Will Solace thought his day couldn't get much worse. First he'd found his half sister Bella crying on her bed, clutching a notebook. Will had known the reason. Bella knew she'd die at a certain time, and had always been so strong about it. It nearly broke Will to see her so... heartbroken.
Then Bella had actually died, Leo had gone missing, and worse, Nico di Angelo was about to dissolve into shadow. Will was holding the notebook, contemplating what to do with it. Bella's last instructions to him before she'd gone to fight were, "Give this to Leo. It's... something important."
Will hadn't looked at it, though he'd been tempted. At the shroud-burning ceremony, for one. It had piqued his curiosity before, of course, but Bella usually had a very good reason for whatever she did.
He trusted her.
Nico was asleep and the infirmary deserted, for once, so Will scrounged up a prism and positioned it so a rainbow fell onto a table. Will dug in his pocket for a drachma, found one, and said, "O Iris, accept my offering. Show me Leo Valdez... uh, wherever he is." Will half-hoped he'd be dead, because Bella could tell him whatever she needed to when they were both partying in Elysium. But the rainbow turned to show a picture of Leo flying straight at the Iris-Message.
Leo wheeled Festus around just in time.
"It's Will Solace, right?"
Will ignored this. "Where the hell are you, Valdez?" he demanded angrily.
"Somewhere over the Atlantic. Why?"
"You need to get back to camp right away," Will replied patiently. He knew that Leo could be very, very difficult when he wanted to. He couldn't fathom what Bella would want to tell him that couldn't be passed on through him. "It's about Bella."
Leo's eyes widened. "Bella? Is she okay?"
Will continued doggedly, willing himself not to cry. "She... left you something."
Leo understood. Will knew in the way his face crumpled and he became very quiet. The Iris-Message dissolved as Leo flew Festus right through it.
Leo raced into the Apollo cabin as soon as his feet touched the ground. He ignored people's looks of shock or confusion, just knew he had to get to Will Solace, had to get to the last piece of Bella he'd ever have.
Will glanced up when he crashed into the infirmary. Wordlessly, he picked up a notebook from the side table of Nico's bed. Leo took it numbly. His name was written in Bella's handwriting. Feeling slightly apprehensive, he opened it.
Leo,
I don't really know what's making me write this. Maybe it's my dad's prophecy side talking, but I'm going to die before you.
Morbid, right? Yeah. But if I know it's true, nothing can change that. You're going to mourn me. something else I just know for sure. Maybe you'll want the same thing I wanted, I'll never know. I can't read minds.
Wouldn't that be cool? It'd make love so much easier. You'd know as soon as they'd know.
Maybe you've caught on by now. Maybe not. Piper always said how dense you were, and Sadie called you thick.
Let's save the confessions for later letters. Try saying that ten times fast. I can imagine you trying that, and failing. But I'm running out of paper, so...
Love,
Bella
Leo couldn't breathe. How long had Bella kept this from everyone?
"There's more," Will said hollowly. "What was the first like?"
Leo let out his breath and answered truthfully. "Depressing."
He turned to the next page.
Leo,
I don't know what I want to say to you. Right now you're off on the Argo II, so I can't tell you anything. I'm scared you won't come back alive. But if you died, I'd be dead too, so I could tell you this in Elysium, face-to-face.
I know you. You're doubting you'll go to Elysium. Well, Leo Valdez, you're a hero, whether you like it or not. My hero.
That's cheesy. But true. Have you figured it out yet? Probably not. Annabeth calls you an idiot.
I wish you would catch on. Then you'd understand.
You were my best friend.
I didn't want you to be.
Love,
Bella
Leo had trouble reading the last few lines. His eyes were blurred with tears. He had no idea what she meant. He was almost scared to read the next letter. He turned the page. It was much shorter.
Leo,
Do you ever look at the stars on the Argo? If you do, we could be connected like that. At least, I wish. But wishes rarely come true.
I'm running out of things to talk to you about. I'm going to tell you something in a different language every letter. Here's the first: Wô ài nî.
Love,
Bella
Leo had no idea what that meant. He only understood a little Greek and a little Spanish. This looked different, no language Leo knew. The next letter was just as confusing as the last.
Leo,
Please don't hate me. You're going to be mad at something when I'm gone. You're going to blame yourself. Just remember two things: It's not your fault and Ik hou van jou.
Love,
Bella
Leo felt like he ought to know what she was talking about. Hoping she'd reveal the secret, he turned the page. This was the shortest letter yet.
Leo,
Maybe you recognize this language. Piper would approve. Je te aime.
Bella
Leo couldn't fathom what language Piper would approve of, and at any rate did not want to ask her.
Leo,
If you don't recognize this language, have Annabeth punch you in the face for me. You've probably gotten it by now. But I'm going to say it until I'm gone. S 'agapó.
Love,
Bella
Leo knew the language was Greek, but couldn't understand it. He'd never understood much Greek. The next letter, the next letter...
Leo,
It's happening soon. One more letter after this, and then we'll be done. Don't blame yourself.
You're definitely going to get this one, if you haven't already. You probably have. I know you're smarter than most people give you credit for.
I'm crying. I don't want to leave you. But I'll go to Elysium, and you'll join me, or I'll personally punch you in the face. Te amo,
Bella
Leo was crying, too. He didn't realize it until a tear dripped onto the paper. He quickly turned to the next page. It was the last letter. Leo knew it would be the most painful.
Leo,
Today's the day. The Argo II is coming home, and so are you. I'm going to die today. So before the battle I'm writing this. I know you know what I'm about to say. I don't even know what the Hades I'm doing. I'm listening to Jetpack Blues right now. All I can think is,
Baby, come home.
Please.
I don't want to wait long, but somehow I do.
Here goes, Leo.
I'm going to say it in English.
Are you ready?
I love you.
And now I'm going to die.
Just remember I love you. I'll be okay. But, Leo, I'm scared. It's going to hurt.
But I love you. A thousand times I love you. So I'm going to be brave. For you.
Love,
Isabella, daughter of Apollo
Leo dropped the notebook from numb fingers. For a moment he couldn't see through sudden tears. A few seconds later, he sat down hard.
The next few hours were torture. Calypso sat on the edge of his bed while Piper, Hazel, and Annabeth wrung their hands and tried to figure out what was wrong with him.
They wouldn't figure it out. Leo knew this was something no one could cure. No one except Bella.
Nico visited his bedside some time later. Leo didn't know how much time had passed, but he didn't care.
"You want to see her." Nico didn't ask it. He knew the answer.
"More than anything I've ever wanted," Leo confirmed.
"Come with me."
Leo really didn't want to go walking with the son of Hades at midnight when he was very much vulnerable, but the temptation was too great. He followed Nico out of the infirmary.
Nico lead him all the way to the Hades cabin, and then behind it. Leo didn't know what to make of it.
Behind the cabin, hovering over a Coke-and-Happy-meal sludge, was Bella. As soon as she saw Leo, she covered her mouth with her hands. Her slightly transparent eyes filled with slightly transparent tears.
"You got the letters?" she asked shakily.
Leo couldn't speak, so he nodded.
A line popped into his head.
She's in a long black coat tonight, waiting for me in the downpour outside, she's singing baby, come home in a melody of tears while the rhythm of the rain keeps time.
"Come back," he said, voice breaking.
"I-I can't. Leo, I'm dead."
Did you ever love her, do you know? Did you never want to be alone?
"I was dead!" he shouted. "I was dead, and I came back. So can you!"
Bella sniffled. "How?"
Nico stepped forward. "Maybe I could, um, go get you."
Leo and Bella both looked at him.
"P-please?" Bella said softly. She was crying again, and Leo wanted to comfort her. Irrationally, he thought of Calypso. But he knew she'd be fine. He even had the feeling that she'd support them.
Bella was fading. Nico had already disappeared, presumably to get Bella. Before she could fade completely, Leo said, "I love you, Bella!" He just had time to see her burst into tears before she disappeared.
No one ever knew the whole story of Bella's reanimation except for her, Leo, Nico, Will, and Calypso. As Leo predicted, Calypso was so happy for them she actually burst into cheerful tears and said she'd die herself before letting anything as trivial as death keep them apart.
As for Nico, he landed himself another three days in the infirmary, which weren't actually as bad as he'd predicted.
To this day, Bella can't hear the song Jetpack Blues without bursting into tears.
This is just an idea for a really depressing short story. The languages are from Google Translate. Jetpack Blues belongs to Fall Out Boy and I am going to cry whenever I hear it now.
Love, a depressed Dessie