Sorry, school keeps me from updating. I know the last ending was a cliffy; I just had to tease you guys for once! Enjoy!

CHAPTER X: EVEN GHOSTS HATE ME

12:53 p.m., somewhere in New York

Percy's POV

Children of Athena are famous for always having plans. Unfortunately, I'm not a child of Athena (um, hello? That's what Annabeth was for!) So I found myself in classic NY traffic, my stomach rumbling and having enough money in my pocket to make a hobo seem rich.

"Yo," a voice came from behind me, and I spun around to face Nico di Angelo, grinning at me. (A/N: I got the 'yo' from Maximum Ride. Don't you guys kinda think that Fang is sorta like Nico? Like, dark, and all gothic? :D)

"Nico! What's a son of Hades doing here?"

"I sensed a spirit come very close to dying," he responded, flicking a piece of his shaggy black hair out of his brown eyes. "And, obviously, I investigated and realized that someone, i.e. you, would be brokenhearted."

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically. "Anyways, can you help?"

"Duh," he said with a 'duh' air (A/N: Lolz!) "I've been bored all summer. This is, like, the best opportunity ever. Do you mind shadow traveling?"

"Yeah," I said. "But I'll go to save my fair damsel in distress."

"I'd like to tell Annabeth that," he snorted and then led me to a shady area. "Get ready."

Suddenly, I felt a whirling and squeezing sensation (A/N: Kinda like Apparating in Harry Potter, you see?) and found myself at a place in which there was a huge gaping hole in front of me.

Reading the confusion on my face, Nico said, "This is where Hades pulled Persephone into the Underworld. We need to find dragonsweed, right?"

"Yeah. What the Hades is that, anyways?" I asked.

"The weed of a dragon?" Nico helpfully provided.

"Ha-ha. Very funny. Let's go." I surged forward, but Nico stopped me.

"What?!" I impatiently asked.

"Lately, my father has been...uh...a little protective," Nico tentatively explained. I instantly knew he was keeping something from me.

"Nico..." I warned.

"Okay, okay, ever since you got in the Styx so easily he doesn't really want other people going into the Underworld besides his kids."

"So?" I said and tried to walk forward again.

"Dude, seriously," Nico said seriously. "You need to get his blessing fir—"

"I don't give a crap about his blessing," I hissed, and ran into the Underworld.

"PERCY!"

* * *

We had both made it into the Underworld without much interference, except for bumping into a couple of disgruntled ghosts swarming at the entrance. "See?" I said smugly. "I told you so."

"Whatever," Nico shrugged it off, once again resuming his famed blasé expression.

"Can you shadow-travel us to Persephone's garden thing?" I asked.

Before he had answered, there was that squeezing sensation again and we found ourselves in a beautiful garden.

Okay, I'm not the flowery, plant-y, earthy (sorry, Gaea) type. But this garden was pretty enough to rival even Calypso's (shut up, Annabeth.). It was hard to imagine that all this was in the Underworld.

"It's not like the Underworld is all black and foggy," Nico said, reading my mind. That kid creeps me out sometimes. Okay, okay—all the time.

"So where's dragonsweed?" I brusquely cut to the chase.

Nico looked at me like I was crazy. "Do I look like a gardener?"

"Then how the Hades are we supposed to freaking find it?!"

"Patience," a smooth, female voice reached our ears. We whirled around to face a beautiful woman with long, glossy auburn hair and icy blue eyes with irises that looked like ever-changing flowers in a long, flowing white dress.

"Persephone," Nico said, and bowed. I did after a pause.

"Rise, my heroes," she said. I liked her—she reminded me of Artemis, regal, powerful—but less disdainful towards men.

"Persephone," Nico said again. "I-I thought you were in Olympus!"

"Indeed, but I must aid you in your quest," she said, facing me. "Aphrodite is quite a gossip-girl, in case you haven't noticed."

Nico grinned widely at me. "The Chronicles of Percabeth has a four point eight five ranking, and was named the 'most frequently watched TV show of the year'! Even my dad watched some of it!"

I was gonna kill that kid someday.