After BoO (Solangelo fanfic) chapter 2
Wow. The first chapter got way more notes than I had expected. So here is the second chapter. Hope you like it as well. I have also thought I could start drawing some fanart relating to this fanfic. And again I welcome all comments/advise from you guys. Here is link to the first chapter if someone needs it.
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Once everyone was gathered around a fountain in the Hades Cabin. Nico had insisted on installing it as the first step of the renovation in tha cabin. After waiting for it to be appropriate time to contact the people in New Rome, it was about time to make the call and tell everyone the wonderous news. Nico had already call Hazel as soon as he had dared and told her to get Frank and Reyna and expect another call within an hour. Everything was ready to go. The fountain provided well enough mist for there to become rainbows and Nico already had a drachma in his hand.
It goes without saying that everyone, and most of all Percy, had pestered Nico all morning since he had told them he had something important to tell them but it had to wait until those in New Rome would be awake. It had taken about five minutes for Nico to regret he had told them about this so soon and hadn’t just mentioned it when it was time tell everyone. But fortunately Annabeth had been able to somewhat keep Percy in line and the wait had been bearable.
Nico tossed the coin into the rainbow.
”Hazel Levesque”, he said as the coin dissapeared in the mist.
The rainbow started rippling and gaining some color and some blurred shapes appeared before the picture focused. Now there were three people smiling at them through the window like ‘screen’ floating in the center of the mist.
”Hi everyone”, Hazel said as everyone gathered closer to see properly.
There was a collective 'Hi’ on both ends.
”How are things in New Rome?” Annabeth asked. ”Was there much damage caused by the war?
”Surprisingly little actually”, Reyna replied. ”It would seem most of the Gaia’s forces had gathered there. Apparently they planned to wipe Camp Half-Blood first and then move on to destroying New Rome.”
”Well of course they had to take out the bigger thread first”, Percy said with a sly smirk on his face.
That earned much eyerolling and a deep sigh as well as an elbow to his ribs from Annabeth.
”You do realize much of New Rome’s army was here as well Seaweed Brain”, she remarked. ”Gaia was planning on taking us all down after we had battled with each other.”
Percy was about to answer but Jason cut him off.
”Is a new augur already been appointed since… well.. you know”, he said with a rather grim expression.
”No there hasn’t been anyone appointed but we expect there will be soon”, Frank said.
”So it would seem my father isn’t through with Apollo yet.”
Nico felt his stomach tighten a little as he got an uncharacteristic feeling of pity and sadness as he thought about what Zeus was going to do to Will’s father. Unfortunately he hadn’t had time to ask his Father about that when he had visited his dreams. He hoped Artemis would be able to calm Zeus as the others had told she promised.
”Have you began your duties as pontifex maximus Jason”, Reyna inquired.
”Not yet but I was just about to ask you Annabeth if you would like to be in charge of the shrines’ architecture.”
”You only ever had to ask”, Annabeth answered with a grin that showed she had been expecting this.
For a second it seemed like she already was making plans in her head but this time Percy interrupted her thoughts.
”Not now Wise Girl we’re here because Nico had some news for us remember”, he said as he offered Nico a tentative smile.
All chatter stopped immediately and everyone turned towards Nico as they were reminded this meeting had an actual meaning. Other than to just catch up on what was going on with everyone.
Nico swallowed and took a deep breath to ready himself to speak to such intently watchful audience.
”Yeah… I-I was visited last night by my Father. In a dream I mean”, he started rather anxious because of all the attention he was getting.
”What did he say”, Hazel asked looking somewhat concerned.
”Well he.. umm… first he congratulated me for getting the statue here safely”, he continued as he felt a slight blush rushing to his cheeks as the others agreed by nodding and murmuring congrats as well.
”But that’s not the main thing. The thing is…well.. ”, he said and took another deep breath, in part to steel himself to continue and in part because he felt relieved.
”Leo is alive”, he finished as he looked back up at the others.
A variety of gasps and looks of astonishments followed by cheers, whoops, tears of joy and laughter passed through the group.
”You had better not be kidding with this”, Jason said with a look that was both relieved and vulnerable.
”Of course I’m not!” Nico said sounding somewhat offended. ”I didn’t tell you this before because I didn’t want to get your hopes up for nothing but when I said I felt Leo die… well it felt strange somehow. Something unlike ordinary deaths. And my Father told me too that Leo had been dead but somehow managed to just slip back.”
”So he must have took the cure somehow”, Piper gave a relieved laughter with her cheeks streaked with tears of joy.
”But how is that possible? There was no one with him”, Frank asked the question everyone thought.
A silence fell as people waited for an answer. Suddenly Annabeth jerked a little as a thought hit her.
”But there was!” she exclaimed looking somewhat proud at figuring it out before anyone else. ”Festus was with him! Leo spent a lot of time in the engine room repearing the dragon so he must have installed a fail-safe of a sort that would give him the cure if he died!”
Looks of realization dawned on faces around the room.
”Of course! That must be it”, Jason laughed. ”Should have trusted Leo to have a plan.”
”Can’t imagine Hades being too happy about the dead coming back to life”, Percy said with a grim expression.
”That he was not”, Nico said. ”He told that naturally he had to demand some sort of justice that Asclepius helped to bring a person back to life. Again. But he did say that he was going to let this go rather easily since he knows Asclepius was… persuaded to help and because Leo had been the one to blow Gaia up.”
”Wow. He must be getting soft”, Percy whistled.
Another round of sighs, groans, eyerolling and an elbow from Annabeth was what this comment earned.
”But why hasn’t he come back yet”, Hazel inquired returning to the actual subject.
”Perhaps he went to get Calypso”, Percy made a mocking kissing motion with elaborate sound effects. Annabeth was already about to elbow him once more but stopped mid-strike.
”That… that might actually be it. I mean didn’t he tell us he promised Calypso he would come for her again. And a line of the Prophecy said 'An oath to keep with a final breath’.”
”Wow, so I was actually right….I mean, of course I was”, Percy said as he lifted his chin in a dignified manner. ”After all I’m…”
He was interrupted by a knock on the door and as everyone turned to look Will entered the cabin.
”Wakey wakey sleeping beauty”, Will called as his head poked through the opening doorway. ”It’s time for your daily che…”
He froze in mid-sentence as he saw everyone there. Nico felt a warmth surge to his cheek but tried to hide his probably very clear blush. Though he was not certain it looked for a moment as if Will too had blushed a little. Nico took a quick glance behind him towards the other was enough to confirm what he had feared. And that was Piper eyeing Nico and Will with a rather suspicious expression.
”Oh, everyone’s here”, Will said as he had quickly recovered. ”I just… I mean if it’s a bad timing…”
”Actually it is a litt… ”, Percy started but was cut short by Piper.
”No no, we were just finishing up here.”
”We were?” Jason asked clearly confused.
”Yes, yes we were”, Piper confirmed as she slightly nodded towards Nico and Will and gave him a knowing look that said not to question her.
Everyone turned once more to look at Nico and Will. Nico felt his cheek burn again but tried to hide it by turning towards Will.
”I can come to the infirmary once we’re done…”
”No need”, Annabeth cut in. ”Piper’s right. We were just about finished anyway.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
”Well, good bye everyone”, Hazel said before she waved at the screen and it disappeared.
All the others started towards the door. Nico had a sense of forebodding as he noticed Percy and Jason’s stern faces as they neared the door side by side. Just as they were passing Will they parted so that Will was left between them and they stopped for a moment. Both of them incline closer to Will and whispered something to him that Nico couldn’t hear. But what ever it was it couldn’t be anything good. This time Nico saw Will definitely blush and Nico thought he would die of embarrasment right there.
When everyone had left there was a moment of awkward silence before Will broke it.
”Well, shall we go to the infirmary for the check-up.”
Having recovered enough Nico nodded in agreement.
