Chapter 17: All people at any given point in time are doing the best they can.

Many thanks to ViscountessAberowen who helps me keep my mind!

Nico wrinkled his nose as the damp smell of barnyard animal pervaded his nose. His head felt heavy and full of cotton. Was he sick? Did he have a fever?

He remembered feeling a similar way-had wound up in the infirmary even- when he had stayed out all night without sleep and had gotten a terrible cold. It was terribly silly: he had been trapped in a large jar for multiple days without food or water, for all of the gods' sakes! But a simple night out without a jacket or rest had landed him in the infirmary?

Nico worked to open his eyes and saw large brown eyes gazing back at him from a fur-covered face. Two little horns jutted from the curly hair of the face looking down at him.

That's it, Nico thought. I'm sick and have a fever. Any minute, Will is going to walk through a door and scold me. Again.

But, the brown eyes just blinked lazily at him. At that moment, Nico felt something cold and wet trickle down the side of his neck. He brought a hand up and wiped at his neck only to see his fingers come away a brackish brown.

"Whelp. There ya go. He'll be right as rain in no time. Why," the voice continued speaking, a Southern drawl dripping from every syllable. "If I was a betting guy, I'd say that he'll make a full recovery by morning. My healings stick."

"My thanks. And," Nico heard a soda can tab pop. "For your silence."

"Fanta? You really went all out, man! Thanks!"

Nico rolled his head to the side, wondering how sick he actually was. A familiar figure dressed in black furs handed an orange can to a...faun?

The demigod groaned and struggled to sit up, finally catching the attention of the others.

The faun moved to Nico's side, urging him to be still. "Now, now. Just go ahead and lay back. You gotta let all that mud seep into your pores- otherwise, your headache will be back sure as a skunk smells."

Zagreus frowned at the faun. "You do have some of the oddest phrases."

The faun shrugged as the young god addressed his half-brother. "I told you to think of a barrier. Not to near kill yourself sending a little love note back to Indiana." Zagreus slipped an arm underneath Nico's back and helped him to sit up. "How are you feeling?"

"It wasn't a love note." Nico winced as pressure pushed against his head. "I feel like Cerberus sat on me."

Raising an eyebrow, Zagreus asked, "So, did it work? Were you able to connect?"

Trying to shrug and grimacing as pain lanced through stiff muscles, Nico answered, "I'm not sure. How long does it take for a letter to travel that way? Through the tunnel?"

Zagreus grabbed a plastic cup full of water from the bedside table and raised it to Nico's lips, waiting for the demigod to take a drink before he answered. "It honestly shouldn't take very long. As long as you're on the same plane."

Nico looked at him in confusion. "Huh?"

Setting the cup back down, Zagreus explained, "L.A. and Indianapolis both exist on the same plane. The Underworld, however, is much further away. And I wouldn't necessarily measure how long it takes something to shadow-travel in time."

Nico frowned in confusion. "You wouldn't?"

"No. Of course not. I would measure it in the energy expended. Time is relative. Energy is not." Zagreus smiled faintly. "I'm sure your letter got there as suddenly as you sent it through. You held the tunnel open longer than necessary and did yourself a disservice in the process. What would you have done if you had not been with me? If you had been by yourself and exposed to danger?"

Nico glared but felt the expression lacked its normal heat. "It's fine. Everything turned out fine."

"This time," Zagreus chided. "Promise me you'll take better care of yourself next time."

"Why do you care so much?" Zagreus didn't respond but walked to the window and twitched the curtain aside, peering out into the courtyard. His eyes narrowed.

Nico looked away from the young god and studied the faun who he had, up until that moment, forgotten was there.

The faun was dressed in a simple tie-dye yellow t-shirt and sweats. A rainbow visor rested against his forehead, and his nails were painted orange and red. It took a moment for Nico to place where he had seen the faun before. And when he did, anger swelled in his gut.

"You! You ripped him off," Nico gestured to Zagreus, "That was not an authentic Klotho tunic! I want my money back!"

The faun smiled sheepishly and skittered nervously to the foot of the bed, far out of Nico's reach. "Sorry, man. But I already spent it all. You know what they say about fools and money." His smile grew wider. "Mama always did say I never had two brain cells to rub together."

Nico shook his head which was still heavy with exhaustion. "Where are you from?"

"Oh! Well, now. Originally? Dardanelle, Arkansas. It's in the south. But then I moved up to Montana. Then over to Florida. Stayed with some friends in San Francisco for a while. Then mosied on down to L.A. Folks here are a lot more giving to panhandlers and vagrants. And the cops don't much care where we sell as long as we steer clear of trouble." He grinned again, and Nico could see there was a gap between the faun's two front teeth.

"San Francisco? Like, close to Camp Jupiter?" Nico squinted at the faun, trying to understand how and why the faun had traveled so much.

"Oh yeah. Those demigods are serious, man. Did you know they frown down on-"

"Begging?"

"Nah, man. Soliciting charity. A faun's gotta eat, don't he?"

Nico groaned and laid back against the pillows. "Why is he even here?"

Zagreus grinned down, enjoying Nico's discomfort. "Well, I wouldn't have needed to find help with a cleansing if you had been kind enough to wait trying out shadow-notes until I could help you." Zagreus shook his head. "You don't have to do everything by yourself, you know. You can ask for help."

Nico glanced away, shame coloring his cheeks. He did know. Hadn't Dionysus put him to it? When he had first arrived at the Waystation? Three asks?

He looked down at his lap and his resting hands, mumbling an apologetic "Sorry" to Zagreus before closing his eyes and trying his hardest to suppress a yawn.

"Well, we'll leave you to rest then. I'll make sure-" Zagreus shot a look at the faun. "What's your name again?"

"Quill."

"Ah, Right. Quill. Thank you so much for the help, but my brother here really needs his rest. So, why don't we-"

The faun dug his heels into the carpet and stared at the demigod in the bed. "You sure you gonna be okay? You looked mostly ghostly for a demigod."

Nico didn't try to fight the next yawn that broke free from his mouth. Stammering, he reassured the faun, "I've been worse."

Quill gave in and allowed himself to be steered through the door. Zagreus glanced back and said, "I'll get everything squared away with Sid. We should be able to stay a little longer. Besides," Zagreus gazed outside, and his eyes narrowed. "I have someone I need to talk to."

Nico barely registered the door closing before his eyelids drooped, and he was, once again, asleep.

Zagreus halted outside the door, watching as the faun wandered through the shoddy gate encircling the poorly tended courtyard of the motel. As soon as the faun was out of sight, Zagreus clenched his jaw and drew his blade. He crossed the yard and leaned next to the window frame belonging to the motel room labeled "7."

Raised and muffled voices echoed from the room. A thud and a startled cry sounded before a man flung the door open and stormed out, a woman shouting out behind him, "Just go ahead and walk out! It's what you always do, you fucking piece of shit! Just walk away!"

The door slammed shut again, and a malicious chuckle sounded to the side of Zagreus.

"Well, well, well. Bia owes me a gold drachma. She thought that the woman would kill him for sure this time. Or, at least try to. I knew she wouldn't raise a hand. She'd just blame him again. Next time though...my money's on him. Bia doesn't see how much he blames that woman for every single thing wrong with his life. His addiction. Losing his job. Losing his kids. Oh yes-he'll have the last laugh."

Zagreus turned to meet cruel eyes and a mocking mouth set behind a partial mask that covered forehead to just below the nose. A pale, slender hand grasped the wooden stick that held the false face aloft. Sickly grey and off-cream leather made up the rings that surrounded the eyes. In truth, it looked as though the mask had been woven from skin.

Zagreus took a calming breath and bowed his head slightly in greeting. "Momus. Where is dear Bia?"

Smacking his plump lips, Momus answered in a singsong voice, "Oh, you know? I don't know. She must have left when she realized that nothing was going to happen. No violence today beyond the slamming of a door."

Zagreus smiled tightly. "Of course."

"But you didn't want to talk to her now, did you?" Momus' lips twitched up in a wicked grin, revealing grey teeth. "Wanted to talk to me, didn't you?"

Zagreus nodded stiffly. "You know me well."

"No," Momus sneered. "I know your father. Too well. Sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong."

"This isn't coming from my father."

"Oh, of course not. He wouldn't dare."

Zagreus' face hardened. "So you're aware Thanatos and Charon are missing? And Eris and Nemesis? Have you no care for your siblings?"

"Oh, please." Momus waved his hand through the air with disdain. "Don't play the family card with me. Just because mother dearest has called doesn't mean I will answer."

Zagreus stiffened. "Nyx? So she is behind it?"

Momus brought a single finger up to his lips and leaned close, cupping his hand as if sharing a secret. "You know my mother. Her family comes first. You can't tell me that your father doesn't have an inkling what is happening?" The god's eyes glittered with malice. "Although, even mother isn't sure. She just wants to wait it out."

Zagreus stepped closer to the other god, raising his sword slightly to be noticed. "Don't play these coy games with me, Momus. They won't work."

Derisive laughter rang clear through the air. "I wouldn't dream of it, Zagreus! Of course, I wouldn't! But," Momus eyes' flickered to the room across the courtyard. "You do know what's in store for your...brother? Is that what you're calling him these days? I get so confused as to who you care about since it changes so very often."

"Nico? What do you mean 'what's in store'?" Zagreus threw a concerned look to the motel room that held Nico.

Momus just smirked and said, "Speaking of who you care about...tell me, how is Megaera? Still sore over your break-up?"

The son of Hades scowled. "My relationships are none of your business, Momus. Just as nothing you make your business is ever your business."

Momus laughed again. "Oh my. Things not going well with Thanatos, either? Is that why you wanted to search for him?"

Zagreus heaved a sigh of frustration and asked, "I'll ask again. What do you know about Nico?"

Momus remained quiet, his eyes glittering with malice.

Zagreus sheathed his sword. "If you have nothing worthwhile to say, then I must assume you know nothing." When he looked at the God of Blame, his expression was sour. "I would say thank you for your time, but...well, you know what they say about unpleasant experiences."

Zagreus crossed back onto the brown grass but halted as Momus spoke, the honeyed tone entirely vanished from his voice. Instead, his words were hissed in anger.

"We will all fall to ash, Zagreus. You, me, that brat of a demigod in the other room. Our mothers. Our fathers. Everything. Don't waste your time trying to fight the inevitable. Just enjoy this while it lasts."

Zagreus turned back to the god, and, for the first time since he could recall, Momus had lowered his mask. His skin was puffy and too tight around the eyes and cracked like porcelain. Violet eyes sunken deep into his face sparked with fury. A prominent bump in his nose arched up from the middle before dropping into a hook. The god's eyebrows were diagonal slashes resting above his eyes.

Zagreus' veins turned to ice at the god's words. "What do you know?"

It was a moment before Momus regained his composure. Then, shakily, he raised his mask to his face, and his eyes became guarded. "I shan't tell you more. I have wanted this game to end for far too long. Don't you ever get tired of the blame? Of finding where the fault actually lies? I have grown weary."

Momus turned and peered through a crack in the curtain, listening to the soft sobs coming from the woman in the bedroom. "The fault lies with us all, Zagreus. Remember that, in the end."

Shaking his head, Zagreus moved toward the room that held Nico before Momus called out again. "Hypnos has not yet made it beyond the borders of the Styx. If you want information, he may be willing to part with it."

The son of Hades and Persephone turned back, but the God of Blame was already gone.

Zagreus finished crossing to the room that held his brother and took up a guard position outside the door. There would be time to talk- plenty of time to talk- on their way to the Underworld.

The doors of DOA Records were nondescript. The waiting room had been rearranged and redecorated. Chairs had been removed, and the podium had been replaced with a round desk at reception. An empty beta fish bowl was the only decoration on top. The restless dead chittered and milled about the room.

Nico frowned as he entered the room, Zagreus following closely behind. "Where's-"

An older hag, previously hidden, stood up from her chair behind the desk. She stooped, her hunched back punching up through her thin black dress. "What do you want?" Her voice was as brittle as her face looked, sour and dour all at once. "I don't have all day."

Nico glanced down to where she had been sitting. A half-eaten bran muffin and what looked to be used coffee grounds in a mug sat next to a crossword puzzle. "Uh, it's Megaera, right?"

"And who's asking?"

Nico sighed. "Don't act like you don't remember me, Megaera. You and Alecto were helping me-"

"Babysitting you."

"-a few years ago. Don't you remember?" Nico tried to smile but knew it didn't reach his eyes. Zagreus leaned down and muttered to Nico, "Let me handle this," and stood back up.

Zagreus' face shone with a dazzling smile. "Meg. Dear Meg. You look fantastic. Glad to see you dropped the bubblegum punk look. This suits you better! It's been too long. How many centuries has it been?"

She sniffed in his direction, her eyes flashing. "Zagreus."

"You look...good?"

"I look good!? That's all you can say after you dump me!?"

Zagreus held his hands up as if surrendering to an enemy. "Now Meg, I didn't dump you. Our goals in life just...they just didn't line up!"

The Fury screeched. "Didn't line up? Didn't line up!? You dumped me for that old bore, Thanatos! Don't act like you didn't!"

Nico gaped at the young god. "You're dating Thanatos?"

Zagreus glanced toward him, his eyes wide. "It's complicated, alright?"

"Complicated? What's so complicated about dumping me?"

"It wasn't you, Megaera! It was me! Alright? I just- we wanted different things in life!"

The Fury glowered at the pair of them. "All you sons of Hades. Think you can just waltz right in here and demand to be let in. Well, I'll let you know: we're really cracking down on policies around here. Charon was a soft-hearted, lily-livered sap who let anyone with a sob story through!"

Megaera rolled her eyes and huffed, her opinion of what she thought was "lenient" showing through. "We are really turning things around up here! Now, our policy is two gold drachma. I don't care if you died saving children, a plane crashed down at your Christmas party, or if your neighbor was sleeping with your husband. I. Don't. CARE!"

She fell back down into her chair with a plop and smiled up at them, a sickeningly sweet expression on her face. "Now, that will be two gold pieces."

Nico's eyes widened. "But, I don't have any money! Come on, Megaera. Let us through. You know we're good for it."

The smile dropped from her face, and she pointed to the back of the line. "No money, no passage. That's my rule."

Nico glared at the old crone and turned to go, but Zagreus caught his sleeve. When the god spoke, he directed his words at the Fury. "Two, you say? Is that for both of us or each?"

She stared at Zagreus, cold eyes radiating hatred. "Each. Four total."

Nico tried to pull his arm free, but Zagreus held on tight. "Come on, Zag. We'll figure out something, alright?"

Zagreus shook his head. "There's no need." The young god reached for a bag hanging at his waist and pulled it free from his belt. He opened the cinched top and peered in before retying it and tossing it onto the counter. "That should be more than enough."

Nico gaped at the money, his mouth hanging open. Ignoring the cackling glee of the Fury, Nico turned furious eyes on Zagreus. "You mean...you had money? You could have spent your own money on that tunic? Why did you take mine?"

Zagreus brushed aside Nico's anger. "Oh, please, brother. I didn't want to waste my own money on a knock-off."

"Why did you get it then!?"

Zagreus shrugged. "I thought I'd look good in it."

Nico crossed his arms against his chest, muttering, "You're unbelievable."

"Well, Meg. Glorious, gorgeous Megaera. Can we pass through now?"

The Fury stopped mid-count and stared up at Zagreus, eyes calculating. "My sisters haven't found them, you know."

Zagreus simply raised his eyebrows. "I'm well aware, Meg. Passage?"

"Fine." Meg stood up again and placed a wooden placard on the countertop.

You will be helped in the order you were received. Or not. Be back eventually.

Meg smiled at the pair and gestured to the sign, asking, "Like it? I made it myself. Charon took so little pride in his work. All he cared about were those tacky Italian suits." She walked around the reception desk and beckoned the two sons of Hades toward her. "Well, come on. I don't have all day."

Nico and Zagreus obediently followed, the former still steaming over the loss of his own money.

"Watch your step!" Meg called over her shoulder. "I'm having a lot of the structure restored to its former glory!"

She opened a door that led down into a cold and dark tunnel. When the pair entered, they realized the hallway wasn't a hallway but a damp and cool cave entrance that led to a tunnel. Nico trailed his hand along the wall feeling cold water trickle down.

"You'll find that we are moving away from the technologic boom and trying to return to our rustic roots. No more elevator rides to get to the Styx! Charon became pretty lazy if I do say so myself." She glanced back and frowned as she saw Nico trailing his hand along the wall. "Try not to touch the rock formations, please. The oils on your fingers will strip it of its natural minerals, and I don't want that!"

Nico snatched his hand away from the wall and placed it in his pocket, his other hand holding the strap of his bag to his shoulder. He looked around in wonder. "I really like what you're doing to the place. Before it felt..."

"Like the DMV?" Megaera supplied. "It was boring. Impersonal." She gestured to the cavern walls. "Now, this is more impressive. You don't get led down this way thinking the afterlife will be dull, now, do you? Where's the pizzazz in eggshell white? Where's the mystery? But rock, on the other hand? Granite that glistens in pale light?"

Nico nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. Who's your contractor?"

Megaera beamed with pride. "Well, we have a team we're working with. But, they're working closely with Grant Johnson. That guy who built a house out of a cave in Utah?" She frowned. "Although, we are having trouble finding reliable help. This could get done so much faster if he just died already and could be here. He needs sleep, apparently."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Such an inconvenience." The sarcasm in his voice dripped from his lips, but Megaera didn't seem to notice.

"Exactly. I keep hinting to your father that he should talk to Atropos and get her to cut his life early, but..." She trailed off and shrugged. "You know how picky he is about going through the proper channels."

She made a motion toward some low-hanging rock and said, "Watch your heads."

Where before Charon had taken groups of the dead down an elevator to get to the River Styx, the cavern tunnel led straight to the water's edge. The trio had barely stepped from the shadowy confines of rock when their toes hit the banks of the river.

Nico stared at the water, unease settling in his gut. He glanced up to see Zagreus watching him carefully. When the young god realized he had been noticed, he offered Nico a tight smile and nodded, turning to the Fury.

"Well, Megaera. What are the chances that you'll leave us off here and just let us take your ferry?"

The ensuing whistle that issued from Meg's mouth could have been an angry hiss or disbelieving laugh. Zagreus shrugged. "Never hurts to ask. Well," he swept his hand out in front of him. "Lead on, you gorgeous fiend."

Megaera eyed the son of Hades and Persephone suspiciously but stepped up onto the platform of the ferry. She waited as Nico and Zagreus climbed onto the ferry. As soon as they were settled, the ferry moved forward without action from Megaera. The dark waters lapped at the vessel. Small waves of water occasionally surged over the boat's rim and washed over Nico's feet. He peered into the depths of the river as they pulled further and further out and toward the distant shore. Nico caught glimpses of Mythomagic cards floating in the current, what looked like a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt emblazoned with Apollo's sigil and the number "7," and a picture of a dragon that could have been drawn by Celia.

Nico shook his head and looked away from the drawing, dismissing a pang of longing and trying to focus on the land ahead. The dismal shore loomed up from the parting mist that obscured the majority of the vast Underworld. Twisted and stunted poplar trees sprouted randomly throughout the terrain, clinging to rocky outcroppings that offered little in the way of support. Nico squinted at a figure approaching them on the shore. He elbowed Zagreus, who looked down at him before his eyes followed to see where Nico pointed.

Zagreus scowled and muttered, "Not now, mother."

Megaera snickered next to the pair. "What? Mummy dearest can't come and say hello to her darling boy?"

"Oh, do be quiet, dear. Try not to speak unless you can improve the silence." Zagreus' bitter tone startled Nico. Megaera glowered at the young god but made no further attempt to ridicule him.

As the ferry gently bumped up against the shore, the Fury looked to them both. "Finding your way back is on you. I am not a taxi service."

Once Zagreus and Nico had both disembarked, Meg steered the ferry away. They watched as the mist enveloped her until she was obscured completely.

"Well," Zagreus sighed. "Let's go see what my mother wants, shall we?"

Hades' sons both made their way across the rocky ground. Nico held one hand to his shoulder, securing his bag in place while Zagreus looked about him with a bored expression.

After a minute of walking, they met with Persephone. She raised an eyebrow at the pair and asked, "Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Zagreus looked at his mother in confusion. "What do you mean? We haven't done anything wrong."

Persephone appraised her son, an imperious and disbelieving look on her pristine features. "No? Did your father not tell you to stay by your brother's side? To not let him out of your sight? And yet," she cast her eyes over Nico and back to her son. "You wandered off to Odysseus knows where and left Nico alone in that filthy motel looking near dead! Do you know how long I had to listen to your father rail? You promised you wouldn't let anything happen to Nico!"

Nico's cheeks began to flush as he realized Zagreus was receiving a scolding about him. He protested hotly, "I don't need his protection, alright? I can handle myself."

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Of course, you can. But you both know how your father worries." The goddess glanced down at her flowing robes and brushed a hand over them. The pastel robes swirled until they became like gold-leaf filaments sparkling in the sun. She smiled briefly before looking back up at the pair. "Your father has instructed me to tell you that if either of you dies, he will never forgive you. And that he expects you to take care of each other."

She turned her gaze on Nico. "And, he wants to remind you that you are not allowed to venture into Tartarus again. He forbids it."

Nico felt the blood drain from his face and opened his mouth, the breath from his lungs whooshing out. He had no words he could say that made sense. Zagreus glanced at him quickly before turning to his mother. "Nico wouldn't dream of it. Please remind father that he's the one who entrusted us with this small...quest. He does us a disservice to try to micromanage from afar. Doesn't he realize that our uncle could gain interest in the matters at hand should he continue to draw attention to them?"

Persephone huffed and reached forward, tugging at the black furs that enshrouded Zagreus' shoulders until they lay to her satisfaction. She nodded her contentment before agreeing. "I keep telling him that he needs to turn a blind eye until such a time that our interference would prove to be beneficial."

Zagreus nodded and reached up to his shoulders, taking hold of his mother's hands. He turned them slowly until he held them gently, letting them rest in between their two bodies. "Mother. You know that I will be careful. And you know that I will do what must be done. I will watch over him."

Nico scowled at the pair. "I'm right here, you know. And I don't need protecting, thank you very much."

Persephone gazed over at the demigod and smiled wanly. "I do know that, Nico. Did I not entrust you and the other brats with finding your father's sword?"

Nico shrugged and looked away, but Persephone continued.

"And did you not aid your friends on their quests and journeys? And help Apollo in Nero's silly tower? And find a race that we gods thought lost?" She shook her head ruefully. "I do not doubt your strength, Nico. Do not think that is what is happening here."

Nico glared at the ground, trying to contain his confusion. "What is happening then?"

Persephone stared hard at her husband's son, gathering her words thoughtfully before speaking. "We do not know. But..." She smiled though it did little to warm her eyes. "Hopefully, that will change with what you and Zagreus discover."

She pulled her hands from her son's and gestured to her feet where a pack appeared. "I've packed provisions for you both. Nothing fancy. Just some organic fruits and vegetables-ones packed with Vitamin D. Who knows how long you'll be down here without proper sunlight? And there's mineral water as well. And some herbal tea, just in case."

Zagreus studied his mother before stooping to pick up the pack. "Thank you, mother. You're always watching out for me, it seems."

Nico inclined his head and added, "Thank you, Persephone."

She smiled faintly before turning to address only Nico. "Once you two have found answers, Zagreus will escort you to my daughter's cave. She is not there and will not be for some time. She-"

"Oh?" Zagreus looked at his mother in surprise. "And where is Mellie these days? Is she trying to befriend Shakespeare again? When will she give up on that stubborn old ghost? Honestly, just let the poor man haunt in peace, I say."

Persephone shot her son a withering glance. "Mind your manners. Bill was an exceptional poet and deserves your respect." She sniffed and turned back toward Nico. "As I was saying, my daughter will be gone for some time. Once you are through, you can exit the Underworld that way."

Nico frowned, his suspicions once again creeping up. "Why? Why that specific exit?"

Persephone shrugged but answered him frankly, "The less who are knowledgeable about your time spent down here, the better. There will be few questions from those who would ask if they don't know there are questions to ask."

Nico wrinkled his eyebrows, still confused. "How does that make sense?"

The goddess shushed him and began to shoo the pair away. "Go on now!"

Zagreus shoved the bag into Nico's hands, who almost dropped it along with his own load. Persephone's son moved forward until he stood close to his mother. He gazed into her golden eyes for a moment before leaning in to kiss her softly on her cheek.

"Goodbye, mother. I will see you again soon."

The goddess of spring did not smile, but her eyes sparked with worry. "Go now," she repeated.

Zagreus took the bag from Nico and hefted it onto his shoulder while Nico readjusted his own pack. They set off without another word, following the winding spiraling river that was the Styx. Nico looked back once to see the goddess watching them go, a hand raised to the cheek Zagreus had kissed.

Nico glanced at Zagreus, who stared resolutely ahead. "Well...that was nice of her."

The young god shook his head. "She was warning us."

Furrowing his brow in confusion, Nico asked, "What? No. She was scolding us. Why would she warn us? What would she need to warn us about?"

Zagreus sighed heavily. "Father will not come to our aid. No matter what. His hands are tied." Zagreus laughed bitterly. "Which means that this might be harder than I originally thought."

"What do you mean?"

Zagreus raised an eyebrow as he looked over at Nico. "What do you mean, what do I mean?"

"Why are his hands tied? Why is it going to be harder?"

"Well," Zagreus started. "It's going to be harder because father can't help. If we run into trouble that neither of us is prepared for, Hades will not send backup." The god switched the bag to his other shoulder and continued after raking a hand through his hair. "Which means that father is worried about being ousted."

A noise of disgust escaped Nico's lips. "Really? This again? When will he stop being paranoid?"

Zagreus frowned at his younger half-brother. "Possibilities are not paranoia." At Nico's disbelieving look, Zagreus stopped walking and held Nico back. "Try to understand his perspective. You are given one of three kingdoms- considered the lowliest at the time. You have dominion over the dead, and anything found below the earth belongs to you."

Nico nodded. "Okaaaay."

"You are a somewhat stable god-"

Nico snorted.

"-a somewhat stable god compared to all of your brothers and sisters. You worry about the well-being of your kingdom. Your main worries are infrastructure and space and having enough room to hold the multitude of dead masses appearing at your doorstep every day. Your kingdom grows daily. The others remain stagnant. You have all the currency of the earth while those of water and air get what they are given."

Nico licked his lips, a knot beginning to form in his stomach. Zagreus continued.

"Now, imagine you are the king in the clouds. First, you see your brother's growing kingdom- in both resources and bodies. One of your only living mortal children takes an oath to Artemis. The other dies while your brother still has one son to fight for him. That son is then seen seeking out and finding a race which we had thought lost to myth- those creatures who can go anywhere under the earth in the blink of an eye."

"The trogs?"

Zagreus nodded. "It is not a far leap to make: father is amassing an army to rise up and take down our godly king."

Nico gaped at his older brother. "But that's insane! Hades doesn't care about that! He just wants to be treated fairly! And he wouldn't use the dead to mount an attack. Or the trogs- he didn't even think they existed until I found them!"

Zagreus shrugged. "Who cares about the feelings of the dead? Who cares about the afterlife of mortals? Zeus," Zagreus bit his tongue and looked upward as if waiting for an attack. When nothing came, he continued. "He is not like our father. He can't bring himself to empathize with his siblings, let alone mortals- living or dead."

Zagreus stared hard at Nico and then, straightening, began to stride forward once more. "I must say, I didn't realize how bad our management is until...well, until I saw his reaction to Jason's death." His voice grew soft, and he shot a concerned look at Nico, waiting to see his reaction.

Nico schooled his face into a mask of indifference, trying to mask the pain of memory. "What do you mean?"

"I confess, I, myself, felt nothing when Jason died. I did not know him." Zagreus paused before speaking more forcefully. "But his father. His father was merely inconvenienced. He scolded Hermes when he came with the news- for interrupting his evening. When she found out, Hera was quite hysterical. Artemis had to lead her away and soothe her with moon water until she calmed down. Even now, she still wears mourning garments and refuses to go to her husband's marriage bed."

"He's always been like that, though."

Zagreus inclined his head in agreement. "Yes. That is true. But," a faint smile ghosted over Zagreus' face. "It need not remain so."

Nico stopped his stomach dropping. "That's heresy. If you've been talking like this with father-"

But Zagreus was already shaking his head. "There have been no talks. But, after Apollo's trials and Jason's death...it is hard to ignore what is wrong. And if caring about mortals and demigods removes me from any likeness to our king- so much the better."

Zagreus' voice dropped and, when he again spoke, it was with quiet melancholy. "When Bianca died...father was distraught. He nearly banished Mellie and me. I've never seen his eyes quite so dark or heard his voice quite so cold. Mother said-" Zagreus brusquely cleared his throat and looked away over the torrid landscape. "Mother said that he was trying to drive us away-to spare himself from more pain. Above all, he fears losing his children. He can't lose them if he's cut ties with them all."

"He constantly wonders where Bianca is- once she was reborn. But father-" Zagreus shook his head. "He had a hard time accepting it. As the God of Rebirth, it's hard to understand why so many mortals are opposed to it. But...father. I think he felt like there was time enough to get to know his daughter after she was dead. But, that time was cut short when she made her decision. She spoke of you before she left. She said she hoped she had a little brother again- that she missed being a big sister."

Zagreus fell silent, and Nico wiped at the wetness on his own cheeks. "I didn't know."

The young god nodded. "I was there, you know. When you came to the palace. When father told you it would have been better had Bianca been the one to survive- not you."

Nico felt his heart leap into his throat, each beat a painful reminder of what had once been. "You...you were?"

Zagreus offered Nico a sad smile and nodded. "I'm sorry he said that to you. Father is not one to apologize- he does, of course, try to remedy past hurts and insults with his actions, but...for what is it worth, I am sorry that was said. Do not believe that I condone his actions when I say this: he spoke from a place of grief. I am thankful that you had the fortitude to withstand such grievous injuries."

Shrugging, Nico looked away, barely able to breathe. "It doesn't matter."

"But it does," Zagreus argued. "It does matter, Nico. Beyond just how he treated you. He felt remorse. He felt grief at his loss. And that is what makes his youngest brother so scared-Hades has something that he will never have."

The god let the conversation lapse into silence. They walked, the passing of time unheeded as the landscape never changed. Following the river Styx, each lonely stunted poplar looked identical to the previous. Each grey rock and mound of dirt blended into the next.

After what felt like an eternity, Nico asked, "Where are we going, Zagreus?"

"I thought that was obvious?" Zagreus smiled bemusedly at the demigod. "We're going to the edge of the Styx."

"Why would we..." but Nico trailed off, understanding reaching him at last. "Because that's the border to Tartarus. You don't actually plan on going into Tartarus?"

Zagreus scoffed. "Of course, we won't be going into Tartarus. Why on Cerberus' chew toy would we do that?"

"Well, if we're trying to find Nyx's children...what makes you think they're not already down there?"

"Well, I talked to Momus at the motel, and our conversation led me to believe that there may be some stragglers."

Nico felt he had never felt so clueless as he asked, "Who's Momus?"

"Oh, a really unpleasant chap. God of Blame and Mockery." Zagreus' grimaced. "Honestly? I'd rather get back together with Megaera than speak with Momus." He glanced sheepishly at Nico. "Don't tell Thanatos I said that."

Nico blinked and remembered the conversation at reception. "Oh yeah. So...you're really dating Thanatos? How long has that been a thing?"

Zagreus' mouth twitched up at the corners. "You really want to know?"

Nico scowled. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know."

Shrugging, Zagreus grinned and said, "Alright then. I'll tell you about Thanatos." The young god looked over to Nico and raised his eyebrows. "If you tell me about Halloween."

"No." Nico immediately looked away from Zagreus and stared resolutely ahead. "Absolutely not."

Zagreus smirked and looked to the landscape in front of them, seeming to not care about Nico's staunch refusal. "No worries, then. But, I do want to point out that I've been very free with my own feelings and observations."

"I didn't force you," Nico shot back. "You offered all of that information." He looked away and grumbled under his breath. "It's not a deal if I don't know about it."

"Ah, but," Zagreus held his finger to the side of his nose and winked at Nico. "You accepted the information. Being a son of Hades, you ought to know that nothing is ever free."

Nico fell silent and the two continued to walk along the dreary shores of the River Styx. He readjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder until it settled comfortably against his hip. The blackened sand made a pleasant crunching sound each time Nico set his foot down. The noise of the water lapping against the banks became a peaceful background- a litany of dreams let go instead of lost. He glanced over to Zagreus and took a deep breath.

"Do you have a favorite food?"

Zagreus looked over to the demigod, a startled expression on his face. "I beg your pardon?"

Nico cringed and stammered as he repeated himself. "I-I asked if you had a favorite food? Leo says that everyone has a favorite food and, I just...nevermind. It was a dumb question."

Nico tried to ignore the heat flooding his cheeks and focused on the black sand at his feet.

"Honeysuckle."

It was Nico's turn to be surprised. "What?"

Zagreus smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "I know it's not a food, per se. But," Zagreus' face became wistful as he spoke. "Mother- when she would return from above- used to bring me and Mellie all sorts of presents and food. But my favorite was always the honeysuckle. She taught me how to pinch just above the calyx so that we could drink the nectar. She always brought some back with her. After we'd drink the nectar, we would set the flowers floating on the river and I used to think that- even if it was fleeting- it would bring some happiness to the fields of asphodel as it passed."

Zagreus shrugged and trailed off.

Nico hesitantly offered, "I don't really have a favorite food? But I never really thought about drinks or anything."

"Would it change your answer from nothing?"

Nodding, Nico said, "Leo's hot chocolate. He adds cayenne and cinnamon and...I tried to make it myself one of the nights he was on patrol but it didn't come out right."

Smiling softly, Zagreus said, "Maybe one day I can try Leo's hot chocolate."

Nico regarded the god carefully and added, "Maybe you can show me how to taste a honeysuckle."

"Sounds like a plan." The tone in Zagreus' voice was one of hopeful caution. His smile widening, Zagreus asked, "Maybe you want to talk about Halloween now?"

Nico glared at his older half-brother and Zagreus held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright! One step at a time. Maybe later?"

"Not on your life," Nico growled.

Zagreus shrugged. "No skin off my back, little brother. Being immortal, I can bug you until you die and after you die. I'm not going anywhere." The words sounded as much of a promise as they did a threat and Nico felt a twinge of happiness that he quickly pushed down to nestle with the complicated tangle that was his feelings about Bianca.

A shy smile twisted Nico's lips and he answered, "We'll see."

"All people at any given point in time are doing the best they can." ~ Marsha Linehan