An Unlikely Duo 2: The Chamber of Secrets

In which the dead walk once more

Nico listened to Hazel's story with rapt attention.

".... And that's how I died." she finished, about half an hour later.

Nico was silent for a moment, trying to process everything that he had just been told, while Hazel messed with her hair nervously, waiting for him to respond.

"Hazel," he said finally, "That was the bravest thing I've ever seen-uh, heard."

Hazel gaped at him in disbelief, "Really?"

Nico nodded vigorously, "Of course! You died, Hazel, just to prevent a war you shouldn't have had a part in."

"I'm also the reason the war almost broke out in the first place."

"Maybe," Nico conceded, "But you fixed it as well, didn't you? You even gave up the afterlife that you deserved just to keep your mother out of the Fields of Punishment, Hazel, if that doesn't scream 'heroic', then I don't know what does." he stated firmly, deciding not to mention that he was starting to develop a rather intense dislike for Hazel's mother.

Hazel looked more than a little surprised, "You- you don't hate me?" she asked shyly, tucking a curl behind her ear nervously.

Nico gave her vacant hand a quick squeeze, "Of course not, it's like I said before, you're my sister, I could never hate you."

Hazel practically beamed at him, and her smile gave him an odd sense of relief. Maybe he wasn't too bad at this 'big-brother' thing after all.

"You know, I came here hoping to bring my sister Bianca back to life." he said suddenly, standing up.

Hazel tilted her head in confusion, "Yes...? You told me this before, remember?"

Nico continued as though she hadn't spoken, "But you're my sister too, and you deserve a second chance."

Hazel gaped at him in amazement, "Nico? W-what are you-"

He bent down and extended a hand to her, "You deserve another chance, Hazel." he repeated sincerely, "Come with me."

"T-to the surface world?" she asked, not sure whether she was enduring some sort of ghostly hallucination.

Nico nodded, "To the land of the living."

"Is that even possible?" Hazel squeaked.

"We're about to find out, aren't we?" Nico smiled coyly.

Hazel gave him a shaky smile of her own, and moving as though she was being controlled by some ancient, powerful force, she accepted her new brother's hand, her ticket back to the land of the living.

******Line Break******

"Oh gods," Hazel said suddenly, as she and her brother walked down a dark corridor, "I can't believe we're doing this! What if we get caught? We'll be in so much trouble!"

Nico, much to her surprise, let out a hearty laugh.

Noticing her baffled expression, he said, "Sorry Hazel, but when you put it like that, it makes us sound like kids sneaking out past curfew to go to a party or something." he chuckled, "Besides," he added, "I'm pretty sure that Dad's servants have more important things to deal with than two misbehaving kids." he said offhandedly, as though they weren't trying to sneak out of the literal underworld.

The farther they walked, the more... solid Hazel felt. It was a strange feeling, after years of being nothing more than a ghost. Having an actual body would take some getting used to.

Eventually, Nico exclaimed with a grin, "Look!", he pointed forwards, "We're almost out!"

Hazel could feel it. Her ghostly form appeared to be vaporizing, revealing slightly hazy, but familiar, dark skin underneath.

Her heart beat accelerated, she was actually doing this! She'd have a second chance, an opportunity to fix her mistakes.

'You were born too early, child', her father had told her once. Was this what he meant? Was this the time period she belonged in?

Suddenly, Hazel's eyes snapped shut, blinded by the sunlight now pouring into the tunnel, relying on Nico to guide her out, trying to ignore the odd tingly feeling that was coursing through her veins.

Even after the tingling had subsided, she refused to open her eyes, afraid of what she might see.

"Hazel," came Nico's soft voice, "It worked, you're okay."

Hazel cracked open her eyes, immediately screwing them shut again, as the bright sun seared her eyes after years in the dark underground. 

It took her a while, but Hazel's eyes finally managed to adjust to the bright surroundings, and when she finally gather the courage to look at herself, she wasn't disappointed.

She looked exactly like she had that fateful day, still wearing the same black frock. Her hair was as messy as ever, and all in all, she looked like...... herself.

She tried to give her brother a confident grin, and though it as out as more of a teary grimace, Nico appreciated the effort all the same.

Nico was scrutinizing her with a slight frown, "We'll need to get you a new pair of clothes." he muttered, mainly to himself, "And we need to find you a place to stay until I can talk to Jason and Reyna." he perked up, as though remembering something, "You must be starving!"

Hazel nodded sheepishly, despite the fact that she hadn't really noticed it until now.

Nico nodded serenely, grabbing her hand and dragging her away from the Underworld, and towards the civilization, "McDonalds it is!"

*****Line Break*****

Hazel decided to focus on the food.

The food was good, and this 'McDonalds' place was Nico's favorite restaurant, which was good enough for her. Besides, they didn't have stuff like this back in Orleans.

Anyway, if she focused on any of the other stuff, she'd probably have a mental breakdown.

She had almost entered a full blown panic attack when she realized how much the world had changed in the last few decades. There were so many people, and the buildings were GINORMOUS! Everything was just so... new! She felt completely lost, and it made her miss the world of unicorns and magic. All this new technology was just too much.

Nico didn't seem to have a problem with it though, and he navigated through the swarming crowds with practiced ease.

"So," Nico asked, swallowing the food in his mouth, "What do you think of the 21st century?"

"It's... a lot." she responded honestly.

Nico nodded as though he understood, which in a way, she supposed that he did, "I know." he said simply.

The two of them spent the rest of their meal in comfortable silence, until Nico ordered milkshakes for the two of them, before turning to her with a solemn expression.

"Hazel," he began cautiously, "Would you believe me if I said that I was a wizard?"

Hazel didn't hesitate, "Yes," she said confidently, "Considering all that I've learnt and seen today, wizards aren't much of a stretch."

Nico heaved a sigh of relief, "Good. Because I'm a wizard."