One Interesting Spring

Ello! I'm not even going to say anything about how I'm terrible for not posting in months… Now, to see if anyone even still follows this thing. I swear, I'm going to start posting AT LEAST once every two weeks. Probably once every week, most of the time. Anyway, on with the story!

Chapter 6

We swim the edge of the water, and emerge at the edge of a flower garden. I can't help but thinking, yet again, that the flowers and trees clash strangely with the rest of the underworld.

I sit up and look at Nico, "So do you know how to get to the exits, by any chance?"

"Well, yes. But all of the entrances were closed off after the war, accept the main one in Hollywood."

I swear in ancient Greek, "Ok, great. So we'll have to get to that exit, then travel all the way across the United States. Just what I wanted to do today."

"Well, I can get us to the exit pretty fast using Shadow Travel. But once were out of here, I won't have enough strength to get us back to New York."

"What's Shadow Travel?" Chris asks, which is what I'm thinking.

"Oh. it's where we travel as a shadow at about the speed of light… It's under worldly stuff."

"Oh, well that makes since." Chris says sarcastically.

"OK, are we ready to go?" Nico asks.

We all nod.

"Okay, grab a hold of me, guys."

We all place our hands on Nico's shoulders, then I watch as we turn to black mist. Suddenly, we all jerk forward, and I cant make out anything around us. Then, we stop, and we are solid again.

We let go of Nico, and he bends forward with his hands on his knees, panting.

"You okay?" Percy asks, helping him up.

"Yeah, I'm good… Kind of."

"Come on. Lets go."

"Hey, Percy, you plan on going for a swim in the River Styx again any time soon?" Nico asks with a grin.

"Uh, no. Not planning on it." Percy says.

Speaking of the River Styx, I'm happy to see that we're on the other side of it, so we won't have to worry about getting a boat. Now there's just Charon to worry about.

We go through the door into the "Record Studio". Charon looks up from his desk, and narrows his eyes, "How did you get in here? Get back into the underworld where you came from."

"We're not dead," I say, "We got into the underworld by accident. Were just trying to get home."

He moves to the door, blocking it, "I cannot let you pass. Now go back."

Nico steps forward. He has a red gleam in his eyes, and a truly murderous look on his face. I'd seen Hades himself get this look on several occasions, and for once, it's obvious that Nico is the son of Hades.

"I am Nico, son of Hades, and if you do not let us pass, I will inform my father that you need to be fired. He's already been considering it for the past couple thousand years. Now move."

"Uh, yes. Sorry, sir." Charon says, and moves away from the door.

Nico looks back at us, and is completely back to normal, "Come on. let's get out of here." He says.

As we exit the building, I look at the mattress store that we'd had problems in four years ago. I think about going in to see the fate of the owner, but decide against it.

"So, do you think it's a good idea to stay on land, still?" Percy asks.

"I'd say so. Zeus may still want to blast you." I say.

"I know I do." Clarisse says."

"Well, I know I want to drench you in toilet water… Again." Percy says. I have to resist the urge to laugh.

"Wait… What?" Nico says.

"Oh, my first day at Camp, Clarisse and her gang tried to dunk me in a toilet, but I made them all explode."

Nico, Percy and I all start cracking up. Clarisse glares at us, and I can tell Chris is trying not to laugh.

"Not to be rude, but you all need to shut up, and we need to figure out how to get back to Camp." Clarisse says.

After a couple more minutes of laughing, we finally straighten out.

"Does anyone have money?" Nico says.

Together, we have ten dollars and fifteen Golden Drachmas.

"Ten dollars isn't enough to get us anywhere." Percy says.

"Yeah, stupid. But did it ever occur to you that Drachmas are made of gold?" Clarisse says.

"Yes, but mortals still won't take them."

"Ugh! We sell the Drachmas at a pawn shop or something, and get full money for gold." She says.

"Oh… Good idea."

After a wile of searching Hollywood, we find a pawn shop that buys and sells gold. Everyone decides that only one of us should go in, because five teenagers trying to sell Golden Drachmas may seem kind of suspicious. So, somewhere along the way, I get elected to go in.

I walk into the pawn shop, which is surprisingly nice. The guy at the counter looks up from his magazine when little bells go off.

"Can I help you with something?" He asks.

"Um, yes. I found some old coins that I think are gold." I say, and dump them on the counter.

He examines them carefully, then after a minute says, "Yep. This is real gold, al right. And I think they may actually be authentic…"

"Meaning…?" I ask, acting as if I have no idea.

"Well, I think these may be actual Drachmas… Hang on a minute." He walks into the back of the store, and comes back with some books and a magnified glass. He studies the Drachmas carefully, and compared them to pictures in a book.

"Where did you get these?" He asks.

"I um… Found them in my… Basement."

He laughs at my expression, "You're a Demigod, aren't you?"

I start panicking mentally, "Uh… What? I don't know what you-"

"it's okay. I'm Marcus Aapo, son of Hermes."

"Oh… I'm Annabeth Chase… Daughter of Athena." I say, taking his outstretched hand.

"You can tell your friends to come in if you want." He says.

"Wait… How did you know-"

"There's a window in the back. I saw them."

"Oh… Okay. I'll go get them."

I'm still slightly suspicious, to when I go to get the others, I say, "He's a Demigod. I think."

Everyone follows me in, and I introduce everyone by there first names only.

"Hmm. Percy and Nico. Wouldn't be Percy Jackson and Nico deAngelo, would you?"

Percy and Nico nod.

"Even us half-bloods from the other side of the country know the names of you two."

Clarisse cuts in before anyone else can say anything, "So, I'm guessing you're not going to buy the Drachmas, hu?"

"Na, I will. The boss has been annoying lastly, so I figure it'll piss him off if I give you, say twenty thousand for 'em. Not my money and I need to send some Iris Messages, anyway."

We happily accept the money, though I think it's way to much, and get a train to Indianapolis.

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