Inheritance - a sequel to Shelter

It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn - Nico

Will offers the staff to Apollo. Apollo waves his hand and turns it into a ukulele before taking it from Will. He scoots to the edge of the couch cushion and begins to strum. It's a song Nico has never heard before, sounding both full of joy and sadness at the same time.

Will apparently recognizes it at once and clasps his hand in Nico's, threading their fingers together. Apollo doesn't sing. He plays the melody all the way through and then settles back against the cushions, making himself comfortable before beginning again. He talks to them as he plays, the music seeming to amplify his words, not in sound, but in how Nico perceives them.

"I never told you before, either of you, about how gods and mortals differ. I'm not sure what they teach about that here at camp. Anyway, gods don't have dreams like mortals; we use dreams to communicate; to find out what's going on in the world, you know? The only exception really is when we're close to dying, when our power reaches a point so low it's almost impossible to come back from. We also don't have souls. Like how Pan died recently ..." He strums his ukulele, falling quiet for a moment.

Nico remembers Pan's death. He was there. "They don't go anywhere as a personality like mortals do," Nico says, a little surprised at himself for speaking, but when Apollo nods his head as if he's interested in what Nico has to say, he goes on. "They fade and their spirit gets dispersed throughout their descendants and those who are pledged to them. It's not like a mortal death, but ... yeah."

He falls silent again, curious why Apollo wants to talk about death right now. As Will and he had just argued, of all the Olympian gods, Apollo is the most still revered in the mortal world, the most alive. Apollo picks up talking after a short lull, the music filling the pause and sort of setting a pace for their conversation that is neither rushed nor awkward.

"That's right. That's part of why having demigod children is so important to us; even the goddesses who choose to remain maidens cultivate a following. They adopt heroes and mortals as they see fit. The past couple of years have been rough for all of us. I can't really talk about what's going on with my father. I'm not 100% certain what is happening with him for one, and also, I foresee you two petitioning to continue your quest, to see the last prophecy fulfilled. If I tell you more than I should ... It would be bad for everyone. See, when a god overthrows another, when a power structure falls and gets replaced, it sets off an imbalance in the natural order, one that has to be counterbalanced. One way or another the Fates will make sure it gets balanced out. The biggest point I want to make to you guys, the one I've been trying to make with my brethren, is that I don't want to take over Olympus. I'm not cut out for it. I've looked ahead and that path only leads to destruction, more than I can bear." He shakes his head, his face a picture of misery.

The way the music enhances Apollo's voice, Nico can almost make out images of the natural world lashing back on itself, breaking and cracking; the sun heating the Earth to a boiling point, a mass of molten lava. He shudders. Will moves his hand out of Nico's and they wipe their palms on their jeans. Nico guesses that Will saw the same thing. Apollo draws their attention back to himself again.

"Yeah. So that's the thing. I'm not doing nothing so to speak. It's true I'm not actively fighting back like your dad. And I've gotta give my uncle credit. I never thought I'd see him backing Olympus. The best I can do is give you guys my blessing." Apollo stops talking for a second, his fingers missing a chord as he makes a choked sound, then covers it with a forced chuckle. "It's gonna be hard for you, kiddos. And I'd give anything to be able to come along and help you out, but without Zeus backing me, that would be suicide. I, uh ... I'm already straddling that line with Zeus. I made a rash decision last night ..." He smiles impishly, a genuine smile, his eyes sparkling with what Nico thinks is happiness. "It could get me into some real hot water. Already I've received some sort of curse for it, but I wouldn't take it back if I could. So don't count me out of the running as far as doing something to fight back. Alright?"

Nico has to admit he's curious about what sort of behind the scenes action Apollo is up to. Will tenses, his hands clenching into fists.

"Do you have any advice for us, that won't get you in trouble? Something that might give us a chance at succeeding?"

Apollo starts his song over from the top, this time humming along with the opening refrain. Then he sighs. "The only things that come to mind are my own tormented memories. Often when looking toward the future, the answer can be found in the past. Life unfolds cyclically, you know."

Will clears his throat. He's getting annoyed. Nico can read it in his body language, in how tightly he holds himself, the sharpness of his breathing. "Yeah. So we should review the past? Any clues where to start with that? I mean are we talking 1930s past, or ancient Greece past? Also, Nico still can't access his powers. As the god of medicine do you have any ideas for how we might get them back?

Apollo chuckles again, though this time it isn't forced. He seems truly amused by Will's questions.

"Come on, Dad," Will says, flattening his palms on his thighs. "What's so funny?"

Apollo glances up at him, his golden blond bangs falling into his face and making him look so much like Will, only evil, that Nico has to quash the thought before he starts laughing too.

"You remind me of Asclepius. He never stopped asking questions either." He strums the last few chords of his song, and then holds the ukulele out by the neck. He shakes it and turns it back into the staff bearing Pythia. He and the snake exchange a glance, and then Apollo hands the staff to Will. "I think you're ready to carry this staff now. Let me have the other one back. I miss my guitar."

It's such a bullshit thing to say, especially considering the pile of guitars in the corner, but Will accepts the staff and passes Apollo his doctor's bag without pressing Apollo to answer his questions.

"We should go and talk to Chiron before we take off," Nico says, "especially if we're planning to leave today."

Apollo nods, already having turned the doctor's bag into a guitar. He picks up playing again, and though it is the same song, it doesn't sound as heartfelt as it had on the ukulele. Will gets to his feet and faces Apollo as Nico stands as well. "I know Asclepius means a lot to you. Nico saw him in a dream." Apollo stops playing and looks up at Will as if he's curious whether Will's telling the truth. "He's fighting back; he's still immortal, and we'll do our best to figure out how to get him out of Tartarus."

Apollo's lips twitch, but he doesn't say anything as they turn and head for the cave entrance. Nico suspects he's holding himself back from saying too much, and then recalls the end of his dream. He turns back as Will pushes past the curtain. "Asclepius isn't alone, either," he tells Apollo. "Leto is with him."

When Apollo doesn't respond, Nico follows Will out of the cave and back down the hill to the Big House.