Shining Through the Darkness (Solangelo AU)

Persephone Won't Be Happy - 8

The sun seemingly drags out it's time today as I wait for night to fall. Everybody that I've met so far says that I will probably be claimed at the bonfire tonight. Hopefully. Nobody can decide which "God or Goddess" is my parent.

I don't really understand what this means. Will tried to explain it. He said that I am the son of either a Greek God or Goddess. That tonight they will most likely claim me. I begin to feel numb as i try to process this news. I am not a demigod. Will is not a demigod. Percy does not exist, Chiron does not exist, and Mr. D is still just my slightly creepy AP US Gov teacher. I pinch myself trying to wake from this dream, I want to be back at home,  going through school, being known only as death boy. I will make it through high school and drag my way through college. I am not a demigod. This is not real.

"Hey, are you okay?" Will yells from below the tree I'm sitting in

"Yep." I yell back gloomily, realizing this isn't a dream.

"If you don't come down soon, I'm gonna have to come up."

"I don't want to come down."

"Get your ass down here Di Angelo, I will climb that tree and push you out." 

I pause. How  does he know my real last name? Right, demigod. They've been watching me. They know everything about me. I start to climb down. Suddenly, there's a snap under my foot and I go tumbling down with a weak tree branch. I hit the ground and try to remember how to breathe. I cough, choking on the air. In. Out. In. Out.

"Stop trying to move!" Will says.

I try to answer him, but I still haven't regained my breath.

"Just breathe," he says.

I calm down and try to breathe. After what seems like an eternity, I start to breathe normally again.

"Where do you hurt?" Will asks

I start to sit up but feel a tingle of pain in my hand.

"My hand." I say

Will hurries over to my hand and pick it up lightly.

"I think it's broken. Keep calm, I'm a doctor," he says with a wink.

"Whatever." I mumble and rest my arm over my eyes to block the setting sun.

"Let's get you back to the medical tent. I'll fix it up. You'll be ready to go for the bonfire."

We walk over to the med tent and Will fixes up my hand and puts a cast on it. Good as new.

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"Nico! Sit down! You can't hurt your hand again!" Will yells as I walk along the bonfire, pacing and waiting to be claimed.

"Pacing calms me Sunshine," I say, smirking at the new nickname for Will.

"Sunshine?" He asks

"Yep."

"Sit down."

"No."

"Doctors orders." Will says.

I stop and stare at him in disbelief.

"Doctor's orders? Really? You could have said something cool again like 'trust me, I'm a doctor' or 'trust me, I'm THE doctor,'" I say referencing Doctor Who, "but instead you choose 'Doctor's orders.' You really need to work on making your medical words convincing."

Now it's Will's turn to stare at me in disbelief.

"Yes, Nico. Now sit down. The bonfire is almost over anyway."

"Fine." I say.

We walk over to where a bunch of other half-bloods are sitting and talk with them for awhile. Will and I talk about his father, Apollo. I try to figure out which of my parents isn't my biological parent. Does it count as cheating if it's with a God?

Just as they start to wrap up with the bonfire, Will tells me to stop moving. He starts to smile.

"Will, what's going on?" I ask him

"A claiming." He says

"What?"

Chiron trots over to me and looks upset. "This isn't good. Not at all. Persephone won't be pleased."

"What is a claiming?" I ask again "How do you know I'm being claimed?"

"There's a huge symbol over your head. I don't know what it is. Let Chrion talk, Nico." Will says.

Chiron's next words leave me in shock, "Camp,  please welcome Nico Di Angelo. Son of Hades."