Demolition

Understanding

Chapter 10

Neraid's strong voice echoed around the world, as well as the groups ears for a few moments after. She looked at them breathlessly.

"How-w are you here?" Rick stuttered

"I'm so sorry, its complicated" She replied shakily.

"What the hell" Glenn said.

She looked at him

"What the HELL Neraid!" He yelled.

"Glenn please, let me explain-"

"No! You lied! and you made everyone think I was crazy!"

"Glenn, I promise ill explain, I just need help getting on to the bank." She lightly flopped her tail.

Rick eagerly waded in and scooped her up and put her on the ground. Within a few moments her legs returned.

"Thank you"

She stood up and faced the group until her eyes met with who she wanted to see the most. But he refused to meet her eye.

"Daryl." She said softly.

No response. She slowly walked up to him while his eyes never left the ground.  She stopped directly in front of him, a mere foot. She reached put and put her hand on his arm. He didn't move.

"Daryl" she put her hand under his chin and forced him to look at her. His eyes darted away but not quick enough to see the tears cascading down his cheeks. She gasped in surprise and he threw his arms around her and held on tight. His shoulder bobbed up and down as he sobbed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" He repeated over and over again.

"Hush, you didn't do anything"

"That's the point, I should have stopped you"

"It had to be done." She trailed off before gently prying Daryl off her. She turned to the rest of the group.

"I owe all of you an explanation. And I will tell you everything you need to know, lets just go inside" She nodded at nearby walker. Rick nodded back and everyone went inside.

They all took places around the cafeteria, weather that be sitting or standing. Nëraid, of course was in the center. Daryl hasn't left her side.
"I know all of you are pretty shocked, to say the least." She laughed slightly. No one else did.
"I don't know where to start." She was clearly nervous. Then without warning Glenn exploded.
"Tell us why we watched you die! Why we had a service! And now you aren't dead? You never were?"
"No-Glenn I did die, those walkers ripped me apart" she shivered slightly. "But my father is the king of the sea, and I am half god, and he isn't going to allow one of his children to be dead for long. I'm just lucky I have a good relationship with good ole Uncle Hades." She nodded at Nico.
"What does that even mean?" Glenn asked in annoyance.
"Basically her father did his godly thing and healed her mortal body, while her soul was saved from damnation by mine" Nico said chuckling softly. "I can't believe you did that, you crazy bitch"  He embraced her before stepping back and shaking his head.
"How'd you know it was going to work?" Annabeth asked.
"I didn't" Nëraid replied. "But I needed to protect them, so I did it without thinking about it."
"Loyal to a damn fault, just like your brother" Nico smiled sadly.
"He's alright" Nëraid said, her eyes gleaming. "I saw him, Dad saved him too." She always looked happier when she talked about him.
Annabeth let out a cry of relief.
"You didn't answer my question." Glenn said snarkily.
"Okay, in the demigod world, we have monsters; ie Greek myth monsters are actually real. Now since we aren't around mortals and they are all walkers, monsters can detect our location. Now when Percy and I were together, two children of the sea god, the monsters could track us easily. But when he died, it slimmed the chance down. But now Nico is here, a child of Hades, our risk increased again. So, I knew we weren't going to get out of that hallway without a distraction for the walkers, and it would save you from our own monsters. So I sacrificed myself."
"What about Autumn?" Glenn asked.
Nëraid sighed.
"This is a bit complex. So my soul was in the underworld, of course good ole Uncle Hades wouldn't let it go into the actual underworld, and my father would have tried to kill him. So, my soul was saved. My mortal body was not in good shape so that took some time to fix. Also, the scent of my blood would still attract the monsters. So, Uncle H came up with an idea. We took another mortal body, in this case Autumn's. We put her soul back in it and then put part of my soul in her as well. It allowed me to see and hear through her eyes. Also I could sometimes take on a holographic like form, like what you saw in your cell." She said confidently.
"But of course, I couldn't come back to life without a catch. Autumn wouldn't be saved without my soul being returned to my mortal body, which could only happen if I touched water. Unfortunately my dear, dear Uncle Zeus made it so Autumn couldn't touch water on her own or speak of the situation to anyone, or she would go back to the underworld where she would be tortured. So when you dumped the water on me, it sent my soul back to my mortal body, and hence I am alive." She spread her arms and did a slow turn.
"This doesn't explain what I saw in the mirror." Glenn said.
"That was a trick by Zeus to throw you off the trail. He's not my biggest fan." Thunder cracked and Nëraid flipped off the ceiling.
Glenn still looked unsatisfied.
"I'm just glad your alive." Rick said with a small smile.
She smiled back.
Glenn stormed off outside. Her smile disappeared along with him.
"Don't worry bout him, he'll come round." Daryl spoke softly before kissing the top of her head. She sighed and leaned against him. Within a matter of minutes, Glenn came rushing in with a piece of dirty paper.
"Rick, you have to look at this!"
Rick took it and read it. His once loving gaze for Nëraid turned to stone.
"Lock her in a cell."
"What?!" Daryl stepped in front of her.
"Take a look at this." Rick put the paper on the table. Everyone looked at it.
"Zeus." Nico muttered.
It was her wanted poster.
"Listen, I can explain."
"Just like you explained everything else. You just keep on lying to us Nëraid!" Rick said. He walked forward but Daryl remained a block in his path.
"Get out of the way." Rick growled.
"Don't you dare touch her." Daryl said calmly, but his eyes were filled with rage.
"Take a look at the paper and you might think differently."
Glenn brought it to him and glanced over it.
Daryl turned to her.
"This true?"
"No, sort of. Not exactly." She said. "Let me explain."
"You've done your fair share of explaining today." Rick said before grabbing her arm and leading her to the cell in the cafeteria and locking her in it.
Daryl didn't move. He looked conflicted.

(*okay then this is where chapter 8 takes place, when Daryl like throwing bottles at the wall, yeah okay*)
He laid there, defeated.
"Nëraid is alive!" He thought. "So why am I out here?"
He got up and ran back inside. He ran straight to the cell and unlocked it.
"Daryl don't-" Rick said.
But Daryl had already flung the door open and had wrapped Nëraid in his arms. She clung to him sobbing.
"I love you, I'm so sorry. Nothings going to happen to you again." He whispered to her and held her as she cried.
Rick sighed, knowing that he soon too would cave to Nëraid. They all loved her too much. But for now, they were still trying to understand what happened.