The pit seems to love being the setting of these watty one-shots! Follow Nico as he's suck in The Jar with only the pomegranate seeds... if you dare..

Another lovely one-shot written by an amazing member of the Senate- Kelpie (Stardust_in_the_Sea)! Give her a round of applause for taking her time to write this out for us!

tw: suicidal thoughts

(please keep in mind while reading) 

Day One:

Nico didn't know how long he would survive in here. He'd known his mission was dangerous, yet not even he, with all his worries and pessimistic predictions, would have ever guessed he'd get trapped in a jar, of all things.

He stared down at the eight pomegranate seeds resting neatly in the palm of his hand, glistening ruby red even in the near pitch-dark. No. He couldn't do it. It wasn't worth the risk.

Day Two:

He heard the seeds rattling in his pocket, soft clinks that sounded almost like music. They were so delicate-looking, innocent, even.

Hades had told him about the death trance. One seed, one day. However, it was extremely dangerous, even for a child of the underworld. Besides, he didn't even know if eight seeds would be enough.

He didn't know if the others cared enough to notice he was gone, and if they did, would they go through the trouble to rescue him?

Maybe they would. Maybe they wouldn't. He would hang on for as long as possible without the seeds, and maybe, when he finally needed to... perhaps it was time to take the risk.

Day Three:

How long could a human body survive without water?

He knew that for mortals, it was three days. But would it be the same for demigods, or more specifically, a son of the Big Three?

He traced his finger over the pomegranate seeds, soft and smooth, wondering if he didn't enter the trance, he would pass away the next time he laid down to rest.

The giants were bickering again, their voices muffled through the thick walls of his cage. He wondered if they'd decided to just go along and kill him.

He didn't think he'd mind so much if that were the case.

Day Four:

Nico was exhausted. His lips felt dry and chapped, his throat dry. So much dirt was caked on his skin he couldn't even see its original shade.

He was sure that if he let himself relax for longer than a minute, he would fall asleep. So he deliberately kept himself uncomfortable, digging his fingernails into his arm so as to not let himself drift off.

He was worried, that should he fall asleep, he would never wake up. That the dehydration and lack of nutrients had finally gotten to him, and that he would pass away, alone and starved. It wasn't a guarantee. He might die even before he fell asleep, or maybe he'd last just a few minutes after he woke.

So, Nico dug his grimy nails back into his own flesh, refusing to let even the faintest traces of drowsiness drift over him.

Day Five:

He didn't know, but what was for certain was that if he didn't enter the trance in the next few hours, he would almost certainly die.

Then again, even if he did manage to cling on for a week longer, wouldn't that just be prolonging his suffering? If he wasn't rescued, it would have been for nothing.

In almost every scenario, he was doomed.

Then, perhaps, there was nothing to lose.

Pausing for a moment, he raised his sword, scratching a thin rivet in the glass. There. One scratch. One seed. Seven more to go.

Nico di Angelo raised the seed and averting his gaze popped it into his mouth.

Drowsiness washed over him as he curled into a ball, weak and helpless, slumped against the cool glass walls.

'This was a bad idea', he thought as his sword slipped from his grasp and he collapsed, the darkness engulfing him as he wondered if this was it.

Day Six:

He awoke in a daze, darkness still clouding the edges of his vision and the world blurred around him.

The first thing that came into focus was the faint glow of his sword, and after that, the murky walls of his prison. As he caught sight of his scratch, he picked up his sword, arms heavy, and drearily etched another right beside the first.

He picked up another seed, barely even thinking about it before he swallowed.

Day Seven:

Three scratches.

Five seeds.

As he fell into the trance once again, Nico thought he heard faint stirring.

He must have imagined it.

Day Eight:

He stared at the four lines he'd scratched in the glass, wondering how many would be there once he escaped.

If he escaped.

Fingering his fourth seed, he almost couldn't do it.

Yet still, he let himself fall into the trance, because if he didn't, what else could he do?

Day Ten:

He didn't even remember waking up on the ninth day to eat his fifth seed, yet he must've, since there were now five scratches and only three seeds.

So, he made a sixth, taking another seed and lowering the count to two more.

Day Eleven:

He didn't bother etching another line into the jar wall. After all, after he had this seed, there would only be one left.

What was the point counting down to his death?

Day Twelve:

Nico wondered why he even bothered at this point. Even if someone was coming to rescue him, he was to die in a day, with no more seeds after the one resting beside him.

He doubted they'd be able to make it in time.

He was curious what they'd think when they saw his limp body curled up in the jar. Would they be devastated they'd been too late, or simply disappointed they'd never figure out what he's found.

It doesn't matter. They don't care for you. He has her. You're useless, expendable.

Nico almost crushed the pomegranate seed, stopping himself just before he did.

He didn't know why.

He was going to die anyways.

Yet he still placed the last seed on his tongue, hoping against hope that he would survive. That he would be able to escape, even though all the odds were stacked against him.

Yet another to die for one-shot! Don't you agree? Let's hope Nico gets some help- out of the Pit and from his depressive thoughts.

 This is quite a long shot, but would you- yes you (!)- want to write a one-shot for the next Community Magazine? The next magazine is about our favorite, prideful, daughter of Athena, Annabeth! Maybe think about it and let us know!