Memories

The Labyrinth

Frank's POV:
I was sitting on the couch next to Nico but was still clear how uncomfortable he was with this anyone would be. Poor guy had been though enough for one lifetime without Hera making him relive it all in front of us.

Nico was standing in a graveyard talking with a ghost Nico was dressed in a black cloak. The night was foggy. It was warm and humid, and frogs were croaking. A large Wal-Mart bag sat next to Nico's feet.
"Is it deep enough yet?" Nico asked. He sounded irritated.
"Nearly, my lord."It was the same ghost I'd seen Nico with before, the faint shimmering image of a man.
"But, my lord, I tell you, this is unnecessary. You already have me for advice."
"I want a second opinion!" Nico snapped his fingers, and the digging stopped. Two figures climbed out
of the hole. They weren't people. They were skeletons in ragged clothes.

"You we're raising the dead with happy meals" Leo said holding back a laugh "what a happy meal" Hazel asked me.

The grave started to bubble. Frothy brown liquid rose to the top like the whole thing was filling with
soda. The fog thickened. The frogs stopped croaking. Dozens of figures began to appear among the
gravestones: bluish, vaguely human shapes. Nico had summoned the dead with Coke and cheeseburgers.
"There are too many," the ghost said nervously. "You don't know your own powers."
"I've got it under control," Nico said, though his voice sounded fragile.

Nico was looking down at his feet trying not to make eye contact with anyone or relive some of his memories.

A single figure floated forward and knelt at the pool. It made slurping sounds as it drank. Its ghostly
hands scooped French fries out of the pool.
When it stood again, I could see it much more clearly—a teenage guy in Greek armor. He had curly hair
and green eyes, a clasp shaped like a seashell on his cloak.
"Who are you?" Nico said. "Speak."
The young man frowned as if trying to remember. Then he spoke in a voice like dry, crumpling paper: "I am Theseus ."

"You spoke to Theseus" Annabeth said startled Nico just nodded his head and looked at his memories with sadness in his eyes.

"How can I retrieve my sister?" Nico asked.
Theseus'seyes were lifeless as glass. "Do not try. It is madness."
"Just tell me!"
"My stepfather died," Theseus remembered. "He threw himself into the sea because he thought I was
dead in the Labyrinth. I wanted to bring him back, but I could not."
Nico's ghost hissed. "My lord, the soul exchange! Ask him about that!"
Theseus scowled. "That voice. I know that voice."
"No you don't, fool!" the ghost said. "Answer the lord's questions and nothing more!"
"I know you," Theseus insisted, as if struggling to recall.
"I want to hear about my sister," Nico said. "Will this quest into the Labyrinth help me win her back?"
Theseus was looking for the ghost, but apparently couldn't see him. Slowly he turned his eyes back on
Nico. "The Labyrinth is treacherous. There is only one thing that saw me through: the love of a mortal
girl. The string was only part of the answer. It was the princess who guided me."
"We don't need any of that," the ghost said. "I will guide you, my lord.
Ask him if it is true about an exchange of souls. He will tell you."
"A soul for a soul," Nico asked. "Is it true?"
"I—I must say yes. But the specter—"
"Just answer the questions, knave!" the ghost said.
Suddenly, around the edges of the pool, the other ghosts became restless.
They stirred, whispering in nervous tones.
"I want to see my sister!" Nico demanded. "Where is she?"
"He is coming,"Theseus said fearfully. "He has sensed your summons. He comes."
"Who?" Nico demanded.
"He comes to find the source of this power,"Theseus said. "You must release us."
The image of Nico's memories we're humming with power The noise grew louder. The image of Nico in the graveyard started to glow until it was painful to watch.

"I tried to trade my soul for her's" Nico mumbled "I begged him to take mine instead and let her live but he wouldn't he just told what was done couldn't be undone" Nico said as Rayna put her arm around him protectively.

The next memory began it was of Nico Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson standing outside in the dark.

Percy and Annabeth looked at Nico direction with pity it was clear that the two of them remembered this memory.

the ghost growled. "You are hindering Nico. You try to persuade him to
give up on his goal.I would make him a lord!"
"Enough, Mions," Nico commanded.
The ghost sneered. "Master, these are your enemies. You must not listen to them! Let me protect you. I
will turn their minds to madness, as I did the others."
"The others?" Annabeth gasped. "You mean Chris Rodriguez? That was you? "
"The maze is my property," the ghost said, "notDaedalus's ! Those who intrude deserve madness."
"Be gone, Minos!" Nico demanded. "I want to see my sister!"
The ghost bit back his rage. "As you wish, master. But I warn you. You cannot trust these heroes."
With that, he faded into mist.
Other spirits rushed forward, but Annabeth and I kept them back.
"Bianca, appear!" Nico intoned. He started chanting faster, and the spirits shifted restlessly.
"Any time now," Grover muttered.
Then a silvery light flickered in the trees—a spirit that seemed brighter and stronger than the others. It
came closer, and something told me to let it pass. It knelt to drink at the pit. When it arose, it was the
ghostly form of Bianca di Angelo.

Tears were starting to form in Nico's eyes from relieving his memory.

Nico's chanting faltered. Percy lowered his sword. The other spirits started to crowd forward, but Bianca raised her arms and they retreated into the woods.
"Hello, Percy," she said.
She wore a green cap set sideways on her thick black hair, dark eyes and
olive skin like her brother. She wore jeans and a silvery jacket, the outfit of a Hunter of Artemis. A bow
was slung over her shoulder. She smiled faintly, and her whole form flickered.
"Bianca," Percy said his voice was thick with guilt
"I'm so sorry," Percy said.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Percy. I made my own choice. I don't regret it."
"Bianca!" Nico stumbled forward like he was just coming out of a daze.
She turned toward her brother. Her expression was sad, as if she'd been dreading this moment. "Hello, Nico. You've gotten so tall."
"Why didn't you answer me sooner?" he cried. "I've been trying for months!"
"I was hoping you would give up."
"Give up?" He sounded heartbroken. "How can you say that? I'm trying to save you!"
"You can't, Nico. Don't do this. Percy is right."
"No! He let you die! He's not your friend."
Bianca stretched out a hand as if to touch her brother's face, but she was made of mist. Her hand
evaporated as it got close to living skin.
"You must listen to me," she said. "Holding a grudge is dangerous for a child of Hades. It is our fatal
flaw. You have to forgive. You have to promise me this."
"I can't. Never."
"Percy has been worried about you, Nico. He can help. I let him see what you were up to, hoping he would find you."
"So it was you," I said. "You sent those Iris-messages."
Bianca nodded.
"Why are you helping him and not me?" Nico screamed. "It's not fair!"
"You are close to the truth now," Bianca told him. "It's not Percy you're mad at, Nico. It's me"
"No."
"You're mad because I left you to become a Hunter of Artemis. You're mad because I died and left you
alone. I'm sorry for that, Nico. I truly am. But you must overcome the anger. And stop blaming Percy for my choices. It will be your doom."
"She's right," Annabeth broke in. "Kronos is rising, Nico. He'll twist anyone he can to his cause."
"I don't care about Kronos," Nico said. "I just want my sister back."
"You can't have that, Nico," Bianca told him gently.
"I'm the son of Hades! I can ."
"Don't try," she said. "If you love me, don't..."
Her voice trailed off. Spirits had started to gather around us again, and they seemed agitated. Their
shadows shifted. Their voices whispered,
Danger!
" Tartarusstirs," Bianca said. "Your power draws the attention of Kronos. The dead must return to the underworld. It is not safe for us to remain."
"Wait," Nico said. "Please—"
"Good-bye, Nico," Bianca said. "I love you. Remember what I said."
Her form shivered and the ghosts disappeared.

I looked back over to Nico he had tears running down his face his memories were starting to break him.