The Ghosts of Millennia

New York Takes a Trip to Oz

CHAPTER SUMMARY

The questers search for Nico. Nico has a dream.

BEGINNING NOTES

Chapter Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Content Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Self-Harm (mentioned only)
Word Count: 3613

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

____________________NICO____________________

Nico knew it was stupid to run. But he couldn't take those Hunters a second longer. What had he ever done to them for them to make his life a living hell? What had he ever done to Persephone for her to risk his life in this way? What had he ever done to Hecate for her to incite war a second time, just to spite him? What had he ever done to Hades for him to play with his emotions this way? What had he ever done to Olympus to become their pawn?

Born, that's what it was. Born. Born to a god and a mortal, born as a boy, born as an outcast. One year of sweet freedom, one year without anyone chaining him to his genes, and suddenly he was back where he always was. Alone, used, on the run, with his friends far behind him. There was his answer, there was the point of last year's quest. The Ghost King may choose his own destiny... within the confines of a prophecy. Never forget: you will always be subject to the gods.

It was cruel. The Fates were cruel.

Do it.

A voice, a familiar longing, broke through the turmoil in Nico's brain.

You know you want to. No one will know. Do it.

"No," Nico said aloud. "I won't cut. I won't go back to that. Shut up."

You're all alone. Do it.

"Geez, I'm already bleeding. Focus on that."

The further he went, the further he ran, the more the voice overwhelmed him. He'd relapsed a few times over the past year, but not again. At least, not right now. The world was on its way out unless he could stop it and he didn't have the time to start hurting himself. It was hard since no one was around, but he resisted. And he was proud of himself for it.

Nico caught his foot on a branch and fell into the Illinois River. He suppressed a scream when his leg and shoulder hit the freezing water. It looked like both he and the voice got their way. Despite himself, Nico sighed a bit at the pain, even though it was accidental. It helped a little, enough that he was tempted to do it again, but he pushed himself up and kept going. Like he always did.

It was 11:30 PM. Sixteen hours until the deadline, and he didn't know how far west he was yet. Snowflakes peppered the ground and stung his skin. The freezing water droplets from his swim in the river turned to ice.

Ceres and Khione are fucking with me. Shit.

"I have to get out of the snow, or I'll freeze to death," he said to no one. "Okay, follow the river to find civilization. Maybe rob a coat store or something."

He did just that. It was fifteen minutes of grueling work, all with a leg burning with pain and little voice in his head asking him to fall, but, at last, Nico stumbled into what a sign declared Peoria, Illinois. It was definitely a city, but nothing close to New York. The streets were deserted in the snow and darkness of the near-Solstice night. Nico walked under the streetlights, limping on his injured leg, forcing himself to keep going. A minute later he was on the other side, off into the Illinois farmland and suburbia.