Bronze Gold Shadow (Percy Jackson/Teen Wolf Crossover)

Nico's Demons

That moment of freedom didn't last long. 

It literally lasted a moment. 

I stopped before I fell off the cliff in front of me. Over the edge, two rivers met. One was giving off an eerie red glow like it was on fire. I remembered the stories Nico had told me. This was the Phlegethon, the River of Fire. It was accurately named. 

The other was a deep, dark blue. It wailed with the sound a thousand souls. They all called out, saying it was pointless and hopeless. It smelled of sulpur, which just made the air quality worse. It was the Cocytus, the River of Lamenation. It had to be. 

They both went over the edge of the cliff, smashing together and colliding with chill of the Acheron. The cold of the Cocytus and the Acheron clashing with the heat of the Phlegethon created a steam that made sweat appear on my brows and my skin turn red. I leaned over the edge to see... nothing. There was nothing else beyond this pit. I swallowed as I understood what it was. 

It was Chaos. This was where Gaea, Ouranous and Tartarus first sprung from. This was where everything started. If something fell into this pit, it would be deconstructed and destroyed in the swirling vortex of Chaos. 

I took a step back. 

"It moves," Nico said softly. 

Bob put Will down, the Titan panting. "What... did...you...say?" he asked. 

"It moves," Nico repeated. "Nyx's realm. It's never in the same spot in Tartarus. That's why it's so hard to find!" 

"That's conveinent," Will said from the ground. "Hopefully we'll never have to find it again." 

"Agreed," I said, still staring at the Rivers in front of us. 

No one said anything, eyeing the water and the point they converged over the Pit. 

"We must go in," Bob stated. 

"In there?" Will asked. "Do we have to?" 

I turned to him, shocked. "Bob, if we go in, we might fall under the River's spell and just give up completely until we drown. Or we'll get burned to death from the Phlegethon." 

"I don't know that we have any other choice," Nico said. "It'll be awful but not impossible." 

"Just like the rest of this quest?" I asked. Nico nodded. 

"This quest has involved a lot of falling," Will pointed out. "I would like to be on solid ground for the rest of my life after this." 

Bob picked up Small Bob and rubbed his cheek against the cat's head. "I missed you, my friend. Are you ready?" 

I felt myself smile at the sight. It was sweet, warm. It seemed so impossible that kindness could exist down here but here was a Titan and his cat, proving the exact opposite. 

Nyx's scream tore me from my repreive. Thunder rolled in response to her shriek. Smoke came from the archway across the path. Nyx rode her dark chariot across, her two vampire horses made of shadows pulling her across. When she landed, she stepped forward, snapping her whip made of stars. Her horrible bright eyes were filled with the rage of dying and burning stars, the rage of the darkest night. 

I felt my shoulders straighten. I gripped my bow tighter. 

"How dare you!" Nyx demanded. "You think you can hurt me?" 

"I don't care what you think or what you do, Nyx," Bob said. "You will let me and the demigods leave without anymore interferance." 

"After you set fire to my home?" She screamed. She snapped her whip and the two vampire horses came forward, unhinged from the chariot. "Shade, Shadow, if any of them so much as twitch, devour them."