Thickening Shadows (Percy Jackson/Rise of the Guardians Crossover) - Completed

Chapter 5

 Nico's already frazzled mind went into overdrive. Pitch Black stole his memories? No, not possible. Only gods had that power and if he didn't have his memories, he think he would've noticed. Even if he was bathed in the river Lethe he wouldn't even be able to remember his own name.

"I think I'd notice if someone stole my memories," Nico folded his arms over his chest.

 "Not those kinds of memories," she corrected, "the memories of childhood. They're locked inside your baby teeth so when needed we can help you remember the good and happy times. You see, I'm Toothiana- Tooth for short- and I'm the Guardian of memories. Bunny over there is the Guardian of Hope, Jack is the Guardian of Fun, Sandy is the Guardian of Dreams, and North is the Guardian of Wonder. We guard the things that are precious during childhood."

 "Good for you," the Son of Hades draped his jacket over his arm and sheathed his sword, "your two minutes are up."

 "Don't you want your memories back?" Jack spoke up for the first time, "don't you want to help us stop Pitch?"

 "Pitch and I parted ways as neutral parties," Nico began turning his silver skull ring on his finger, "I'll find him myself and take care of it."

 "You talked to Pitch?" North asked suddenly.

 "Yeah, wanted me to team up with him, but I work alone," Nico put his jacket back on despite the heat, "now if you'll excuse me, I have a job to do."

 "He has your sister's memories as well," Jack said suddenly.

 Nico grit his teeth but paused none the less.

 "He's probably rifled through all of them. Don't you think that it's a bit rude? I don't think your sister would like that-" Bunny started to say

 Anger bubbled close to the surface and the shadows in the room responded, growing and slinking towards Nico, who was trying his very best not to make the ground shake.

 "You don't even know my sister," Nico glared hard at the Bunny, "so don't even attempt to know what she would want. It's been longer than two minutes. Find someone else to help you."

 He was sick of their company. The agitated shadows formed around him and he traveled to the current address that had been pestering his mind. Just as he left though, he felt something hook around his arm, and then a weight. Another person had jumped his travel. In the blackness of the shadows Nico made out the shape of a Shepard's crook attached to his arm.

 Jack Frost had jumped him.

 When Nico appeared in the shadow of a tree in a small Australian suburb, Jack arriving less than a millisecond after him, the world was spinning. He took a deep breath and braced himself against the tree. Jack himself seemed to be in a similar situation, though looking rather green.

 Nico figured he must've caught a bug; maybe a flu. He wasn't feeling all that good lately. What he really needed was good, uninterrupted sleep. From the looks of it, he wouldn't be getting any soon.

 "What was that?" Jack finally seemed to have gathered himself

 "Shadow travel," Nico began walking down the street, forcing the queasy Jack to follow.

 "What?"

 "Every shadow is linked. If you know how, you can use them to travel," Nico looked at the numbers on the houses, "now go."

 "I'm not leaving until you help us," Jack floated next to him, gazing around, "where are we?"

 "It's a good thing we're immortal then, isn't it?" Nico removed his jacket, "and we're in Brisbane."