Nico panted as he flung himself behind the rock. His clothes were slick with an unholy blend of sweat and blood and they clung to his burning skin. He could almost taste the disruptive heat of the Phlegethon which roared less than 4 feet away. Nico hated it, but he knew it was the only thing keeping him alive. The river of fire that sustains demigods through Tartarus so that they reach the fields of Punishment alive, only to be tortured for all eternity. Gods.

How long had it been? Days? Months? A year? He couldn't tell. Ever since he had fallen into the pit, time did not even seem real anymore. All he had been doing since he'd landed in the Acheron was running. First he'd had to fight his way out of the wretched river. The river of lamentation had strong effects on those who were contact with its cursed waters. They willed you to stay under, to drown in your griefs and just get dragged along into the deep nothingness of Tartarus. Nico had almost given in when suddenly he remembered his promise to his sister Hazel. "I will return", he had told her. And he was going to.

After fighting his way out of the Acheron, he'd come face to face with a trio of gorgons. He'd killed one of them and barely managed to flee from the other two highly pissed creatures lumbering towards him, repeating his name over and over again in that pathetic raspy voice of theirs.

After what had seemed like forever, he'd crossed the next two cursed rivers; the Cocytus and the Lethe. He took special care not to come into contact with the waters of the latter, knowing that the river of forgetfulness would erase his memory and he'd be converted into a lost potato in the depths of Tartarus. He couldn't afford that, not when so much depended on him. So he trudged along the banks, ignoring his screaming body begging for just one sip of the water.

And now here he was, starving, sleepy, exhausted and weak, pursued by some titans whom he didn't even recognise anymore. 'The one to the left is probably Crius' he'd thought. He was in no shape to fight and his vision was blurry, but he held firmly onto his blade of Stygian iron. There was nowhere to run. The Phlegethon blistered mercilessly in front of him and the titans in pursuit were closing in. "You've got this" he told himself as he crept out from behind his cover, raising his sword.

"Here, you ugly primordial sissies!" He screamed in their general direction, his voice hoarse due to severe dehydration and inhalation of the pure toxicity that served as 'air' in the pit. Not one of his best taunts, but it would have to do.

They noticed him and the one presumed to be Crius snickered and quickened his pace. When he was close enough, Nico lunged at his 10 feet tall legs and slashed his blade, expecting to sever the limb. To his utter horror, Crius only seemed mildly annoyed by the action. He backed up and dodged as the titan brought down his heavy arm to crush him and rounded up behind him.

'There's no way I can defeat him' thought Nico. That's when it struck him. He had the advantage of agility, Crius didn't. He jabbed the flat of his blade into the back of his right knee, causing the creature to momentarily lose his balance and almost immediately he went to face him, swinging his arms overhead, taunting. The titan fell for the trick and lunged right at Nico, who easily moved out of the way causing the flailing Crius to fall right into the burning Phlegethon.

"One more to go" he muttered as he turned, only to see the second titan tower over him, weapon readied. Nico gulped hard, just inches away from the Phlegethon. He had no escape, no more tricks up his sleeves. He was doomed. Either get crushed by a Titan or burn in the Phlegethon. A stray thought crossed his mind. 'If the phlegethon is rumoured to be the river of healing for the sinners and the evil, if drinking the fire really did keep him alive, then maybe even if he fell into it..."

He didn't know and he certainly didn't want to experiment.

He raised his sword knowing well enough that it was going to do pitifully little to protect him against this monster, but he wasn't about to go down without a fight. With a sinister grin, the Titan came down for the death blow and just as he was centimeters away from death, Nico screamed, jolting all of his senses back to reality.

He jerked up in bed, sweating and panting, looking around and absorbing his surroundings. It was warm and comfortable in the infirmary and a soft breeze blew in through the little window beside him. He shivered as it touched his sweaty neck. He squeezed his temples hard, cradling his head in his palms as he swore softly.

Will, who was napping slightly on a stool 3 beds away noticed his silhouette against the moonlight showering in through the window. This was the third time in the same night that Nico had awoken in shock. 'Has to be nightmares', Will thought as he sighed sadly. 'He's gotten the worst of it and he's just fourteen. Just fourteen!' he thought again. He got up quietly and walked over to where Nico sat hugging his knees, trembling slightly. Settling down at the corner of the bed, he cautiously put one hand on the younger boy's shoulder causing him to freeze like a paralyzed rabbit. "Bad dreams?"

Recognizing the voice in an instant, Nico raised his head ever so slightly. "Why are you still up? And why aren't you in your cabin?" He asked in a small voice.

"That's not the answer to my question" replied Will, but not harshly.

Nico straightened up and rubbing his thumb upon his palm, still not looking at Will, he echoed, "Bad dreams...".

Deciding not to back off now, Will reassuringly rubbed his shoulder, instantly earning an involuntary shrug from his already distressed patient. Withdrawing his arm he asked, "Do you want to tell me about them?"

Not trusting himself to speak, Nico just shook his head.

Will sighed. He wanted to make it easier for Nico. He really did. But it wasn't easy. Nico was more guarded than he'd imagined. He'd always known that the guy had issues. Of course he did! He never stayed in one place, neither Camp Half-Blood not Camp Jupiter. People didn't accept him easily because he was powerful in ways they couldn't fathom. But things were changing. Ever since the war, everyone was beginning to realize that he was just another demigod facing his own trials. He was no different than any of them. Just braver. He'd risked his life more than once to ensure the safety of Camp and everyone in it. Even though he wasn't part of the quest of the Prophecy of the Seven, he'd played an equally important, if not more important role in the war. He had singlehandedly brought the enormous Athena parthenos back to Camp. He'd steered the Argo II to the Doors of Death, uniting with Percy and Annabeth from the other side to shut them for good. He was a Hero and people were just beginning to realize that.

But Nico didn't feel any different about them.

Will decided he was going to get Nico over this. He didn't know why, but he really wanted to see Nico happy. He really deserved some happiness now. He'd seen too much. He'd heard he'd been through Tartarus alone. Even for a child of Hades, Tartarus didn't offer any discounts. The pit was beyond the influence of the Lord of the Underworld. It's evils were too intricate, too sinister to be under anybody's control. And going through it alone and coming out unscathed...well that is a myth. Nobody can escape the pit unscathed.

After a slight pause Will nodded and said, "I understand. At least let me stay here until you fall asleep".

Nico turned to face him. His white shirt was creased and hung loosely about him. Nico wanted to protest but he let it drop. Taking a deep breath he lay down on his back, pulling the sheets up to his chest.

"Good night, Will. "

"Night..." He replied as he tentatively placed a hand over Nico's forehead, brushing his bangs and humming.

Nico couldn't help but turn onto his side to face the window effectively brushing off the gentle warmth radiating from the son of Apollo. Within seconds, he drifted off into a peaceful slumber to a tune he did not recognize, a small smile on his face.

STAY TUNED PEOPLE!