Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns these yummy boys, all I own is the…well shit I don't even own all the ideas….
A/N: Meh. Just Meh…Thanks bunches for putting up with my retarded update schedule.
Warning: gore-if you have a queasy stomach..tread with care.
Aphrodite's Garden 3
Terror-for the moment
Percy choked back sobs of his own as he tried to get to his mother, her skin being peeled back slowly from her body while Annabeth, Grover, and his other friends were forced into cages to be sacrificed next.
He couldn't get close to them go, every time he seemed close something moved him backward, Percy strained against it, crying out as the scene shifted, Nico was suddenly kneeling beside his mother's body, devouring the pieces of her flesh, crying that he didn't want to even as he was forced, his hands and mouth moving oddly.
"Nico!" Percy gasped in a breath, not realizing he'd been the one to scream until his throat was raw. A cry echoed his own and he tore his eyes from the bloody scene before him, looking to his side and blinking, confused and relieved .
Nico was still standing next to him, but the smaller boy didn't seem to see him at all, eyes locked ahead and Percy shuddered, but was less afraid for his friends as he began to realize what they were seeing was probably an illusion.
"Nico? Nico!" The other didn't respond and Percy forced himself to take a deep breath, thinking about what was going on. They knew why they were in the Garden now and had been warned that there would be tests, he imagined that's what this was but why make it so obviously fake by adding in Nico?
He frowned, looking over at Nico and bit his lip, why did the boy not realize that if he was watching himself (Percy made the mistake of looking back at the illusion and seeing the fake-Nico dragging off Annabeth's clothes) than it had to be fake?
The smaller Demigod was shaking and reaching for the images before him and finally a whimper left him and then he started screaming, "Stop it! Percy! Leave her alone…Please!" He struggled to go forward as Percy had himself and seeing the younger male so distressed was enough to force Percy to move.
He forced his hand through the air that seemed far to thick, grasping Nico's shoulder and forcing him to turn. The second their eyes met the illusion's stretched, surrounding them entirely with scenes of death. The two males clung to each other, Nico's body shuddering as he squeezed his eyes shut, "What is this?" he whispered, terrified.
Percy shook his head mutely and looked at the swirling images, his own body quivering, every image was Nico being slaughtered, more than one showed Percy killing him, the blood staining his hands and he was sure Nico saw the same things.
Hades heir tightened his grip on the elder demigod and Percy looked back down at him, "Nico stop it." He murmured, the younger boy was biting his lip so hard he was bleeding, his entire body shaking so hard the Percy began to think that he wasn't actually shaking at all, just that Nico was moving him.
The smaller boy just pressed closer to Percy and shook his head, Percy cradled Nico closer and looked up at the images, forcing his fear far down in himself and speaking clearly to the illusions.
"Nico is alive. Percy is alive and you are false." He didn't know what to say and felt pretty stupid saying it how he did, but it must have triggered something because the images stopped and all but one illusion fell away, and this one didn't trigger fear, it just made him blush.
Nico opened his eyes, still shivering against Percy, his gaze landing on the image that was left and his cheeks flaming red. In it there was no death, Percy was holding him much like he was now, his hand cupping the younger male's face and their lips scant centimeters apart.
Percy coughed, "Well…that's..uh." he looked away but Nico continued to watch as the distance between the fake-Percy and the fake-Nico shortened and they kissed.
Both demigod's blushed furiously and Percy stuttered out, "Let's go on." Nico nodded beside him still looking shaken.
They didn't get more than three steps before running into mist and after trying every direction, except toward the image of them (they were still kissing) and Nico huffed an annoyed breath.
"Can we go through…that?" He pointed, blushing bright red again, Percy shrugged, "Worth a try I guess."
The two Demigods moved forward together and, cringing, moved through the illusion. Nothing happened.
Percy sighed in relief and Nico looked surprised, pointing, "Was it that mirror?" He asked, voice quiet and Percy's attention was drawn to the reflective surface. He went to it, running his hand over it slowly and seeing visions in his head.
He shook his head, "I think it's what caused us to see those things."
Nico's eyes went wide, "A nightmare mirror? Here? Wow, Aphrodite's not very nice." He seen the look of confusion on Percy's face and explained, "My father uses them in Tartarus, they show a person's worst nightmares, draw them in and if you watch for long enough make them incredibly real, you can feel 'em and everything. That alone isn't the bad part though, in between nightmares they play on your deepest desires and cause agony by showing you what you believe you can never have."
Percy raised an eyebrow, remembering that last image of him kissing Nico and wondering if that was a fear…or a desire?
A/N: Due to the lateness and the shortness of this update I will attempt to upload another chapter within 24 hours. Please not that upon completion of this story the author may commit suicide because she feels terrible about the delayed updating.