Author's Note: Hiii! Thank you so much for opening my story!

I-I know that I wrote a Lazel/Sazel story a little while ago, but e-every once in a while I go temporarily i-insane and am g-g-genuinely convinced that it's the best ship ever BUT I'M SANE NOW I PROMISE. THIS STORY INCLUDES FRAZEL.

I wanted to write a story about Nico and Hazel's connection as siblings, mainly because I feel like it isn't explored at well as it should be. A big thing that left me scratching my head was how Hazel genuinely believed that Nico preferred Bianca was alive over her, and it just wasn't elaborated on…?

Thank you again for opening my story, and enjoy!

When Nico lost Bianca, he thought his life was over. Which was fair, because his entire life basically revolved around her.

It was like how an infant's life didn't really have meaning outside of their parents. They can't do anything by themselves, so they're solely reliant on their caretakers. Not to say that Nico didn't know how to take care of himself. But his personality had Bianca as a foundation. He was so outgoing because he needed to be for both him and his older sister. He talked so much to fill the silences Bianca left. So when she died, she took more than her own life with her. She took Nico's knowledge of how to interact with others.

The first few days after Nico met Hazel, he sort of thought he was dreaming. Hazel was good in the ways Bianca was and wasn't. She knew when to close her mouth and what silences to fill. She always smiled when she realized someone was staring at her, and she laughed at every joke.

But, most important to Nico, she never left him.

Nico understood that Bianca's decision to join the Hunters was up to her and that he should respect it, but he really couldn't help but feel like he had been abandoned. But Hazel never wanted to leave Nico's side. She begged him to stay with her when they arrived at Camp Jupiter for the first time. She pounced at every opportunity they had to meet up. And, when they did, the first ten minutes she spent talking about how much she missed him. It was an unfamiliar connection he had, and wholly needed.

Hazel was able to love so fully and whole-heartedly in a way that almost made Nico jealous. While Nico had spent years after Bianca died wallowing in self-pity, Hazel was so full of joy and life the moment she stepped out of the Underworld for the first time in seventy years.

But what really surprised Nico was how much of her love was reserved just for him. While a sizable chunk was saved for a certain Zhang boy, she still managed to put her older brother on a pedestal that he couldn't help but feel like he didn't deserve.

Which is why Nico went from calm to nearly insane in less than a second when Percy Jackson told him Hazel was lost.

"Lost?" Nico half-shouted. "What do you mean she's lost?"

"Frank IM'd me," Percy said, running a hand through his hair frantically. "He was in tears, I could barely understand him. Said he went to breakfast, and she never showed. Went looking for her, but she wasn't anywhere. Had the whole camp in shambles trying to find her. He thinks you might know where she is?"

"I don't." Nico twisted his fingers. "Maybe she took Arion for a ride?"

"She wouldn't just go riding on her divinely fast horse without telling someone first."

"Maybe she went swimming?"

"She's drowning herself before she does anything in a body of water for fun."

"Went to see an old friend?"

"All of the people she used to know are rude idiots that are all probably dead. And the only people that weren't rude idiots have been dead for a while now."

Not again. Not another sister.

As if he could read Nico's thoughts, Percy said, "Don't worry too much. Even if something happened to her, we both know Hazel can beat up almost anybody if she wants to. I mean, she defeated Gaea when she was thirteen with no training. I think she'll be fine. We just have to make sure she will be long enough for us to find her."

The first person Nico saw when he stepped out of the Big House was Will Solace.

Nico's first thought was that he couldn't let Will see him like this.

Nico knew how he must look. Haunted, gaunt. Exactly how he did when he first found out Bianca died. And the last thing he wanted was Will seeing the impact that'd had on him.

Nico's and Will's relationship had gone a long way after their dive into Tartarus, but this was something Nico couldn't handle. Nico was certain Will had expectations of Nico's personality. Grudge-ridden wreck wasn't one of them.

Nico didn't usually take the easy route out of his problems. He liked to face them head on and get them over with. This time, he made an exception.

Nico stepped behind Percy. Before Percy could ask what he was doing, Nico shadow-travelled away.

Author's Note: I have a confession to make.

I didn't read The Sun and the Star. Or finish Trials of Apollo.

NO WAIT STOP PLEASE LET ME EXPLAIN-

Someone told me you're supposed to finish Trials of Apollo before you read TSATS. And I'm so so sorry I've been trying to get through it and I've finished The Hidden Oracle but I've been getting so many book recommendations and Apollo is honestly kind of a yapper and I'M SORRY-

So if there's any repetitive themes in this chapter, or anywhere in the story, please let me know. I know the general idea of what happened in TSATS because of spoilers and because I looked up a summary, but I know I'm probably not aware of a lot of key details. Constructive criticism is wanted (PLEASE)! More chapters coming soon!

Thank you so much for reading! Have a good day!