Seeing Death After Life (HoO Leo fic)

The End

THE WORLD WAS MURKY IN THE EYES OF LEO.

Plunging into an abyss of black and grey, he felt like he was drowning when he still had air. Like his heart was split into two and he didn't know which to follow whatsoever.

All the sudden, things burst alight and the sudden flash made him hunger immediately for the solitude that was thrust upon him just moments earlier.

"Valdez." A familiar female voice inquired.

Leo stared at a space until he was sure his eyesight was stable enough and he looked to where he felt the voice had come from.

"... Makaria..?"

"Leo Valdez."

There in front of him was the grim goddess of peaceful death. His constant companion the past few days, and one tough, but rewarding goddess to be acquainted with.

Her pale smile and bright eyes seemed forced, while her emotional toon wavered between a forced expression of happiness and a longing for a shift into deep sorrow.

"What happened?" Leo asked.

"After you were knocked out... Echidna made me swear into the Styx. I was a goddess before I was ever a person, and thus it was out of character for me to accompany any mortal."

Leo was shocked, he could barely keep his mouth from going aghast as his expression was filled with great curiosity and a dark feeling that can only be fear for what truly conspired.

"What'd she make you promise?"

...

The goddess's expression fell and she was moved near tears.

"I pledged that I will never see you again. I am a goddess before I am your friend."

Leo was both angry at the mother of all monsters for making her do this, and angry at the fact that it was something logical. He was a hero for the gods' sakes (literally for their sakes) and he was just a pawn in their plans in some way.

Albeit he was an enthusiastic pawn for that matter, but a mere pawn nonetheless.

There's a reason why pawns weren't designed to stay in the same rows as the Kings were after all.

But it still gnawed at his heart.

"So our friendship and stuff... Do we really have to pretend they never happened at all?"

Makaria's nod only amplified his fury.

"So that's it?! We're supposed to act all dumb about this and that and you know what? Screw that. No matter how painful it is to relieve the memories of events that aren't meant to happen, it's still a lot more painful than acting dumb about it."

Makaria looked up to see Leo's face determined.

"I'm a freaking hero. I became one to save my friends, and everyone of them is important to me."

With a small, sincere smile, Makaria said softly.

"You truly thought we were friends, didn't you?"

Leo furrowed his eyebrows, a bit curious at what the goddess would say next.

"I never had friends, Valdez. But in some weird way, I thought of you the same."

Leo smiled with that cheeky grin that made all others faze and run off from the mad mechanic.

But it was the smile Makaria loved seeing the most too.

"We're friends, Makaria. I gotta find a way to fix all this. Anything this strong won't be broken for too long. I can find a way."