They needed to do something, Annabeth knew it. They just couldn't stay here, arms crossed. Since they Prophecy was mentioned they hadn't give it a thought, not because they didn't want to, but because of Nico. Will told them not to treat him like glass because the son of Hades wasn't going to like it, but it was just impossible! That little guy had gone through so much and still he remain strong, even with his panic attacks, he was always there like a pillar, a pillar that never fell down, it was truly unfair to thrown more problems to him, sadly they had no choice.

She gathered her things and went outside her cozy apartment. She had contacted Reyna and Frank, everyone was going to meet in their office. Plus they had other matters to attend, the gods were still without any contact with their children and the days grew colder and darker. If they were mortals maybe they would just think that the climate change had something to do with it, but they were demigods, somehow the change of the weather had always something to do with prophecies.

Also nothing was the same for some demigods, specially the ones connected to the sun. After Hades' assault, all flowers had died, Persephone hadn't stop weeping resulting in the death of her realm. The harvest remained, but it was scarce without the power of the sun. And the sun... children of Apollo were the ones suffering the most. Will, as the thick head he was, tried to hide it. He still helped with Nico's panic attacks, but nothing else, it was actually Nico the one helping him now, trying to push the shadow away so the little sunlight that was able to shine reached Will as much as it could.

As she entered the praetors' office she noticed that her boyfriend wasn't there, as he should.

-"Hey guys, and Percy? Where is he?"-

-"Don't worry, Annie"- said Piper with a greeting smile -"he's with Jason, Nico and Will."-

-"Oh, okay."- said the blonde girl while she sat down by the big conference table -"Are they just hanging out or is this part of some plan?"-

-"Nothing ever escapes your bright mind, huh Annie?"- asked Lou amused -"It's a little bit of both, by the way. They thought it would probably for the best if Nico was a little bit distracted from all of this. They wanted a bit of time for themselves before discussing our latest disgrace."-

Almost in cue, the door opened again and the guys finally arrived. The Little Big Three looked all sweaty and panted, with big smiles on their faces, the biggest one, surprisingly was Nico's. Will on the other hand had an arm around Nico's shoulders, using him for support, he was panting too, sadly he looked sick and far from happy.

-"What's with that smile, di Angelo? Won the lottery?"- inquired Leo, as always mischievously.

-"Jason, Percy, care to explain to Leo what just happened?"- jokingly bragged the Italian.

-"Well... ummm"- groaned the son of Poseidon.

-"Nico defeated us."- sighed the blonde Superman. -"under five minutes."-

-"Without any powers."- added the sea-green-eyed demigod.

Reyna laughed with a wicked smile -"Isn't my little brother awesome?"- she clapped a hand in Nico's back -"As much as I hate to interrupt, it's time for our research to begin."-

-"How is it possible that all of our minds combined can't make up a single guess for the Prophecy?"- asked the frustrated demigod while taking his black combat boots off.

-"I hate it as much as you do, Neeks. I wish we could have peace for once and for all."- said the other, laying on the bed with a satisfied groan.

-"I'm worried Will."- unsurely whispered the dark-haired boy

-"Of course you do, you're in the freaking Prophecy!"-

Nico di Angelo didn't answered right away, instead looking at the dark ceiling. His felt a knot in his tummy, but he needed to say it though.

-"I'm not worried about me"- finally he answered -"I worry about what's happening to the demigods"- he mumbled -"I worry about you, Will."-

Will smile at that statement -"Gods, Death Boy! Always so selfless."- he wrapped an arm around the olive-skined boy, as their custom was -"You don't need to worry, I'll be fine, you'll see. Sweet dreams."-

-"Goodnight."-

The streets were impossibly empty. The weather had gotten worse, but still here they were, walking along, in silence reaching their favorite coffee shop. Which was a small one, huddled together with more stores on the Portals of the city.

He hold the chair so she could star down -"Always a gentleman. Thank you."- she mentioned.

Again the fell on a comfortable silence. After two days of arguing, they only thing they wanted was some peace.

-"How are you feeling?"- he asked after a while.

-"I think I should be the one asking that question."- she replied evasively as their hot chocolate arrived -"'I'm worried, how else am I supposed to feel?"-

-"I don't know. I feel worried about everyone else, but respecting me, I just feel numb."- he took a sip of his own chocolate.

-"You're looking very tired."-

-"Nightmares, as aways. You don't look better than me, though. Nightmares, too?"-

-"I prefer not to discuss this in public,"- she sighed -"but I really need someone who understands."-

He took her hand on his -"We can go to your place later, Rey. I need someone who understands, too."-

Both of them shared a sad smile, drinking their beverages in silence, slowly and peacefully, trying to ignore the problems laying ahead of them.

-"You once told me that I had to use my voice, if not I was in Asphodel already. I guess we never really ended that conversation."-

That was the first thing she said when they arrived to her villa.

The house was enormous to say the least. Just like his, her house resembled her birthplace, Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. The villa was painted in vivid purple with lots of colonial balconies and white frames around the doors and windows.

-"I guess we didn't."- he said, sitting on one of the colonial couches. -"You still blame yourself, am I right?"- he cautiously enquired.

-"It's just... I still have nightmares from that night in San Juan, with Orion and my sister. Also about the day we escaped."- she looked away -"I'm a murderer! How can I lead my people into the right path if I'm an assassin, a pariah!"-

He sat up and took long quick steps towards her, wrapping her in a tight hug. Months before, during the war, he couldn't have imagined himself hugging her. He tried to comfort her with words before, after San Juan, but without physical contact. Now things were different.

-"Shhh... you're not a pariah, nor and assassin nor a murderer."- he said while drawing circles on her back. -"You did what you did to survive and to protect your sister."-

-"But—

-"Reyna, please, come sit."- he said, moving them towards the couch in front of the chimney -"Would you say all those things of me? That I'm a pariah? An assassin? A murderer?"-

-"Why would I think anything like that? You're a hero! A good person, not those things."- she said sniffling

-"I killed Bryce Lawrence, cold-blooded, just like a murderer. And what did you do afterwards? You forgave me. You didn't judge me. I only did what I did in order to save us, to save you and Coach. For a time I though those things about myself, but not anymore. I don't regret killing him, because taking away his life meant saving my friends. Taking your fathers life meant saving your sister. Do you regret saving her?"-

Reyna gasped, completely dumbfounded after his speech. She looked down, thinking and thinking about what he said. She knew he was right, she hadn't judge him. She was surprised for the extend of his powers, a little afraid of them maybe, but she understood why he did it. There was no choice, it was their lives or his. It was the end of the world or Bryce's life.

-"No."- she exclaimed after a while, -"I don't regret it."-

When she looked up he was smiling at her -"Then I guess is time you start forgiving yourself, don't you think?"-

-"Yeah,"- she smiled too, -"it's time to start new."-

-"C'mon Death Boy, you just can't be THAT frustrated".-

The healer said as the other boy let himself fall to the right side of the bed with a groan. -"Frustrated? Are you kidding me? I'm feeling so fantastic! Three days and the discussion doesn't end! Endless theories of what might happen to me! Just what I needed after a war!"-

-"Nico."- called the blonde male in a slightly exasperate manner.

Said guy curled himself further, trying to ignore everything -"Just leave it alone, okay? I'll be fine tomorrow, Will."-

The room fell into a deadly silence, their breath the only occasional sounds. Both of them had fallen asleep without other word.

Falling. That's the type of sensation he was feeling at the moment. It was way too realistic. Why was he feeling like that?

He opened his eyes to find darkness and a increasing smell of sulfur, red smoke was starting to appear into the distance. A moment later the shadows pulled at him and he reappeared into river, an horrendous one, many voices at the time, taking away his strength. Nobody loves you. Why do you keep fighting? You're such a creep! You'd be better off dead! I hope you kill yourself! Stupid little prat, thinking that he can love you. You're unnatural, you're wrong, a mistake. The words kept flowing to his mind, his thoughts getting sadder and sadder. His desires for death increased, he was alone, nobody to save him.

And he woke up.

Blue eyes darted around the dark room, still startled by that strange dream. He touched himself, his arms, his tummy, his feet. He was complete, no water around, just air and the bed under him. His senses still numb. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his heart, burying his face on his hands, trying to forget what he just saw. What the hell was that? he thought.

And so he finally heard it.

Small gasps besides him, he let his hands wander around, seeking the source. He touched a wet pillow, then a wet face. Sobs filling the room, which the increased and increased, turning into loud crying and screams. He finally reacted. He didn't had before a dream that left him so disorientated. He reached for the Italians shoulders, shaking him and begging him to wake up. The darkness seemed to grow thicker by the minute.

-"Nico!"- he started to pat repeatedly at the sleeping boy's face. -"You need to wake up! I'm here, I'll never leave you! Please come back."- the desperation was obvious in his voice.

It seemed like forever. The temperature dropping, unbearably cold, even for winter. A small cape of snow covering the surface. But Will didn't give up. He kept shaking and gently punching Nico. Screaming for him, trying to make noise to wake him up.

An hour passed, or maybe even more when he felt so utterly tired and useless to do anything else. He was scared and crying. Wondering if Nico would ever have a rest of his horrible past. He hid his face on the crook of the olive-skinned guy, hugging him, if not crushing him. A small whimper and a loud gasps made Will move from his earlier position. Dark eyes opened in terror, sweat streaming down the son of Hades' forehead. The poor boy started sobbing again, burying himself on the healer's chest, his back shaking uncontrollably.

-"Neeks—"

-"I'm fine, I'm alive, I'm okay..."- muttered the shaking guy.

They stayed in their embrace for a long time, once again, neither of them managed to say anything, sometimes it was way better not to say anything.

-"Will?"- he asked in a whisper.

-"Yeah?"- said the blonde one rubbing the Underworld demigod's back.

-"Were you... How much... How much did you saw?"- asked the Italian once he managed to calm down, but that didn't mean he wasn't less spooked.

-"Neeks... I..."- gulped the healer.

-"I need to know, please! Tell me, Will."- pleaded the dark-haired boy.

-"I felt I was falling,"- began the blonde -"then I was on this river, things were said, horrible ones... Do you really believe..."- he sighed unsurely -"do you really believe that nobody will ever love you?"-

-"I don't know what to believe anymore."- snickered bitterly

Will bite his lips before questioning -"Was that... was that Tartarus?"- he didn't know well how to approach the subject with Nico, it was almost like walking on eggshells.

-"I.."- Nico frowned, -"Yes, that was the beginning of my nightmare."-

The son of Apollo, out of understanding, cautiously took the olive-skinned hand -"Do you want to talk about it?"-

Dark eyes looked dead straight to blue ones, terror showing in both of them. -"I believe it is time for me to tell you what really happened to me down there."-

Leo's head was spinning. He had already managed to do a functioning mini-helicopter, a race car, a rocket and a small version of Festus. Everybody kept talking and talking at the same time. Why won't the shut up?! I get it that we're freaking demigods, but please! They had spend four hours without any results, just like everyday for the last four days. They only one who seemed to be suffering just like him was Nico, the demigod with every new theory buried his face further and further behind his pale hands.

Well, enough is enough Leo thought before deciding to do something. -"Everyone, shut up!"- he shouted while lighting himself in fire, he took a deep breath -"Guys, please, I like noise as the next guy, but we have been fighting for long enough. And look at Nico, for the gods! Do you think is fair for him? I know how he feels, do you think is funny to hear theories of how are you going to die?!"- he didn't know what happened to him, but for once, he decided that making that comment was the right thing to do.

Everyone felt in silence.

Someone cared their throat -"I... I'm sorry Nico. We've been discussing this for the last four days, but we haven't really asked you what you think. How... how are you feeling about it?"- a really ashamed Jason asked. Leo wasn't surprised anymore, he knew the both of them were close, it didn't bother him, Jason was both of Leo and Nico's best friend, plus, after he got over the 'creepy' part of Nico, he was actually a pretty cool guy.

-"Well..."- the son of Hades scratched his neck, -"it is obvious that the 'The King of Ghosts line refers to me'; the 'darkness' it's probably my powers since no other god of the Underworld can come and help because of my Father's state, plus, Hazel doesn't control the darkness. The light thing it can either be refers to a god or to hope or humanity or something, I'm not particularly worried about that part. And the other two lines..."- the dark-haired boy sighed -"I don't really know what could they meant."-

-"Brother,"- a soft voice pried -"I don't really meant to intrude, but I'm worried about the curse part. What curse do you have?"- Hazel bit her lip.

The addressed demigod looked down and mumbled something in return.

-"Sorry, di Angelo."- excused Cecil, -"I didn't hear you, could you please?"-

-"I already broke the curse thrice."- the King of Ghosts said while standing up and walking towards the door. Just when he was about to get out, he turned, facing all of the demigods present, and with a clear and loud voice he announced -"Sons of Hades are not meant to be happy."- the he proceeded to walk out.

After a long and uncomfortable silence, the wise daughter of Athena spoke out -"I think that settles it, then."-

-"Why do you mean, Wise Girl?"- her boyfriend wondered.

-"We need help, godly help."-

-"How are we going to make the gods help us if we can't event all to them?"- complained the daughter of Hecate.

Annabeth smirked -"Actually, there's one that is easier to contact, and it just happens that she is the only witness apart from Lady Persephone."- the blonde girl crossed her hands on the table, looking serious -"We need to contact Lady Artemis."-

Oh the tantrum Nico is going to have when he finds out about this... Leo thought, before the session ended.