Song: The Technicolor Phase by Owl City

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Nico's POV

Running in this place was the most exhilarating thing I think I'd ever experienced. It was a struggle to keep my mind focused on the task ahead of me, as the wind whipping through my hair almost seemed to be blowing away my thoughts.

It was a struggle not to give in.

I slowed to a jog when the trees became thicker and began to weave into wide arcs, as though trying to cover more ground. Every now and then groups of people could be found lounging in the afternoon shade. I asked after Percy whenever I encountered such groups, but no one seemed to have any news of his whereabouts, and I soon began to lose hope.

The trees began to thin again, and I leaned back against a thick trunk and shut my eyes briefly, collecting myself. What had that girl — Ankatha... her friend had seen Percy when he arrived here... I mentally face palmed. Why hadn't I asked Ankatha where I could find her friend? Stupid, stupid...

All at once, I sensed a presence near me. I opened my eyes and straightened up, locking eyes with a startled-looking young girl.

I couldn't break my gaze away.

Because wow.

Wow.

Her eyes... I had no words to describe them. They were unlike any eyes I had ever seen before.

"Um, excuse me," the girl ventured quizzically, in a lilting, musical sort of voice. "Are you dead?"

I snapped out of my reverie and forced my gaze away from hers. She was shorter than me and looked to be around my age; her strawberry blonde hair framed her pretty heart-shaped face and tumbled down to her waist. She could almost pass for a mini Annabeth, if not for her eyes.

"Are you dead?" She repeated, reaching up to tap my shoulder.

"A-am I dead?" Gods, her eyes were so distracting. "Oh, um, no, I'm not... I'm not dead..."

A shadow of disappointment wavered briefly on her face, but she brightened almost instantly. "Well, that's okay, you'll die eventually. So what's up? Why are you down here if you're not dead?"

"I'm looking for my friend. Percy Jackson. He died recently and I'm supposed t—"

"Oh my gods!" She interrupted, hands shooting up to her mouth. "Percy Jackson!! I saw him when he came down here!"

Her brilliant eyes sparkled. A rush of adrenaline caught me off guard, and knocked the breath out of my chest. I couldn't breathe. I could only stare. Stare at this beautiful girl. The beautiful girl that will lead me to Percy.

"I- Y- You've seen him?! You're Karasevde?!"

She smiled and nodded. "I suppose you wish to see him," she said excitedly. I could only nod.

She jumped up and started towards the West. I matched her pace, too excited to say anything. Too scared to say anything. I was dreaming. And I didn't want to stop dreaming. But, eventually Karasevde broke the silence. "My friends call me Kara." She spoke, playing with the opal band on her forearm.

I smiled at her. "I suppose I should call you Kara then..." My voice trailed off. She looked up at me, suddenly shy.

"Well, yes. I haven't seen any of my true friends in... Well... Oh, so many years." She sighed, her voice wistful.

I took her hand.

Why?

Because I understood.

Her eyes widened. "Wh-"

We locked eyes as I opened my mouth to speak. "I know. What it's like, I mean. I don't belong in my time. I - " my voice cracked. Tears blurred my vision. I was so close.

To Percy. To Bianca. If she hadn't been reborn, I could've brought her to the surface. But it didn't work out like that. Nothing worked out. Hot tears ran down my face.

Great. Now I'm crying in front of a stranger. Crying again.

But yet she took my other hand. And squeezed it hard. Next she did something that is totally against the rules. She freaking hugged me. And I hugged her back. Because here was someone who understood.

"Va tutto bene," she whispered in my ear.

"Va tutto bene." It's alright.

I gasped. She pulled away quickly. My eyes widened in disbelief.

"You're Italian?!" My eyebrows scrunched up, and she nodded. "You understand?" She asked quizzically. I laughed humorlessly.

"I'm Italian too...." I looked up at her through my eyelids. Her face was stricken with grief. Nostalgia.

"When- When were you born?" I asked cautiously. Her hands shook in mine.

"Fourteen Eighty-Nine." She was on the brink of tears. "I died in battle. Against the French. I was only sixteen." She sniffed. "My mother saw to it that I was sent here. Elysium." I rubbed her arm supportively. Hopefully Perce could wait a few minutes.

"Your mother?" That must've been her godly parent.

"Yes..." She grew quite. "Hemera. My mother." I looked at her in surprise. "Your mother is the goddess of light?" I couldn't veil my surprise.
She nodded.

"While I was living, I had the ability to conjure light. I could even put it inside of someone. It would give them hope."

Kara looked miserably down at her hands, just as the breeze whipped her hair around her face. I patted her on the shoulder.

"Maybe... maybe you could come with us," I spoke slowly. She stared at me quizzically. "Come with you?" I fumbled with a piece of green grass.

"I'm a son of Hades. My dad allowed me to lead Percy to the surface... We were good friends," I assured her. "Maybe now you could see the world again..."

Kara smiled bittersweetly. "That would be wonderful. I wonder how much time has passed..."

I answered cautiously. "A little over... five hundred years..."

She gasped, her beautiful eyes wide. "Surely not that long! I've only been here a couple years!" I shook my head slowly. Suddenly a question popped into my head.

"How can you speak modern English?" She frowned up at me. "English? That's what this is?" Kara exhaled deeply.

"I think in Italian, but it comes out like this. It's been like this for a while..." She played with stray strands of her hair as another idea popped into my head.

"Maybe you can automatically speak the language of the current Western Civilization," I suggested.

"That makes sense."

A pause.

She shifted nervously. "But, moving to something else; what's your name?"

I laughed a little. "Nico. Nico di Angelo."

She smiled back at me, and shook my hand. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Nico di Angelo. I'm Karasevde Domenici." I laughed again, and stood.

She did the same, and rubbed the grass from her dress. "Well I suppose your friend needs rescuing..." She murmured, amused.

I punched her lightly on the shoulder. "He's not my damsel in distress." She looked at me funny.

"Well maybe...," I added. She was still looking at me weird. "Kara..? Oh, yeah. Never mind... The time gap..."

Kara shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we should be off," she mumbled.

I sighed. She grabbed my right hand, and glanced at me questioningly. I nodded my head. We could both use the support. She visibly inhaled, and took a slow step forward, as if testing her ground. And just like that, we were off.