Percy Jackson: Daughter of Shadows

5. My Father and I Do Some Bonding

Author's note: Charon is a daimon, not Nyx's child. And Demeter severely hates Hades demigod children. 

By the time my vision had cleared up, we were already at Sally and Paul's apartment. "Who put this wall of fur in the doorway?" Paul said. "Sorry, Paul!" I mumbled, standing up. "Lilly?" "And Percy. And Nico. And a tank-sized hellhound. Can we come in?" "O-Of course. Come on in" Paul muttered. "Percy?" Sally called out. "Are you here? Are you alright?" "I'm here!" Percy called back. "WOOOOF!" Mrs. O'Leary barked, trying to turn in a circle. "Oof" Nico mumbled. "Hang on!" I shrunk Mrs. O'Leary down to the size of a German Shepard. "Thanks" Nico mumbled. I smiled. "No problem" I said, heading inside the apartment. The smell of lemonade drifted in from the kitchen. "What's going on here?" Paul asked. I glanced at Percy and Nico. "Which of you is going to explain this?" 

    While Percy explained everything, I tried to get in contact with both of the Chrises. I got through to Chris Rodriguez at Camp Half-Blood. "Lilly, Clarisse isn't budging. Until Ares gets honor, she's not going to let any of her siblings go into battle. Charley's allowed to do as they want, but she's not going to help. Do you have a plan?" "Unfortunately, yes. The minor gods and their children that know of the plan already have agreed that they're going to switch over once the tide changes. I've got a standby supply of nectar and ambrosia, along with a secret room hidden in my mom's old place where we can send some healers and the dead and injured. The next best thing I could possibly do would be trying to get in contact with Asclepius, but no one knows where he is" Chris sighed. "Then what do we do?" "Just... just tell Chiron I'm working on it. Nico and Percy still have their plan that they won't tell me about, so we're still going to be gone awhile. Just keep Clarisse from destroying anyone until I get back" "Got it. Good luck" "Good luck to you too."

   Sally was squeezing Percy in a tight hug when I got out of the kitchen. Nico stood by the doorway, looking awkward. "Oh, Lilly!" Sally said, rushing towards me. "Yes, Sally?" "Keep Percy safe for me, okay?" I nodded. "Of course. Tell you what: if yours and Percy's plan doesn't work out, I'll personally send up a blue flare to let you know he's safe. Alright?" Sally nodded, smiling. "Thank you, Lilly" "Anytime. Now, if you excuse me, I have to make sure these two don't die" "Hey, if anyone's dying, it's you" "HEY!" I yelled. Percy laughed and turned Mrs. O'Leary. "Sorry, girl," he said. "Shadow travel time again" She whimpered and crossed her paws over her snout. "Where now?" Percy asked Nico. "Los Angles?" "No need," he said. "There's a closer entrance to the Underworld." 

   "Well, this is pleasant" I said, biting my lip. "The Door of Orpheus" Nico said. "Yeah, no shit" "The guy with the harp" "The guy with the lyre" Nico corrected. "Yep. Orpheus and Eurydice, tale as old as time" I said, kicking at the dirt. "You don't look very pleased with their story" Percy said. "Obviously" I said. "I've met both of them, and even I couldn't do anything about it. Orpheus just wanted his wife; Eurydice just wanted her husband. It's not their fault that Aristaeus wanted Eurydice and ran from the scene. Now," I leaned against the door. "How do we get in?" "Music" Nico said. "Alright, then we're fucked. I don't know how to play an instrument, and I'm pretty sure Ghost King here only knows how to play the piano, so we're screwed" "I have a better idea" Percy turned and called "GROVER!" 

I sat down next to the Door of Orpheus, ready to fall asleep. "LILLY! DON'T FALL ASLEEP! IF GROVER DOESN'T RESPOND, THEN I HOPE YOU'RE READY TO SUMMON UP A PIANO FOR DEATH BOY!" "HEY!" "CAN IT JACKSON! I'M ALLOWED TO SLEEP! I JUST HAD TO ERASE AN OLD WOMAN'S MEMORIES AND CLEAN HER ENTIRE HOUSE! I. NEED. SLEEP!" I roared, rolling over. I drifted into an easy sleep. "Wake up. Come on, wake up, Lilly! I need some help, wake up!" Hypnos, god of sleep, stood over me, waving his hands in my face. "WHAT THE WHAT?" I screamed, jumping up. "Shhhh!" Hypnos said, hushing me. "What do you want, Hypnos?" I asked, calming down. "How do you ask a guy out?" A vein twitched in my forehead. "Why are you asking me this?" "You're dating Viktor, I assumed you knew how to ask someone you find attractive out" "Hypnos, if there is one thing I can add to list of the many things I cannot do, it's give relationship advice. Why don't you ask one of your sisters?" Hypnos blushed. "Wait.... is it a mortal or a god?" "A god" I sighed. "If you want my advice, first tell me where my actual body is, and who the god is" "One, you're on the hellhounds back. Percy and Nico are right beside you. the satyr came through. Pulling you into this dream disintegrated my spell on him. And two, it's actually a certain god you hate deeply" "Please for the love of Gaea, tell me it's not Zeus" "Gods, no. It's charon...." "Who?" "CHARON!" I blinked. "As in Mr. Boat Man?" "Yes, Mr. Boat Man!" "Okay.... how about you just ask him?" "Easy for you to say, you had Apollo himself chasing after you" "Who is my cousin. WHICH IS GROSS. PLEASE GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD" "Alright, alright" Hypnos said. "Can I go back to my body now so you can get back to being a double agent?" "Yeah, whatever. Thanks for this" "No problem."