Chapter 36: More Mysteries

                                    

                                          
   It was about a week after Cecil went missing, that something else went wrong. Rachel didn't show up for Winter Break. She said she would arrive December 8th. Rachel was known to show up late for things, but 8 days late? She had never been that bad. Nico would remember. He journeyed in the Labyrinth with her, Percy, Annabeth, Tyson and Grover when he was 11.   
                          
   Chiron looked worried. He was pacing around in centaur form. The cabin leaders were all currently in the big house for a meeting. As Chiron paced, Nico realized he had been through 2 wars with this camp, and he hadn't once seen Chiron so worried as he was now.
                          
   "What are we supposed to do?" Will spoke up. "Rachel's our Oracle. Even though her prophecies aren't working right now, she might have news. Or her prophecies could be working again, for all we know. She's very important. And not just because she's the Oracle. She's our friend."
                          
   "I'm afraid we can't do much. I sent 2 satyrs to go to where she is currently staying, but we can't have anyone else going after her."
                          
   "What about me?" Nico asked. The table turned to look at him. They were probably surprised he spoke up. He felt uncomfortable with all those eyes on him, but he continued. "I can shadow travel to her house. Then I can shadow travel both of us back here."
                          

   Chiron shook his head sadly. "You don't have complete control over your powers. You could end up somewhere completely different, or you could pass out somewhere and we wouldn't be able to help you. Taking another person is a whole different level of difficulty. I'm sorry, but that will not work. That was a great idea, though."
                          
   Nico sank in his chair. If only he had a better control over his powers....
                          
   After the meeting ended, they had decided on doing nothing. All they could do was wait and pray to the gods she would make it to camp okay.
                          
   "Why do you seem so worried, Nico?" Will asked. "I didn't think you knew her that well. Even people who do know you well you had tried to avoid."
                          
   "Well, I actually went on a quest with her with Percy, Annabeth, Tyson and Grover. She saved me a couple of times when we were down there. And she never seemed to be afraid of me or uneasy when I was around her. She was always nice to me and treated me like a normal kid. I wouldn't say I was ever very close with her, but I care if she's alright."
                          
   Will nodded. "I didn't know you went on a quest with her." 
                          
   "Another thing...she used to have a crush on Percy. Like me. And Percy didn't choose her. Like me. I guess...I guess I could relate to her a little bit."
                          
   "If you used that to relate to people, you would be relating to half of camp." Will told him.
                          
   "What do you mean?"
                          
   Will laughed. "Literally everybody had or has a crush on Percy Jackson. You're not alone." 
                          
   They passed by Miranda Gardiner from the Demeter Cabin. "Hey Miranda?" Said Will.
                          
   "Oh, hey, Will! What's up?"
                          
   "Have you ever had a crush on Percy?"
                          
   She tilted her head. "Why?" She asked.
                          
   "I'm just trying to reassure my bone-headed boyfriend that he shouldn't feel ashamed of having a crush on Percy in the past."
                          
   Miranda smiled at Nico. "You liked him, too? Yeah, I used to like Percy."
                          
   The son of Apollo turned to Nico. "See? The first person I asked said so." 
                          
   Miranda put a finger to her chin in thought. She turned to the campers that were outside, which were all of the ones currently at camp. "Who here has ever at some point had a crush on Percy Jackson?" She asked the campers.