The Alchemist's Remedy

Nico Dines With Royalty

Ahhh, don't you just love PJO chapter titles? They were my favorite parts of the book. Read, review, and rate! Hope you guys enjoy

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It was usually an insanely bad idea to wander through the woods in the middle of the night, but Nico di Angelo didn't care. He had a mission that needed to be accomplished, something he should've done right after the war. And he needed to do it alone.

In Nico's right hand, he carried three bags of McDonald's Happy Meals. In his left was a twelve-pack of Coke. A shovel was strapped to his back, and his Stygian Iron sword hung from his belt. 

After a few minutes of searching by moonlight, Nico finally found what he was looking for: a clearing, small enough to go unnoticed by any monsters or still-awake demigods, but large enough for his mission. He set everything down, unstrapped his shovel, and began to dig.

The moon had been low when Nico first entered the forest, but by the time he was done it was high in the sky. In front of Nico were piles of churned earth and a freshly-made hole, wide and four feet deep. Nico took a deep, shaky breath- the last time he played with the deceased he almost caused a ghost uprising.

He emptied six cartons of chicken nuggets into the hole, tossed in three cheeseburgers, scattered some fries, and poured all the soda he had. The coke fizzed and bubbled as Nico closed his eyes, arms out in front of him. "Under the command of the Ghost King, let the dead rise again. Let them pass the boundaries of the mortal planes. I am Nico di Angelo, Ambassador of Pluto, son of Hades himself, and I request an audience with the ancients!"

Around Nico, the shadows wavered, taking transparent human shapes. Hushed voices, muffled and unclear, swept through the grass. A cool breeze tangled Nico's hair even more so than it already was. "One at a time. Let the eldest among you come forward first."

A woman with dark hair was the first to approach. She wore a golden crown and was dressed for battle in armor and a cloak. "I thank you, Nico di Angelo, for letting me taste once again." 

"I know you," Nico said. "You're Hippolyta, former queen of the Amazons. I thought a spirit of your rank would have chosen to remain in the Underworld?"

Hippolyta smiled, but it wasn't the friendly kind; it was the kind you'd expect to see on a warrior, deadly and cold. "They don't have fries in Elysium, son of Hades. There are also some matters I need to discus with you, as I'm sure you're well aware of. . . "

"I know," Nico replied, quieter than the ghosts around them. "But drink first. Then we can talk." 

"You truly are a strange one, Nico di Angelo," Hippolyta said thoughtfully, "but with what is coming in the future that may be a good thing."

The fourteen-year-old's heart lurched. "Wait- you mean, you know what's going to happen? Can you tell me?"

"Of course not, child!" Hippolyta knelt by the pool and inhaled a few fries. "You know that the Fates allow nothing to interfere with the destinies of demigods. But you did not summon me, and risk another mutiny, to discuss the future. You called upon us to talk about him- the unnatural one, the life that should have been claimed but never was."

Nico nodded somberly. "I thought I imagined it, but if you felt it too . . . would you mind describing what exactly happened?"

"He was there, ready to join us in Elysium," Hippolyta recounted. "He died a hero's death. It was clear where he belonged in the Underworld, but he suddenly vanished, like he was never there in the first place. The boy caused quite an uproar with his . . . escape, as you might call it. He acted like he knew he was going to be revived, because he kept talking even when he was supposed to remain silent. I believe his last words before departing were 'Hasta la vista, losers! You're not taking me yet!'"