Sorry for not updating last night, I was working on future chapters for Max's story- they're nice. Well, mostly nice.

Anyway, who do you lot think should be the four legacies in the prophecy?

Hey, my brother attacked me yesterday, but it was so funny! He wants my old iPhone 3GS, but I've said no (I have plans to sell it) and he was all 'You do know I can get past you to get it' and I was just 'I would like to see you try'. Unfortunately, I didn't get to strangle him as Dad pulled him away. My brother was glaring at me, but I was just standing there laughing.

Alvie was stumbling around the Big House while his father talked to Annabeth over an IM. They were comparing notes on the prophecy.

Rachel was still yet to return, having disappeared to fetch something almost twenty minutes ago.

Crystal was following Alvie, keeping an eye on him. He was unsteady on his feet and kept bumping into tables, chairs and other bits of furniture. Not that it bothered him; he didn't seem to even notice.

"Alvie, that's a stool. You don't walk into them." Alvie looked at her blankly, swaying slightly. "Don't you think you should sit down?" He shook his head and rambled off. Crystal hurried after him. "I think you should. Before you crash into something, like, I don't know… a book case?" He looked at her again, confused. "Alright, fine. Death by book case it is."

"They're bolted to the wall." He mumbled.

"Are they?"

"I think so." He sounded absent-minded, gripping a nearby table and her arm.

"OK, you're sitting down." She steered him forcibly towards a sofa and made him sit. Well, tried to- he wanted to get back up almost instantly. She sat next to him, holding his wrists firmly and swinging her legs up over his lap. "You are sitting down and you will stay sitting down or I may have to kill you."

"Hey, no killing people, Crystal. That's my job." Crystal glanced round and saw Nico walking in, Percy close behind him.

"So, you're an assassin as well?"

"Ssh!" Nico protested, glancing cautiously at his cousin. "You'll blow my cover!"

"Oopsie…" She smiled innocently and Nico pulled a face at her.

"How're you feeling, bud?" Percy asked, leaning on the back of the sofa and putting a hand on Alvie's shoulder.

"I want to get up…" Alvie protested quietly. Percy glanced at Crystal questioningly.

"Well, he could barely stand on his own two feet, tripping over his own shadow and every bit of furniture seemed to want a hug."

"Sounds about right…" Percy muttered, wearing a small, yet amused smile.

"I'm back!" Rachel sang, bouncing into the room with a thin purple book- a diary, by the looks of it.

"What took you so long?"

"I've got, like, fifty of these." She said, waving the purple book in Percy's face. Percy took it.

"You just gave Percy your diary." Nico stated.

"It's not a diary, Nico." Rachel sighed, hands on her hips. "Lord Apollo, help me. It's a prophecy book."

"Oh."

"Anyway, Alvie's one seemed familiar and it is!" Percy noticed that a page had a corner folded and he looked at it. Rachel had learnt to write in Ancient Greek, which was easier for the demigods.

Alvie had written- word for word- a prophecy that Rachel had come up with. Judging by the date, it was the day before Alvie had wrote his.

"Chiron looks at these, doesn't he?"

"Obviously, Percy- these are prophecies. Life or death situations and quests and demigods and monsters and so on and so forth…" She waved her hands in the air. "But if Alvie's written the same one as me, it's got to be important." Percy started chewing his lip.

"Percy?" Nico frowned, putting a hand on his cousin's shoulder.

"Dammit, I get the weird kids." Percy muttered. He snapped Rachel's prophecy book shut and bopped Alvie on the head with it. Alvie looked round, more confused than hurt.

"Weird runs in the family, Percy. You should know that by now."

"I know right? I mean, you're a perfect example." Nico glowered at him half-heartedly.

"Remind me why I'm so nice to you."

"You're not. Well, you can be, but mostly you're not."

"I'm going to go and sulk now." Nico told him.

"OK." Percy responded casually, giving Rachel her book back.

Alvie seemed like himself again by the time his mother arrived. He was steadier on his feet and was walking around the room, looking at all the books on offer. He seemed mildly stunned when his mother hugged him, as if he hadn't even known she was there.

"Are you OK, sweetie?" Alvie nodded, glancing back at the books. Annabeth ran a hand through his hair, kissed his forehead and let him get back to his book search. She turned to her husband, who was play-fighting with Nico while Crystal watched, torn between amusement and confusion at how two supposedly grown men could fight so childishly. She could hear Rachel clattering about in the next room- kitchen- making cookies again.

Annabeth folded her arms and looked at her husband pointedly. He noticed a few seconds later and was instantly contrite, folding his arms and not responding to Nico playfully punching his shoulder. Annabeth cleared her throat and Nico looked round. He gave an innocent smile, but stopped.

"How'd you do that?" Crystal asked.

"Annabeth will kick our butts to my dad and back."

"To your dad… oh, Hades, right… duh." Crystal pulled a face at her own stupidity. "What's Hades like?" She asked curiously.

"Mmm…" Nico and Percy shared a look.

"OK, imagine Nico, but with longer hair, no smile, pale skin and about six metres tall with a robe made of tortured souls." Crystal blinked at Percy, who gave a cheeky smile.

"I can't tell if you're joking or not."

"Oh, I'm not joking. You can't joke about gods without them frying you."

The adults soon went back to discussing the prophecy. Crystal found herself focusing her attention on Alvie. He was running his fingers along the spines of all the books on the shelf, but none of the words were in English. Every now and then, he stared at a book for a few seconds, before carrying on. Whether he found something to read amongst the leather bound volumes or not, Crystal wasn't sure. He often made mental lists of books to read, but something about these books seemed more logical than stories.

He started back to the sofa, glancing around. He stopped dead about two metres from her, before veering off and retrieving a thin book that she hadn't noticed amongst the thick books. He studied it in his hands, flipping it over and reading the back. Crystal saw that this one wasn't in English either. What language was that?

Alvie sat next to her, resting his head on her shoulder and placing his feet on the edge of the sofa seat. He was already reading and Crystal knew she had lost him to yet another book. She tried to read it too, but none of the words made sense. Those weren't even letters!

The clip-clop of hooves pulled her into focus. She glanced over the back of the sofa as Chiron ducked into the room. He smiled warmly at her before joining the discussion with the adults.

"Alvie?" He didn't respond, obviously- BOOK. Crystal pinched his arm, drawing his attention. "What do you think about your prophecy thingy?" He just shrugged. For some reason, this surprised Crystal, striking worry in her chest. Even though he had calmed down considerably in the last half an hour, he still seemed absent-minded and had barely spoken. He had hardly made a noise when pacing the room and investigating the books. Even now, as he continued reading and turning a page, he did not make a noise. The yellowed pages didn't even rustle as they were turned. Crystal had to snap her fingers by her ears just to make sure she wasn't deaf.

She glanced over her shoulder at the adults. They were still talking and bickering, judging by the looks on Annabeth's and Nico's faces. Less than a minute ago, she had heard them in the background, not focusing on their words. But now, she could hear nothing.

Interesting, isn't it? How sound is gone but still there. Crystal covered her ears, but the cold, drawling voice was in her head. Just a slight warning, it said, sounding amused, you won't like what will happen. Then there was pain. Blinding, agonizing fiery pain. It rang with screams; horrid, tortured screams that were her own.

And cliffy!

But don't worry; I've been working on this pretty much all day. There is another chapter or two ready and written in my book.