Aricia looked down the staircase into the blackness and shuddered. She didn't know what lay beneath her feet and she was frightened. Artemis said she was not going to survive the quest, but she could have just been trying to scare her out of risking it.

"How do we tackle this?" Rahl asked. "Did anyone bring a flashlight?"

"I did." Clarisse moved forward and tried to turn her light on, but it failed to light the way.

"All lights go out in the Underworld." Aricia groaned."We are going to have to go blind."

"Oh no…" Britani squeaked. "I hate the dark."

Aricia took her first uncertain step and instantly felt colder. She turned and saw that the others were no longer behind her. Torches erupted to life on either side of her and continued to descend down the stairs. She had stepped through a wall of ice. Aricia watched as Clarisse followed suit, then Rahl and finally Britani. Aricia watched as fiery words played across the icy barrier but did not melt it.

'You cannot turn back now.'

"Gee, thanks for stating the obvious wall." Aricia groaned. "At least we have some light now, and we won't fall down the stairs."

"A few good things and a million bad ones yet to come." Clarisse said loudly and peered down the stairs. "Let's go."

They walked step by step down the stairs, each of them trying desperately to fight off the sense of dread that crept in to them as they went lower into the Underworld. Aricia had once begged Annabeth to tell her of the Underworld and her time their when recovering the Master Bolt. The daughter of Athena told her of Cerberus, Hades' Palace, Elysium and the Fields of Punishment.

"Four must travel into Death so one's tormented soul can rest

Temptation rises in fields of gold to stay and never again grow old

Beneath is the key to unlock the above but you must leave the nest that houses the dove

Or else you lose that which you love.

Lovers, old enemies and new must embark as the chosen few."

She recited the prophecy out loud as she walked down the steps, trying to figure out what to do next. "I think we are supposed to go to Elysium." She finally said. "We're supposed to go to the 'fields of gold'."

"To be tempted to never again grow old." Rahl finished. "Are you sure we should try such a thing?"

"Yes, the prophecy says we must." Aricia firmly stated. "We need to."

So they walked until they reached the bottom of the stairs, and when they hit bottom there stood the full horror and glory of the Underworld. Souls waited in line for judgment, to reward, punishment or the simple nothingness of death.

"How do we get by Cerberus to the fields?" Britani asked quietly.

"I'll convince him." Clarisse growled.

"We won't need to. This is like a back entrance so we won't be dealing with him." Aricia reassured them. "This door is our deux et machine."

"I love those." Rahl joked, though he wanted to faint.

"Uh guys?" Britani screamed and pointed. "Our luck has run out pretty quick!"

Coming towards them at a rapid pace were nearly a dozen skeleton warriors, armed to their boney teeth with swords, spears and shields.

"Shields up!" Clarisse shouted and drew her spear out.

"Ready!" Aricia pulled her silver pendant from her necklace. It was a small peacock feather. She squeezed it tight and hollered: "Atrophos!"It sprang to life as a shield in her grasp, a sword sheathed on its side.

Rahl took his bow and arrow and fired at shot. It would have been a good hit had the enemy been made of flesh AND bone, but these guys were JUST bones. It passed harmlessly through a ribcage. Britani only had a plain celestial bronze sword, but at least it was something. She was trembling; this was too real for her.

"Steady…" Clarisse cautioned as the skeletons grew closer. "We got this."

"Arrrrrrrrrh!" Aricia hollered as one of the skeletons charged at her and smashed in to her shield. "Take their heads! Take their heads!"

She swung and made a clean cleave through the skeleton warrior's shoulders but failed to removed the head. It hung sickenly from a few sinews and snapped back in to place.

"Gross." She muttered and swung again as another solider came at them.

Rahl was swinging with his bow, since he figured his arrows were going to be useless in this fight. "Britani! Open your eyes when you're swinging that thing please!"

"Sorry!" Britani opened her eyes and tried to take off a head. "Ah!"

"It's okay, keep swinging and push them back!" Clarisse bellowed and successfully skewered two skeletons through their chests.

Aricia took that opportunity and removed their heads in one foul swoop. "Haha! We got two!"

"Ten more left!" Clarisse laughed. "Odds are getting better though!"

"Got one! I got one!" Britani screamed in shocked delight as a skeleton warrior fell headless at her feet.

"Good job Britani!" Aricia encouraged. "Nine to go!"

"Eight!" Rahl said triumphantly.

Aricia dove forward and sliced and felt something sharp and painful dig in to her side. The warrior had pierced her through the side of her stomach. "Arg!" She screamed in pain and dropped to the ground.

"Ari!" Rahl yelled and in anger removed the responsible warrior's head and for good measure in his rage knocked off another one, swinging his bow like a baseball bat. "Homerun." He muttered and spat on the skeleton who had stabbed Aricia.

"Thanks." Aricia stood up and winced at the sting of the cut. "Now, for the last six."

Enraged at her injury she cleaved through the first three in her way, allowing the last three to be destroyed by the three demigods behind her. Once all the skeletons were destroyed Aricia brought her shield back to pendant size and reattached it to her necklace.

"Damn it…." She touched the side of her waist. Her hand came back wet and crimson. Blood was flowing freely.

She ripped a piece of cloth from her shirt and patched the wound. "Stupid skeleton."

"Are you okay?" Britani rummaged through her bag and offered Aricia some ambrosia. "Eat."

"Thanks."

Instantly the pain went away and the wound began to heal. She smiled in relief, for she had been afraid the cut wouldn't heal well since it was in the Underworld.

"What are you doing here?"

The quest members whirled around to be face to face with none other than Nico di Angelo standing before them. He was dressed in black jeans, a black ACDC shirt and a black leather jacket over his shoulders. He peered at them impatiently and asked again, "Well? Why are you demigods here?"

"We are on a quest to find a way to contact Olympus." Aricia said.

Nico looked a Aricia and smirked. "Ah, the daughter of Hera. My father has spoken of your existence, but I really didn't believe him."

"Well, I'm real."

"So I see."

"Can you lead us to the edge of Elysium?" Aricia asked. "As a favor to a cousin?"

Nico threw his head back and laughed. "You have to earn Elysium." He said once he stopped laughing. "I can't just let you in."

"I don't want to go in. My prophecy tells me I am to be offered a temptation there. I must face it to complete my quest." Aricia didn't want to beg the son of Hades, but if she had to, she would if it meant finding a way to save her mother.

Nico considered for a moment before nodding. "Okay, only because I like your story Aricia. I'll take you to the entrance of eternal bliss and we can all see if the great daughter of Hera can resist it. Though I warn you; many have tried and all have failed once they taste what paradise offers."

The son of Hades led them through the Underworld until they reached a place with golden gates, like a fancy neighborhood. The sound of laughter and the smell of barbeque rose up and surrounded everyone. Every one of the four quest members sighed with longing at the thought of this amazing place as a home for eternity.

"This place is tempting." Britani swooned. "It's perfect!"

Aricia looked closer at paradise, to where the Islands of the Blessed lay, a resting place for those reaching Elysium three times in three lives. She knew she could never earn such a place.

Her heart felt heavy in her chest. For so long she had feared her own death, but now it didn't seem so bad. It was true; this place tempted her, called her to run inside the golden gates and never leave them. Aricia took a small step forward to get a better look.

She heard Britani and Clarisse gasp and Rahl gently touched her shoulders.

"I….I think your temptation…." He cut himself off.

She blushed, she had not meant to try and stay there, she had just wanted to get a better look to see what it had to offer. "Sorry Rahl, I just…"

Aricia turned around…and looked up into the eyes of Silena Beauregard.