Solangelo 2

NICO

I don't have time to think. I see the skeletons nearing on Will and my body goes on automatic. I slide towards him on my knees, picking up my sword as I go, and raising it up, only just stopping another sword an inch from his face.
I push Will behind me, and stand above him, parrying every blow that comes our way. Some try to surround us and I do my best to stop them, but there are so many, an endless army.
I hear Will cry out behind me, and I turn to see a sword being pulled out of his stomach.
'Will!' I cry out, and do everything I can not to fall down beside him. He holds his hand to the wound as I take out more and more of the army.
'I'm fine. I'm fine.' He says, but I can see his eyes drifting upwards, his breathing a bit more laboured.
'Eat the ambrosia, okay?' I say, still fighting. Still, no time to think. 'Hades! Stop it!' I yell.
'My boy, you don't get to my status by being manipulated.' He says from behind me.
'You'll kill him.' I shout.
'That's the idea.'
'Stop this.' I hear Persephone plead, 'let them go.'
'Don't get involved with this.' Hades counters.
'I already am involved.'
'Drop it.'
'I cannot.' She says, and she moves in beside me, no weapon, just using her hands to rip the skeletons apart.
'Persephone!' He yells.
'I need your sword.' She says to me.
'What?'
'Trust me, Nico.' I turn to look at Will lying on the floor, his hand and shirt soaked in his own blood. I pass her my sword.
Instantly she holds it up to her own neck. The skeletons freeze in their place. I drop down beside Will and try to keep his eyes open. I move him so that his head rests on my leg and I can cradle him slightly as I press my hands against his wound to keep the blood in.
'What are you doing?' Hades asks, curious rather than scared.
'Let them go.' She says calmly.
'Or you'll kill yourself?'
'Yes.'
'We both know you'll reform again.' He says, edging towards her, 'I can wait for you.'
'It'll be decades before I reform.' She says, 'and that's if I choose to come back.'
'What are you talking about?' He asks, fear creeping into his words a little.
'I won't come back to this world.' She says, 'I won't leave Tartarus. I'll reform, but I won't return.'
'You're doing this for two boys. Two mortal boys, don't be stupid.'
'This, my darling, is the sanest thing I've done in all my life.' She replies. She digs a little deeper and the gold blood starts to drain.
'No!' He says quickly, then 'no. Hold on.' She doesn't stop.
'I'll stop when you let her go. And swear on the Styx not to interfere in their, or their friends' lives again.' She says. The gold blood starts to drip onto the floor, creating a small puddle.
'I swear.' He says, stepping towards her, 'I'll leave them.'
'On the river Styx.' She insists.
'I swear. I won't hurt them or their friends. I won't interfere. I swear on the river Styx.' He says, and she drops the sword. He rushes over to her, and holds her neck in his hands, carefully, closing her wound.
'Go.' She says, and it takes me a second to realise she's talking to us, 'shadow travel.'
'I can't in the underworld.' I say, still clinging to Will, my voice shaky.
'Try. Your father won't stop you.' She says, still not looking at me. She stares at Hades and he stares at her.
'Thank you.' I say, and I know it's an inadequate response to how much she sacrificed for us, but it's all I can do. I hold Will tightly and close my eyes. I shadow travel.
The light burns, I can't see straight, just blurs or colour. I hear voices. A shout. My name. I blink and things start to get into focus.
'Percy?' I ask, and I feel a hand on my shoulder, 'help Will. Help him. He's hurt. He's been stabbed.'
'Nico, I-'
'Take him, leave me.' I shout. And I feel Will pulled away from me. I try to stand, but instantly tumblr to the side. Another hand on my shoulder.
'Nico.' I calm slightly just hearing her voice. It's Reyna, 'I'm going to pick you up, okay?'
'Okay. Need to get to Will.' I say, 'he's hurt.'
'Okay. Okay, I'll take you to him, I just need you to relax, okay?' She picks me up, and I still can't see straight, but the light dims a bit when we get inside what I assume to be the infirmary.
She places me on a bed, but to my left I can make out Will lying on the bed beside me. People working on him.
'Will.' I say, my voice weak, 'Will.' I try to move over to him, but Reyna holds me down.
'I'm sorry Nico. I'm sorry. I can't let you.' She says.
'I need to see him. I need to-' she holds me down tighter and someone else comes up beside me.
'Hold his head down, open his mouth.' They say.
'No!' I scream, 'no, don't. No.' But Reyna does, and two other people come over to help her because I'm resisting so much. The person forces two pills into my mouth and water to force them down. I cough but I've swallowed them.
'I can't, I can't.' I say, reaching my hand up to Reyna. I grip her shirt. She watches me, and I can just make out that she's crying. 'Can't lose him.' I say, and she holds my hand. But I pass out instantly after. And it's dark again.