A/N: Please validate this unedited story with reviews because this is another fic born from spite.

The title comes from a Lish McBride book, a series I highly recommend for fans of Percy Jackson and urban fantasy in general.

Disclaimer: Ha. Ha ha ha. Ha.

Title: necromancing the stone

Words: 598

Summary: Nico puts the 'romance' back into 'necromancer'!

Will gently prodded the quivering mass of tiny, tiny bones huddling together in the palm of his hand. "Hammy, is that you?" His voice rose in what in normal circumstances would be an embarrassing pitch, but he was currently holding the reanimated remains of his beloved childhood pet.

Nico nervously stood by him, his hands fluttering by his sides like skeletal butterflies. This was a last-hour present because of dubious reasons and failed previous attempts. He was at least happy that he had something ready before the holiday was officially over. "It's not too creepy?"

"It's a little Pet Sematary-like." Will rubbed the hamster's cranium, smiling at the cooing sounds it was making. "But I like it."

"Really?" Nico tucked his dirt-stained hands under his armpits, sighing. "What a relief."

Something rustled in the woods behind them, and the shadows around them stirred with unease. Standing in the blurred boundary between the woods and campgrounds had its strange things, but none had ever made all the hairs on Nico's arms stand up.

A shiver next went down his spine. "Uh, Will?" He slowly turned around and saw dozens of glowing red eyes in the shadows between the trees and bushes. "We might have a problem."

Hammy smiled up at Will, but something glinted in those empty eye sockets. The teeth appeared somewhat sharper in the growing twilight, the shadows shifting oddly around the hamster, clinging to its calcified bones. Will, unaware, was crooning happy things to the monster.

"Who's a good hamster? You are! Oh, I've missed you so so so much…"

"I think I resurrected more than just Hammy…" Nico finally realized. He drew his sword. The zombified animals slinked from the shadows, approaching the two demigods with the silent grace of a predator, or at least the grace of something badly coming back from the dead.

Will looked down at Hammy, paling at what the creature really was. Carefully, he set the monster down on the ground, and he backed away from it. "It's not Hammy."

"It's not Hammy," agreed Nico gravely.

Hammy made of series of clicking noises to the small army of dead things.

Hopeful, Will said, "Maybe it's a little bit Hammy?"

And that was when the flock of skeletal birds suddenly swooped down on them, and the dead animals charged at a frightening speed with Hammy leading them.

"It's not Hammy!"

Knowing better than to fight a hopeless battle, Nico sheathed his sword, grabbed his boyfriend's hand and they ran, screaming their way back to camp with a horde of angry zombies after them.

"Run!" Will warned the happy couples roasting marshmallows by the fire. "Run away!"

"Happy Valentine's Day, people!" added Nico. He dove to the ground to avoid the claws of a large bird. Will kept on running ahead. 'Hey. Hey! Solace, get back here!"

Campers were screaming and running away, some had knives drawn and arrows were already set loose in the air.

Will paused midway, now noticing that his boyfriend wasn't by him.

He ran back into the middle of the fight where Nico was, who was already on his feet with his sword out. "Now you're back!" he snapped, slashing his blade at what had to be a small bear. The stygian iron sank into the ribcage, and the entire skeleton erupted into black flames before collapsing into a pile of bones.

"Sorry! I'll abandon you in better battles next time." Will dodged a flaming arrow sent by a camper. "Now come on, Lord of Darkness." He threw Nico over his shoulder. "We have a holiday to celebrate."