Ten minutes later, I stood in Persephone's garden with my friends fanned out around me. Hades stood before us. "Good luck, demigods. I wish you all well." He said. Then he disappeared into a cloud of empty blackness.

Reagan shouldered the pack she had brought with her, filled with food, water, ambrosia, and nectar. "Well, this should be fun." She said, grinning weakly. Lola, who was chewing a piece of gum, popped it loudly.

"Okay..." Percy muttered, turning back toward us. "Who wants to kick some godly butt?"

~*~

We stood in front of a cave, mist swirling around us. "Melinoe should be here." Percy muttered, looking around. I shuddered. "Why do you think that?" Percy shrugged. "I remember my surroundings. Then again...I was poisoned when this happened..."

"Poisoned?" Leo asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "Dude, seriously, how many times have you been poisoned? Is it just...like...an everyday thing with you?" Percy shrugged again. "Welcome to the perks of knowing you're a demigod since age twelve. On the bright side, I have experience. Unlike you."

Piper covered her mouth while Annabeth and I snorted in a very un-lady-like way. "You need some ice for that burn!?" Reagan shouted. Leo held out his arms, like he was waiting for a hug. "Honey, darling. I'm Leo Bad Boy Supreme Valdez. I. Can't. Burn."

Everyone laughed. Once we were done and wiping a few tears from our eyes, Percy spoke. "Guys, just a heads up, Melinoe can turn into people who have died if you regret their death, so be careful-"

The mist around us started to thicken. Percy pulled out Riptide quickly and swept around in a circle. "Alright guys. Be prepared to see something ancient, ugly, and disgusting."

"Perssssssseusssssss Jacksssssssson." A voice hissed somewhere off to my right. I pulled out my dagger and flashed it menacingly. "Hey, ghost butt!" Percy yelled cheerfully. "Long time no see."

"Ah...yes..." Melinoe's voice came from right in front of me now. "I see that you have healed." Percy smirked. "Yeah I have. Hoping I was dead?" Melinoe sighed. "A little."

The mist started to clear around us, and I was shocked by the horrible thing that stood before me.

One half was hard and black, one was pale chalky white. I swear her eyes were black holes trying to suck my soul into them. She was dressed in gold, but speaking totally honestly, it didn't help her appearance.

"Whoa! Ugly!" Leo yelled. He pumped his fist in the air. "Hey mummy face! Ever heard of a salon!? What about Bosley* because I think you're balding. Honey, Bosley* will fix that right up."

He snapped his fingers as he said the words "right up".

Melinoe hissed and turned around. Suddenly her features changed. She became a Latino women with muscled arms and hard, calloused hands. Leo stared for a moment, completely stunned. "What did you say, my son?" The women asked. "Leo, it's not real!" Piper yelled.

Leo didn't move. "Leo. Snap out of it." Piper's voice rang with emotion. It took me a moment to realize she was charmspeaking. Leo blinked and stared at Melinoe. "I fell for it, didn't I?" He asked. "Yes you did, Mr. Supreme Valdez." Annabeth replied. Leo ran a hand through his curly hair. "Can I have a redo?"

Melinoe screeched. "There are no redos!" Her form flickered and she became the ugly half-mummy half-chalky women again. "Where is your ghost?" She snapped, turning on me. Then she pointed at Percy, Piper, and Annabeth. "And yours?"

Annabeth smirked. "Sorry lady, but we don't have any." She said. Melinoe sighed angrily. "Demigods...though I wish very much to torture you...I am also curious. Why are you here?"

Frank scratched the back of his head. "You see, ma'am-" Leo snorted loudly and tried to cover it with a cough. Frank cleared his throat. "We were trying to find an amulet. According to Hades and a few dwarves you have the one we're looking for."

Melinoe crossed her arms. "Yes. I may have what you seek." She said. "But why, I am wondering, would I give my precious amulets to you?"

"Amulets?" Percy asked. "Hold up. I thought there was only one." Melinoe cackled. "One? Why would I only have one of my most prized possession?" "Um...isn't that what makes it a prized possessi-" Leo began. I elbowed him hard in the ribs. "OW! Dude!"

"Oh no, young demigods. I have many amulets. They will all help you. Sadly...I do not want to help you." "Well why?" I asked. Melinoe gave me the look that said: "honey, you don't want to go there. Uh-uh. I am the goddess of ghosts, sweetheart. You do not sass me."

"What have you offered me?" She whispered. When no one responded she nodded. "Nothing. Nothing at all. And yet you come to me in your times of need. You ask and ask and ask and you never return."

"What if we do this time?" I challenged. Melinoe stared at me with her empty black eyes. "Child, what I ask of you may be torture." She warned. I gritted my teeth. "Anything to get Nico back."

Melinoe smiled. "Ah, love. Something I dearly depend upon to earn me my ghosts." She sighed. "Very well, child. You fulfill my end of the deal and I'll fulfill yours."

I nodded. Percy laid a hand on my shoulder. "Are you sure you want to do this, Erica?" He asked. I nodded and he sighed. "At least ask about the deal before you agree to it." "I was getting to that, Percy."

Brushing his hand off and walking up to Melinoe, I asked: "So what do I have to do?" Melinoe smiled. No, not nicely. Not sadly either. She held no sympathy. She smiled cruelly. Evilly. Sickly.

As I stared into those depthless eyes, searching for some spark of emotion-something, anything-behind the horrible expressionless mask, I realized one thing, and one thing only.

I was seriously going to regret this.

If only I'd had more time...

~*~

A/N: MWAHAHAHAHAHA! CLIFF HANGER! Anyway guys if you hadn't realized, this is the first time I have used the title "If Only" in my story. So I was thinking the other day about this story, you know, trying to plan how this was all going to play out, when I realized that this is literally nothing like the way it had been in my head in the first place. In my original story, Nico and Erica were dating already at the beginning. There were no adventures planned out, and I definitely had not planned on bringing the Argo II back. Originally, this was just suppose to be a cutesy love story. Okay, so basically the whole plot line was changed. Does that ever happen to you guys? Comment here and let me know.

P.S. If it doesn't, then I officially feel like an idiot.

Until the next update!
Peace!