CHAPTER SUMMARY

Chiron hosts the Winter Solstice meeting early. Cho has a disturbing dream.

BEGINNING NOTES

Chapter Rating: General Audiences
Content Warning: None
Word Count: 3774

What are you talking about, it's totally Monday! Okay, sorry guys, but I'm getting ready for C2E2 and I've been packing and getting my Bianca cosplay ready and... also work is a thing...

I promise I'll start posting normal days again!

Also, I started a new fic, Shoot an Arrow Through His Heart. Starring Bianca, it's a mortal, high school AU. Go to the link below to read the summary and first chapter, etc. I normally don't post two fics at once, but I'm posting Shoot an Arrow Through His Heart on AO3 and I wanted to sync you guys up with them. Once this fic (Ghosts of Millennia) ends I doubt I'll ever be updating two stories in tandem ever again. (Also I'm skipping posting on that story this week just so I can make sure it's 100% written)

story/181724572-shoot-an-arrow-through-his-heart

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

_PERCY_

When Percy and his friends got to the Hermes auction, Annabeth, Thalia, and Nico had disappeared. Percy wanted to go look for them, but Jason vetoed the idea. "Annabeth and Thalia probably want to catch up, and you know Nico needs his alone time. We'll see them later."

"Shh!" Piper said. "I want to get those arrows for Thalia!"

After a few hours (Piper gave Connor Stoll way too much money for the probably-stolen arrows) Percy went to search for Annabeth but came up empty. He still couldn't believe they were engaged. He remembered those times when Annabeth talked about their future; how her eyes would light up and her smile would betray her. She didn't pressure him into marriage, in fact, she never brought it up. But the way she talked hinted that she dreamed about them spending the rest of their lives together. He never made a comment; she would deny it and feel embarrassed and ashamed that she expected such a big commitment from him. That was the amazing thing: she didn't expect it. She wanted it. And Percy felt flattered.

After they finished their quest last year, they enrolled in New Rome University and moved in together. It was nice to get to see her every day, to get help or encouragement when his workload made him want to give up, to get easy alone time, to do mortal things like watch TV together, and to have someone to hold as he fell asleep. Yes, they argued and got on each other's nerves, but that was the norm throughout their entire relationship and friendship before that.

There were small moments: when they fell asleep on the beanbag chair together after a late-night movie session, the time Annabeth brought him dinner on the quad when he was elbow-deep in midterms, the post-it-notes she put on the fridge to remind about the plans he made with Hazel-or that Reyna wanted to meet with him-because he would forget otherwise. After a few weeks they fell into a rhythm Percy could no longer live without. Soon, a thought lingered in Percy's mind, and he couldn't chase it away.

Marriage. A family of his own. To have Annabeth at his side for years, decades even. He wasn't sure about it and didn't want to get her hopes up, so he used their roommate situation to ask her hypothetical questions about their future that may or may not be relevant to the subject of marriage. Every day he got more and more sure that he wanted this. When they parted for Thanksgiving, Percy sat down with his parents and Nico and brought up the idea. Nico was psyched. His parents, however, had a long conversation with him about what that kind of commitment meant. In the end, they gave him his blessing.

When they went back to San Francisco, Percy made a secret visit to the Chases. He knew the whole "asking the bride's parents for her hand" thing was cliché and old-fashioned, but he wanted to. He figured after all his parents' insight, hers would know more Annabeth-specific concerns and advice-Mr. and Mrs. Chase were thrilled. Then came planning with Piper as his expert guide, and, finally, the question. Percy knew they'd talk about it more in the time between today and their actual wedding, but he didn't care. Annabeth said yes. Even if they chose to wait ten years, they'd spend the rest of their lives together.

He finally found Annabeth at lunch, with Nico and Thalia. Something was wrong. They sat alone in the corner of the dining pavilion with dark expressions and too many harsh whispers. Percy, concerned, tried to snake his hand into Annabeth's, but that only made them change the topic. At first, Percy and his friends tried to get the story out of them, but within minutes it was clear that would be impossible. Annabeth left to talk to Chiron the moment he trotted in, Thalia left halfway through lunch to greet the arriving Hunters, and Nico refused to say a word. After lunch, Percy followed him back to the Hades cabin, hoping for a private confession, but got the door slammed in his face with a shadow shield gluing it closed.

_NICO_

After Percy left, Nico went to his favorite spot. It was a huge oak tree a little ways away from the campfire. When he climbed it, an old twisted branch served as a seat, and the oak's leaves became a one-way mirror. No one could see him, but he could see the world. There was a clear view of the Sound, and of the woods between the two. In the nighttime, the woods looked like Hogwarts's Forbidden Forest: dark, brooding, terrifying, and hiding monsters. He could sit under everyone's nose and people watch or get much-needed alone time when he should be at the campfire. It was the only time he ever felt powerful and in control. It was the only time he ever felt like a demigod. When he was a demigod.

"I wondered when I would find you up here," came a warm female voice. Nico jumped; no one ever discovered his hiding place. "Don't worry, I won't tell." He turned. Hestia. Not the follower of Hecate, the goddess.

"How do you know about this place?" Nico asked.

"I'm a goddess, I have my ways." She gave a warm smile. "I waited for you at the hearth, but you never came. Tell me what's troubling you."

"Shouldn't you be on Olympus, getting ready for the Solstice?"

"On Olympus, yes. Getting ready for the Solstice, no. I gave up my spot when I stepped down for Dionysus."

"Right. I tried stepping down-didn't work. Maybe I should just bail too."

"Well, you look like you need a friend."

Nico sighed. "I don't want to do this. I don't want any of it. I told Hades straight out: I don't want to be a pawn of the gods anymore. But there's Persephone. And here I am."

"Yes, here you are." Hestia touched his arm in a motherly sort of way. Nico couldn't help but smile. That's why he loved talking to her. Hera may be the goddess of marriage and childbirth, but Hestia was the real goddess of family. Home is where the heart is and all the usual sayings boring people hang on their walls. Home was hard to come by. Nico knew that first hand.

"Do you want my advice?" Hestia asked. Nico nodded. "Do you remember what you told Percy Jackson about your quest, the first time you wore the Artifacts?"

Nico thought for a moment. "I told him about my plan to save Persephone."

"You told me yourself what you said when you came back from England. 'I understand why the Fates took so much from me.' And...?"

" 'I know how bad it hurts when you're on the other side of death, and I will never let anyone go through what I have.' " Nico finished for her. "I don't get where you're going with this."

"It's the Fates, Nico. Your life led to that moment, and now you're rediscovering what you lost so many decades ago. You are destined to make this trip."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better? Everything happens for a reason, trust in fate? I'll pass."

The goddess shook her head. "You can't change your fate. Don't try to. The Fates want you here, so walk this path with pride. You were not able to shed most of your godly abilities-" she gestured to Nico's sword as proof, "-like you can't shed your family."

"The Jacksons are my family now," Nico told her.

"Disowned or dead, family calls to us all," Hestia said. "Sometimes ignoring that call is the best thing for us to do-that's not my place. But the home shapes you either way. Try to run from its influence, and you will accomplish nothing but pain."

"Now you sound like Dr. Solberg. 'Avoidance tactics never work, Nico.' "

Hestia said nothing. She nodded and smiled and vanished with a warm breeze that tickled his cheek. Though he wasn't happy about it, Nico climbed down, back to Earth, resigned to the meeting. He knew deep down that Hestia was right. He'd get the situation over and done with, then go back to his normal life. It was the only way to keep himself from going back to who he was before.

_CHO_

It was the first day of Christmas break. Cho put her bag down, watching as her parents fussed over her two-year-old sister, and, for the first time in months, smiled. Her smile was hollow, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"Mama! Papa!" she called.

"Cho!" Mama waved as Sora tried to grab her nose. The toddler hit her in the face; she jerked her head away with squinted eyes and a "bleh!" Cho laughed as tears poured down her cheeks. She walked into her father's embrace and sobbed. She felt so guilty. Why did she feel guilty? Cedric and Harry wanted her to be happy, why must she always feel guilty? Nothing but guilt. Nothing but gray.

"Choo-choo!" Sora shouted, tiny fists in the air. Cho wiped her tears away with her sleeve, then took Sora into her arms. She'd bought her sister a tiny steam engine figurine as a toy at Hogsmeade a year ago, and Sora had been obsessed with the things ever since. She started calling Cho 'choo-choo' and made her be the conductor when she wanted to play trains.

When Cho's tears didn't stop, Mama took Sora back, and Papa said, "Take a rest, koibito." He carried his crying mess of a daughter back to her room, tucked her in, kissed her on the forehead, and held her hand as she tried to drift off. Finally, the warm hand holding hers and young child's laughs dulled thoughts of Cedric and Harry enough to release her.

She had the most peculiar dream. She was in a well-furnished study; magical decorations and an assortment of quills and inkwells confirmed that the room belonged to a wizard. It was wooden and spacious, and there were numerous awards from various fields hung on the walls, including the Stylish Wizard of the Year Award. A thick, silver unicorn-hair rug covered the floor. The desk was ornately carved with swirling lines and curved legs, and covered in parchment forms, various newspapers and magazines, and thick books of magical law.

The door opened. The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, entered with none other than Dolores Umbridge.

"I'm sorry to bother you in your home, Minister, but I wanted to keep this as private as possible."

"Yes, yes." Fudge motioned for her to continue. "I'm a busy man, Dolores, so get on with it."

Umbridge glanced behind them, making sure there were no prying eyes. "We have a mole in the Ministry. Some low-level worker found some disturbing rumors in Wizarding Weekly. He was unaware of its legitimacy, Minister, I have no doubt."

She handed Fudge a newspaper. His eyes widened. "Return to your position at Hogwarts immediately. I'll launch a private investigation. News of Lord Voldemort cannot get out."

"If you would like my advice, Dumbledore is stubborn, disloyal, and senile, but a well-respected wizard. If we reinforce my Wizards For the Workforce bill and use Statute Twenty-Three to replace that werewolf, there will be more questions, not less. With Potter gone, there is no reason to worry about nasty rumors at the school. I will tell the Daily Prophet to discredit Wizarding Weekly, as well as release some... news about Dumbledore. I assure you, Minister, Rockwood took care of Hogwarts, and the Department Heads have everything under control. Focus on our mole. Find them, and we have no reason to worry."

Cho woke with a start. Papa was gone, laughing with Mama and Sora.

Calm down. It's just a dream... isn't it?

_PERCY_

Percy was surprised to hear the conch shell so soon after lunch. It was only three o'clock, too early for dinner, which meant something was seriously wrong. He bolted out of the cabin in his pajamas. He didn't want to waste a second changing in case of a monster attack.

He saw every camper, nymph, and satyr within the camp's borders running past his cabin door. He looked around for his friends, but couldn't find them in the crowd. So, he joined the river of bodies flowing to the Big House. When he arrived, he saw Thalia standing on the porch with Chiron and all thirty-something Hunters of Artemis.

"All head counselors to the Rec Room!" Chiron announced. "The rest of you, back to your activities! The Hunters of Artemis will take Cabin Eight for the duration of their stay!"

With worried whispers, the crowd dispersed. Thalia remained with two other Hunters. Odd, since there was usually only one representative per group. If Chiron noticed, he didn't say anything. Percy finally saw his friends once the crowd of people was gone, minus Annabeth and Nico, that is.

Is that what they were whispering about at lunch? Do they know what's going on?

No one said a word as they walked into the Rec Room. Unlike every other meeting since the Second Giant War, no Diet Coke cans were warping the ping-pong table, nor chatter that Chiron needed to silence, nor fighting over who sat where and who would have to squish around who. The air was far too serious for that.

Nico and Annabeth were already in the room, sitting at the foot of the table, across from Rachel Dare and Chiron. Percy squeezed between Jason and Piper without a word. He watched as each counselor filed in, naming them in his head to distract from the anxious thoughts running through his mind:

Miranda for Demeter, Travis for Hermes, Sherman for Ares, Pollux for Dionysus, Clovis for Morpheus, Will, Lou Ellen...

Butch Walker for the Iris cabin was the last one to take his seat. Because of the Roman representatives, Alabaster, and the Hunters, everyone was cramped and claustrophobic. Percy didn't remember any meeting with this many people: Alabaster was new, Clovis usually slept through the conch shell, Thalia was usually the only Hunter there, etcetera. It didn't help that the tension in the air made everything sweaty, hot, and thick.

Alabaster's presence made everything worse, but they needed a representative for the Wizarding World, and no other follower of Hecate was available. Ron and Hermione were in England, and Blaise and Hestia refused to step foot in Camp Half-Blood, too traumatized from the Wizard Genocide. Nico had to push Chiron for weeks to finally clear Alabaster for the meeting, and, even then, he was forbidden from ever entering again once they found a better and willing candidate to represent Hecate's followers.

"You all are wondering why I didn't call this meeting tomorrow as planned," Chiron began. "We are all here on the orders of Persephone, or Proserpine for the Romans among us. She paid our campers-" he gestured to Nico, Annabeth, and Thalia "-a visit this morning and instructed us to have our annual Winter Solstice meeting the moment the Hunters arrived." He cleared his throat. "Nico, you have the floor."

Nico wasn't paying any attention. He kept his gaze fixed on his lap and played with the hem of his shirt. There were beads of sweat on his eyebrow, but he didn't take off his aviator jacket. After a minute of silence, Annabeth muttered something in Nico's ear. He didn't move an inch. Percy tried to stand, but he couldn't with all the people surrounding him. So, he elected for a, "Is everything ok, Nico?"

Then, Nico did something he never had before. He reached over the table, as far as his arm would go. Percy took his hand. Yeah, they were brothers now, but even the tiniest public display of affection was unheard of when it came to Nico.

Nico swallowed hard. "Persephone appeared in my cabin after breakfast. She told me... um, she told me that I..." Nico took a deep breath. It looked like he was about to cry. Percy felt like he'd walked in on him in the shower. This never happened. "She, uh, she told me that, um, Hecate-no, Demeter, actually, Ceres, Demeter's Roman half-but Hecate wanted her to-she... she brought Hades up on, um, on... charges for the Wizard Genocide last... last year."

The room erupted into chaos. Memories of the Wizard Genocide consumed them. Even Clovis stopped snoozing in his chair long enough to freak out. Percy's heart raced and his palms grew sweaty. He felt a lump in his throat but forced it down. This wasn't the same as before, no, it was a trial, there would be no war... unless someone lost... which is the point of a trial...

Stop it, Percy! Get ahold of yourself!

"Heroes!" Chiron yelled over the chaos. He had to buck and slam his hooves on the ground for anyone to stop talking. "I know the Wizard Genocide left us all afraid and unsure. But this is not the Wizard Genocide. This is a trial between Ceres, Hecate, Hades, and Persephone."

"Someone's going to lose, and then they'll start a war!" Butch Walker protested.

"I remember the monster attacks on New Year's Eve!" Travis Stoll cried. "They'll tear us apart if this happens again!"

The room erupted. Percy heard someone mutter a condescending " Boys, " beside him. He glared at the two not-Thalia Hunters.

"HEROES!" Chiron yelled, louder than Percy had ever heard him yell before. "We must not lose our senses! This camp will dissolve into chaos if, and only if, we give in to fear!"

One of the Hunter girls turned to Thalia. "What did Persephone want with you?" she asked.

"Nothing, Ianthe," Thalia spat. "Annabeth and I walked in by mistake. She turned me into a flower because apparently she can't get over Dad's absent father charade five-thousand years ago."

That was enough for the tense room to burst into laughter, minus the Hunters and Nico, Annabeth, and Thalia. Ianthe and the other Hunter looked scandalized. "Why would a kidnapped maiden harm a Hunter?!"

" Don't say that," Percy warned. "Hecate said the same, and that started the Wizard Genocide in the first place. She really doesn't like the helpless damsel in distress angle."

"How would you know?" the other girl spat.

"Because I watched it happen." Percy shot back. He really hated the Hunters sometimes.

Rachel turned to Nico. "What was your quest? A god wouldn't appear before you if they didn't want something."

"Ceres only announced the trial this morning," Annabeth explained, sparing Nico more time in the spotlight. "She wants Nico to travel to New Arcadia-it's near Yellowstone National Park-and plead with her to extend the deadline. That way, Hades can prepare a defense."

"Ceres and Hecate are cowards," Frank said. "That's not an honorable strategy."

"It gets the job done, though," Alabaster said. Everyone stared at him, most with hate and disgust in their eyes. "What?! I'm not saying I agree with it, just that it's effective. Mom's clever and knows what she's doing. If Ceres is on her side, I don't think she'll extend the deadline so easily."

"Come with me, then," Nico begged.

Add "begging" to the list of things Nico's never done in public before.

"Please, Al. You're Hecate's favorite son. If you disagree with what she's doing, help me."

Alabaster looked conflicted. "Go, Alabaster," Lou Ellen said. "I'm with you on this one. Mom's too clever for her own good. Frank's right. This kind of underhanded trick will ruin her reputation with the Council, conviction or not. She's too angry at Hades to think straight. She needs us to be her voice of reason."

Most of the room started protesting this appointment, but Chiron silenced them. He had a grave face on, but he knew Alabaster had to go. Ceres wouldn't listen to any child of Hades, even if Nico had disowned his father.

"Fine," Alabaster said after a little more deliberation. "How are we getting there? Shadow travel? Those terrifying death machines? Or I can apparate us."

"No apparition," Nico said. "I betrayed Hecate the moment I stepped towards Persephone's coffin. I travel by magical means, and I won't come out alive. I can't do airplanes either; Zeus likes me about as much as he likes Percy. And, I'm too weak to shadow travel after my, um, trip to Italy yesterday. Per- Persephone... uh, wants me... to, um..." For a second time, Nico looked close to a breakdown. He glanced at Percy, tears swimming in his eyes. Percy's blood began to boil. No one messed with his little brother and got away with it.

Annabeth took the reins once again. "Nico's going to travel with the Hunters when they go back to Canada. Persephone said the palace was on their way. Artemis will bless the trip so it's possible to get there before sundown tomorrow."

The Hunters erupted. "How dare anyone but Lady Artemis command our path!" not-Ianthe said. "We shall not tolerate this slight!"

"I know, RoszĂ­, but Persephone already went to Lady Artemis," Thalia told her. "I got the message from our Lady after I picked you guys up. She blessed our journey and commanded us to do what Persephone asked. We won't lose any ground, and we'll be done in a day."

There was the answer. What was upsetting Nico so much that he'd act this out of character? Not only were one of the (many) worst months of his life coming back to haunt him, but his most grievous loss was haunting him too. Bianca died when she went on a quest with the Hunters, and now he was being thrown into the same situation by a stepmom he'd rather forget.

Rachel tried to make eye contact with Nico-he didn't take his eyes off his lap, but Rachel spoke anyway. "Ask me for your prophecy, Nico."

"Hey!" Percy cried, "I'm not letting Nico do this alone!"

"No," Nico said. "Me, Al, and Thalia make three. I'm... I'm not taking a fourth hero."

Or a fifth.

"And no prophecy," he continued, his voice growing stronger. "This isn't a quest; it's my ex-father and ex-stepmother asking me to be their errand boy again. No one's leading anyone."

Rachel pursed her lips. She looked like she wanted to argue.

"You leave immediately," Chiron told Nico. He refused to even look at Alabaster. "Thalia, collect your Hunters." He debated whether to continue, then braced himself for his final words. "Every minute you lose brings us closer to war."

END NOTES

Next week, the quest begins! Or the not-quest, I guess.

Sorry no commentary 'cause Sara's out this week :(

Credits:
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)
Sara - Beta Reader (Tumblr icomparemyselftoyou)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next time!

COMMENTS

FestusGirl

why does it [CH 3] say 'Son of Jupiter'? Annabeth and Thalia followed Nico right, not Thalia and Jason. Anyway, great chapter. Sorry for tuning out again, but I was really busy with school and stuff so yeah... I'm back! And yet again, a great chapter

Yay you're back! Aaaaand... that was a typo. A million years ago, it was Jason, not Annabeth, who was with Nico, and I guess that little bit got left in the chapter. Thanks for letting me know, I've since fixed it.

The Goode Ravenclaw

I sorta have mixed feelings about Persephone. I mean, she's a badass and all that, but she's a bitch. I really like the chapter, and I can't wait for the next one!

Totally get what you mean. I think her quest makes perfect sense, but the way she went about it was super unfair. But that's gods for you...