had choppy layers and silky black hair. Her skin was pale and her dark blue eyes were heavily rimmed with black eyeliner.

"Mom?" Channing said, his mouth hanging open.

The girl shrugged. "What's it to ya?" she said harshly. Then, she smiled. "Yeah, I'm your mommy. I hear you need some help?"

Channing nodded. "Just, please. Don't be weird like every other immortal we've met on this insane quest," he begged.

Nyx rolled her eyes. "All immortals are weird," she said sarcastically.

Suddenly, I heard screams. Screams of agony.

"That would be your friends," Nyx said carefully.

I ran out of the doors and saw the storm. A raging fire coursed through the Underworld and I saw Aidan and Chase dragging two lumps toward us.

Dakota and Hayden were hurt. Bad.

A/N:

I really am cruel. I make you guys wait all this time for an update, and nothing happens. Oh well, now that I'm back in the swing of things, I think this story is really starting to take off again.

Review, review, review. Thanks(:

ψcamille elisabethψ