I don't own PJO or HG.

Gaea's curse By NewWorldFiction

Chapter Nine

Katniss found herself looking at a different Percy. No longer did her friend have the goofy smile and cheery aura he usually radiated but the face of someone that had seen and lost so much. It was then that Katniss realized that Percy's normal attitude was merely a facade and it was then that Katniss made a silent vow to find out why.

"Percy?"

Percy seemed to not even respond to Katniss' question. He merely clenched and unclenched his trembling hands as if battling a unseen enemy in a test of strength.

"Percy?" Katniss whispered.

Suddenly Percy's facial features became relaxed and the usual prankster smile appeared on his lips.

"Yeah what's up?" Percy looked at Katniss like his little episode never happened.

"You just..?"

"Just what?"

"...Nothing."

"Cool. Let's help Rachel." Percy quickly crossed the short distance between the unconscious oracle and son of Athena. Crouching down he drew a small flask from his jacket and unscrewed the top. Moving his free hand outward a stream of water trailed out of the flask and surrounded Percy's hand. Then Percy outstretched his fingers and laid his palm on Rachel's forehead; The water turned a odd glow and a soon as it came it left. Rachel's eyes immediately flew open.

"Wha..."

"It's okay Rachel. You just spewed a prophecy."

"Really? Last time I felt like waking from a dream. Now I feel like Apollo has been in my head and started reciting haikus."

"That's the worse." Malcolm commented.

"Can you walk?" Katniss asked.

"I think..." Rachel took a step out of Malcolm's grasp and immediately swayed to her side. "Nope, Nope, Nope. I think I'll prefer sitting."

As Malcolm laid Rachel onto her bed, several scenarios went through Katniss' head.

Percy looks like all those victors that come back from the Hunger Games. Not the careers, no. He is definitely anything but them.

Looking back at the previous conversations she had with Haymitch, how her mentor would sometime blank out I use his excessive drinking to pass the lonely hours.

The sudden though of her past, jolted her.

I died. I died and now my whole family will suffer! Prim! Why did I do that! Why did I eat that Nightlock with Peeta!

But then it hit her. She had come into Camp Half-Blood with a gash across her stomach.

How's that possible if she died eating Nightlock berries?

Her train of thought however, was cut off by what Percy said, "We have to get moving. Out best bet is to go to some place with water. After all," Percy looked straight at Katniss.

"Child of the Dreams, Shall wade within the streams. Katniss your in a way that 'child of the dreams' and the prophecy is practically telling us where to go."

"But what stream?" Malcom asked, "Were not talking about a river or your home territory Perce, but a stream. And they are everywhere."

"What about the rest of the prophecy? Maybe that will give us a clue? I would have suggested some river in the underworld due to all the darkness in this prophecy, but those are rivers." Malcolm continued.

"We can talk to Nico, as far as I know Hades' realm is our best chance in that scenario and there just may be some off sprout of one of the-" Percy was cut off.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Katniss sputtered, "Underworld? What do you mean by Underworld."

"Well 'darkness' pops up a lot in my little prophecy and the Underworld is the darkest place their is. Right?" Rachel said.

"No," Percy whispered "It's not."

"Oh, Percy I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"

"It's okay RED. No one just ever thinks about going there." Percy said waving it off.

Katniss' curiosity was peaked by this and she made a mental note to ask Malcolm about it later.

"I'll IM Nico and get him over here." Malcolm said trying to ease that now sudden tension between Rachel and Percy.

"Okay." Percy nodded, "I... Have a headache. I think I'll lay down in the living room."

Moments later Percy was gone. Rachel's bedroom door swinging in his wake.

"What's happening with him? The way you guys talk with him, it shows that he wasn't always like this." Katniss asked as Malcolm fished out a drachma from his pocket.

"It's a long story Katniss. But your knew here, and honestly, he's warmed up to you really fast." Rachel told her.

"Nico at Camp Half-Blood!" Malcolm called out.

"Please wait as we connect your Iris Message." A very robotic voice responded as a swirling rainbow light appeared.

"Gods, why did we have to introduce Iris to aromatic systems?" Malcolm groaned.

"I'm sure he'll open up to you late Katniss." Rachel said quickly as the IM began to finish connecting.

Suddenly the rainbow portal opened up to a display of a very pale boy at the top of some cabin. But he was not alone.

"Hey Will, hey Nico." Malcolm greeted, the two boys jumping at his words.

Scrabbling the two searched for the source of the voice and found Malcolm, Rachel, and the new girl Katniss waiting for them through a IM.

"Oh hey guys!" Will called out.

Nico didn't respond. He was obviously upset of them ruining his time with Will.

"Hey Will, Nico!"

"Yes?"

"We need you at Rachel's house. For our quest. We need some info on the rivers in the Underworld."

"And why is that? Wouldn't you know all that better them me, Malcolm?"

Malcolm blushed, "This isn't my... Speciality."

"Well, you see I'm-"

Will softly nudged him, "Go. They need your help. We can talk later." The blond boy smiled.

"...alright." Nico said. "I'll be there soon. Just let me get packed."

"Thank you." Malcolm said closing the Iris message.

"So now what do we do?" Katniss asked

"Well we wait for Nico, and then we save the world."

End of chapter 9

So I'm very sorry for me not updating this story but, with my time in school, wrestling and the fact that I over worked my self in the later chapters of a realms rising and Gaea's curse, my inspiration for writing Percy Jackson related stuff fell. I was hoping that BoO would help me but the ending really let me down. So bare with me as I try to get back on my two feet for this series and finish it.

Sincerely,

NewWorldFiction

EDITED MAY 3RD 2016