Discovering Recovery (Brypu fanfic/ Origins of Olympus AU)

Ch 7 - Lost One....

A/N: I don't remember much of 1st season so... yeah. Also, I can't recall everything from memory, so take a softer Xylo. And since it took so long to make, the chapter might be somewhat choppy.

The Underworld (Focus: Xylo)

Xylo sighed as the sounds of the arena battered his head and ears. The cries of the wounded and dying hurt his already throbbing head, causing him to stumble and slouch against a not-wall.

"Xylo? Are you ok?"

Xylo blinked confusedly, "Grugg?"

"Y-Yeah...it's me," his large, furry friend patted him on the head, "You don't look too good."

"Ha, yeah, I guess I'm just....overwhelmed"

Grugg steered Xylo away from the crowds and from the arena. Xylo sighed in relief as they went farther and farther away. 

However, it wasn't the shouts and yells of the arena that were the only problem.

"Did you see how that arrow hit Hades?"

"It was so intense!"

"I haven't seen a match that interesting in decades."

"As expected of our own Prince of the Underworld!"

"The other gods wish they had children as strong as Hades!"

Xylo winced at the praise and awe pouring out of the residents of the Underworld. Grugg sighed and hurried them away.

It was only until they reached a cliff that the two decided to stop.

Xylo groaned and sat down near the edge. Grugg took a seat next to Xylo, though he distanced himself a bit.

"D-do you want to talk about it," Grugg whispered?

Xylo rubbed his arms, "Well, Grugg, you know how close I was to Austin...right?"

Grugg nodded, "You two were very close."

Xylo chuckled weakly, "We met each other in camp, thinking that we were actually related...but I later found out I was a son of Hades. I thought he wouldn't want to stay brothers but he didn't mind, he still, " Xylo sniffled, "he still saw me as his brother..."

He rubbed his eyes, "It made me so happy, to see him here, in the Underworld. You saw us, right Grugg? We were like two peas in a pod...totally in sync and climbing our way to the top."

"You were an unstoppable duo, everyone was impressed," Grugg confirmed.

Xylo gave Grugg a watery smile. He began to shake, and the sniffles soon became sobs, his whole body shaking. Grugg scooted closer and hugged the poor demigod close to his chest.

Xylo gripped onto Grugg's chest strap, and sobbed into his friend's chest. The minotaur sighed and stroked his friend's hair, hearing nothing but the cries of a breaking man.

The Underworld (Focus: Ricarro)

Ricarro looked around the arena, unsure where to go. He saw how Xylo paled, how the crowd cheered, how Hades looked at the arena with pride...

'My dad never told me he was proud of me....then again...I was raised by Step-Dad, and he was barely around either...,' Ricarro hummed to himself, pulling himself away from the crowds.

He hoppty-skippty(?) his way to Xylo and his new 'brother', Grugg.

He winced as his ears began to ring, still getting accustomed after the shouting in the arena. He only remembers the screeching and groaning of the monsters that were on Mercury...at least the lava still sounded the same. Ricarro sighed and slowed as he approached his small crater. 

He carefully walked around it, observing how large of an impact he made. He was slightly surprised he didn't hurt anything in the process, or destroy a larger area...maybe that was a good thing.

Ricarro stared out at the vast landscape. He looked around, down, up, and around again.

'It's so....cramped, how can anyone just look at the same old walls each day? At least I get to look at the cool stars.'

Ricarro looked back at the arena, 'I don't get it...why do they make people fight? What's so fun in watching someone....dying?'

 He shuddered, swiftly turning back to the open landscape.

'Now.....why was I here again?' 

"Xylo?" Ricarro called out, "Where are you?"

"Hellllooo? Is anyone out there?" 

"Grugg? Grugg? Helloo?"

Ricarro frowned, and became walking around the place, trying to locate his new friend family.

He wandered, calling out, bugging a few of the monsters and damned if they had seen the duo.

Some just pointed in some random direction, others actually bothered to talk to him, mostly curious as to how he got stuck in the Underworld.

But then...there were those...

"OI TWERP. GET BACK HERE!"

"I'm sorrryyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!"

Ricarro yelped as a claw tried to slash at his back. The person growled and readjusted the claw, getting ready to strike once more.

"I'LL KILL YOU! NO ONE GETS AWAY WITH RUINING MY CLAWS"

Another close swipe, "BUT THEY'RE NOT EVEN REALLLL"

"BOY!" the person roared.

Ricarros mind went into overdrive, his adrenaline kicking in.

The landscape became a blur, and nothing mattered to him other than getting out of the Underworld, preferably alive. 

Both parties went on a wild ride through the Underworld, until something odd happened.

Ricarros assailant suddenly paused their chase. 

"You win this time....bastard." the person stalked off, clenching their claws tightly. Ricarro stared back, not realizing he was still moving. After all, the adrenaline was still kicking, and the urge to stay away from any danger was high.

The portal he went through said otherwise.

Suddenly weightless, Ricarro gagged as he traveled through the portal, skidding to a stop as he passed.

The adrenaline, once high, was gone. If it were a joking matter: reduced to atoms. But sadly, it wasn't.

Ricarro hissed as he stopped. Though his skin was tougher than a normal person's, he still felt the sting from his cuts and bruises. He laid on his stomach, too shaken to notice where he was. He shuddered, and struggled to stand back up.

The sudden rustle of bushes and thumping of alarmed Ricarro, who leaped up, ready to bolt.

Unfortunately for him, he was too exhausted to really do much, and the sudden movement cause his body to shut down.

He whimpered, seeing his vision fading.

The (hopefully) person approached Ricarro, who curled in on himself.

"Oh my, " the person gasped, "you're hurt...wait...wait! Don't fall asleep yet! Aaannndd you're asleep."

The person sighed and scooped up the little demigod, careful to not jostle him too much.

Walking towards the portal, they cradled Ricarro closer, "Poor thing....you can join my brother and I to the surface, you'll be safe up there."