{Percy Jackson Fanfic} Water Lily and the Ocean's Blessing

Chapter Sixteen: Lost and Found

I wake up to find that we're still flying across the seemingly endless roads.

I stretch and rub my eyes.

'Any dreams?' asks Annabeth.

'Well, yeah, but nothing interesting,' I confess, shaking my head. 'How long until we get there?' I ask, turning to her.

'About half an hour,' she replies almost immediately.

'Gosh, I've been asleep for that long?' I say, a little surprised.

'Going on a quest really saps your energy,' says Annabeth. 'Maybe falling off of a dragon does too.'

'Both of us were drained after we finished our first quest, weren't we, Annabeth?' laughs Percy, making me jump. I hadn't realised he was awake.

'That's true,' Annabeth grins, her eyes twinkling in the afternoon sun.

Looking down makes me dizzy, but I get used to it after a while. I can see glimpses of what I presume is Los Angeles on the horizon.

We're so close!

That's just an illusion.

Ψ

We finally reach Los Angeles, the sun beating down on us with all its might.

'Why us, Apollo?' I pant, tempted to pour the water bottle I'm drinking on my head.

Well, nothing would happen if I tried . . .

No. I can't just waste a perfectly good bottle of water like that, can I?

Anyways, we touch down in the outskirts of the city, just in case the dragon and two pegasi were too much for the Mist.

Well, at least that's what Annabeth said, so I'll take her word for it.

'Right, DOA Records, here we come!' Percy helps me down from Peleus, who immediately lies down, tired from the journey. The other pegasi do the same, panting.

'So, you do know where DOA Records is, right?' I frown, gazing at the overcrowded city.

'Yup. We landed the closest we could without being seen,' Annabeth says, tightening her high ponytail, as it had gone loose from the wind that had beaten our faces when we flew. She redoes my ponytail, as there were stray hairs all over my face.

'You can lead the way, then,' I gulp, quite nervous to go head-first into the chaos.

'It'll be fine,' Annabeth says, as she and Percy begin walking. 'Hopefully,' she mutters underneath her breath.

'Okay, but how do we get into the Underworld without being dead?' I ask as I jog to catch up with the two. They're really fast.

'It won't be like that for much longer, don't worry,' Percy says, patting my shoulder.

I frown. 'Wait-'

'He's just kidding,' Annabeth rolls her eyes. 'We either bribe, or pretend that we're dead.'

'Oh,' is the only word I can think of.

We walk in silence. Well, even if we did try to talk, we wouldn't be able to hear much over the chaotic noises that grow louder as we get closer and closer to the middle of the city.

We turn a corner.

'Wow,' I say, standing still.

I've seen photos of big cities on the internet and in Youtube videos, but actually being there . . . almost completely surreal.