Raised from the Depths: The Apple of Their Eyes [A Percy Jackson FanFiction]

Twenty-six: A family stroll through the Underworld

I stared with wide eyes. "Nico? Wha... What are you doing here? Are you crazy?" I demanded, walking under Cerberus towards my brother.

His dark eyes were wide with surprise as well. "I could ask you the same thing. I thought you were trying to get the Golden Apple of Discord?"

I crossed my arms. "I asked you why you were here first."

He sighed in defeat, looking down to his feet, though his eyes stayed glanced up on me. "I'm here trying to resurrect my sister, Bianca."

I paused in shock. "Oh." I let the word slip out of my lips as silence settled over both of us. Guilt churned in my stomach for being so accusing. "I didn't think that was allowed."

"It's not, but, I don't want to go on without her." Nico explained. "What are you here for?"

"A little detour stop. I have to capture the essence of beauty in the Underworld, or I die with no one that cares about me." I stated.

Nico lifted a brow. "That's harsh." He commented. "Well, I can take you to Hades' palace if you want."

I nodded. "That'd be really great, actually."

"Okay, follow me." Nico instructed, before turning away from the gate and walking. I followed obediently.

"So, you come down here often?" I asked, trying to make conversation to keep my mind of the spirits we were walking through.

"Yeah. Before Camp Half-Blood had a Hades cabin built, I spent a good chunk of my time down here. It was the only place where I could fit in. Even then, I'm not dead, or a monster, so I still stick out." Nico answered, his hands shoved in his pockets as we approached a vast field with dark, flowing blades of grass.

I stayed silent as I listened, before pursing my lips in thought. "And that's why you want Bianca back? You want someone like you."

Nico slowed his pace a bit, allowing me to catch up as he answered. "That's one of many."

As the conversation settled to an end, I began taking in my surroundings more throughly. To the left, a little ways away, was a large pavilion-like structure. Using my prior knowledge of the Underworld from my mythology class, I guessed that was the where the three kings decided the final resting place of the souls. I looked to the right, at the field of dark, churning plants, and realized with a sickening shiver that those weren't plants, but souls moving endlessly over the land. This was obviously the Fields of Asphodel.

We continued trekking on in blissful silence. I know Nico would never say it out loud, but I could feel that he was extremely grateful of having some companionship as we traveled through the land of the dead.

As I listened to the eerie sound of the chittering dead and the crunching of Nico's and my feet on the ground, I watched as the dark fog slowly dissipated, revealing a dark, tall building in the distance.

"Is that..?" I whispered in wonder.

"It is." Nico confirmed, and I stepped closer to him, goosebumps squeezing my skin together.

It was a grand building, towering tall and menacingly over the rest of the Underworld. The building was black and bronze, and it almost seemed to be emitting it's own aura of gut-wrenching terror. As we approached the gate, my eyes traveled over the engravings which depicted death and suffering, such as people burning in rabid fires and the savage carnage of battle.

I shuddered. "I don't know if I can do this." I whispered.

Nico shook his head. "Just think of him as a human dad. It helps a bit." He suggested.

"A human dad who rules the Underworld and is known to be the cruelest and most unforgiving of the Olympians?" I pointed out.

"That's why you don't think him like that." Nico muttered as he pushed open the gate.

"What? You can just walk right in?" I laughed slightly, walking after him.

"Normally, demigods don't make it this far. You don't exactly need a lock when Cerberus is standing in the way." Nico shrugged, pushing open the door as well.

That's when the ear-splitting shriek hit my ears.