Chapter 16: Nico Becomes One With The Darkness

(Andi)

I ran out of Peter Johnson's cabin crying tears and feeling furious with him and myself. How could I be such a dumb-dumb?

I actually thought that I was finally breaking through Peter's defenses and getting to know the real Peter Johnson and he rejected me. Again!

And it wasn't an invite to eat dinner together that he had rejected. Oh no! Peter had said no to a quest.

A!

Quest!

Who didn't like quests? People at camp literally killed for them. Thalia had tried to kill me for one once.[1] It was the highest honor to get a quest and the second highest honor to be invited to join one. Everyone wanted a piece of the Jonny Quest Pie.[2]

Everyone except, Peter. Apparently. He was the dumb-dumb. Why had he acted like I had suggested we go slaughter baby unicorns and drink their delicious life-giving rainbow blood?[3] Why had he pushed me, slapped me, called me names, and worst of all, why had he said we weren't friends and that we never would be?

It didn't make any sense. Didn't he know how hard I was trying to be not just a friend, but his bestest friend? Didn't he realize how nice, polite, helpful, and amazing I was? Didn't he understand how I had supported him in every way I knew how?

I had ignored his dirty mouth, made Grover keep an eye on him, and ignored how he kept pushing me away. I invited him to dinner almost every night. I searched for him when everyone else thought he was dead. I kept his secrets and made shady deals with him and today I had even hugged him and let him rest his head on my perfect pillow-soft bosoms![4]

Peter Johnson needed me. Anyone could see it, but instead of being thankful for all my friendly love and much needed help. He just acted like the meanest girl ever![5]

It wasn't fair and I couldn't bare it.

I ran into my cabin and I was ready to flop on the bed and have a good cry when I saw Nico sitting on my bed.

He raised an eyebrow. "Peter being an idiot again?" [6]

I wiped away some of my tears and nodded.

Nico patted the bed.

I took his invitation and sat down next to him. Then I said, angrily, "It's not fair Nico! He is so couthy with Grover and Percy and practically everyone else.[7] He even listened to you talk about Mythomagic strategy all dinner long last night. And yet with me, the one person who has his best interest at heart, he's cold, distant, and unavailable." I stomped my foot. "Why?"

Nico's eyes looked sad and soulful as he murmured, "I don't know, Andi. Maybe he's just jealous of you. Plenty of girls are."

"Yeah but…" I sniffled and Nico gave me a hug. Unlike some people, Nico liked hugging me and enjoyed the honor being able to give and receive hugs from my person. And I needed this hug.

I leaned into it. It felt good after Peter's rejection, like really good. Maybe too good?

Ever since this summer, Nico had become quieter, dark, and mysterious and sometimes he seemed more sagely than even Chiron. And Nico's eyes were so soulful and alluring. They spoke of gentle understanding, a tortured soul, and other things, but I knew I shouldn't be noticing those things about Nico.[8]

He was Nico. Nico, not Luke. No one could replace Luke in my heart. He was the love of my life. And I missed him more than Kansas.[9] So, it didn't matter how soulful Nico's eyes were. I knew that underneath those eyes were the eyes of that kid I rescued from the Lotus Hotel.[10]

I closed my eyes and made myself remember that kid, and not the soulful-eyed, soft-spoken, secretive siren I was embracing. Nico was so different back then, merrier, louder, full of energy. I had been all those things too, well except louder. I was the same volume then as I was now. But I had been merrier than a Christmas tree back then.

How could I not be?

Luke had been around. I was always happy when Luke was around. And we'd had so much fun at the Lotus Hotel. Back then things had been dandier than a posh swell. Back then I could hug Nico without giving myself a lecture.

Back then…before Luke was lost, before Bianca abandoned Nico, before I met Peter, my life had been peaches and cherries.

Now…

I hugged Nico tightly and said, "Life has been completely bananas recently, so I'm really glad we're still friends."

"Me too," he whispered, "I'm really going to miss this."

"So, will I—Wait. What? Why would I miss this when you're right here?"

There was a heavy quiet in the air.

I pulled away. "Nico, what's happened?"

Nico gave me a small smile as he murmured, "Nothing terrible, I suppose. It's just my father contacted me.[11] He is ordering me and Bianca to come home tonight and he didn't say how long we were to stay, so…"

Nico couldn't go on the quest.

I looked at him enviously. I wished Daddy would order me to come home indefinitely. As close as he and I were, I had never felt like I could accept his many invitations to stay with him. I wanted to sometimes, but I just always felt like my place was at camp which is where I felt Nico belonged too. I didn't want him to leave me. With Luke gone and Peter being the biggest weirdo ever, I felt like Nico was my only friend in the world and the idea of him leaving me hurt me.[12]

I began to cry.

Nico buried his head in my chest and hugged me tight. "I'm so sorry, Andi," he whispered. "I know you wanted to go on this quest together. Maybe I could ignore my father and go with you anyway? How does that sound? You just have to say the word and I'll do it."

It sounded great. Nico was a true friend, but I couldn't ask him to stay. He had just smiled when he talked about visiting his dad. Nico rarely smiled anymore. Most of the time he smirked if he was going to show any joy at all which meant he must be pretty jazzed about this visit.

So, I wiped away my tears and said unsteadily, "No, Nico, you should go. I'll be fine. Really. And I wouldn't want you to miss this for a silly quest. It's not every day that your dad asks for a visit and it'll be good for you to fraternize with him."

"Yeah, I think it will be good for me and Bianca too, but I don't want to leave you behind with Kelp boy and the nimrods." [13]

I stroked Nico's hair and repeated, "I'll be fine." I was now even more sure. It didn't matter that I would miss Nico like the dickens or that I was going to be stuck with Zoë and probably Grover on the quest. I couldn't let Nico miss this chance to get to know his dad and make up with his sister. I knew Nico missed her friendship a lot, almost as much as I missed Luke.[14] And I knew what Luke would say: Friends made sacrifices for each other.[15]

"But—" Nico protested again, quietly. He was worried about me. Nico believed in making sacrifices too.

I put on a smile, and said in a strong voice, "No more buts, mister. All I need you to do is make an effort to have oodles of fun with your dad and sister and promise me that you'll come back and tell me all about your underworldly adventures."

Nico looked up at me. His chin was in my bosoms.

I made sure to keep my smile steady as his soulful eyes searched mine.

Finally, he murmured, "Alright, I will. I promise I will. When I come back, you can tell me about your adventures too."

"Yeah," I said, bravely, "that sounds swell."

"Yeah."

We looked at each other and suddenly I was crying. He was crying. We were all crying and there were tears everywhere. I clung to Nico and pressed him into my bosoms.

Nico softly wailed, "I'm going to miss you, Andi."

"Me too, Nico. Me too."

As Nico got my bosoms all wet with his hot tears, I suddenly felt like he really was that old Nico again, the boy from the Lotus Hotel with the normal eyes who was like the little brother I never had.

I let Nico cry his soulful eyeholes out. I let myself cry too, not bothering to count the tears, as we waited for death to claim him.

Even after the witching hour came and Nico was consumed by darkness, I was still crying.[16]

Only now, I was alone.

Daybreak came too soon. I didn't get a lot of shut eye last night and for some reason, Grover roused me from my slumber, acting clammy.[17] His mood got even peachier when I told him I wasn't sending him to Coventry and when I revealed that it would just be me, him, and Zoë going on the quest, Grover was happier than a tickled pink sandboy named Larry jumping over the moon and landing on Cloud 9.[18]

"It's a shame about Bianca," Grover lied cheerfully as we stood in front of the camp, "but don't worry about Nico and Peter.[19] Three is the best number for a quest anyway and I will keep you company as your loyal—" Grover paused and peered past me, "Hey! Isn't that Bianca over there?"

I whirled around and saw that he was correct. Bianca and Zoë were sauntering towards us.

"You're supposed to be in the underworld with Nico and your dad," I said, remindingly to Bianca. She could be pretty forgetful.[20]

Both of the Hunters loured at me.

Then Bianca exclaimed snottily, "I belong to Artemis now, Ann-dye. No man holds sway over me, not even Lord Hades." Then she lifted her nose and chin up in the air and she and Zoë flounced past us.

"So cool," Grover breathed, leering idiotically as he began to stalk after them.

I sighed. I was plumb tired and didn't have the energy to correct Bianca or explain to Grover why her words weren't cool.

They were almost tropical. Nico would be as sick as a parrot about her not going home with him. I had been hoping they would kiss and make up, but now…

Poor unfortunate Nico.[21]

"Andromeda," Zoë called back to me. "Come hither. We do not have all morning."

I blinked. Somehow, everyone was in the van, but me.

"Come on, Andi!" Grover waved at me from inside the van. "I saved you a seat next to me."

"Yeah, Ann-dye," Bianca shouted, "Stop sleeping on the job!"

I sighed again. Poor unfortunate Nico. Poor unfortunate me!

I was in a very brown study as I slowly made my way to the van, chewing over whether it would be too dilatory to duress some other charile into sewing up this madcap peregrination.[22][23]

Footnotes

[1] Again, this is referring to Thalia challenging Andi for her quest in the Sea of Monsters fic.

[2] Uh…I guess she means the show? Having never watched Jonny Quest I'm unsure what a blond adventurer boy has to do with pie, but I can't think of any other explanation for this statement.

[3] I think this is the fourth HP reference in this fic so far.

[4] There is a surprisingly short list of people who Andi is willing to hug and an even shorter list of people she lets rest on her…bosoms. She mentioned this in the Sea of Monsters fic while she hugged and comforted Nico after his sister joined the hunters. I think Andi's reluctance has something to do with her vague tragic backstory. More on this later.

[5] With the exception of Mr. D., mean boys really haven't existed in Andi's life. And you could argue Mr. D. is a mean man and we all know there is a big different between a boy and a MAN.

[6] This is just an observation, but I love Nico in this fic series. He is probably my favorite character in the Sea of Monsters fic. He's a total sweetheart there and in the Lightning Thief fic. And "dark" Nico is lots of fun too. In this moment in particular, he is just so sassy.

[7] As opposed to being un-couthy?

[8] Being attracted to someone who you shouldn't be? Well, Andi is Zeus's daughter after all. And considering all them underage Nico X Percy fics, I don't really blame Andi for her attraction.

[9] I assume she's referencing Dorothy missing Kansas in Wizard of Oz.

[10] This happened in the Lightning Thief fic.

[11] Nico and Bianca both met Hades in the Lightning Thief fic. It was a very touching scene. Fic Hades has a major soft spot for his kids.

[12] I notice Grover is not even included here.

[13] Did you know that nimrod is another word for hunter? And here I thought it just meant stupid. The more you know~

[14] From what I know of Bianca's and Nico's relationship, this is disturbingly accurate.

[15] This was something Luke said a lot in the Lightning Thief fic.

[16] Bye Nico… ;-;

[17] As in: happy as a clam? Somehow sweaty doesn't seem like a mood. Though with fic Grover, who knows?

[18] I assume it's her bad mood, but Andi is even more thesaurus-y than usual in this chapter and especially in this section.

[19] Yeah, I don't think Grover is lying.

[20] Bianca is not really forgetful. Andi thinks she is because Andi hasn't realized that Bianca mispronounces Andi's name on purpose.

[21] So sad, so true.

[22] Translation (Because I had to look this up): Andi is in deep thought as she walks to the van, wondering if it's too late to make some other fool complete this crazy quest.

[23] This chapter broke the footnote record.

A/N: First off, I didn't want to say anything last chapter because I thought it might ruin the mood, but Chapter 15 is where this fic changed from a casual read to an obsession. The theme of missing home is rarely explored in modern isekai stories and I really loved it here. That, the craziness in chapter 13, and Andi's powers of persuasion made this a must finish for me.

But enough gushing, the stage is set for us to finally leave Camp Half-Blood and start questing for Artemis, Annabeth, and the mysterious New Moon. It's all very exciting which means it is the perfect time for me to go on a break. (Bianca would be proud.)

Nani?! You may be saying.

Well, I do more than just gamma read and publish this story. Shocking I know.

I'm also actually writing (not just editing but actually writing) a Aladdin Crossover with an infamous paranormal romance called Tiger's Curse. The fic is called Rajah's Curse. In my story: Jafar isn't an idiot, Prince Ali isn't a good guy, Rajah isn't just a tiger and nothing is as it seems.

~~~Jazz Hands~~~

My version of Agrabah is a magical place where Princess JasmineXWeretiger Prince is a ship that you actually believe in. Anyway, I will be over in RC land for the next few months working on a new arc.

For those of you who are disappointed about me taking a break from The Sue's Curse, I say:

Leave a review!

I would love to here from you! What are your thoughts on this chapter, New Moon, or all the crazy new plot things that just happened? Or do you have any questions, maybe about the Lightning Thief or Sea of Monster fics? Ask away. I answer via PM.

I am incredibly thankful for the reviews I have gotten so far, but I would love even more! (Preferably the nice kind that aren't just like: UPDATE!)

If you're not the reviewing type, I also have a poll on my author page: Peter or Andi?

I am torn myself. I love how silly Andi can be, but Peter has more pathos and plot stuff. It'll be interesting to see who wins. I'll let you know when I return in a few months.

Until then!

Sincerely,

- annbe11