WARNING: MANY SPOILERS FROM MARK OF ATHENA! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ IT, DO NOT READ THIS FANFICTION.
I haven't written anything on here in awhile, but this idea came to me and I had to. Okay, actually I got the idea from Bittersweet Blossom's fic Reactions. Anyway, while I was reading that fic (which is a collection of one-shots focusing on different character's reactions to Percy's disappearance in TLH) I started thinking about what their reactions would be when they learned about some of the events in MOA (namely, Percy and Annabeth falling into Tartarus). This probably won't be many chapters, because I really only have ideas for a few of the characters. That and we don't even know if the other characters back in the States would find out about them falling.

I wanted to start with Leo, but since we sort of already saw his reaction in the last chapter of MOA, and I don't have my copy on hand as a reference, I decided to start with Nico's reaction, because he's awesome.

Anyway, enough rambling from me. On with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO and I'm not Rick Riordan because I'm incapable of writing heart-wrenching, traumatic, life-ruining cliffhangers that leave the entire fandom sobbing and basically comatose.

His first thoughts were those of complete disbelief. He didn't want to believe that… that that had just happened. He couldn't even say what had happened, because he really didn't know. He had been there. He and Hazel had been there. They should've been able to help. They should've done something. But they hadn't. They couldn't.

Nico's second thoughts were a little more coherent. He finally came to believe the unbelievable truth. He didn't want to, but he made himself believe it.

Percy and Annabeth had fallen… fallen into a place so terrible Nico couldn't bring himself to even think its name. The worst part about it: Nico knew what they were going to be up against. He knew what they would face. They were in a place that Nico, with all of his son of Hades powers, had barely managed to escape alive. And he had done nothing to help them avoid it.

He was haunted by his last words to Percy, right before they fell. His promise to lead the other five to Greece; to the House of Hades. Nico's words echoed in his mind:

"I will."

He had made a promise… a promise he knew he had to keep. Percy had said that he and Annabeth would meet them there. Nico could only hope that they would.

Nico was terrified. He'd been through so much in the past few weeks… and he was terrified by it all. Everyone he knew seemed to forget he was only a kid… he was only thirteen. But, that seemed to be grown-up by demigod standards, even though Nico didn't believe that for a minute. True, Annabeth had run away from her home and lived for weeks on her own when she was only seven. True, Percy had defeated Ares in single-combat when he was only twelve. But they would've had to have been scared then, wouldn't they?

I bet they're scared now, Nico couldn't help but think. He couldn't blame them. He was scared for them.

But Nico also knew two truths that made him a little less scared.

One: As near as he could tell, they were both still alive.

And Two: As long as they were both alive, and both together, then they would be okay.

Since the first time Nico had met Percy, he'd known he was something special. Even when he blamed Percy for Bianca's death, he had still possessed a slight admiration for him. Now, Nico was absolutely positive that Percy was the most powerful demigod of their generation. He was more powerful than Jason, or Frank, or Thalia, or even Nico himself. And over the years, Nico had noticed Percy was always at his most powerful and most confident when Annabeth was by his side (or at least nearby).

So, Nico was sure. As long as Percy and Annabeth were together, they could overcome any challenge.

Even when that challenge lay in the depths of Tartarus.

I wasn't quite sure how to go about this. I tried to get across the fact that Nico has been through Tartarus himself (and that doing so left him in with some pretty deep psychological scars), and that he knows exactly what Percy and Annabeth are up against. I also tried to get a point across that a lot of people forget: Nico is only thirteen years old. It's hard to remember that, especially since he's so dark and serious. But it's the truth. And I figured that like any thirteen year old who's suffered a lot of emotional scarring, Nico would be scared for his friends.

I also wanted add the part in reference to some of his last lines in MOA, where he says Percy was the most powerful demigod he'd ever met. Even though I was still in a state of emotional numbness from the previous chapter (thanks for that Rick), I did manage some fangirling over that statement. Not because I have anything against any of the other characters. I love all of them (yes, by all I do include Jason, because he's awesome).

Uh, yeah, so rant over, I'll just say that I might update this, I might not. It depends.

Reviews are great! They're almost as good as Percy and Annabeth not falling to Tartarus… almost.