The Solace Twins (Nico Di Angelo Fanfiction)

Difficult Patient

The following morning Skylar sat basking in the early morning sunlight atop the cabin roof. Lee Fletcher is the one tasked with calling Skylar down for breakfast. She slides off of the roof with little trouble. Her injuries from last night's capture the flag fully healed. "Morning Lee, any new patients?" Her blue eyes looking toward her half sibling during the walk to the mess hall.

"About that, how do you feel about animals?" Lee questions.

"I love them, why?" Skylar asks walking up the stone steps.

"A new Pegasus found it's way into the stables. Chiron wants us to take charge to get it back on it's feet. It's not in the best shape so the sooner it's healed the better. If the situation doesn't improve by three days Mr. D wants us to....nevermind we won't discuss that right now." Lee says piling his plate with pancakes. Skylar grabs a bowl of cereal and an apple. The two offer bits of their food as an offering and sit with their siblings.

"I'll skip out on archery practice today to check it out. I can see about getting help from Percy. Maybe he can get the horse to talk, tell us what happened to it." She replied after swallowing a mouthful of cereal.

"Good luck with that. Doesn't look like Jackson came to breakfast." Michael speaks up from Will's left side. She didn't think much of it. It's not unusual for Percy to sleep in sometimes. Sometimes her or Annabeth would have to drag him out of bed just to have him ready before noon.

"I have first shift at the infirmary this morning so I can't show you. If you would, head to the stables and go all the way to the back. You'll know which one when you see it." Lee ends the discussion and Skylar could only hope it wouldn't be so bad.

Nico searches for Skylar after breakfast a deck of Mythomagic cards in his hands. Brown eyes fall upon the young girl whom departs from her siblings to head toward the cabins. He hurries after her almost knocking down a few Aphrodite kids in the process. "Oops sorry!" Nico calls over his shoulder falling into step with the person he was looking for.

"Hey there Nico. I know I said we'd play Mythomagic but I need to stop here first." The golden haired girl smiles brightly at him gesturing to Poseidon's cabin. Nico fidgets nervously the closer they get. She knocks on the door lightly. "Hey Percy mind helping me out with something?" No answer. After knocking and calling for him a few more times she opens the door. Shuffling through the cabin there's still no sign of her friend anywhere. Both his bed and bathroom were empty. Not to mention Nico's been unusually quiet through the search. He knows something.

"Maybe he went to the beach? Or the arena?" Nico chimes in his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. Skylar's eyebrows furrowed at the thought. They didn't have the time to look all over camp. Time was ticking so she decided to forget her original plan. Recruiting the help of Nico instead they set off for the stables.

Skylar led him through the wooden structure hopping over the occasional hay bale or chariot wheel. She noted Blackjack was missing as the pair walked by his stall. It's never a good sign when both he and Percy are gone. With an inward sigh she continues on.

It wasn't exactly the cleanest place on the property. Pegasi and horses alike stood in their stalls munching on hay but the minute they caught sight of Nico they shied away. One Pegasus reared up trying to kick Nico as he walked by. Luckily Skylar pulled him away in time and they continued on after scolding the Pegasus he now knows to be Porkpie.

"I-I forgot horses don't like me very much..." Nico murmurs sadly sticking close to his blonde companion. For as long as he could remember whenever he and his sister came in contact with horses they would either run away or attack out of pure fear.

"They just need to see what a good person you are." Skylar tries reassuring him.

There in a dark corner of the stables sectioned off from the other animals laid the sickliest horse they've ever seen. What Skylar assumed used to be a dashing steed now looked like a walking corpse. It's malnourished body sat atop a pile of hay with white and black feathers sprawled out on the floor. One wing stayed tucked close to his body while the other bent at an awkward angle blood staining the feathers. Twigs from the forest tangled themselves into it's mane and tail. Sticky green mucus dribbled from it's nose. Bloodshot eyes watched the pair like a hawk. He seemed to be drained of energy. The child of Apollo knew better though, an animal always found the energy to strike when they felt threatened.