A/N This is earlier than normal for me to be writing...

I hope I did this monster justice!

Bianca laughed happily and spun on the spot, snowflakes falling into her life hair. As Nico watched, she held out a hand towards him - no, it wasn't towards him, it was just an image in the Ehtel's face - and grasped someone's gloved fingers, pulling them towards the building in the background of the image.

Nico stumbled backwards; he knew what would happen next and he did not want to see it.

"You see now why you cannot defeat me, little hero," came the Ehtel's voice, and it stepped forwards again.

The image changed to a much more recent one: a tall man with dark eyes was glaring towards him. Nico watched with sudden understanding as a much younger version of the boy sitting behind him jumped at the man, who was no longer a man but a snarling creature with a spiked tail...

The vision sped up, and when it slowed again, Nico was confronted with Percy again, now years older, wearing a torn orange shirt and a rucksack, a pillow in the shape of... a panda? poking out of one pocket.

"I- I know you," the image of Percy said. And to his horror, the image replied.

"Do you?"

The image swung slightly, and Nico saw Hazel off to the side: this was when she had introduced amnesiac Percy to him in Camp Jupiter.

He was watching his memories on the monster's screen-like face.

He - the real, present day he - stumbled back a step towards Percy, and the monster advanced again. "How- how are you doing that?"

As the creature laughed, the image changed - now, Nico watched again as Percy tumbled into Tartarus with Annabeth. "This is my power, little hero. I am memory itself, and you cannot best me."

Percy whimpered again, and Nico wondered what memories he saw in the Ehtel's face.

A flash of his travel through Tartarus, and then the image settled on a square in Rome, empty except for Jason. And himself, of course.

He remembered that moment all to well.

Closing his eyes and trying to block cupid's taunting from his ears, he groped desperately for his sword.

He was going to kill this thing, no matter what memories it thew at him.

"...see a friendly face..."

That was Will's voice! His eyes snapped open again just in time to watch himself follow the other boy into the infirmary after the Roman war.

"Ahh, I found it," the Ehtel purred. "I found the thing you could never harm. You have los-"

"No." This thing was not going to use Will against him.

It flinched. "What?"

Drawing strength from the image of the blond boy, Nico hauled himself back to his feet, sword in hand. "I have not lost. I will not lose!"

He swung the sword at the beast's head.

But the Ehtel chuckled and launched into a back flip, dodging the blow. "So you can still stand against me, little hero?"

He did not bother to reply; advancing forward, stance low, he made another vicious swing at it. It stopped laughing, and a whip appeared in each hand. It swung them ferociously, and Nico had to leap back to avoid being hit.

He could do with some back up...

And then he realised how badly he'd planned this. Percy was too exhausted to help him, and he'd left the rest of his team at the top of a cliff a few miles back. Moreover, he could not summon anything to help him, as whatever he called from the earth would have the ocean in between it and the beast he has to destroy.

I'm on my own.

One of the monster's ice studded whips came swinging towards his head, and he raised his sword instinctively - but that must have been what his opponent wanted. Curling around his sword, the whip dragged him back towards its weilder; he ducked to avoid the other weapon, refusing to let go of his sword.

And then he was face to face with the Ehtel, watching his and Will's first kiss.

The idea that the monster was going through his most private memories jarred him, filling him with fury. Jerking his sword upwards, he managed to slice through the restraint upon it - and then the Ehtel was lying on its back, him kneeling on its chest, his blade to its throat.

He swung.

Just before the blade connected, he was greeted with one final vision.

Bianca, her face streaked with tears, her lip trembling and fear in her eyes, held her hand out to him. "Help me, Nico! Please!"

The beast exploded into dust. Something clinked onto the glassy surface that had formed their battleground, and he put his face in his hands.

A pressure on his shoulder alerted him to Percy's presence. "Hey." He wiped his eyes before facing him.

"That was... that was really brave, Nico. I'm sorry I..." his voice faded away and he winced, whatever memories the Ehtel had shown him clearly still raw in his mind.

"Yeah, well. Thanks, Percy."

Pulling himself to his feet and sheathing his sword, Nico looked around at the pile of yellow dust.

Something silver glinted from the floor beside it, and he stooped to pick it up.

It was a flask of silver blood. "I got it..."

He tucked it safely into his pocket and turned back to the green eyed boy. "Feel up to getting us back to shore, Kelp Head?"

A/N I haven't properly written a fight scene before, and I hope that was okay...

Thanks to Guest! (I hope you know who you are.)

~Fi