Okay, so, I bet you've never tried shadow travel, right? Well duh. It's kind of like riding a roller coaster, but without a harness. Or something to hold onto. Hell, there wasn't even insurance!
We got to the underworld in under a minute and, let me tell you, it was not how I would have imagined. Percy and Nico had told me all about it, but I was not expecting this. I thought it was supposed to be a dark and dreary place where everyone was depressed all the time. This place was totally beautiful. (With the exception of the fields of punishment, of course!) There were green fields that seemed to stretch on forever. I thought the Fields of Asphodel were supposed to be dead and depressing! There were beautiful trees and flowers all around. The River Styx had been cleansed and was now a beautiful river, flowing over rocks and pebbles. The terrifying sight of a three-headed demon dog heading straight at us tore me from the beautiful surroundings, though. Its mouths were foaming, and it did not look happy to see us. I squeaked the giant toy, and he stopped in his tracks. Cerberus.
"You want the toy, puppy? Huh?" I waved it around, which was difficult, seeing as it was about the size of a person. "Fetch!" I said, throwing it. It didn't go far, but it got Cerberus excited. He pounced on it, and each head fought for the toy. Mrs. O'Leary, who was much smaller than Cerberus, started chasing her old friend around. That's when I heard it.
"Zenia!" Called a panicked voice, "Zenia!"
"This way!" I shouted, running towards the EZ DEATH line. We ran straight through the ghosts.
"How can you be so sure?" Asked Will.
"You can't hear that?" I asked. I heard another Zenia in the distance.
"No." Chorused the two brothers.
"C'mon!" I started running again. I was getting closer to the yelling. Soon, I reached the most intricate palace I had ever seen. It would have been beautiful, except for the color: the palace was solid pink. Flowers spilled out from every nook and cranny, and the gardens were perfect. The path was wonderfully placed pebbles. I heard another panicked Zenia! and knew we were getting close. I ran straight past skeleton guards in ballroom gowns until I reached the throne room. On the throne was the scariest thing my eyes had ever beheld, and I can never un-see it:
It was Hades, King of the Underworld. He was bound to his throne by the stem and leaves of a giant sunflower, and he was sporting a fluffy pink bunny suit. The tortured faces of the dead were interwoven into the garment. "Zenia!" He pleaded, "Help… Me…"