Demigod Diaries - Lily IX
I saw Nico. He was sitting in a circle of dry grass in Bulls-Eye Clearing. He was writing with a pen in his little blue book. He looked sad.
Then he looked up, his eyes suddenly alert. He folded up his book and put both it and the pen into his coat pocket. He got up and ran to the edge of the clearing.
I seemed to move with him, drifting towards whatever he heard. His eyes widened. I touched him, and heard what he must have been hearing. A weak voice saying barely above a whisper "Aagh! I... I can't!" with noises as if someone were gasping for breath. "The... the water. I've got to get... get..."
Nico ran forward. I floated alongside him. Then I saw what he was running to. It was me. Same black hair, same blue eyes, same klutzy armor, only... prettier. Her —my— hair was smoother, like I —she— had just taken a shower instead of running around. Her —my— clothes and face didn't have any grass or dirt on it and looked clean and smooth. Even the armor looked cute.
Nico kneeled down and said "Can you hear me? Are you awake?" he shook the dream-me-only-prettier lightly and asked again.
The dream-me-only-prettier mumbled "The water." and Nico half-carried her —me— to the water.
The dream faded into a cave, I saw a boy sitting in front of a fire. It took me a moment to notice it was Nico. He looked quite different. His hair wasn't that messy (though it was pretty dusty), his aviator jacket looked new and was obviously too big, and his jeans looked new too (although it was pretty dirty and ripped a little on one knee), but what was really different was that angry expression he had. He looked so mad, but also very wild and not in control. I realized I was watching him at a time when he was younger than I was now.
He was throwing cards into the fire. "Useless." he said. "I can't believe I ever liked this stuff." I realized that they were Mythomagic cards. So that's what happened to them!
"I've failed," he continued. "There's no way to get her back."
"An exchange." said an invisible voice. " A soul for a soul."
Nico turned towards me, but of course he couldn't see me. A tear traced down his cheek. "Very well. You have a plan?".
Suddenly, we were somewhere foggy and I could see Nico with his sword drawn facing someone who had to be Percy Jackson. He yelled to him "You? Why would I want YOU? Bianca's soul is worth a thousand of yours!"
The dream faded, and I saw young-dream-Nico again, only he didn't look so mad now. He was walking with Percy Jackson in front of him.
Then young-dream-Nico stopped. Three bat-ladies who might have been called Furies lighted down.
"Mrs Dodds." said Percy Jackson.
Young-dream-Nico nodded and said to the furies "I have done what my father asked. Take us to the palace."
Percy looked startled. "Wait a second, Nico. What do you-" he began.
"I'm afraid this is my new lead, Percy. My father promised me information about my family, but he wants to see you before we try the river. I'm sorry."
"You TRICKED me?" Percy Jackson lunged at young-dream-Nico but two Furies caught him and flew him into the air.
It was as if someone had pressed a fast-forward button one my dream. Suddenly, we were in a dark, dreary throne room with who must have been Hades in the chair. He smiled. "You are spirited. I'll give you credit for that. Have fun in my dungeon. We'll check on you again in - oh, fifty or sixty years." then the dream went fuzzy.
It felt black, but I heard a voice whisper "Percy!" When the light had returned, I saw Percy Jackson with the edge of his sword pinning young-dream-Nico to the floor by the end of his throat. Young-dream-Nico tried to say something, but he was choking against the sword. Percy looked so angry that I wondered if he was ever gonna let young-dream-Nico go.
The dream went fuzzy again and I saw a wooden floor, or maybe it was a wooden ceiling. Nico was nowhere in sight.
Wait, this is my cabin. So I'm awake. Oh.
Well, that dream made it impossible for me to sleep. I kept trying, it was too unsettling to think about my dream. It seemed like Nico Di Angelo would do anything to get what he wants, even if it involved killing a hero like Percy. Still, he had saved me merely because he heard I was in trouble.
I needed a break. I needed to read.
I considered taking out more Percy Jackson books, but on the way to my cupboard I tripped and fell.
Luckily, no one had been there to see it. I picked up the thing that had caused me to fall. It was Nico's little blue book. He must have left it behind when all his things spilled out from his jacket. Maybe this was what he was so worried about. I shouldn't have, but I couldn't resist opening a few pages. The first page bore a pen drawing of Nico, and it looked exactly like him. Except younger and chubbier. The next page had fancy handwriting. It said "This is the Super Private Journal of Nico Di Angelo, Son of Hades. Keep Out!"