The Guardians and their doors.

Back to Hogwarts for the moment. (Another Relevent Title? What is happening?!

Percy and Nico were in one of the courtyards, sitting on the wall and watching Will and Dean Thomas compete in a breakdance battle, which sounds far less entertaining than it actually was. Especially since Leo had gotten involved and was spewing fire from his feet in a cyclone as he spun on his head.

Today had been mostly uneventful. Umbridge was being cautious, the blood quills still locked away, and making do with giving students carpal tunnel instead of cutting them open.

Percy had ordered his guardians to pull back, give her some breathing room, hoping for an excuse.

Thalia still hadn't returned from the Agora, going on three days which was understandable. She hadn't seen the Hunters in over a year.

Artemis had actually been in discussions with Percy and Annabeth but mostly Annabeth about traveling with them.

Which would be pretty cool and very helpful when they had to go to Alagasiea in a few worlds.

Annabeth wanted to hammer out details before they even tried to bring them through.

Percy had met with his mom and, much to her displeasure but understanding, asked her to stay in her world.

"It's not safe. We have more and more dangerous places to go and I don't want you getting hurt."

Sally had agreed but wanted to help anyway. She ended up running the Guardian Agora stall and sales were up.

Next to him, Nico tensed.

"Neeks?" Percy asked, checking over his cousin.

"Something is wrong." He said with a thousand yard stare. "The flow has been forcibly reversed. I need to go."

He jumped off the ledge, presumably to fade into the shadows and go wherever it was he needed to go but Percy grabbed his shoulder.

"Can I come with? You're not allowed to interact directly with mortals. I am. You might need help."

Nico sighed, glancing at Will, who usually helped when schist like this happened, and Percy, who was significantly less likely to get himself hurt in the world he had to travel to.

"Alright. But follow my lead. I don't have a small army to fix any messes."

"Technically I have five armies. The Guard, the Greeks, the Romans, Annabeth, and Clarisse." Percy said as they faded into the shadows.

Shadow travel was both smoother since it was the best way for Death to Travel, and worse, because a change in dimensions was far trickier then a jump to Mcdonalds.

The came out in a forest, their attention immediently caught by what sounded like cheering.

"Returning from the dead sounds like something to celebrate." Percy said, glancing at Nico.

He had known that as the incarnation of death, Nico took on the form the majority of people around him perceived death, and thus him, as.

Nico was tall, wearing flowing white robes. His skin was emancipated and decayed, looking like he was dead himself. His face was cruel, his features reminding Percy of the Oni masks the Shinto demigods sold in the Agora. He held a tanto, his scythe in world, between his teeth, while prayer beads were wrapped around his wrist, malicious looking markings running up and down his arm.

"Let's go." Nico said, his voice sounding the same but maybe that was how Percy expected it to be.

Percy threw his hood up and turned invisible, keeping to the trees just in case as Nico glided along like a cheater.