Inheritance - a sequel to Shelter

To Be Alone With Me - Nico

Fortunately for Nico, Will has the idea to whistle for a pegasus before they get too far from camp. Unfortunately, the pegasus who responds to the call is Porkpie. He's the one that has always shied away from Nico, and despite not being able to speak horse, Nico thinks it's the 'death' thing that offends the animal.

Will raises his hand as the pegasus touches down, and then rubs Porkpie's neck in greeting.

"Well, he should be able to get us across New York. We'll have to figure out how we're going to get across the country, but it's a start." Porkpie apparently likes Will, as he nuzzles Will's neck with his cheek. Will gives him one last pat, climbs onto his back, and transfers his backpack to his lap, making room.

Nico tenses as Porkpie looks at him over his shoulder, then nickers as if to say: Well, you coming too? The tension from their previous encounters has vanished. He climbs up behind Will and holds onto his waist. Porkpie canters down Farm Road and then lifts off, flying away from the Sound.

They soar upwards with such force, the pull makes Nico feel heavy, like his body is left behind. He holds onto Will tighter, burying his face between Will's shoulder blades, his eyes shut tight and waiting for the sensation to even out.

XxxX

Nico opens his eyes, staring up at a high domed ceiling painted like a summer sky, the sun blazing in the center and sending beams across an expanse of blue. Cloud nymphs interspersed with winged wind spirits dot the expanse, making Nico feel as if he's left the Earth behind and is instead floating on a cloud among them.

He grimaces and revises the thought. It would be like that if the surface he lay upon weren't hard as marble. Heavy limbed, as if the backside of his body was a magnet and the floor, its opposite, he takes deep breaths, gearing up his energy to try and pull himself up.

And then he hears a low moan, his cheeks growing hot as it's followed up with a slap, a grunt, and heavy panting growing louder and faster.

He pushes himself up on his arms, still not sure where exactly he is or how he got here, and his eyes widen, frozen in place. Not more than ten feet from him, he spies Zephyros and Apollo in flagrante delicto, all tanned glistening muscles tensing and flexing.

Nico comes back to himself when Apollo lands a slap on Zephyros's ass. Nico scrambles to his feet, turning this way and that, looking for a way out.

"Nico di Angelo," comes Zephyros's melodious voice from right behind him. It sends a shiver racing down Nico's spine and making his scalp tingle. "Thank goodness. I've been trying to reach you, but it felt like you were never going to fall asleep."

Nico turns around again, the image of Apollo and Zephyros on the bed is blurred, and thankfully pushed back against the far wall of the room. Nico focuses on Zephyros's fond smile, his black curls longer than in the image, his wings, large and spread behind his arms, open in a welcoming gesture. He's dressed in his usual attire of late: an orange camp t-shirt, khaki bermuda shorts, and sandals.

"I'm asleep?" Nico asks. It's the oddest sensation, not being able to tell the difference between the dream world and reality. Perhaps he's starting to lose the rest of his demigod powers, or the absence of his underworld powers is stretching the ones remaining thin. He shakes his head, as if trying to clear his ears, and has to work at staying focused.

Zephyros chuckles, then slings an arm around Nico's shoulders. He walks him over to the large window, looking out from up high at the bright bustling streets and winding gardens of Mt Olympus. "Olympus looks a lot different now," Zephyros says, his usual flirtatious lilt, more subdued, wistful even. "This ..." Zephyros gestures out the window, then at the ceiling and the room in general, "... is ancient history. I'd lost this memory, but ..." He sighs, falling silent.

Puzzling, Nico's mind works in overtime. Zephyros had lost a memory of himself and Apollo. He glances over his shoulder at the figures on the bed, blurred as if they were being censored for television, then back at Zephyros's sad dark eyes fixed on the window. "So ..." he stammers, trying to think out loud. "You and Apollo had been together, like, way before the falling out with Eros?"

Zephyros nods, his image in the window reflecting his sorrow. "I'm actually not doing so well," he says, addressing Nico's reflection in the window, their eyes meeting. "I'm here on Olympus now. I got called to serve as messenger, right after ..." He sighs again, then sends a small smile at Nico. "Apollo and I are together again, officially. Or, I suppose we are keeping it on the down low, but it feels really good. Like finding a home." He stares at the window, lost in thought or memory before shaking his head, remembering the conversation. "Oh, right. We probably don't have a lot of time, even with the fluidity of dreams. Everything's changing. I'm trapped at the moment, nothing major to worry about yet, but who knows for how long. Zeus is not, uh – right in the head. I think that's the right expression." He wrinkles his forehead, losing the conversation again.

The hairs on the back of Nico's neck prickle. He's not sure if he's more irritated because Zephyros is gatecrashing his dreams again, the reminder of years of lost memories, or the idea of Zeus losing his grip on the world and allowing it to fall to ruin. To Tartarus. Nico shudders, recalling the quest.

"Look. I don't mean to be pushy, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. Will and I have picked up our quest again, the rest of the prophecy ... You wouldn't have any ideas about what it could mean, would you?"

Zephyros shrugs. "I'm not supposed to involve myself with demigod quests, at least not without instruction from another god. On my own though, I haven't been sworn into this position yet."

He seems to be trying to talk himself into finding a loophole. Nico nods, encouraging him.

"The wretched one must make a stand, topple the head, draw a line in the sand. It sounds to me like somebody needs to stand up to Zeus, to lay down a boundary for him. I don't believe anybody but another god would be capable of doing it. I know Aphrodite thought it referred to Apollo, but I promise you, he might be more subdued lately, but he isn't wretched."

The truth dawns on Nico like a curtain being lifted from his eyes. He stares at Zephyros's reflection, his forehead creased. "My father, you mean? The one who needs to stand up to Zeus? And all this time we've thought it would be one of Zeus's sons?"

Zephyros tilts his head thoughtfully. "Zeus has been tormented by an irrational fear after he seized control of the world from his own father. There was a prophecy that a son of Zeus and his first wife would likewise overthrow his father. And ..." Zephyros's expression grows dark, etched with distaste. "... following Cronos's example, Zeus swallowed her while she was pregnant. It's irrational because the child of Metis was Athena, a female, and she was born anyway. Metis can no longer bear Zeus children and, according to Athena, she has become pure thought. She has merged together with Zeus and is the source of his wise counsel."

Ideas flicker through Nico's mind, slotting into place, his purpose on the quest becoming clearer. "I need to convince my father to do it. I should go to him, find a way to contact him. I hate that he cut off my powers. It would be so much easier if I could just shadow-travel."

Zephyros pauses, standing still with his ears perked, as if he's listening for sounds of danger. He relaxes after a few moments. "Before you go on, I need you to hear what's happened to me. I don't want you to alert Apollo about it. I think it could be disastrous if he were to confront Zeus. I'm with Ganymede right now. We're locked in his room. It was an accident I was even here. Neither of us think Zeus is aware of it. What I witnessed – Zeus, when he's with Ganymede –" Zephyros raises his eyebrows, putting an image in Nico's mind that Nico would rather not have "– he's back to his old self. Like restored to his youth, beautiful; all laughter and smiles."

Nico rolls his eyes without realizing until Zephyros tuts at him.

"I know it's hard to imagine, but I knew Zeus when he was young, way before he freed his siblings. And the way these two are in love? It's really sweet. But see, there's something else going on. Ganymede is head over heels with Zeus when he's himself, but then there are times when he isn't. According to Ganymede, it's always been like this. In the beginning Zeus didn't flip to the darker aspect very often at all, and Ganymede was fine with dealing with an occasional 'bad day'. But now, the bad days are more common. While I was here, trying to give them privacy, not to interrupt ... anyway, something dark brushed up against me. It was like a malignant force, feeling around and trying to blend with me – in wind form, you understand?"

Nico nods again, waiting for Zephyros to go on.

"The thing reeked, all toxic and alien. When I shifted away, it dissipated, and then Zeus changed back to his brooding, creepy aspect. Ganymede is at his wits end with dealing with it. He provoked Zeus, not caring if it killed him. He's told me he would willingly sacrifice himself if that's what it takes to snap Zeus out of it, but he resists, because he knows Zeus would realize what he did and then take out his grief on the rest of the world. Anyway, if you do talk to Hades, tell him about this phenomenon. The darkness isn't something I recognize. It might be a vengeful spirit? Maybe something Hades knows about?

"Yeah. Definitely," Nico agrees.

"Before you go ..." Zephyros turns back to the blurred images on the bed, a smile playing on his lips. "These memories, the ones I'd lost. Ganymede keeps a record of all the old Hephaestus TV shows." He chuckles. "Apparently Apollo and I thought we were being discreet, and the rest of the gods allowed us our fun. Unbeknownst to us, we were stars of a daytime soap opera. I didn't mean to assault you with this ..." He waves his hand vaguely at the blurry shapes. "But when I saw the record, my memories came back. You might be able to get your memories back, maybe even your powers if you talk to the people about the missing moments. Use the record of their memories to get yours back. It's a thought."

Warmth floods Nico's body. It's more than just heat, it's gratitude. Zephyros just handed him more help than any other encounter he'd ever had with another god, and suddenly, Nico thinks a simple 'thank you' falls far short of what he owes. "I, uh. Thanks. I don't know if I'll ever be able to ..."

Zephyros opens his eyes wide as if realizing what Nico's trying to say, then breaks into a huge smile. "No thanks is necessary, Nico. This is me, repaying a kindness to you, not the other way around."

"Huh?"

"I told you in Split. Remember Diocletian's cellar? I've been watching you. I met you as a small boy, and several times since? I thought it was because you were destined to meet my master, and you were, but that wasn't the whole story. I talked to you a lot in the place without time. You were always going on about some new show or game and it was nice to spend time with someone who just wanted to share their excitement and didn't have an ulterior motive."

"You visited me in the Lotus Casino?" Nico's heart twists, and Zephyros's face from the past lights up his brain like plugging in a light string on a Christmas tree. The indignation he was going for falls flat as he stares, seeing Zephyros in a new light, one of innocence and friendship. "The thing..." he stammers, "... works, I think. The memories. You said it, and I remember."

Zephyros boops him on the nose, like he had in those days. "More than that, Nico. Even when you didn't remember, you told me I was obsessed with Apollo. I didn't believe it at first, but it got me to pay attention again. Then you talked to Apollo about me. And I think it's because of you that we had a chance to find each other again and heal from old hurts. I think we've got our scales balanced as far as favors goes."

Nico thinks so too. He's about ready to say as much but the air shimmers like mist over water, dissolving the room and the dream along with it.

XxxX

Instead of waking, Nico's consciousness flies outside of his control – pulled by a powerful summons – a speeding blur of color through a wasteland of grey. When he reaches the source, his vision spins. He clasps his hands over his ears, staring straight ahead and waiting for his mind to catch up with this new dream.

"Oh. Sorry to pull you off course, but I ... Are you okay? You look different."

Nico watches the blur of color pass, turning in circles around his head, finally slowing down as his mind settles back inside his head. The blob in front of him comes into focus. First five images of the same concerned face, then three until finally settling into one whole pasty-faced boy with big brown eyes.

"It's fine," Nico says, gritting his teeth. "I got cut off from my Underworld powers, but I think I may be on the right track to get them back."

He doesn't mention that dream-travel seems to be one of them, and that he has zero control of himself in the dream world. Getting pulled off course has to be the understatement of the century. It's more like he's a puppet on strings, at the mercy of other dreamers and if they decide to frolic and swing him around a little going from one puppet theatre to another, he's along for the ride without safety restraints or anything to keep him together as a whole.

"Oh?" Clovis asks, drawing the word out. If he were any person other than Clovis, Nico would be afraid he had just realized how much power over Nico he'd just happened upon. In the wrong hands, Nico's sanity would be in jeopardy. "That sucks. I'll keep my eyes open for news about that. Haven't heard anything about it so far. The gods are mostly quiet. A lot of them hiding out around here, trying to lie low and pretend they're here because they want to be."

That is news Nico does not want to hear. He suspects, after hearing what Zephyros had to say about Zeus, that the more the gods hide from him, Zeus will turn his attention and his wrath even more onto the demigods and mortals. "What did you want to tell me? I'm supposed to be on a quest. I don't even know how long I've been sleeping or if it's even safe for me to be asleep right now."

"Oh, right," Clovis says, pulling his blanket up to his chin in his customary armchair. "I promised Will I'd watch out for Lou Ellen and Cecil. And tonight, something happened. A visitor." He shivers, his face trying and failing to show fear. "I think you should see it. Rachel Elizabeth Dare spoke another prophecy. I think it has to do with your quest –" he yawns, his breath sickly sweet, making Nico wrinkle his nose – but I'm not sure. You should just watch and –"

"Yes," Nico snaps. "Fine. Show me. And then I have got to wake up."

Clovis nods. Nico grips his knees, his eyes squeezed shut as the memory replaces the dream, and he's again at the mercy of spinning colors and traversing minds.

XxxX

When he opens his eyes at last, Nico's stomach swoops and he tightens his grip on Will, hugging him around the waist. He feels Will's voice vibrate under his cheek, chuckling, he thinks, but he doesn't mind if Will laughs at him for holding on tight while the pegasus descends. Besides, as high up as they'd been flying, Nico's skin is freezing. Will, on the other hand, radiates warmth. Nico would be an idiot to not take advantage of having a hot boyfriend. He buries his face in Will's back and breathes in his tropical scent, sending warm waves of arousal throughout his whole body. Unbidden, the memory of Apollo and Zephyros from ages ago enters his mind, not that he finds it hot – rather, he does, and would prefer not to think about people he knows like that – but because it reminds him of a promise he needs to keep. If gods like Apollo and Zephyros, sickeningly in love, can have their memories of their relationship taken from them without realizing it, and human lives are already fragile, even more so on a quest where each day might be their last, then Nico should give Will an answer right away. Waiting to tell him he's in it for the long haul, or at least willing to give it a try would be wasting precious time they could enjoy with each other.

Porkpie lands beside a lake, making Nico's stomach lurch, and when Nico's feet touch solid ground again, he grasps just how little time they actually have.

Will dismounts and digs around in his backpack, withdrawing one of the pocket-sized tents the hunters of Artemis use.

"After the past couple of days," Will says, tossing the square in the center of a grove of trees, the tent springing up fully formed, "I think we can spare six or seven hours to rest."

Nico doesn't argue, and when Will lifts the tent flap for Nico to enter first, he pulls Will in along with him, fastening his body to Will's, landing them both on the sleeping bags and kissing him within an inch of his life, grateful to be together.