Disclaimer- I don't own Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan does, lucky him, I am just borrowing the characters
R&R If you want, you don't, I don't care
Flame me if you want to, I don't care about that to, but if you do I will make snarky comments back unless they flames make sense
Thalia's POV
"Nico?" I yelled as I knocked in the door. No answer. I jiggled the door knob. Locked.
"Fine." I muttered. I turned and crept towards the back of the cabin where his window was, my silver boots light and barely making a sound. I slide the window up, climbed in. I turned to see darkness spreading like a blanket around the room. I blinked, my shocking eyes glowing in the black. My eyes adjusted slightly, and I saw a huge dark bed, sheets unmade. I stalked through the darkness, hand in my pocket on my knife, just in case, you couldn't be too sure around Nico, who knows what he would do if I startled him. I ran a hand along the counter top, dust billowing up a my touch. My electrical iris' scanning for signs of life. Nothing. I turned and sitting in the corner was a dark shape. I rolled my eyes and slammed on the lights. The room was suddenly illuminated, and Nico was revealed to be sitting crouched against the wall.
"Nico?" I called, softly. His head rose and hatred was in his gaze. I stepped back, then took steps forward and slide down the wall next to him.
"Why are you here Thalia?" Nico asked, anger masking the weariness.
A small smile graced my lips. "Honestly," I asked. Nico nodded, his gaze hard, hiding his emotions. "Well, honestly, I don't know and I don't know if I could tell you if I knew." Nico's black eyes softened a bit at my answer.
I went to put an arm around him, but then pulled back. "You stink, when did you last shower?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"A couple days ago, I guess." He replied, but the smirk on his face seemed somewhat forced.
"Come on," I said, grabbing his arm and pulling him up. I noticed he stiffened at my touch, and frowned. I pulled him to the shower, and turned it onto hot. I turned back to Nico, "shower." He sighed and started pulling off his shirt.
"Whoa, slow down, huntress here." I yelped and hurried out, slamming the door behind me. I smiled, shaking my head. I walked to his room, and pulled out his black jeans and grey shirt. I threw them at the bathroom door and went to sit on the couch. The black leather was comforting and I smiled at all the memories we had there, before the war. All the laughs we shared, all the games we played. The shower stopped abruptly, and I jumped, and looked around. The door opened, and Nico's hand grabbed the clothes. I bit my lip, smiling. I glanced at the skull above the door, eyes glowing red. I had given that to him for his birthday.
The door opened and Nico walked out, threw his dirty clothes towards his room, then came to join me. "Sit." I commanded. He did so and looked at me expectantly. "Whats wrong, Nico?"
His eyes flickered to shock before returning blank. "Nothing." It was barely above a whisper.
I sighed, "Hey, I know you, I know it isn't nothing." He remained silent. "You haven't been outside your cabin since we got back from the war, you don't eat that much, Percy, Annie, or I have been bringing you food, I mean, what is wrong, and don't you dare tell me it's nothing, cause it's not." I looked at him, and he bit his lip. "The war is over, we are not in immediate life threatening danger, we should be, I don't know, happyish, I guess. This is our barely happy ending."
His head snapped up, eyes blazing with anger, "Happy ending? Happy ending? What about everything we went through, what about the price we had to pay to win the war, what about all the lives we lost?" His voice rose, "Did that mean nothing to you?"
I rose my eyebrows, "Nothing?" I looked down and laughed to myself, then looked up, "Nothing? Do you know how many sisters I lost in that war?" Nico opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off, "You don't, we had ninety three girls in our ranks, now we have forty five . We lost forty eight sisters. Forty eight girls that I knew and loved like family, and then there are people from camp who were close and I miss them too. Don't pretend that you are the only one who has suffered loss in their life."
He swallowed before saying, "I'm sorry. Finding out that I'm a demigod has ruined my life. I'd rather be normal and never lose someone I love."
A pang went through my chest at how defeated he sounded. I softened, and touched his arm, "Hey, I'm sorry too, it's okay. I know how you feel."
His eyes hardened, "You don't know how it feels, you don't understand the pain I feel."
My mouth dropped opened, disbelief in my eyes, "I don't know how it feels. Do you know who you are talking to? How much pain have I have felt? Lets see, a lot."
"A lot? Of course, because losing your mother was so heartbreaking." Nico mocked.
"Don't bring my mother into this." I hissed through clenched teeth.
Nico stood, challenge in his eyes, "Yea, or what?"
I pushed myself up, locking our gazes, "Or I'll have to bring yours into this too."
Nico scoffed, "At least my mother loved me."
His words were like a knife to my heart and I fought back the emotions threatening to show, "That was a low blow, even for you, Di Angelo."
Nico smirked, but his eyes were cold, "So were doing last names?"
"Don't say it." I said warningly.
He smiled, "Thalia."
"I will hurt you." I threatened, my hands curling into fists.
"Grace."
I pulled my fist back, crackling with electricity, and punched the side of face. His head snapped back, and he rolled his head forward.
He went to punch me back, then stopped, "I would hurt you but Bianca told me never to hurt a girl."
"Well, Bianca's dead." I replied scathingly
Nico's eyes flashed with pain, "You wouldn't understand that kind of pain."
"Oh, but wouldn't I? You lost your sister and your mother. I lost my brother, my mother, my life, my world, everything." My voice cracked on the last part.
"Talking about losing your life? I lost about eighty years of my life on the Lotus Casino. What did you lose, two years years?"
"Six." I murmured quietly, my eyes shining, memories rushing back to me.
Nico rolled his eyes, "Six? What is that compared to eighty?"
"Well, it's a lot considering in those eighty years spent in the Lotus Casino was playing games, and riding roller coasters with your sister. When I was a, a tree," I swallowed, "I had to feel the world change and age around me, leaving my behind. I didn't get to watch Annabeth grow up from a small seven year old, I wasn't there to help change his mind, to say goodbye." My voice stopped.
"Oh boo hoo, what a sob story, I have had so much pain in my life. Somebody give me a prize." Nico mocked.
"You're the one to talk all, I have so much pain in my life, I and going to shut everyone out and be a dick to my friends." I said with a stupid guy voice.
"Oh, nice, mock the mocker." Nico slowly clapped his hands.
"At least I don't sit in my cabin brooding all day." I shot back.
"You run around with a bunch of girls doing a great job protecting maidens." Nico said sarcastically.
By then a crowd of campers were outside listening to the fight. "Yes, cause you do so much good in this shity world." Thalia's sarcastic tone rang out.
"I don't pretend to do good like some people." Nico's voice growled.
Percy and Annabeth approached the crowd and asked what was going on.
Thalia's voice answered their question, "You're just an annoying little kid."
"Says the fifteen year old."
Will beckoned Percy and Annabeth over to the window and called over the insults that were being thrown around, "Thalia and Nico have been fighting for awhile now."
"Goth."
"Emo."
"Freak."
"You son of a-"
"Uh, uh, Bianca said to watch your mouth." Nico chided her sarcastically while wagging his finger.
"Bianca said this, Bianca said that, well did Bianca ever say anything about self defense." Thalia said mockingly and shoved him back, her hands shocking him.
Nico leapt up only to fall back down when Thalia swept his feet out from underneath him. He got up, Thalia waiting with her hands ready. Nico willed a shadow to tap at Thalia feet. She looked down and Nico took the opportunity to slam her back into the wall. Her head smashed into the wall and she groaned.
"Done yet, and no, she didn't." Nico hissed in Thalia's ear.
Thalia closed her eyes, slumping forward and Nico's eyes widened. He opened his mouth and Thalia thrust her knee up hitting where the sun doesn't shine, "Nope, and she should have" She said pleasantly as Nico fell back, face screwed up in pain.
Percy shuddered from his place near the window, "That's gotta hurt coming from Thals."
Annabeth raised her eyebrow, "Have you had enough luck to be telling the truth?"
Percy nodded gravely while Annabeth laughed.
They looked back and Nico was on the ground with Thalia's boot on his chest. He had his hands underneath it trying to pry it off. He twisted and her foot twisted with him. "When did you learn this rule, from your mother?"
Annabeth winced, "That was low, even for Nico."
Thalia hissed and stumbled back. Taking advantage of her balance, Nico grabbed her boot and yanked up causing her to land on her back. Thalia gasped on impact. Nico held his hand out for Thalia to grab, "Are we done?"
Thalia gripped his hand, and Nico jumped, and his hair pricked up.
"Sorry, it happens when I'm angry, but yea, I guess we are."
Quick as a flash Nico snapped his fist and caught Thalia's jaw. She rolled her head forward slowly.
"Just for good measure." Nico shrugged.
"Ha ha," Thalia drawled, then sank her fist in Nico's stomach, "Just for good measure."
"You know, this is all your fault." Nico wheezed.
Thalia's voice was incredulous, "It's not my fault, I came in here to help you out."
Percy opened his mouth to speak, "Their not going to start again, are they?"
"WeIl, here, I found your nose, it was in my business. Why don't you take it and leave." Nico snapped.
"Excuse me for caring about my friends." Thalia dramatized.
"Ok, you're excused, now, shoo shoo." Nico replied, rolling his eyes.
"Fine, I will," Thalia snarled, "but when your behind me, running your mouth, feel free to bend down and kiss my ass."
She stalked to the door and kicked it down, and stepped out, leaving it in splinters on the ground, but paused to smirk at Nico. He glared at her, then flicked his hand and shadows flew to the empty doorframe, curling up it, creating a door.
Thalia stood there a minute, eyes glittering in the afternoon sun, weather if it was from anger of sorrow, we didn't know, and we didn't want to find out. She turned towards us, "May I help you?"
We all shook our heads and turned and busied ourselves in something else. Thalia took a shuddering breath, spit out blood, then sprinted toward the forest. We heard the branches snapping and whipping across her face, and strings of curses were yelled in Greek, Latin, english, and one we couldn't understand.
We looked at Nico's cabin. The shadow door was still there, swirling with darkness. Crashes and bangs emanated from it, and swears changed from Greek to Latin to Italian. Then it all stopped, the forest was quiet and Nico's cabin was calm.
Thalia's POV
I sprinted through the wood, branches and leaves scraping my legs and face. Tears were shining in my eyes, and Nico's words were ringing in my ears. Curses were flying out of my mouth, changing languages every few seconds. I dodged trees and leapt over bushes agilely, following the path I had carved out years before. I looked around, I had come to the clearing near the waterfall. I walked to the edge and sat on the rocks, the spray of mist felt nice on my scraped up face.
Pulling out my iPod, and scrolling to a song, I sang quietly, my voice shaking slightly, "I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known. Don't know where it goes, but its home to me and I walk alone."
I traced my scars on my arms. They curved up my arm beautifully, and criss crossed along my wrists. Some were faint, some were dark against my pale skin.
"I walk this empty street on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, where the city sleeps, and I'm the only one and I walk alone."
The water streamed over the rocks, disappearing into foam and nothingness. I sat, the wind whipping my hair around my face, and buffeting my clothes around. My legs dangled into the air. Jumping sounded really good right now. Free falling, the air whooshing past me, arms spread eagle, rushing to the icy water below. I found myself standing, leaning over the edge, moments from falling. I closed my eyes and let myself sway forwards, carried by my heart. I was just about to slip when a clawed hand grabbed me and yanked me backwards. My eyes shot open and I was looking into a mouth full of razor teeth. I couldn't stop the screech of terror that escaped my lips.
Nico's POV
I cursed. How could I be so stupid. I probably drove away the one friend who understood me most. I kicked at my bed, sending a stabbing pain in my foot, but I ignored it. I grabbed my knife from the table and sliced open my pillow, and feathers exploded everywhere. Swears were flying out of my mouth, changing languages every few words. I stopped, out of breath, but still angry. Picking up a random picture frame, I threw across the room letting the glass smash against the wall. The picture inside floated our slightly scratched but still intact. Reaching out my hand, I scooped it up, and remembering the scene gave my heart a squeeze.
It was the four of us, Percy, Annabeth, Thalia and me. We were near Thalia's tree; Percy was down on his knee kissing Annabeth's hand, a comical expression on his face. Annabeth was laughing; her mouth was open and her grey eyes were closed, trying to pull away, but you could tell she was happy. Thalia was hanging upside down, her hand clutching her iPod, earbuds in her ear; she was laughing, her shirt riding up a bit as she reached her arm out to mess up my hair, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. I was scowling, my annoyed obsidian eyes looking up at her, leaning against the tree directly under Thalia. Her spiky hair was just above mine, one of my hands swatting at her black-painted nails.
I sighed, sliding to the floor, my anger gone. I have to talk to Thalia, I thought, I have to make this right. As cliche as that sounds, I knew I had to apologize. I was just getting up off the floor when a blood curdling scream pierced the air in an all to familiar tone that made my blood run cold.
"Thalia." I breathed.