Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.
Nico stirred. He had lain motionless for hours, listening to the whispers of the dead. They were his messengers, and his searchers. For six months, Nico had been looking. The spirits of the underworld ranged the world, scouring the surface of America endlessly for some clue as to the whereabouts of Percy Jackson. As they died, he searched the thoughts of the dead, their memories, their feelings, and now, finally he had found something. Finally he had news. A half-blood had died near San Francisco, and in her dying thoughts was the news Nico had been looking for. Another half-blood stood over her, shaking her body, while a dazed looking boy sat in the background. His hair was pitch black and unkempt, and his eyes were a bright sea green, they reflected the ocean Nico could see through the windows of the dilapidated shed he now lay in. Nico watched through the body, as it was lifted up by the half-blood, and carried forwards - west, by the sun's position. Percy stood to follow, and Nico severed the connection.
Slowly, Nico stood and stretched out his body, feeling the blood begin to flow through his veins again. His joints cracked, and he slumped. He needed food, some form of nutrition, how long had it been since he had last eaten properly? Too long; at least since he left camp to search. But first he would go to Percy and he would bring him back to camp, where Annabeth would be waiting. He still remembered when he had last arrived.
The camp was subdued. There was an air of depression. He walked in and, true to form, went straight to the Hades cabin, where everything was as he had left it, covered in a fine layer of dust. He rested there until dinner, to try and escape the prying eyes of the other campers. Finally he left the seclusion of his bed at the sound of the conch horn, and walked towards his table. As he entered the dinning pavilion, he looked over to the Poseidon table to greet Percy, only to see it empty. He thought little of it, he and Annabeth were often absent, on border patrol, or else eating alone. Then he had looked around the rest of the pavilion to see everyone eating in silence or talking quietly to each other. There was none of the usual jolly atmosphere, where siblings would talk and laugh together. Even the Stoll brothers were silent, heads bowed staring at their plates. No-one seemed to notice his presence. Then he saw Annabeth. She sat alone, at the end of the Athena table. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were wet. Nico immediately new something was wrong and judging by Annabeth it was to do with Percy. As soon as dinner ended, he followed Annabeth away from the table as she walked towards the beach. He watched her sit down and gave her a few minutes before going up to her.
"Annabeth?" he asked "What's happening? Where's Percy?"
She sniffed loudly before answering, "Hi Nico, I didn't see y-you at dinner. I don't know what's happening, all I know is Percy's g-gone." She paused and blew her nose loudly, "I was with him, last night. We were in his cabin, and… and he kissed me goodnight. I left to go to sleep. In the morning he didn't come to eat. I went to find him, b-but he wasn't there. His bed was slept in, but it didn't look as if he'd ever got up. We searched the whole camp but we c-can't find him,"
"I'll search for him. I'll look everywhere. He came for me when I needed him, so I'll return the favour. Ill tell Tyson and the hunters for you, and they can search to,"
She smiled weekly, "Thanks Nico. I can't leave camp yet, I need Chiron's permission, and he keeps telling me to wait. But you can go. Please find him. I'll join you as soon as I can. Rachel's looking into it and Grover's already out there. Together, we'll find him. And… and when we do, he's going to be so in trouble so deep," she was smiling properly now, and seemed, well not happy, but more sure. Like she felt that she would find him, almost as if only she could.
He had left then, grabbing his few possessions, and had travelled first to New York, to a house he had found the year before, which was always empty, and stocked with food, drachmas and order forms for Hermes post. He passed the faintly glowing neon sign that he always failed to read past the first two words: Aunty Em's, and entered. As usual the place was covered in almost five years worth of dust, so he moved quickly towards a counter and grabbed some paper, before scrawling a quick note to Thalia, describing the situation, adding a golden drachma and leaving it for Hermes to deliver. Then he grabbed some food and put it in his worn out backpack, and using a hose to create a rainbow in the artificial porch lights he had turned on. He then tossed in a drachma and said out loud:
"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, show me Tyson, somewhere in Atlantis"
Immediately an image of Percy's father appeared, sitting on his throne whispering anxiously to Tyson who stood before him.
Nico bowed before the message and spoke loudly so as to get there attention, "My Lord,"
"Ah, Nephew" Said Poseidon, trying to smile, but attaining some kind of worried grimace, "Umm… you wish to speak with Tyson?"
"Or both of you, Uncle" Nico replied cautiously "Percy has gone missing, and nobody has been able to locate him. On Annabeth's behalf I wanted to ask Tyson to join the search," he paused, "Do you know where Percy may be?"
Tyson bowed his head sadly as if he already knew as much, "I will search for him. I will look all over the sea if daddy will let me,"
Poseidon nodded to Tyson, "Go son, and take Rainbow with you." Tyson left. "Nico, I am bound by the river Styx not to reveal certain things to demigods. Beware; Percy has gone to one of the most dangerous places - for your kind - in the world. I cannot speak of it, nor should I be speaking to you," he paused and glanced anxiously upwards, "The doors to Olympus are closing. Zeus will try to bind me to my palace. However he has overlooked something. Hera is missing from his palace and he suspects the other gods. He is angry and overlooks the happenings of the world. He wishes to believe that our father's rise and fall will be the end of the Great Stirring that has begun. Percy is taken by a plan of Hera's that may be our last chance. He is taken, transported to a new place, one where your kind has not trodden for hundreds of years. He retains little of his memory, but the spell on him is weaker than on-" Poseidon looked upwards tentatively, "-another. Things will jog his memory. He will get it back much sooner, for he will be needed soon. And you must find and protect him until such a time comes as he remembers his whole life. Now go. I will soon be bound so I cannot help you, but take my blessing and in a time of need look to your father, and his wife. If any escape the closing it will be them,"
Poseidon cut off the connection and Nico began the search.
And now, after months of waiting, he had found him. Nico pulled the shadows towards him, and they answered. Pitch black they gathered to him, and he used them to slip through the fabric of the world.