Due to popular demand, I am continuing this story. Though updates will come SUPER slowly!!!

CHAPTER XII: THE FEW RIVERS I CAN'T CONTROL (WHICH SUCKS BIG-TIME)

"Hello, Nico. You've grown," Bianca sadly said, smiling at us. "You're already a young man."

"B-Bianca!" Nico stumbled forward, disbelieving. "Why are you at the Cocytus?"

"I wasn't buried," Bianca gently said. "No one's fault, Percy."

Creeeeeeepy. A mind reading ghost?

"I can't read minds, but I can read expressions." Bianca arched a black eyebrow. "So, Percy, what brings you here today?"

I opened my mouth to speak when I heard a slobbering sound behind me and turned around. Nico was...

"Are you drooling?" I said with disgust.

Nico didn't reply, focusing on Bianca. "My gods, Bianca...I missed you so much!"

Bianca rolled her eyes at me. "Annoying little brothers will stay annoying little brothers. What were you about to say?"

"I'm here to save Annabeth. I need to make this plant called dragonsweed." I made a face.

"Dragonsweed..." Bianca mused.

"Yes?" I arched my eyebrows, hoping she would have a déjà vu moment.

"Rare plant, the first one Persephone ever planted in the Underworld, used for saving near-death people?" Bianca suddenly asked.

I nodded, excited. "You know about it?"

"Never heard of it," Bianca looked gloomy again. Gee, thanks a bunch.

"But I can help you," Bianca offered, and my head came up. "Here, hand me your cup." I handed it to her but it passed—oh, surprise!—right through her hand.

"Damnit," she swore, and then said, "Oops. I'm not supposed to curse in front of Nico."

"I'm...not a...little boy...anymore!" Nico angrily interjected.

Bianca threw him a glance. "Thank the gods you haven't gone through sex ed yet...oh, shoot. Have you gone through sex ed?"

"Uh, no..."

"Percy can tell you. Percy, I'm entrusting you with giving my brother sex ed."

"Why Percy? He's the son of the sea god, not the son of the god of sex," Nico protested.

"He has experience with Annabeth, though," Bianca matter-of-factly said. "Right, Percy?"

"NO!" I shrieked. "WE'RE SEVENTEEN, FYI. And can we get back to, uh, saving Annabeth?!"

"Oh, sorry," Bianca apologized. "Hey, I've been gone quite a while. I need to catch up on some stuff. Well, now then...the thing is, nobody but dead people can approach the Cocytus, and unless you two happened to die..."

"And you can't hold the cup," I said in frustration. "Wait, maybe I can—"

"No, Percy!" both Nico and Bianca yelled at the same time as I closed my eyes and willed the water up. A sharp pain in my gut forced me to double forward, falling on my face and knocking the cup in the water. A ghostly hand emerged, filled it, and handed it back to me. "Um, thanks," I said in astonishment, brushing myself off as it submerged beneath the waves again. I tossed the water into the magic sack again.

"Okay, now to the Lethe," Bianca said. "I'm afraid I cannot accompany you any further."

"Um, okay, then bye," I said, slinging the sack over my shoulder. "Hey, uh, Nico? Time to go?"

But Nico remained, gaping at his sister. "But I want to talk to you, Brianna...Percy, go without me..."

"Nico!" Both me and Brianna shouted. "Nico, you need to help Percy." Brianna said.

"But..."

"Nico di Angelo. You are going to go, right now, or I am going to—"

"Okay, okay!" Apparently, old habits never really were lost as Nico pouted, looking like a shaggy black puppy—"He practically is, Percy," Bianca commented, looking straight into my eyes and creeping me out, yet again—and Nico grouchily prepared us for shadow traveling.

* * *

We arrived at the Lethe. A sweet scent wafted off its calm surface. The water was invitingly turquoise and crystal clear. I felt a pang in my heart when I thought: Annabeth would like this.

"Okay, get it over with," Nico said irritably.

I eyed him warily (is it me, or was he still drooling...?) and approached the water, clutching the cup in my hand. When I got within three feet of the waters, I instantly felt light-headed and dizzy, like I had had too much laughing gas (which I've never had, so...). I almost tripped but steadied myself. The scent was so invited...like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies...and chocolate bars...and candles...and Annabeth's shampoo...

The thought of Annabeth's lemony shampoo snapped me out of it. Steadying myself, I knelt at the warm edge and cautiously dipped the chalice into the waters...

My mind turned to cotton candy fluff. Which, as Annabeth would have wryly pointed out, "That's a surprise, because there's no mind in the first place.", but this was...whoa.

I vaguely heard Nico yell something in the distance, but all I cared about was to immerse myself even deeper into this cotton-candy heaven. I bent my face towards the water...closer...closer...

With each inch closer, everything turned fuzzier and fuzzier, until I was only a few inches away from the warm water. I felt a slight pressure trying to pull me away, but I knocked the obstruction aside.

Suddenly, as my finger longingly reached towards the deceivingly calm waters, I realized the smell was almost too sweet.

Like, nauseously sweet, like...I dunno. Think of the sweetest thing you know, multiply that by twenty, throw in eighty tons of marshmallows, blend in some melted chocolate chips, and sprinkle in some Hershey kisses for good measure. Oh, blech, right? Some of you might be going all googly-eyes, saying, "Ooh! Sugar heaven...yum." Believe me. It's more like sugar hell.

Then everything became clear again. The water was way too innocently still. I remembered my purpose. Save Annabeth. I quickly took the cup out (that was now full to the brim) and dumped it in my bag. Nico was rubbing his sore arm, glaring at me.

"Okay. Now to the Styx."

* * *

When we got there, Nico said, "Okay, this is going to be tough. Basically, you're going to have to go in the water again, or else the water is just going to melt the cup away, and it'll be useless. Since you've already experienced the burning sensation, it'll be okay for you and any object you touch."

With that in mind, I strode to the water with purpose and tripped. On my face. And landed, you guessed it...in the freaking Styx.

My face felt like it was on fire. I felt like a million volcanoes had suddenly erupted beneath me. I screamed, but nothing but bubbles came out. I thrashed around and I felt Nico heaving me up.

When I regained my composure, I cracked open my blistered eyes to see Nico staring at me, face white.

"Oh, crap."

Hope you enjoyed it. ;)