The Ghost King Chronicles

by Cannibal Crow

Nico has reached 16. A landmark of any child of Hades. Seeing Nico might be worth something, Hades offers Nico a gift. A crown. A title. Power. 3 years after TLO/Dark Nico/Partially OOC/Rated T for language and later gore/Part Five of Five up/NO Romance

4. Part Four: D E S P A I R

The Ghost King Chronicles

"I'm better alone now

See I'm torn from my mistakes

And I stop believing that I could ever make things change"

-'Monster You Made' by Pop Evil

C o n t e n t s

Part O N E:

PAIN

Part T W O:

FEAR

Part T H R E E:

IRONY

Part F O U R:

DESPAIR

Part F I V E:

DEATH

D E S P A I R

"These are the tears

The tears we shed

This is the fear

This is the dread

These are the contents of my head."

-Annie Lennox

Empty.

The black cabin was so horrifically silent. Nico could almost hear the deafening buzz of the subtle energy within the airwaves rise in tempo. Normal, he realized, when one is left to dwell within the melancholic contents of their head. No life dwelling around could beat down the slow creeping dread filling his lungs like lead weights. Nothing could stop the terror slithering across his flesh from tasting his breath and consuming his rationality. Paranoia began to rise in his throat like bile, ready to expel itself at any given moment.

He had just assaulted another camper with little thought and no compassion. The only regret nagging at the emotional core of his being was that he had let down his sister.

He let her down.

Rage.

Could he never do anything right? Was he doomed to a pitiful existence riddled with disappointment and failure? He so wished it was not meant to be so, but the doubt wiggled in his mind, screaming confirmation and incinerating whatever hope his imagination conjured.

No, Nico was utterly useless. What was he meant to do in life other than serve his father? There was nothing waiting for him in the land of the living and he had no desire for what awaited him in the realm of shades.

He bit his lip, contemplating what horrors awaited him outside that heavy obsidian door. Surely he'd be met with retaliation for what he did to that oafish son of Ares! Oh he knew that others wished to harm that boy as well. Because it was Nico, that damned son of Hades, that attacked the kid first, well now it was an unspeakable crime.

Pathetic.

He felt so utterly pathetic curled up on his ashen colored bed, leaning against the smooth black stone wall. Dark eyes scanned the cabin he hid in so often. None of the camp, except for Percy and Annabeth, took interest in helping Nico build his cabin. He was left to summon skeletal minions to help erect this towering nightmare. Annabeth helped, of course, with the architecture and finer details of the blueprints while Percy had helped with the more physical aspects of the building. Even if he attempted to keep it well hidden, he was so very grateful for their help.

It only furthered his pain.

When he decorated the inside he had put it to his liking. Unlike the other cabins, there were nearly no beds. He had put in two bunk beds at the opposing side of the room, more so as a precaution rather than hope. His bed, however, was a single. There was no way, even if he did gain a sibling, that he would want to bunk with them. No thank you, he liked his privacy.

He sighed in exasperation as he glanced around the impersonal and cold room. There was nothing truly welcoming in here, despite the fact he created it for himself. Even with his efforts, he could never make himself feel welcomed. Dark eyes slid shut as he simply sat and cut away his sense of self.

Drifting.

In an attempt to burn away his pain he meditated. It was something he learned from a wise old shade many months ago. He was skeptical at first, but was pleasantly shocked to realize how truly relaxing it felt to float away from the physical word and simply drift in the vast emptiness of silence. Many may find it foolish and weak, his meditation. They, however, did not realize just how well it did from keeping Nico from losing control of himself and potentially harming someone. He ignored their ignorance as best he could.

Screaming.

He could hear screaming, mass hysteria, drilling through his calming procedure. It penetrated the thickness of his walls and he let out an irritated sigh before opening his eyes and listening closely. Alarms were sounding off, a loud, earth-shaking roar could be heard, and multiple terrified vocals screaming in a cacophony of chaos. Before he even had time to feel vindicative he was at his door, wrenching it open and jumping into the bright sun.

Shock.

The scene before him was utter chaos. Campers scattered about, terrified and confused. He mentally corrected himself. New campers scattered about, terrified and confused. The older, more experienced ones had their weapons and shields drawn, running toward the crest of Half-Blood Hill, toward Thalia's tree. He wasted no time with the pathetic kids whimpering for their parents and dashed toward the action, ready to defend his turf alongside the others.

His heart pounded in his chest as he raced up the hill, simultaneously pressing the barbed crown and transforming it into the terrifying battle armor. What he saw when he got to the talus made him stop dead in his tracks. Fear seized his heart but was immediately subdued by his instinct to defend himself and the others. There stood one of the most vicious monsters he had ever seen. The creature had hair like Medusa; withering and snapping snakes, though this was much larger and so much more horrific. She was scaled and the lower half of this creature was of a dragon. Large, pointed wings protruded from her back and where her two halves met looked like a belt of constantly morphing vicious animal heads. Lions, bears, crocodiles, wolves...They snapped at any demigod getting close, trying to taste that sweet godling blood. The creature seemed to be speaking, but he could not understand for she talked in a language even older than Greek. It was low and rumbling; almost barbaric, yet he could feel the power of the language.

This creature, a monster nightmares were made of, was so ancient, so strong, he almost felt it was futile to try and fight her. That train of thought ended before it could be fully contemplated. He would battle this monster, and he would obliterate her just as Briares had so many years ago. If not, then he would die trying.

Kampê

She stood in her full glory. Two poisonous scimitars were held in each hand, slashing away at the demigods. Peleus even attempted to fight, though he was preoccupied with the Hellhounds that emerged from the shadows, keeping the guard dragon distracted. Chiron stood tall, wielding his bow and taking down Empousai from long rang. The creatures attempted to charge through the barriers, but were held back by the strong magic. The empousai were attempting to reach Thalia's tree and remove the Golden Fleece to weaken the boarders, but along with Chiron, the Apollo cabin helped take down those getting dangerously close with their expert archery skills. The cabin leader, Will Solace, Nico noted with mild fondness, was busy carrying away the injured demigods and healing them. Though Will was nearly twenty-three years old he remained in the camp to help train and heal the rest as one of the staff. He was, by far, the oldest camper there as well as one of the most respected. Will was one of the only campers to never say an ill word nor cast a hideous glance at Nico. Inside and out, Nico knew he was truly good and pure. That was why he was one of Nico's closest friends though they spoke little to never.

Just as Will wasted no time throwing himself in the path of danger to protect the younger, injured campers, Nico wasted no time throwing himself into the battle. He drew his long, Stygian sword and watched with bitter amusement as monsters flinched away at the sight. Many, upon sight of Nico crept away, fearing not only Nico but obeying their new master. Hellhounds whimpered, head down and pawing the ground like puppies while empousai hissed, backing away and fleeing in resentment. Some, however, refused to acknowledge their leader and kept attacking. He sneered viciously at them before going on the offense.

The demigods looked both stunned and relieved at the sudden retreat of most of the monsters. He noticed one Hellhound in particular that was still attacking, but instead of attacking demigods, she was attacking the other monsters.

Mrs. O'Leary.

He smirked slightly before turning just in time to parry a strike made by an enraged empousa. Nico glared viciously, causing the monster to flinch almost comically. The shadows seemed to contract around the creature in a painful tourniquet. Fear blazed in those deadly eyes. She realized the mistake of her actions just as Nico thrust his blade through her abdomen. A deafening screech echoed from her throat as she began to dissolve. Instead of simply blowing away in golden dust, Greek fire consumed the remains like an explosion, causing heat to erupt in one loud burst before she was finally gone. The energy of her regenerating soul was drawn in by his cursed blade, making it thrum with energy. With little effort he stabbed the blade into the ground, causing the earth to shake as a large fissure opened up and swallowed any monster in its path. He did not notice the single camper trip at the sudden quake and tumble toward the crack leading to Tartarus. Only at the last moment did another catch him by the collar of the armor and yank him away from a certain, horrible death.

As he yanked his sword from the hearth the fissure sealed itself, leaving a hideous scar across the field. It was almost identical to the one at the pavilion. The one he made after vanquishing those skeletons to the Underworld. The one he made after he heard the news.

His sister was dead.

Dead because she sacrificed herself for everyone else. The memory just enraged Nico further, propelled him to destroy every last one of those damned creatures trying to kill demigods. They were killing someone else's' sibling and he would not curse a single one of them with the pain he endured every waking moment.

As he slashed away, destroying every creature in his path, Greek fire erupted all around him and sprayed the ground. He ignored the flurry of movement as his fellow campers tried futilely to extinguish the deadly flames licking at the grass. No, his raging black eyes were fixated on the monster killing every godling who came within reach of her scimitars. Yes, he seen the withering bodies that lay bleeding and the buzzing in his ears reached a climax as their lives faded. It only furthered his anger. He could easily open another fissure, banish her to Tartarus immediately, but some sick sense of vindication held him back from that route. He wanted her to go up in flames, to feel the pain those dead demigods felt as her poisoned blades took their lives. Oh that creature would certainly pay with current life and he would ensure it was her most painful end yet.

He let out a loud yell, catching the demigods' and Kampê's attention. With a wave of his hand the other demigods jumped away from their useless fight against the creature and allowed the powerful half-blood take the stage. Life seemed to halt as he paused before the monster and they sized each other up. She grinned viciously, a dangerous light dancing in her green eyes. A rumble was sounded as she spoke words he could not understand. He just let his being fall stoic and unreadable. A deadly cold look held his eyes as he stared her down before everything seemed to explode into chaos. He could tell she was elated at the chance to kill the son of Lord Hades.

With feline prowess he bound forward, dodging the slicing blade. He could almost hear the poison sizzling against the metal. Faintly, he wondered how she managed to retrieve the blades from the attic of the Big House, where all the spoils of battle were kept. The monster managed to block his thrust of the blade and return it with a hard swing against his side. It simply ricocheted off the misty armor, though the strength of the hit was strong enough to send him soaring and smash hard into the dirt terrain. He was dizzy for a moment but jumped up at the sound of an enraged roar, ignoring the head rush that came with his sudden movement. The monster as absolutely livid that he some how survived the blow. He had no time to move before the blade sliced across his thigh.

Pain.

Absolute pain, almost as bad as his transformation, shot through his veins and immediately began to consume him. His heart thrummed faster and faster as he felt his own life force fade drastically.

The monster laughed.

His vision darkened.

No one dared step forth, retrieve him.

In the corner of his swiftly fading sight he seen a flash of gold rushing down the hill, coming toward him, though he knew that Will would not make it in time. A pang twinged in his heart as he thought of what could happen to the senior camper if he attempted to retrieve Nico's pallid form. With almost the last amount of strength in his body, he summoned the shadows to hold the struggling camper in his place. He could faintly hear the melodic baritone voice shouting protests, calling out in desperation for Nico to hold on, to let him go. With pained tears stinging his eyes he even heard Will shouting for someone, anyone, to save Nico. A small flutter of happiness captured his now slowing heart as his vision began to fade and his control on the shadows began to weaken.

Darkness.

Everything was dark and he felt nothing but cold.

He knew this was not the Underworld, but then where was he?

A faint, familiar laugh echoed from the shadows.

An alluring figure made herself known once more.

Nyx.

He bowed deeply before she motioned for him to rise.

'Young hero, it is about time I reveal my gift to you, is it not? You have but a moment before I release you back into the battle. Be quick, for I will not hold the other godling for long. Just remember your flaw, and do not forget to sacrifice for me every once and a while.'

She was serious through out her little talk, though at the end she gave a little wink, showing her playful side once more. He gave but a nod, a small grin dancing on his lips. Of course he would sacrifice to the deity for she was more than generous to him. She ran a cool, black hand across his blight features before she pushed him once more.

Light.

He awoke with a start and sucked in a painful breath before he realized he had not been sleeping, but rather unconscious from Kampê. Obsidian eyes glanced around quickly as he lay for a moment, the pain in his leg keeping him from moving. Everyone stared at his body from a distance as the monster laughed. He still heard Will shouting, but more so in anger and desperation at his unmoving form. Suddenly he realized what Lady Nyx had meant by she would not hold him for long. He could see Will break free and come sprinting down the hill, right toward danger.

Ignoring the pain, Nico shot up from the ground, stunning everyone, including Kampê. Will had stopped running, shocked at his sudden vigorous movement. He glanced at the wound, surprised to see not crimson blood, but rather black blood slithering down his leg. It suddenly stopped, retreating back into the wound and sealed over, leaving an odd gray scar across his exposed thigh. There were many gasps. Nico simply raised his brows in surprise before he felt the ground shake fiercely with the enraged roar released from the monster. She surged forward, attempting to kill the demigod once and for all.

Nico felt a rush of power as he slid out of her path. He engaged her in an epic battle, knowing only one would walk away from this fight. The poisoned scimitar sliced across the small exposed portion of his face, cutting up the right side of his face, starting at the lip. He looked almost harlequin. All he needed was the left to match and make the iconic satirical grin. The obsidian blood entered his mouth and he could taste the difference from before. It no longer tasted like a copper penny beneath his tongue, but a viscous liquid form of ashes. He grimaced at the horrible flavor laying on his taste buds. Soon it seemed to fade as the wound healed, leaving a gray scar in its place. He never paused in his battle against the beast as he pushed her back further and further from the camp. She grew angrier with every strike deflected and every wound healed. The creatures mid waist changed quicker than before, snapping and howling out in anger, causing all sound but this battle to fade.

Finally, he seen an opportunity to strike. After dodging the strike of the dual scimitars, he lunged forward, avoiding the snapping heads, and stabbed her just below the hideous belt. She let out the loudest, most horrific sound he had ever heard. It caused him to release the sword, still embedded in her flesh, and cover his ears. It shook the trees and caused other demigods to fall to the ground, covering their own ears. Even Peleus and Mrs. O'Leary whimpered, trying to avoid the sound. The guttural screech died as she began to erupt into familiar green flames. Like an explosion, she was gone. Greek fire was sent soaring all across the place. To his horror it landed on Thalia's pine tree. The White House sized tree was slowly being eaten away by fire. The campers screamed in terror at the shower of flames and attempted to save the tree. Then, one of the worst things that could happen happened. The Golden Fleece itself was ravaged by flames. Even Chiron let out a horrified sound as he rushed forth to try and rescue their protection. It was too late.

He could already feel the magic of the boarders weaken as Fleece was consumed by fire. Everyone cried out at the feeling, knowing full well that they were much more exposed to danger. Before anyone had a chance to turn on Nico, he was gone. He snatched up his sword and the two poisoned scimitars before shadow traveling to his cabin. Only Will noticed his immediate disappearance.

Nico crashed onto his bed. Panic and absolute self-loathing seethed through his veins as he tore away at everything in reach. It had been a very long time since he had taken his anger and hatred out in such a manner as this. Whatever was close by him was absolutely ravaged. He cut through the desk sitting against the furthest wall with a scimitar, not being foolish enough to use his own and risk more fire. He mutilated the chairs and couch. The two bunk beds were destroy, both top bunks toppled onto the ground with a loud crash. Every picture was broken, every glass object was smashed. He punched the walls, shattering his fists again, only this time they healed nearly instantaneously. Each article of clothing was shredded into unrecognizable strips of cloth. Among the carnage, the clothes he was currently wearing were torn as well. He gripped his head as he threw himself on his mutilated bed. Fingers curled through oil-slick black hair and he pulled, faintly relieved at feeling the sting. He threw back his head, barely feeling the pain as his skull smashed off the obsidian wall.

Loathing.

He absolutely loathed himself. How stupid could he possibly be? How utterly incompetent, useless, worthless, and pathetic could he get? His own failure and self-hatred had his nails digging into the tend flash of his upper arms, as if trying to hold himself together as he fell apart. If only he wasn't so damn ignorant and just opened the fissure up to swallow the monster, none of this would matter! Perhaps that was what Lady Nyx had meant about remembering his flaw. Had he not wanted that creature to feel the pain those campers felt and just got it over with, the Fleece would still be here and the camp would not be endangered.

Pain ebbed at his being, slowly consuming him and replacing the rage with utter despair. It was all his fault. His father was right, Bianca would be better than him. He should be the one that's dead. Tears pricked at his eyes as he felt the depression rising up inside him. It tore away at his insides, eating him alive, forcing him into the darkest edges of his mind. He always felt the worst at this point. Hopelessness tore away any thoughts of happiness to come. No one would want this stupid, destructive, moody kid around. He wasn't worth one of those lives out there! Perhaps they should just throw him to the Hounds and leave him to his fate. It would certainly be more useful than having him around just to fuck up something else and kill more innocents. He was nothing but dirt, lowly and disgusting. Nobody would care if he were to die, they'd just rejoice that he was finally gone. Percy, Will, Annabeth...They were probably just too nice to actually tell him how useless and pathetic he truly was. Why should he burden them? They deserved better than him!

Tears flowed freely as he poisoned his mind further and further, receding into his mental abuse. The more he thought of those irrational reasons, the more he believed them and the more pain tore him apart. He was ugly through and through. Why was he the one to live and not his sister? She was so much better than he could ever hope to be. She was kind, funny, smart, caring, and brave. The opposite of what he was. He did not hear the door creak open, nor did he feel the rumbling as his cabin shook. What he did hear, however, had him stiffen and hold his breath.

'Oh come on! I'm just trying to help your son!'

At those words the tremors ceased and an almost grudging groan was heard as the door slammed shut itself. He recognized that voice as his cousin, the famous, adored, and legendary Percy Jackson.

Blood-shot eyes peeked up to see Percy gaping slightly at the mess that was his cabin before turning to look at Nico's slumped form. Percy was around six feet, very well built without being hulking, bed head black hair, sea green eyes, and an air of friendliness. Protection. His expression, normally grinning, was instead concerned. Nico almost convinced himself that Percy was just acting, but he could not fool himself. If there was one thing Nico knew, it was that Percy could not act to save his life. Many thought that he was stupid, but Nico knew better. He was simply oblivious to the obvious. Percy was smarter than he was given credit for, and he knew he didn't mind. That was one thing Nico admired most about his cousin. He was utterly selfless and never looked for thanks or praise.

Immediately, his cousin rushed to the torn up bed and sat down next to him.

'Nico, what's wrong? What did you do?'

He knew Percy meant good, but he was so completely blunt he sometimes did not catch how terrible his choice of wording could be. Nico just choked back a sob, refusing to look weak now. Percy was the last person he wanted to cry in front of, his father aside. Percy was such a big hero, so loved, and so absolutely perfect that Nico did not want to taint that with his pathetic toilings. Without notice, he felt arms wrap around his shoulders as he was pressed into the side of his cousin. He wasn't used to such affection since his sister and immediately froze, though he didn't push away, finding comfort in the motion. Teeth bit harshly against his lower lip as he forced back tears, his body convulsing slightly at the effort.

'Seriously Nico, just tell me what's up! I hate seeing you like this, it...scares me.'

Nico could tell that it was awkward for Percy to be emotional like this, but he knew it was sincere. He wanted to talk, he did! He wanted to be comforted, but it just hurt him too terribly, made him feel weaker. The taste of ashes invaded his mouth as he realized he split his lip from the force of the bite. His eyes closed tight as another vicious set of sobs choked him, seized his terrorized heart, and beat in his skull. Finally, he could no longer take it. He buried his head into his hands and just let the sobs rack his body silently. Arms pulled him closer in a sort of side hug, attempting to comfort him. It was silent, accept for the commotion outside and the sound of the occasional gasp for air from Nico.

"I'm...I'm so fucking stupid! Why am I even here? I do more bad than good...Why couldn't it be me instead of her? She'd do such a better job then me. My dad's right. They're all right! Gods damn it!"

In frustration, he slammed his fist onto the bed, not nearly satisfied with the way it cushioned the blow. Percy stayed silent, just keeping one arm around his shoulder and holding him as Nico growled out his thoughts, silently betraying himself to one of the only people he knew he could trust. Percy's face grew darker with each obscenity, each degradation muttered from his cousin's lips. It killed him to know that Nico was wasting away, withering up and blaming himself for everything. No, he had to stop this! He frowned as he held tight to Nico, afraid he'd just disappear into the shadows or even worse, disappear into himself again. Well, he knew his cousin was brooding, but he never knew to what extent he tortured himself mentally. All he knew was that he never shared his thoughts or feelings, never betrayed any emotion but bitter sarcasm, anger, and irritation. Percy felt it was up to him to drag Nico out of this, and whether Nico liked it or not, he had a new sidekick.

So they sat in silence in the cabin. Percy stayed until the physically younger kid fell asleep, and even then he simply sat there, as if protecting him from all the evils of the world, evils he could not imagine that tortured his cousin's mind.

Fury.

Percy was absolutely furious as he thought over what Nico muttered silently. It took a few moments, but he realized that by 'They're all right!' the other campers had teased Nico about his sister's death and other such topics in a sadistic manner, degrading him. Wore away his self-confidence. Killed him inside.

"Erase this monster I've become

Forgive me for all the damage done

It's not over

Say it's not over

I'm begging for mercy

I'm only the monster you made me"

-'Monster You Made' by Pop Evil

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, any of the characters, quotes, or The Crow.

Formatting and content inspired from The Crow by James O'Barr

A/N

WOW. Long wait for this? I completely apologize.

I wrote this in just a couple hours today by a sudden spark of muse, sorry for the wait and sorry for this POS.

I'm not good with comfort, hence the very minuscule part mentioning Percy comforting Nico.

Why did I mention Will Solace so much? Because he is my third, if not tied for second, favorite character. Who can't love Mr. Solace with a passion? Don't answer that.

THANK YOU FOR THE PATIENCE AND ALL THE AMAZING REVIEWS!

Thank you to: Izzy98 for the idea on the attack on camp going wrong on him

Alexander Caesar for one of the greatest reviews I ever received. Seriously, ever.

and every other person who had reviewed, because you make me want to write more and more. I don't deserve such AMAZING reviews.

I would name you all, but that would take up a vast amount of space, and long AN must annoy many of you.

A special thank you to XxXBlackPhoenixXxX for the messages with ideas! They're extremely helpful.

Question time: What do you all think about the title 'skiá prínkipas' (Shadow Prince) instead of what I have right now? I think it sounds less corny haha.

Now, no one won the contest because, naturally, there were no entrants. I can't blame you all, I expected this but I figured I may as well throw it out there for fun. What could it harm?

What do you guys think about him with wings? Now, before everyone goes crazy I'll elucidate. In the next chapter, which I do have planned out, something happens involving Thanatos which may result in wings for Nico, but it may not also. It all depends. It's a risky thought, but if played right it could work out well, or horrifically. Let's just say, it involves his powers. Ideas? I'm still on the fence, leaning no, but I can be persuaded with convincing thoughts! So let me hear them.

Finally; Vote on my poll involving TGKC sequel. There WILL be a sequel, I already have it partially planned out. So far there are four or five votes. It will end once I finish up the last chapter. Expect part Five today, or this weekend at the latest.

Reviews, CC, etc. welcome.