Everyone Deserves to be Happy (Solangelo)

Erebos (Nico)

Nico fell down to ground, gasping for breath. The edges of his vision were darkening, he was choking on black smoke, and the voices of spirits were screaming in his head.

He couldn't think. He couldn't move. He couldn't see. He might as well have been dead.

But then again, most dead bodies were peaceful.

Finally, he could hear Will calling his name over and over again. But it was muffled, like he was underwater. He tried to respond but choked on a substance like molasses.

He fought to breathe over and over again but each time he couldn't.

He stopped struggling, and felt himself melt into shadows.

The next hour or so was very confusing.   He was in the Hall of Judgement, the deeds of his life being weighed against each other.

He only heard snippets of what was being said. "Rouge" "but he was young!" "No excuse" "Hero"

And then in the back of his mind, he heard a deep voice laughing and egging on his judges, urging them to send him to the fields of punishment.

Then time seemed to flash forward and he was in his father's throne room. Hades was whispering to one of his lieutenants, something about it not being time.

Time for what? He thought, before he passed out again.

When he finally awoke, it was to the sound of sobbing. He looked around and saw a shape in the darkness. It was on the ground, clutching it's knees and crying.

Nico scrambled to his feet, looking to see who the shape was.

Will.

"Will! What happened!" He said urgently.

Will looked at him and his eyes widened. He scooted backwards, "you-you're a ghost?"

Now Nico was confused. "No...I'm here. I'm fine."

Will smiled through his tears and embraced Nico tightly.

"I thought-I thought-you were dead!"

"Wait." Nico pulled back, holding Will's shoulders. "Why?"

"We were shadow traveling. To Crete. When we arrived, you...I'm not sure. It was like you were melting. Even worse than before. You were surrounded in shadows and then..."

"I died."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Until, finally, they both drifted off to sleep, lulled by the sound of the lapping waves.

*****

Nico awoke to Will shaking his shoulder.

"This is it. We are finally here and we are going to finally find Leo."

"Yeah." Nico smiled. "I suppose we will."

"But how? There's an entire island to search?"

"We'll figure it out."

They set off walking down the beach. An odd pair, they were. A short boy with tousled black hair, sallow skin, and an assortment of black clothing with a shield strapped to his back and a stygian iron sword dangling from his hand. Next to him, a tall blond boy who had nothing but jeans a t-shirt and a backpack to really call his own.