Three hours later I awoke to what sounded like the drummers of a marching band playing by my ear. It turned out to be Percy just being an ass.

"Don't you have anything better to do, like screw your girlfriend?" I grumbled trying desperately to continue my dream starring Dakota.

"Yeah well I'm on monk duty until we get back from this quest so get your ass out of bed." Jeez Percy did not take well to celibacy.

"Go away Jackson." I grumbled into my pillow.

"Fine but if you're not out in 5 minutes I'm sending in Dakota. I'm sure she'd love to see your ducky boxers." He said shutting the door.

I bolted upright knowing Percy was probably serious. In my defence the boxers were a gift from my oh so caring stepmom. I don't think I've ever moved to get ready so fast in my life. I opened the door with 30 seconds to spare only to find Dakota about to knock.

She blinked at me in surprise her fist still raised before she lowered her hand and gave me a shy half smile. I smiled back at her blushing slightly because I probably looked like I ran 20 miles.

"Good morning Nico." She said as we ambled towards where Percy, Ella and Clarisse were waiting.

"Hey." I breathed out. This was proceeded by a awkward silence. I racked my brain for something to say and my mouth began moving before my brain could understand the words coming out.

"That's probably not appropriate quest attire." I said taking in black dress that stopped mid thigh and her signature jet black heels. She looked confused for a moment before I began babbling.

"I mean you look super hot and sexy in it, not that you're not already hot but you could hurt yourself in the heels. Not that you would cause I wouldn't let that happen.. Uh I mean to say that you could totally take on monsters on your own but I'm like responsible for you now and..." She looked at me like I was crazy and I just wanted to be swallowed up by the ground. Nonetheless I rambled on. "It's just you're very precious to the gods, not that you aren't precious to me but-"

"There you guys are!" Percy said with perfect timing. "We got through to Chiron earlier and he said the best place to start looking is L.A, but he's not sure what exactly we're looking for. So, I'm thinking the fastest way there is shadow travel, unless you can get your dad to help us out Nico?" He said.

I sighed and nodded. " I'll see what I can do." I said heading off to the deepest shadows I could find in the rising sunlight. "Hey uh dad. I kinda have a quest that brings us close to home and you see I can't really travel that far on my own with so many people. Do you think you could maybe help us out please?" I prayed under my breath. I was met with silence and sighed, he was probably busy anyway.

I was about to turn around, then I saw the shadows parting ways for something big and definitely unfriendly to come through. It was a hellhound. This one wasn't as big as Cerberus but then again hardly any if them were. This one seemed to be a puppy by its lack of size and significantly smaller teeth, though it could probably kill a town in a game of fetch.

I peaked out of the shadows and called over the rest of the group. It took a bit of coaxing but finally Ella agreed to ride the hellhound or as she put it "great Ella eating beast". I chuckled at her fear of dog, though I suppose if I were someone else then yeah hell hounds were damn scary. Dakota shot me a glare which instantly sobered me up.

So methods of shadow traveling apparently vary. If you were to describe mine it would probably be a tugging at your centre in, out and through shadows. Very smooth and pretty slow feeling as though you were kinda drifting to sleep. Dakota's shadow traveling felt like you were being enforced to stand still while being set ablaze from the inside. Basically torturous, slow and painful. Hellhounds shadow traveling was like being thrown several feet into the oar and landing on hard rocks while trying to grip anything to hold onto. It was bumpy and fast and plain downright uncomfortable, the only good part was that you could travel a longer distance in less time.

We materialized behind a dark empty back alleyway where we scared the shit out of some drug addicts and homeless people. Oh well so much for being inconspicuous.

"Okay princess. You're in charge of this quest, if you're such a good warrior where do we go from here?" Clarisse snarled.

Dakota nodded towards Ella who was fidgeting so much her feathers were falling out. "Ella... Why did Chiron send you to Nico?" Dakota asked softly trying to soothe her, it seemed to work.

"Ella was sent with a message for DiAngelo."

"We know." I growled through my teeth. Ella whimpered in response and Dakota glared again at me.

"What was the message?" Percy asked.

"Ella was given the message. It said 'those with lost souls will always be guided home by stars.'"

"What the Hades is that supposed to mean?" Clarisse asked getting frustrated.

"Follow the stars obviously." Said Percy nonchalantly.

"We don't have time to waste on nightfall Percy! Plus there are hundreds of stars in the sky where do you start!" Dakota threw up her arms in exasperation.

"Guys, maybe you're taking that a little too literal. I mean we're in Hollywood how many stars do you expect to see? Maybe it means the walk of fame. I mean that's probably the easiest way to find your way around the place without a map." I shrugged.

Everyone sighed.

"That's sorta brilliant. Lead the way." Smiled Dakota

We walked along the pavements of stars with nothing really sticking out other than the fact that people were taking pictures beside the ground. Wow, mortals are so simple it's almost laughable, how they can go about their days and laugh about the monsters that tried to kill us with no rest day and night.

Dakota paused and cocked her head to the side, sniffing the air. Something is following us. I heard ring in my head. I almost fainted when I realized it was Dakota projecting her thoughts into my head.

We're creating too much of a smell, monsters are going to try and kill us. Split up. Percy, Clarisse pretend to be interested in that model passing. Nico and I will head to the cafe across the street. Try and dull your scent however possible.

We took to our roles instantly, proceeding to act like a group of overexcited teenagers before breaking apart flawlessly. We made it inside the coffee shop and idly browsed, Dakota going as far to order drinks and food for us while all the while on high alert.

"Nico DiAngelo, ssson of Hadess, I've been waiting for you." Hissed the homeless girl and her two friends beside me.

Immediately I had my sword in hand swinging at the blonde girl. She would've been pretty if it weren't for the fact that she had a split tongue and two tails for feet. I slashed at her cutting off one of her serpentine legs. In another swing I disembodied her head resulting in the bright yellow powder that now covered me.

"Ssarah!" screeched the other dracanaes. In their distraction Dakota had snuck behind one and struck her spear through the second one. Before the last one lashed out at her throwing her against the wall, shattering a mirror.

"You've killed my sissterss! You sshall pay for your impenitent actionss." She slithered towards Dakota raising a sword above her heart. My body was moving before I completely registered what happened. With a shot that would have made even Artemis proud, threw my sword straight into its neck before it could properly grasp its sword.

"You okay?" I asked Dakota panicked concern contorting my features.

"Nothing a blueberry muffin and a latte can't fix." She pulled herself into a sitting position, wincing.

Touching her hand to her side she pulled back with blood coating her fingers. Along her side was a long cut that was pooled in blood. As well as a slight cut across her cheek and a scrape along her leg.

"Damn. I liked that dress." She smiled at me before getting up and wobbling to the ladies room against my suggestion.

10 minutes later she came out blood free, in a new orange dress, the only thing hinting that she was hurt was the bandage across her cheek and her slightly stiff movements. Grabbing out order we shuffled along yo where we had left Percy and Clarisse.

"I take it you didn't find a lost soul." I asked sarcastically. They were both covered in blood and looked like they just got smacked all over with chainsaws.

"That model was a flipping empousa and not just any empousa one with a really bad grudge against Prissy."

I was about to give another sarcastic remark and explain our encounter with the dracanaes but I little girl came up to me in that moment crying her eyes out.

"Are you Nico?" She sniffled. I felt a twinge of pity for her.

"Yeah I am." I replied gently.

"The stars led me to you. They said you'd help me get home cause I'm lost. I'm Phoebe."

"Phoebe as in Greek for pure? Kinda like a soul?" I asked Dakota she nodded eyeing the child that once again became a puddle of tears at my feet.

"We'll get you home I promise." I said. Praying to the gods that she wasn't the one the prophecy said would die.

So let me check over the list of things I have to do:

1. Get to the west. Check

2. Find a lost soul. Check

3. Protect Dakota

4. Find the traitor

5. Not die

I could totally handle this. In case you didn't notice that was sarcasm. I'm so screwed.

hope you liked it. Sorry for the long wait. Pooh bear loves you!