AN: SO a lot of this is verbatim from the Hidden Oracle so PLEASE DON'T SUE ME DISNEY (I'M JUST DOING IT FOR THE MEMS). Also, spoilers. And obviously Uncle Rick's work is canon, but I'm just putting my own spin on it!
Disclaimer: All rights to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.
Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are expressed within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do NOT read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!
Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave me suggestions! Enjoy!
Nico's POV:
The new girl, Meg gawked as Chiron emerged from the Big House. "He—he really is a centaur." Nico held back a scathing remark about his former mentor, not really in the forgiving mood.
"Well spotted," Apollo said. "I suppose the lower body of a horse is what gave him away?"
She punched him in the arm. Nico liked the girl. She was fiery and had put Connor and Sherman in their places.
"Chiron," Apollo said, "this is Meg McCaffrey, my new master, and wellspring of aggravation. You were saying something about disappearances?"
Chiron's tail flicked. His hooves clopped on the planks of the porch. "Welcome, Meg. I understand you showed great bravery in the woods. You brought Apollo here despite many dangers. I'm glad to have you at Camp Half-Blood."
"Thanks," said Meg. "You're really tall. Don't you hit your head on light fixtures?"
Chiron chuckled. "Sometimes. If I want to be closer to human size, I have a magical wheelchair that allows me to compact my lower half into…Actually, that's not important now."
"Disappearance," Apollo clarified. "What has disappeared?"
Too many people Nico thought.
"Not what, but who," Chiron said. "Let's talk inside. Will, Nico, could you please tell the other campers we'll gather for dinner in one hour? I'll give everyone an update then. In the meantime, no one should roam the camp alone. Use the buddy system."
"Understood." Will looked at Nico. "Will you be my buddy?"
"You are a dork," Nico announced, but he was distracted.
He wanted to get in on that meeting, to see what Apollo knew. What his father wasn't telling him. He and Will turned away, walking from the Big House. Once Nico heard the door close, he stopped. Will stopped too.
"What's up?"
"I want to know what's going on in that meeting," Nico said, point-blank.
"And I'm sure we will find out, later at dinner," Will implored, trying to tug Nico along.
"You should get some sleep, Will. I can tell from the bags under your eyes that you didn't sleep at all last night." Nico pointed out.
Will hung his head. "I'm just… it's a lot to process."
Nico put his hand on Will's shoulder. "Don't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, Will. It's not your fault."
"But what if it is?" Will looked at Nico. "Remember, I stood up to Zeus at the Solstice. What if he incurred his wrath at my father?"
"Your father was missing from Olympus long before you stood up to Zeus. I'm sure that has nothing to do with it. Now, go tell Kayla to tell the others that dinner is in an hour and go take a nap." Nico ordered, backing up to the Big House.
"But, the buddy system." Will protested.
Nico grinned. "I'm a big boy, I can get to the Big House without incident."
Will leaned forward, planting a kiss on Nico's cheek. "Stay safe."
Nico nodded. "Get some rest."
He turned and jogged back to the Big House. He quietly opened the screen door. He silently padded across the floor, skipping over the squeaky floorboards. He slipped behind the wall, hiding in the shadows as Chiron's voice came flooding out of the living room.
"-the Oracle of Delphi stopped receiving prophecies. In fact, all known methods of divining the future suddenly failed."
"Because the original cave of Delphi was retaken," Apollo sighed.
Meg spoke up. "Oracle of Delphi. Percy mentioned that."
Percy? When had they seen Percy? Nico hadn't seen the son of Poseidon since they had all gone their separate ways after the trial.
"At any rate," Chiron continued, "we hoped that once the war was over, the Oracle might start working again. When it did not…Rachel became concerned."
Nico remembered Rachel being distressed during Winter Break about not receiving prophecies.
"The original Delphi was a place in Greece," Apollo explained. "A cavern filled with volcanic fumes, where people would come to receive guidance from my priestess, the Pythia."
"Pythia." Meg giggled. "That's a funny word."
"Yes. Ha-ha. So, the Oracle is both a place and a person. When the Greek gods relocated to America back in…what was it, Chiron, 1860?" Apollo asked.
"More or less."
"I brought the Oracle here to continue speaking prophecies on my behalf. The power has passed down from priestess to priestess over the years. Rachel Dare is the present Oracle." Apollo informed.
"Mm-kay. Is it too late to watch that movie?" Meg asked.
Nico stopped himself from snorting. He remembered that orientation film. He had been so excited when first arriving at camp. And that was when his crush on Percy had started developing. It felt like lifetimes ago; he was a completely different person.
Apollo continued his explanation. "Now, the way I gained possession of the Oracle of Delphi in the first place was by killing this monster called Python who lived in the depths of the cavern. The snake species is named after Python the monster, who is also rather snaky, but who is much bigger and scarier and devours small girls who talk too much. At any rate, last August, while I was…indisposed, my ancient foe Python was released from Tartarus. He reclaimed the cave of Delphi. That's why the Oracle stopped working."
Nico shuddered with mention of Tartarus and the snake. In his dream state, he vaguely remembered the twin giants who had captured him discussing the snake. He started shaking as he recalled memories of that place. He clenched his fist and tried to focus on the conversation at hand.
"The larger problem," Chiron said, "is that we have no other source of prophecies."
The centaur seemed to be forgetting about Ella, but she was away at Camp Jupiter with Tyson. And Camp Half-Blood had no contact with the other camp.
Apollo shouted, disturbing Nico from his thoughts. "Meg McCaffrey, prophecies are the catalysts for every important event—every quest or battle, disaster or miracle, birth or death. Prophecies don't simply foretell the future. They shape it! They allow the future to happen."
Nico had heard enough, getting some answers to his questions. He slipped out, heading towards the door. He exited the Big House and headed to the pavilion. He had known about the Oracle not receiving prophecies because of Rachel, but not why. Python had reclaimed the original location and he was a being to be feared. He was an incredibly powerful monster. Now, Nico had not faced the monster, but he had definitely felt his presence when in Tartarus. That raw, ancient power. The stench of the monster.
He shivered in the cold air. He looked over at the hearth burning in the center of Camp. Hestia was missing, not tending to the fire. Nico headed towards the fire and sat down, taking in the warmth of the flames. Tartarus was really following him everywhere. He hated to admit it, but he was eventually going to have to face that place.
Will's POV:
The conch for dinner woke him from his short catnap. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, still feeling exhausted. He yawned as he stood, stretching. He still couldn't believe his father, the god of music, healing, poetry, and the sun, was at Camp Half-Blood, And Will had almost killed him. Almost committed patricide. He tried to distract himself from these thoughts as he got ready for dinner. He exited the cabin and went to the dining pavilion.
On his way, he found Nico, staring into the flames of the hearth. He looked haunted. The grass beneath his feet was turning brown and dying.
"Nico?" Will said lightly.
Nico blinked, looking up. "Oh, hey. Did you sleep?"
Will nodded. "Yeah, a bit. But what's going on with you?" He asked concerned. He sat beside Nico. "I walked up and... the grass was dying. What are you thinking about?"
Nico tried to turn, but Will grabbed his shoulder. He got zapped with the dark energy that Nico occasionally expelled from his body. He pulled his hand away quickly.
Nico's eyes widened. "Oh my gods, Will."
Will laughed it off nervously "It's all good, just felt like you were shocking me. Don't avoid the question though. What's going on?"
Nico rubbed his forehead. "I found out why we aren't getting prophecies."
"And why is that?" Why does it have you all worked up? Will thought.
"Apollo and Chiron, they were talking about Python."
Will felt fear overtake him. He knew all the stories, especially as a son of Apollo. Python was Apollo's greatest adversary. "You mean- the Python?"
Nico nodded gravely. "He's retaken the original Oracle of Delphi; it's why we have stopped receiving prophecies."
"That- that explains a lot."
"Not the disappearances. And who is helping him? He would have needed aid escaping from Tartarus and through the Doors of Death."
And the pieces finally fit into place about why Nico had been so on edge; Python had, of course, come from Tartarus. There was a chance he escaped while the Doors of Death were open, while Nico was in Tartarus.
"Did you face him down there?" Will dared to ask. Nico turned white but was saved by answering as the conch sounded again for dinner.
"There's the conch. Let's go to the pavilion," Nico evaded the question. Will had no choice but to follow him.
The couple arrived at the dining pavilion. Will noticed Apollo sitting at his table. Nico sat down next to him, which surprised Will. Usually, he had to drag Nico to dinner and then eat with him at the Hades table. Kayla and Austin sat down also. Nico shot a look at his siblings but said nothing.
Austin and Kayla began to pepper Apollo with questions about Olympus, the war with Gaea, and what it felt like to be a god and then a human. Will watched his father's reactions as well as surveying Nico's behavior.
His father looked uncomfortable. Nico looked… happy. He was smiling. And he was faking it. Will knew a fake smile when he saw it.
"Nico," Apollo said at last, "shouldn't you be sitting at the Hades table?"
He shrugged. "Technically, yes. But if I sit alone at my table, strange things happen. Cracks open in the floor. Zombies crawl out and start roaming around. It's a mood disorder. I can't control it. That's what I told Chiron. Also, I don't really follow the rules."
"And is it true?" Apollo asked.
Nico smiled thinly. "I have a note from my doctor."
Will raised his hand. "I'm his doctor."
"Chiron decided it wasn't worth arguing about," Nico said. "As long as I sit at a table with other people, like…oh, these guys, for instance, …the zombies stay away. Everybody's happier."
Will nodded serenely. "It's the strangest thing. Not that Nico would ever misuse his powers to get what he wants."
"Of course not," Nico agreed.
"Where are the others?" Apollo asked.
Will took a bite of his pizza. "Were you looking for somebody in particular?"
"What about the ones who went on that quest with the boat?"
Will and Nico exchanged a look. Oh. The Elite Squad.
"Well," Nico started, "you saw Percy. He and Annabeth are spending their senior year in New York. Hazel and Frank are at Camp Jupiter doing the Twelfth Legion thing."
"Ah, yes."
"Jason and Piper are spending the school year in Los Angeles with Piper's dad. They took Coach Hedge, Mellie, and Little Chuck with them." Nico went over.
Little Chuck was a cute baby, but Will still shuddered every time he thought about delivering him. With an imminent battle approaching. One of the most terrifying experiences of his life.
"If anyone could help me, it would be Leo Valdez." Apollo mentioned when Will tuned back in.
Nico's expression tightened with annoyance. "Well, Leo isn't here. He died. Then he came back to life. And then he disappeared again. We had thought he disappeared with the others. When I see him again, I'll kill him."
Will elbowed him. "No, you won't." He turned to his father. "During the fight with Gaea, Leo and his bronze dragon, Festus, disappeared in a midair fiery explosion."
"He was looking for the physician's cure," Apollo recalled, "the way to bring someone back from the dead. I suppose he planned all along to sacrifice himself?"
"Yep," Will said. "He got rid of Gaea in the explosion, but we all assumed he died too."
"Because he did," Nico said.
"Then, a few weeks later," Will continued, "Nico started looking for him, searching all over the globe for him. He eventually found him, brought him back. He stayed for a while. But then, on the morning of the first disappearance, he and Calypso went missing. This scroll was found on his bed…."
"I still have it." Nico rummaged through the pockets of his bomber jacket. He produced a thick parchment scroll. As soon as he spread it on the table, a flickering hologram appeared above the surface: Leo Valdez.
"Hey, guys!" Leo spread his arms for a hug. "Sorry to leave you like that. We're both fine now. We're taking Festus to—" The image guttered like a flame in a strong breeze, disrupting Leo's voice. "Back as soon as—" Static. "Cook tacos when—" More static. "¡Vaya con queso! Love ya!" The image winked out.
"That's all we got," Nico complained. "And that was two weeks ago."
"Well," Apollo said, "it sounds like Leo was planning to cook tacos. Perhaps that took longer than he anticipated. And vaya con queso…I believe he is admonishing us to go with cheese, which is always sound advice."
"I don't like being in the dark," he muttered. "About the disappearances or where Leo went."
Kayla and Austin had been very quiet, following the conversation with wonder and amazement. Now Kayla scooted toward Apollo. "What did you guys talk about in the Big House? Chiron told you about the disappearances…?"
"Yes." Apollo said, nervously. "We discussed the situation."
"And?" Austin spread his fingers on the table. "What's going on?"
"I need time to think about it," Apollo said. Will picked up on the anxiety behind his words. "Perhaps in the morning, I'll have some of my godly powers back."
Austin leaned forward. "Is that how it works? Your strength comes back over time?"
"I—I think so," He paused for a moment, in thought. "I have to get stronger. I must."
Kayla squeezed her father's hand. "It's okay, Apollo…Dad. We'll help you."
Austin nodded. "Kayla's right. We're in this together. If anybody gives you trouble, Kayla will shoot them. Then I'll curse them so bad they'll be speaking in rhyming couplets for weeks."
"Thank you," Apollo managed, tears coming to his eyes.
"Hey…" Will patted my shoulder. "It's not so bad. At least with everybody being on high alert, we might not have to do Harley's obstacle course tomorrow."
Kayla muttered an ancient Greek curse.
"I forgot all about that," she said. "They'll have to cancel it, won't they?"
"What obstacle course? Chiron mentioned nothing about this." Apollo questioned.
"Yeah, I'm lost too," Nico said. Will forgot that Nico had been absent for the last couple of obstacle courses run by Harley. He had been shadow-traveling or in the infirmary; it was always something
Before Will could answer, one of the satyrs blew a conch horn at the head table. Chiron raised his arms for attention.
"Campers!" His voice filled the pavilion. "I have a few announcements, including news about tomorrow's three-legged death race!"