Trust Me (a Percico Fanfic; Sequel to Letters to Nico)

Chapter 25

Finally back on track! Let's get started :3

???'s POV

Footsteps crunched on the ground, the mucky ground sucking at the shoes of the girl who trudged through the Underworld. Trees stuck into the sky, and vulchers cawed remorsefully. The girl felt herself shudder in fear.

She was older now, more grown up. Why was she so afraid of all of these simple things despite this change? Did fears last forever after all?

The girl shook these thoughts from her mind. She had more important things to think of, such as the fact that she was about to face someone she was dreading. She knew it was necessary; she must save them.

There was a deafening growl nearby. The girl swallowed fearfully, realizing she had no weapons. Shaking with terror, she turned around but then relaxed; it was just Cerberus, Hades' guard dog. His massive heads swung angrily and his eyes blazed with fire. The girl grinned at him and ran her hands along his tummy. Cerberus stopped snarling and began to pant happily. The girl reached into her back pocket and retrieved a tennis ball. She threw it to the dog and Cerberus quickly bit at it.

Unfortunately, he had not taken its small size into account and the ball got stuck to his teeth. The girl felt her lips twitch in amusement as Cerberus began clawing at his teeth. She gave Cerberus one last pat on the head before moving along.

As she reached the palace of Hades, the girl ran her hands through her hair nervously. The mosaic windows held pictures of Hades and Persephone surrounded by fire. Each mosaic was identical except for minor differences such as different shades of red and orange surrounding the bloody sky. The girl ran her hands along the brick walls of the castle and found that they were slimy and rough, as though blood had dried on top of the surface. She shuddered in disgust and knocked on the door.

There was a clicking sound, then the giant doors swung open with a screech. The girl felt her fear deepen and her heartbeat quicken. She knew she had to take that fateful step forward, but she didn't want to face her fate.

Still, their lives were more important and she knew that. She had been born to save them, thus she must follow her calling whether she wanted to or not.

The air inside the palace was different than it was outside. The Underworld air was hot and sticky, like she was constantly wading through a river of warm, sticky liquid. Inside the palace, however, the cold struck her like a wind strikes a match. She felt the heat leave her body and a chill set in her bones as though the life was being sucked out of her. It felt so... wrong. She wanted to leave as soon as possible.

To her left was a great dining room with a giant, dark brown table. There were plates set for every chair, and each plate contained a pomegranate. The girl found herself feeling jealous of the Hades kids who could eat pomegranate seeds to stay alive. That would be quite a terrible way to live, though she thought to herself.

She passed a series of doors, all of which were locked. The girl wondered if she would ever find the god of the Underworld, or if he had summoned her in order to trap her. No, that wouldn't make any sense. Surely, she was here for a reason.

Soon, she reached a giant room with a very long couch, flat screen T.V., fireplace, and staircase leading to a second floor. A kitchen was in a room to the left of the staircase, and the girl heard the banging of pots from inside there. She brushed her blonde hair out of her face and locked her fingers in case her powers were needed; then, she pushed open the door.

To her relief, it was just Persephone. The woman was humming and making some sort of food out of ambrosia, pomegranates, and various herbs. The girl found her mouth watering at the delicious aroma emanating from the various ingredients splayed across the counter.