Emily's pov
We run outside and I skid to a stop. I look around with wide eyes.
The dome had collapsed, leaving large piles of bone every where. There was hardly an area that was clear of bone, and what was worse?
More monsters flooded over Half-Blood hill. We didn't have many demigods still standing. More than half of the Amazons were either dead or inside. A very large portion of Hunters were dead and few were injuried.
All of the gods were here, minor or major, and they out numbered the demigods three to one.
Then there were the Chaos soldiers. They outnumbered the gods by five to two. And they were highly trained, so maybe we had a chance?
I look at the carnage. This was my fault... if I had foccused more energy into keeping it up...
My vision goes out of foccuse.
"Has anyone told you how worthless, pathetic, and stupid you are today?" End asks me as I stand straight in the center of the room, emotionless, even if every word stung.
"No master, no one has."
"Well, you are the most worthless peice of trash to ever be born. No one could possibly love an ugly, worthless thing like you. Here's a peice of advise, stay away from other people or you'll be hurt or screw everything up." He says, glaring at me. "Now, just as a reminder..."
He grabs my arm, pulling up the sleeve and starts carving into my flesh. I silently scream, knowing if I did scream, it would only get worse.
After he finishes, he kicks me to the ground and leaves. A single tear escapes me as I read what he put into me. 'Freak' 'Unwanted' 'Unloved' 'Slut' 'Ugly' 'Worthless' and the biggest carving there? 'No one could love a peice of trash like you, you bring destruction and heart ache where ever you go. Never show yourself in public or great desaster is soon to follow.'
"Emily? Are you okay?"
I blink and look up into Nico's worried eyes.
"He was right.... he was right all along..." I whisper.
"What are you talking about? Emily, what's wrong?" Nico takes a step closer to me and I put my hands up in warning.
"Stay away from me... I'll only hurt you..." I say quietly.
He looks at me confused. "You're not gonna hurt me, Emily, now, what's wrong?" Then his eyes land on my right arm were the ragged sleeve ends. "What did he...?"
I pull my arm back, hugging it to my chest. "Nico,
please... stay far away from me... I only bring heart break and desater..."
"Is that what this is about?" He forces a small laugh. "Emily, you've brought so much good. You saved Alex and multiple other people inside there, and the dome! You kept us from being overrun!"
"Nico, I've brought pain and suffering. It's my fault that so many people were hurt because of the dome... I have to go... no one will except me..."
"Fine! Emily, just help out now, then you can do what ever End tells you to, like the servant you were." He snaps then walks away.
I look down at my sleeve. No one ever knew about it and now Nico knows... is that a good or bad thing?
I shake my head. Right now, I'm going to try and help, then I can think about what I will do.
I draw my sword and lunge into the fight.
Through out the entire thing, I noticed Nico stayed close to me, but everytime I made eye contact, his eyes were full of sorrow and pleading, but he would break the connection before I could find anything else out.
After hours more of fighting, I finished off the last monster. I look around again.
The enemy had used the bone to their advantage... many of the dead and dieing had bone through the chests.
I sink to my knees. This was my fault...
I set a hand on the ground and the bone sinks back into the earth.
My head was pounding like crazy. So much death. So many dieing.
"Emily...?"
I look up to see James looking at all the bodies.
"James!? Didn't I tell you to wait for me to get you!?" I ask
"Yes, but my head hurts..." He rubs his temple.
I sigh. "Mine does too..." I kiss his forehead lightly and stand up, taking his hand. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
I sigh and look around. This was my fault... who knows what would happen if I stayed? "I'm going away. You can stay here if you want to..."
"So that's it!? You're going to run away from your problems!?" I hear Nico ask from behind me.
My already drooping shoulders and head fall even more as my heart gives a pang... Of what? I have no clue.
"I can't hurt anyone else, Nico. And if I stay? I'll probably hurt myself like everyone else as well..." I say quietly, still facing away from him.
"Emily... none of this is your fault..." He says quietly. "I used to feel exactly the same way that you do, except I felt as if I didn't belong anywhere."
I turn around then, tears threatening to fall down my face. I meet his gaze slowly. It was so insecure... so sad... and full of longing...
"I never stayed in one place for very long. I usually stayed with my father, but I would visit both camps. Emily, I was planning on never returning after the war with Gaia..."
I stay silent for a moment. "What changed...?"
"I found a place where I was welcome and treated as a brother and a son. Sure, I died, but all of the Chaos soldiers did that except Alex and Percy...
"When I found family, at first I felt the same way you do, I was scared that I would hurt somebody, or that they would turn their backs on me. They never did, they left their arms wide open for even a son of Hades, one who had never belonged."
I stay silent, then glance down at my arm. The sleeve was even more destoryed so most of the carvings were visible. Then I look at all of the dead bodies that the living were trying to gather. The blood stained ground. The crys of confused spirits and of brothers and sisters mourning their loved ones. You bring destruction and heart ache where ever you go....
"Anything and everything End says is a lie, Emily... he just wanted to make you feel that under him, was the safest place you could possibly be. None of that is true. Emily, you have people here who care about you." Nico says.
My knees give out on me and next thing I know, I'm sitting on the blood covered ground crying. James, oh poor James was so confused.
Nico comes forward slowly, unsure and sits next to me. He rubs my back and I lean into him as unwanted tears stream down my face.
After a moment Nico wraps his arms around me. "James? Go find Percy, stay with him alright?" Nico says.
"Okay." And with that, James runs off.
I bury my face in Nico's shirt and soon my tears slow down. Then I realize where I'm at and I pull away, blushing slightly.
"Sorry..." I murmur, looking at my lap.
"It's okay. Don't worry about it." He says
I glance at him to see him smiling kindly at me.
"Thank you..." I say quietly, as he tucks my hair behind my ear that I was using as a cutain between him and I.
"You're welcome." He stands up and offers me a hand. "Now, come on."
I hesitate, looking up into his black eyes that shown nothing but kindness and something else, though I couldn't put my finger on it. I smile and take his hand.
He pulls me to my feet and I brush my dress off, hating the fact that I pulled my hand away.
