Solangelo Alphabet

Y-Youth

Before you comment on the title of this one shot, let me stop you. Yes, I know there is a song called YOUTH by Troye Sivan, who is the gay. I KNOW. 😂😂

Nico's P.O.V.

    "SCHIST!!" I bellowed, slashing blindly at a manticore. It was right on my tail, chasing me through an ancient grove.
I was on a quest, you see. It was my mission to retrieve a silver apple from the center tree of the grove of Goyma. (Just totally made that up.)
But the prophecy that Rachel issued didn't tell me I would be encountering monsters. The prophecy distinctly told me...

The son of Hades must travel to the grove,
Where it's name means silver.
He must retrieve an apple from the center tree to ease tension.
Beware the pond of fortune.

Nobody in camp knew what the pond of fortune was. Even Chiron.
Ease the tension, was another tricky line. I mean, there was tension between Katie and Travis lately, but this was a one guy quest.
The manticore roared, snapping me into the present.
I swallowed, wishing for the 100th time Will was with me. But no.
Even if Will could go, he wouldn't. We were fighting. I had complained how Will was too flirty with everyone, not on purpose.
He had argued that I never tried to flirt. The topic of flirting led to things more personal. Insults were fired back and forth.
I had said some nasty things. But so had Will.
There! There it was. I immediately perked up. Right in front of me was the center tree of the grove of Goyma.
Climbing up the tree, the manticore snapped at my legs. I had a flashback to Dr. Thorn. And when I had my first crush on Percy.
I gripped my Stygian iron sword tighter as I sat on a branch. The manticore was using its claws to climb the bark.
"Ready?" I told myself. "Go!"
I swung my sword at the manticore. It yelped pathetically and fell. It lay there for a few seconds. Then it sulked off.
"Yes!" I cheered. "Nico di Angelo strikes again! Only if Will could see me now!" Then I frowned.
Truth to be told, I missed Will. I didn't mean what I said. I loved Will.
Now with a new sense of determination, I climbed the tree branches to the location of a silver apple.
I snatched it and put it in my drawstring bag. I climbed down the tree, truly happy.
Then I stopped. Which way had I come from? Nervously, I glanced around me. The trees started to whisper.
The whispers were desperately hurting my ears. I started running, the sound growing. Soon I was gasping from my ear pain and loss of breath.
A pond of water came into view. I sighed in relief. I ran up to it and started slurping.
Then I remembered. This was the pond of fortune! I took in gulps of water, hoping to earn fortune.
The ringing in my ears subsided. I could breath clearly again. I felt younger and freer.
With a satisfied lick of my lips, I continued on, now determined on where I was going.
I passed the center tree and the area where the manticore had appeared. I didn't really notice anything. I felt a new sense of joy I never felt before.
Then there was a growl. Then there was a manticore pinning me down. Then I was screaming as the monster took a bite of my face.
But the weird thing was, I didn't feel pain. Even the manticore looked confused. It bit me again. Nothing.
Growling, the manticore released me and stalked off.
"That was weird," I said out loud. I shrugged and continued on my way.
Soon I was at camp with people praising me and hugging me. Will came up to me.
"Hi," he said shyly. "Listen, I-"
"I forgive you," I said. "And I hope you will forgive me too. I love you Will." I kissed him.
"That doesn't prove anything," he retorted angrily. Then I gasped, and pulled out the silver apple.
"Eat it," I said quickly, jamming it in Will's hands. He obeyed me and ate it. Afterwards, he looked at me.
"Why would I ever be mad at you?" I laughed and hugged him. So that was the tension the prophecy was talking about.

--------------------------------------

2 weeks later, an arrow pierced my skin at the archery range. I simply pulled it out and continued my practice.
There was lots of buzz about me for the next week. Chiron was stumped. So were the Apollo kids.
It was Mr. D who came up with the answer.
"The pond of fortune," he said during a meeting about me. "Nico tells us that he was winded, and his ears were hurting. So what if the pond of fortune made him eternally young so he wouldn't have to feel pain anymore?"
There was silence.
Then everybody realized he was right.
Chiron and Will were the most emotional. I just sat there like a rock. Not moving. Not responding.
No. It couldn't be true. But it was.
The silver apple made Will love me forever. The pond of fortune made me live forever.
I watched as Will grew up. My friends were getting married and having kids. I was still 16.
Will eventually moved out of camp. But he lived by himself and always came to visit me. There was a time when Will was 50 years old and he still was kissing me.
I was stuck forever as a teenager. Eternally young.
The day that Will turned 98 was also his last. I watched him go into the Underworld. I didn't cry.
Will kissed me that morning. If you think your day had been weird, think about mine. A 16 year old making out with a man who was 98.
Will's last words were I love you. They were directed at me.
Now as life goes by, I devolve new crushes and watch campers grow up and leave camp.
I can't die even if I wanted to.
That is the worst punishment of all.

There was no Solangelo in that and I apologize. The next one will be happy because the last few have been really sad.