The Skeletons In The Closet

Chapter Two

Nico's POV

'Oh no' was my first thought upon finding myself in Italy. I hate that I had to go first, but I guess it makes sense. My 'series of events' happened long before anyone else here was born. So here we are, in the late '30s. I sneered in disgust when I saw the Nazi flags waving in the breeze.

I felt a warm hand in mine and I turned to see Will. He didn't smile reassuringly, or squeeze my hand or anything. He just looked me in the eye and nodded. He understood the kind of comfort I needed and I loved him for that.

I noticed everyone else trying to get oriented in the busy streets of Venice. Piper gasped as a child ran right through her before remembering they were supposed to be ghosts.

"Nico, is that..." Percy pointed to a two children and their mother. There was a boy, maybe six, and a girl, eight. Both children had dark hair, brown maybe black. The girl had on a floppy green hat and skipped around, holding her mother's hand.

The boy looked around, excitement clear in his black eyes. I noticed his hair was cut short and I run my hand through my own hair, feeling how long it was. I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. Tears prickled my eyes as I watched my younger self tug on my mother's hand as we walked to the market.

I took a lurching step forward, my hand slipping from Will's grip. Another lurching step and I was running, not caring if anyone was following me. I got in front of myself, my mother and Bianca. I wished they'd stop walking so I could get a clear look at them. Bianca I remembered clearly, but I couldn't quite remember my mother. The only time I'd seen her since the 1930s was the scene of her death I'd seen when asking for my mother's ghost.

Maria stopped at a fruit stand and started feeling around for good apples when six-year-old me slipped out of her grasp and ran off. "Mama! Mama!" Bianca yelled. "What is it, tesoro?" Maria asked, not paying attention. "Nico..." Bianca pushes past our mother and ran off after me.

I found I couldn't move. I just stood staring at my mother's face. She really was beautiful. She looks a lot like Bianca, or rather, Bianca looked a lot like her.

Will nudged me and we ran after the two children, our friends following behind us. At first I couldn't find them in the crowd of people, but I caught sight of green and followed that.

My young self was just about to turn a corner when a squad of German soldiers marched out, shoving me to the payment. Reyna came up behind me and squeezed my shoulder.

Nico Jr. didn't cry, just looked up at the soldiers with wide eyes full of terror. Bianca came running up, grabbed me under the shoulders, and pulled me up and back. "Come on Neeks," I heard her whisper. "Let's go find Mama."

The scene shifted and we were in a house. Bianca was packing her things into a bag, telling me to do the same. I realized with a start that I was nine and she was eleven.

Bianca flinched as she heard shouts coming from down the stairs. She started to protest when I opened the door a crack and peeked. Nico Jr. caught the eye of a man, his father, and closed the door. "They're arguing again," he told Bianca.

"Dad just wants us to go to America," Bianca explained patiently. "Why America? I like it here!" Nico Jr. complained. "Dad wants to keep us safe from the bad men Neeks. We will go to America, where there are no bad men. Hitler can't reach us in America," Bianca said with a smile.

The scene shifted again and this time I recognized it as the one I saw in the Underworld. I put my head in my hands, knowing what came next and not wanting to see it. At the sound of Hades's voice I looked up.

"Maria, please. Let me take you to the Underworld."

My mother wore a black dress, with black gloves on her hands. She wore a hat with a veil cover her face and she fanned herself with an elaborate black lace fan.

"I will not raise our children among the dead," she argued. "I will not have it."

"But Maria, Zeus ordered for the children to be taken to Camp three weeks ago. My brothers forced me into an oath, Maria. Zeus claims they will be safe, but I know he will just kill them. Please Maria, they will be safe in the Underworld!"

Bianca and I, now ten and twelve, chased each other, giggling, around the columns of the fancy hotel. Maria stood. "I'm going to collect my things. Watch the children. I will be right back."

She planted a kiss on his cheek and walked to the staircase. The air started to smell like ozone. Hades's eyes widened and he let out a shout, throwing a glowing purple force field over Bianca and I just as the world split in a crack of lightning. I squeezed my eyes shut as every hair on my body stood straight up.

My ears rang. After a few moments my ears popped and I heard "Maria!" Long and mournful as Hades's grieved his love. I didn't want to open my eyes. Didn't want to see her broken and bloodied on the stairs again. I felt Will's arms around me as tears slipped from my eyes.

I don't know how long we stood there for but I heard a flap of wings and Hades said, "Alecto, take them to the Lethe. Wipe their memories. Hide them in the Lotus Casino. Zeus will pay for this."

And the world dissolved around us.

Second chapter in one day! Hope you like it! I sure did! Remember to vote and comment and have a wonderful day! Love you demigods:)