Pernico :)

#9 My MP3 Player Dies, I Conk Out & Later Wake Up in The Stupid Love Garden

AN: This chapter will be in Nico's POV. Only some of them will though, the story is still mainly told through Percy's POV. :)

With sweaty palms, I tried to turn up the volume on my MP3 player.
Hoping that the loud beat of the music could perhaps block my thoughts of the boy beside me, out.
Then, I pushed my hair that resembled the colour of the night sky, out of my face.
Percy sighed and brought his feet up onto the bus seat.
I pretended that I didn't hear his annoyance, and instead stared out the window.
This was awkward.
I thought.
Here I am, stuck on a bus with the boy who haunts my every waking thought and I can't even look at him.
Why would the Oracle send us on a quest?
She knows we don't get along that well, everyone does.
I could be in my cabin right now, sleeping or out getting happy meals.
Ugh, why did I have to come to the stupid camp?
Why did the stupid pop can eating, satyr have to bring me here?
I just wanted to go back to the Underworld and hide for at least 50 years.
Was that too much to ask?
I blew my hair out of my face and tried to picture this just being some stupid dream I was having.
Somehow, I managed to make a believable image of this all actually being a dream when, suddenly my MP3 player shut off.
Groaning, I sat upright in my seat and stared at the bus floor.
Great, just great.
Now, what was I supposed to do?
I yawned.
Okay, maybe a nap would be sufficient.
After all, with great power comes the great need to take a nap.
I smiled at that thought and collapsed back into my corner by the window.

When I woke up many hours later, I knew we were no longer on that bus.
Percy was standing over me, a look of concern and worry plastered on his face.
Behind him, I could faintly see a giant apple tree, some bright shining blossoms, a huge satin glass birdbath overflowing with pinkish coloured water, and butterflies with heart-shaped wings.
Oh my gosh.
I thought.
Don't tell me...
But before I could finish my thought, a young girl who looked about twenty five, started walking towards us.
She was smiling, as her platinum blonde hair danced around her face in the wind.
Her dress was made of those shining blossoms I'd just seen and those stupid heart-winged butterflies flew around her.
I couldn't see her eyes because, they were covered by large pink-tinted sunglasses, but I assumed they were blue.
Ya know, just a thought.
When she finally stopped walking, I saw that she had also been carrying a basket full of little glass bottles, that also that different coloured hues.
Oh, no.
I thought.
Were those for us?
I sure hoped not.
Finally the mysterious girl spoke.
"Greetings, welcome to my garden! I'm Aphrodite, goddess of love, but you probably already knew that.", she smiled then and laughed, as if it were funny.
I rolled my eyes.
However, Percy looked shocked.
"Y-your A-Aphrodite?", he asked, voice shaking.
She nodded.
I watched as she summoned the butterflies again and they created her a garden bench, woven out of those shining blossoms, she loved so much.
The goddess sat down and placed the basket of potions beside her.
"Now, then", she said, staring at Percy and I.
"What seems to be the trouble?"
I gave her a confused expression.
What the heck did she mean?
"Well um, we're looking for Hades's helm", my cousin of the sea, replied.
She made a face.
"Hades's helm is missing? Ugh, he's so forgetful!"
I couldn't help but laugh at that.
It was true.
My father was always losing things.
One time, he even lost the key to his house, and gods aren't supposed to lose common things like house keys...
Percy nodded and continued.
"And somehow, we ended up here", he then, gestured around at the mystical looking garden.
Aphrodite shook her hand and giggled.
It was kinda creepy.
"No Son of Poseidon, you didn't just 'end up here'", she made air quotes as she said it.
What was with the gods and air quotes?
Percy looked startled.
"I-I didn't?"
"Nope. You were brought here because, you needed to be here. My garden is only home to those who are troubled. Well, and me of course."
I saw Percy go pale.
Paler than me even and that was pretty pale.
"Uh, w-what d-do y-you m-mean?"
Poor Percy, he was stammering now.
She grinned and picked a blossom from her bench.
"Tell me your problems"
A pause.
"I'm listening"
Percy shook his head and took a step back, as if she'd just slapped him.
"Uh no thanks, I'm good"
She laughed.
"Well then, I guess you're stuck here forever"
My face suddenly started heating up.
I was sure I was blushing.
We were screwed.
We had to tell her the truth, in order to leave this cursed garden of hers.
Great, just great.
I sighed.
"Alright, what do I do?"
She smiled and got out a green-tinted bottle from her basket.
"This will help", she said in her sing-song voice, as she poured the contents of the bottle, which was actually clear, into a pale pink wine goblet.
"Drink this, Nico"
Silence, not even the butterflies moved.
"Then, tell me how you feel..."