The Next Generation go to... Camp Half-Blood?

Who's going where?

Nico's POV

Everyone was left staring at the new guy, or girl as she looked today, with blue hair as Rachel's eyes returned to their normal color.

"How did you know the prophecy?" Clarisse growled, stepping forward.

"I-I heard it in my dream last night," the newbie replied unsurely, stepping back.

"And we're all just supposed to believe that, right? I knew there was something fishy about all of you!" Clarisse accused. She would have kept going if Annabeth hadn't jumped in.

"Clarisse! Demigods have strange dreams all the time! Anyways, whether they're hiding something or not, we have to work together for this quest, don't we?" The daughter of Athena explained, and a murmur of agreement spread across the camp. "Now we just need to decide who will be accompanying the newcomers on the quest. I volunteer myself to be the one to return to Tartarus." Her voice shook as she spoke, but still held a determination in it.

"Absolutely not!" Percy called out, stepping into the group. "I won't let you go back! I'll go." He swayed even as he volunteered, and Annabeth had to reach out to hold him steady.

"Percy, you are in no shape to go back to Tartarus." Annabeth advised softly, quiet enough that only a few people could hear. "What would happen if you had a panic attack? I can't lose you in there."

"I can't let you go back there, Annabeth. I fell the first time because I couldn't let you go, and I'll fall a hundred more times if that means that you get to live." Percy announced, and I almost gagged from the cheesiness.

I finally decided enough was enough and stepped forward. Everyone's eyes turned towards me, and I suddenly wished there was a shadow I could disappear into, even if Will would have killed me for shadow-traveling. Instead, I started speaking. "Hey, almighty heroes," I say sarcastically, "you seem to be forgetting about someone."

Annabeth hesitated, confirming that she had in fact forgotten about me. Typical. All of the guts, none of the glory, and now I have to return to the deepest depths of hell. "Nico, I can't ask you to go back there either. Really, I'll go." Annabeth argued.

"Actually, not only am I another candidate, but I the only valid candidate for this part of the quest," I continued, trying to sound confident, even though I was praying to the gods that someone would be able to point out a flaw in my logic. "In case you missed it, the prophecy also calls for the golden couple to travel to the ambassadors' home. Look around. Is there anyone who is more of a golden couple than you two? Anyone?"

Emotions raced across Annabeth's face. First, she was angry that I had proved her wrong, but then she was relieved that neither her or Percy had to go back to Tartarus. Finally, Annabeth was worried and regretful that I had to return to that pit, but the worry couldn't totally wipe the relief from her face.

Jealousy coursed through me. Why was I the one who had to go back? Of course Percy and Annabeth deserved a break after everything they've done, but what about me? My mother murdered, locked away in the Lotus Casino for 70 years, my sister leaving me and immediately dying, being manipulated by an evil ghost, fighting through Tartarus, held captive in a poisonous jar by giants, and almost killing myself transporting the Athena parthenon back to camp. But I'm weird, so all of my sorrows can be ignored in favor of other people.

I was thankful that before I could say anything I regretted, another voice spoke up. "I guess it's convenient that Artemis just let me take a trip back here to visit everyone," Thalia mused. "Zeus' hunter, reporting for questing."

"So that's four of the six demigods. Who from Cabin 10 is willing to be 'Love's child' and travel to the place of lost heroes?" Annabeth asked, and everyone immediately turned towards Piper.

"Me?" she asked, surprised. "I can't... I still have things to do around camp... someone else can go."

"Piper," Drew began, "you're best our cabin has to offer, you are the obvious choice to go on the quest. Go, I can hold the fort down until you get back. I'll even recruit some of the other campers to help out if it makes you feel better."

"I don't know, I could never ask that much of you, Drew."

Another Aphrodite daughter that I didn't know spoke up. "You have to go! I mean, who else has a best friend who's a lost hero?"

"Do you mean...?" Piper trailed off. I hated seeing people's reaction to death, seeing as my father was in charge of them. Suddenly, the idea of possibly seeing Leo again made her gain some confidence. "Alright, yeah, I'll go."

"And I guess I would be the wolf," Jason suggested. "I mean, I was raised by one. I don't know if that's what it's saying though, so if anyone has any better idea..." Everyone was silent. "Alright, then I'm the wolf, I guess."

Everyone looked around for someone else to say something. Percy was staring off into the distance, trying to fight the panic of a new quest, and Annabeth was distracted, trying to help her boyfriend.

Seeing no one else willing to take charge, I stepped forwards. "Okay, so let's have everyone going on the quest, including the Brits, head to the Big House so we can dorm a game plan." I announced.

Everyone seemed to agree that that was a good plan, so most of the campers slowly started heading back to camp, the twenty of us began moving in the direction of the Big House.

This was going to be so much fun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So... college has been way more hectic than previously expected...

On the bright side, I quit volleyball so now I have way more free time and more energy!

But really, I'm sooooo sorry how long it takes for me to update. I jump around from art projects and different writing projects and reading and binge-watching and this just got lost in the mix.

Now I'm trying to be smart and wait until after I'm finished writing before I post anything.

Anyways, as always, please like and comment and share and all the fun things about this chapter! I'm going to try really hard to keep writing this, and your comments are greatly appreciated, trust me!

Thank you soooo much for continuing to read,
~Kylie