HAPPY MARDI GRAS, PEOPLE! WOOO! PAAAAR-TAY!

Sorry about that. Just wishing I was in New Orleans… -dreams-

(Oh, and, I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but Zenia did get her knives back. Sorry about that!)

We arrived in front of the Empire State Building. There was no snow on the ground, and everyone was wearing summer clothes. "Six hundredth floor?" I asked.

"Yep," Orion responded, "Six hundredth floor."

We went inside and into the elevator. "Where's the six-hundredth button?" I asked, surveying the wide array of buttons.

A chubby man in a gray suit and sunglasses walked into the elevator with a key. He didn't look at all surprised to see Philana. I wondered what the mist portrayed her as. "You kids better get out of here," He said, "I'm here on important business."

"Olympus?" Orion asked. I stomped on his foot.

"What do you mean?" He asked, raising an eyebrow above his sunglasses.

"Mount Olympus, on the top of this building?" He questioned. I gave him a dirty look.

"You kids know about Mount Olympus?" He asked, surprised. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you go up there."

"But we're demigods!" Orion complained.

"Who are you kids, anyway?" He asked.

"I'm Orion, son of Apollo, and this is Zenia, daughter of Hestia." He identified us.

He raised both his eyebrows this time. "Daughter of Hestia, you say?" He sounded very surprised, "I apologize, lady Zenia! I'll get you to Olympus with your friend right away."

"How did you…" But he was already working on the buttons. We were zooming up towards the sky in no time. We came to an abrupt stop and the doors slid open.

I was totally awestruck. It was a beautiful mountain, teeming with life. Gardens were everywhere and enormous (yet still graceful) birds littered the sky. Gods were meeting in the streets and talking. Small, gorgeous houses were planted in random places on the mountain. I snapped out of my daze when Philana spoke.

We have to get to the top. Come on. She said.

"We should get going." I translated to Orion, who was standing there with his mouth open. He shook his head.

"Right." He agreed, "Let's go, then." The man in the suit directed us towards Aphrodite's house. We thanked him and were on our way.

We finally arrived at the entrance to her quaint home. It had a breathtaking garden out front: there was a cobblestone pathway leading to her front door with a perfectly manicured lawn and fountains on either side. We walked up and I tentatively knocked on the door.

"Umm… just a minute!" She shouted. I heard banging and running inside the house. A few minutes later, I saw some biker guy with his pants on backwards running out the back door.

Aphrodite opened the front door. "Hey!" She said, smoothing out her hair. "What can I do for you kids?"

I glanced at Orion, who was practically drooling. He didn't look quite capable of speech.

"We have your belt, Lady Aphrodite." I told her.

"Ooh!" She exclaimed, "Let me see it!" She looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

I was about to take it off and hand it to her, but I felt something holding me back. "Do you swear on the River Styx that you will give us the information we desire?" I asked.

"Yes, I swear upon the River Styx. Now give it!" She stared at my waist. I untied it and handed it over to her. She smiled. "It's beautiful!" She remarked.

"Right. Now, tell us, who is the man on this earth made for Persephone?" I questioned.

But before she could answer, the belt started shaking. It grew scales. Aphrodite screamed and dropped it on the ground. Before we knew it, my anaconda friend lay before us. "Headdesk" would not even begin to describe how I was feeling.

"Hello," He said, "Where am I?"

"You fools!" Aphrodite screeched, "This is not the belt! How DARE you try to trick me?!"

"No," the snake replied, "I am the belt of Hyppolyte." He started coughing and hacking. I half expected another creature to emerge, but instead, he regurgitated an antique brown clock no larger than my palm. He then started shaking again, and he died. His insides disappeared, though, and only a shrunken snakeskin was left. I took it up and hooked the clock to it.

"Hey," Said Aphrodite, "Would you look at that!" She took the belt from me and modeled it.

"You look great!" I commented.

"Of course I look great. I'm the goddess of beauty." She remarked. Touché.

"Well? Persephone's love?" I pressed.

"Oh, right! Persephone. Poor dear, being stuck with that monster Hades…" She said, quite off track. "Yes, Persephone. I have known her true love for a long time now."

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Will Solace."