December 2nd
Yesterday Thalia was sitting in a warm house with her friends, picking papers out of a hat. Now she was sitting in a cold motel with Reyna in New York.
They had a day off with the Hunters since apparently Apollo told Artemis about their Christmas game and he insisted that she give Thaila and Reyna a few days off through out the month to go shopping. Now, she was sitting on a moldy, old mattress, contemplating what the hell she was going to give Grover.
"What am I going to do!" she said for the twentieth time that day. She had told Reyna who she had as soon as they stepped out of the Big House.
"Go ask Annabeth," Reyna suggested as she pulled her snow boots on. She was going out to shop for groceries for their two day break. "She's a daughter of Athena and she's Grover's best friend."
Thalia gasped, jumping up from the bed, "You're a genus!"
"No," Reyna corrected, "I'm desperate for you to shut up."
With that last encouraging sentence, Reyna walked out the door. Sighing, Thalia grabbed her coat and boots and went out into the cold.
Annabeth was at the School of Design, only a twenty minute taxi drive from the motel, so Thalia called a cab and she rode off to find her friend. It was weird for her to think about her relationship with Annie or Grover because in truth, she hadn't known them for that long. She met the in the same year and didn't even spend that long with them until she was transformed into a tree for five years. After that, she went on one quest for a few months and joined the Hunters so she knew them for maybe a year technically.
Something Nico had once said came to her as she thought, 'sometimes it doesn't matter how long you've known someone, only how much you've been through together,". When her, Percy, and Nico had gone on a quest for the Sword of Hades, Thalia had found herself growing attached to the little boy. Maybe it was the way they had both lost a family or how they had similar music tastes, but either way, they had run into each other many times and eventually got t talking. She learned about his life he learned about hers and Thalia found that he had a way of listening that felt like no matter what she said, he wouldn't judge.
Don't tell the others, but Nico was probably Thalia's favorite of Jason's friends.
She arrived at the school twenty minutes later, paid the driver and stepped into the windy and cold air that was waiting for her. She quickly walked across the side walk and opened the door to the heated building and breathed a sigh of relief.
Thalia walked around for another twenty to thirty minutes, trying to find the library where she was sure Annabeth was studying. She eventually found the room and walked into the book filled room and almost instantly found Annie sitting on a couch with multiple books spread out in front of her. Being the wonderful person she was, Thalia quietly walked around to the back of the couch and when she was ready, she grabbed Annabeth by the shoulders, making the daughter of Athena jump.
"Hey," Thalia greeted, jumping on top of the couch and sliding down the back so she was sitting next to her friend.
"What are you doing here, Thal," Annabeth asked, turning her full attention her.
"I need help with my Secret Santa," Thalia told her, groaning and flopping onto her back, laying her full length on the couch.
"I can't,. . ." Annie started.
"It's Grover!" Thalia confessed. "I mean what do I get a goat."
Annabeth rolled her eyes, "he's not a goat."
"He's half of one," Thalia argued. She turned over so she was now on her stomach and looked pleadingly at her friend. "Please help me."
Annabeth looked away and her face formed into her thinking face. Her eyes got sharp and unfocused and her jaw tightened, showing her concentration.
"You know. . ." she paused.
"What?" Thalia sat up, waiting for her to continued.
Annabeth had a look of worry cross her face and she continued cautiously.
"Well," she started again, "Nico has mentioned that there are some rare plants in the Underworld. . ."
"Yes!" Thalia gasped. "I can get him a plant from the Underworld!"
"Wait!" Annabeth grabbed her arm as she made to get away. "Persephone is very protective or her garden-"
"I'll just ask Nico to help me," Thalia answered easily. Wow, this was going to be easier than she thought.
"Thanks so much Annie," Thalia said gratefully, then she ran out the door. All she had to so now was go to camp and find Nico and get him to get her a flower or something.
"No," Nico told her.
"What do you mean 'no'?" Thalia asked, annoyed.
The two were standing in the training area, Nico had been training when Thalia found him and when she asked him for the favor, he had an annoying answer.
"I can't do that Thalia," Nico told her, "I'm starting to have a good relationship with my step mother, I don't need her to turn me into a dandelion again."
"But I need just one little sprout!" Thalia begged.
"Why?" Nico asked, turning back to his training dummy and taking out his black sword again. "You're not really a plant person."
"It's for my Secret Santa," Thalia confessed.
"What? Did you get Grover or something?" Nico asked, joking.
At Thalia's silence, Nico groaned and mumbled something like 'of course' under his breath.
"I can get you there and back. . ." Nico told her, and Thalia started to smile. "But you have to get it."
Thalia's stomach dropped a bit at that. How was she going to steal a plant from a goddess? She didn't need to think about that, she would just improve. Percy did it all the time and he was still alive.
"Alright let's go," Thalia said impatiently.
Nico gave her a look but sighed and held out his hand. Thalia grabbed his wrist and he tightened his grip on hers as they were pulled into the shadows.
Darkness folded around the two and the air felt like it had almost been knocked out of Thalia's lungs. She thought about how when she traveled by sea, Poseidon would send waves or sea monsters and how if Nico or Percy wanted to fly, the would fear for their lives. Both Thalia and Percy had used shadow travel and the only bad thing was just the transportation it's self. She didn't have to worry about Hades pulling her into darkness or anything.
The two demigods appeared in a dark garden. The plants were all different colors but they were underground so there was no light to light up the petals or leaves. Thalia had to hold in a gasp as she looked around. Nico was right about her not being a plant person, but she could appreciate a good garden.
In front of her grew a flower that was like a navy blue sunflower but the inside was golden and yellow pollen stuff floated up from the center. The flower was captivating and Thalia wanted to reach out and touch it but she kept her head and remembered how if she ate anything in the Underworld, she would have to stay there forever. As much as she loved Nico and his family, she didn't want to stay with them for eternity.
"I'll pick you up in fifteen minutes," Nico said from behind her.
Thalia turned just in time to see the Son of Hades melt into the shadows and shadow travel away.
That little shit.
Looking around, Thalia realized that she was in the middle of a path. To her right was more mystical flowers and some bushes and to her left, many trees were hanging over head. After thinking on it for 5 seconds, Thalia walked to her right. She walked down the path and came to another path intersecting. She walked to her left and after a minute she came to another cross. She continued the pattern of walking, turning right, walking, turning left, and as she walked, she looked around at the plants.
Most of the things growing in the gardens were dark and looked almost like they were burnt. Thalia thought that might not be a good thing to get for the Keeper of the Wild or whatever he was called. There were flowers that looked nice but as she approached them they would snap or explode some weird gasses so that was a no go. There were bushes and sprouts but all of them either looked bad or were.
As she turned left for what felt like the hundredth time, her eyes got caught on a bush on ne side of the path. It looked exactly like a blueberry bush except the berries were darker than any she had seen. She started to walk towards it, reaching out with her hand to pick a berry and eat it.
As she walked towards the bush, her foot skipped a rock on the ground and the trance was broken. Realizing what she was about to do, she pulled her hand back so hard she fell backwards. Something hard hit her back and she pushed an arm against it to brace herself, but when she started to stand up, she felt her hand start to move through it.
She looked back at her hand and to her horror, saw that her hand was sinking into a black tree. Her hand was sinking in like quicksand but it felt more like mud or slim when she tried to pull it out. She tug three more times before realizing that she needed a different strategy.
To get more leverage, she stepped back. She pulled again and there was no difference. Thalia felt something slither up her leg and she looked down and saw a vine, crawling up to her knee. She swore. How could this happen? Nico wasn't coming for another few minutes and at the rate things were going, she'd be totally sucked into a tree.
She needed a way to get out. She needed something to cut the vine with. Thalia looked around and she spotted it. The rock her had kicked only a few seconds ago. It was edged and sharp and only a foot away. Thalia reached out with her free hand and took hold of the stone. She gripped it tight in her fingers and bent as well as she could to her leg. Being careful not to cut herself too much, she started hacking at the vine. After about ten hacks, the vine decided losing it's body was not worth holing her down and it retreated down her leg and into the ground.
With her leg loose, she planted it firmly on the path ground and pulled her arm, since the tree had now sucked up to her elbow, but it still wouldn't come out. She tugged again and still nothing. Then, something came to her. She took a deep breath and emptied her mind. She focused on her gut and the power stirring inside. She imagined that power running through her veins and coming out in her skin.
A burst of light flashed through Thalia's closed eyes and she flew backwards once more. She tumbled back a few paces and hit her back on something humanoid. She looked up and with fear bubbling in her gut, saw the Lord of the Dead himself, Hades, standing over her.
He wore all black and his hair was also a black color. He had pale skin just like his son. Thalia suddenly remembered his daughter who also shared that pale completion. She hadn't known her very long but she remembered thinking about getting to hunt with her. That dream was short lived when she was killed by Hephaestus's animatrons. She almost flinched as she also remembered how she had basically replaced her too when she had joined the Hunters right after.
Knowing she was about to get into big trouble, she knelt in front of her uncle, and hoped he would show a little mercy.
"L-Lord Hades," Thalia said to her foot.
"Stand up daughter of Zeus," Hades' voice said above her.
She followed his instructions and got to her feet. His eyes were dark like obsidian and he seemed to be looking into her soul, actually, he probably was.
"Uncle Hades," Thalia started, "I don't mean any trouble, I just-"
"I know why you are here," Hades interrupted.
Thalia almost retorted for being interrupted but she realized that probably wasn't the best option.
"Are you gonna. . .?" Thalia asked.
"Punish you?" Hades asked.
Thalia nodded and Hades' eyes softened a little. He looked right into her and she almost felt power emanating from him. He wasn't known as a powerful god but he had the power to control death and Thalia knew he was not a man to be trifled with.
Hades finally looked away from her and walked away a few steps. He walked to a patch of dirt where a little tree looked like it was beginning to grow. The god bent down and carefully, like the plant was a puppy, dug up the tree with his bare hands and stood up. He walked back over to where Thalia was standing, stunned, and held out the little sapling. Thalia held out her hands and he dropped the plant and dirt into her hands. She must have made a face because Hades gave a little chuckle and snapped his fingers. A clay pot appeared in her hands with the tree and dirt inside.
Thalia stared at her hands, unsure if it was real. How had she taken a plant from Persephone's garden with the help of the god of the Dead? How had her dad's least favorite relative show her, his daughter, kindness? Nico's family was weird.
"Thank you," Thalia said, looking up but Hades had disappeared. Like father, like son.
"No problem," a voice spoke behind her.
She jumped and spun around to see Nico di Angelo doubled over in laughter.
"What the fuck?!" Thalia exclaimed.
"That was priceless," Nico laughed, holding his stomach.
Thalia scoffed, ready to move on.
"Did you get the plant you wanted?" the son of Hades asked.
Thalia looked down at her hands, still holding the pot.
"Di-did you. . ." She looked around, waiting for Hades to jump out of no where.
"Did I what?" Nico asked looking a bit concerned.
"I-I just. . ."
"Can it wait till we're out of here?" Nico looked around anxiously. "Persephone or my dad could show up any minute."
Thalia looked at him, confused. He didn't see his dad? He had just disappeared when Nico showed up.
"Yeah," Thalia agreed. "yeah, it doesn't matter."
Nico shrugged and held out his hand again. She grabbed a hold of his wrist again and they melted into shadows once again.