Inspired from viria's and minuiko's art

Percy stood there, gaunt and bloody, almost dead. Nico, saw what has happened to Percy, and he immediately went to his side. As he did that, Percy fell to his knees. The pain from the poison and the continuous attack already overwhelm him. As strong as Percy was, even he could not bear attack after attack non-stop.

Nico hauled him up, and Percy got to his feet. "Don't you dare die on me, Percy, don't you dare!" Nico exclaimed. For someone as thin and small as Nico is, it's amazing that he could even helped Percy up to his feet. But Nico managed to take Percy's full weight, and Nico started his way towards the base for the demigods.

Nico muttered to himself, convincing himself that Percy would survived. He ignored the fact that he could see when people is dying, and that Percy's soul already halfway to the Underworld. But Nico simply refused to see that. He refused to see that even if Percy is very powerful, even if Percy had survived a lot of things, he even survived Tartarus, Percy is not immortal. Percy has to had his limits, and this war against Gaia is pushing it.

The truth became inevitable when Nico felt Percy's heartbeat fading, when Percy's breath started to dissipate. Nico stumbled, and Percy fell from his grip. At that exact moment, Nico could saw Percy's soul leaving his body, making his way to the Underworld, where he would be put to Elysium, without a doubt. Even when knowing that Percy's soul would go to Elysium, Nico couldn't help but felt his heart torn to pieces.

"You can't just die like that, Jackson! You… you can't. You're the son of Poseidon after all… After all, you can't just die like that!" Nico shouted. When he said the word 'Poseidon', Nico realized something. "Poseidon… Maybe water will…" Nico lifted Percy up, and searched for water. When he found a lake, Nico quickly put Percy's body there, hoping water will restore Percy's soul.

"Just.. let it work. Poseidon,… and dad, please, I know you can do it. I'll do anything." Nico prayed. HE really meant it when he says he'll do anything. Percy had done everything for him, now it's time for him to repay what Percy had done to him. "And you, asshole, don't even dare to give up so easily." Nico mocked Percy. He ignored the feeling telling him that Percy now is crossing the River Styx, heading for the Land of the Dead.

"Your girlfriend, Annabeth. Annabeth is waiting for you to come back right?"

But when there is no sign of Percy's soul returning to his body, and Nico could sense that death has finally took his grip on Percy, he started to felt the hopelessness over his body.

"Why… why doesn't it worked?" Nico cried, " Why…"

Nico walked solemnly towards the headquarters. Percy's body was being shouldered by the skinny boy who shouldn't be able to lift Percy's body at any circumstances. Nico gazed at the ground, silently praying revenge to the earth goddess who had took Percy's life.

"Nico! Thanks gods you're alive!" Hazel cried. But her cry of joy changed to a gasp of despair when she saw Percy's lifeless body, at Nico's shoulder. "Oh. Oh gods."

"Percy. Is he…?" Annabeth joined the scene. Annabeth had never looked like this, but at the moment she looked like she could drop dead any moment, ready to join her love to the depth of Hades. Of course she didn't believe Percy was dead. Percy survived a prophecy saying he will be dead at his sixteenth birthday. He survived that, so why couldn't he survive this? The Fates were really cruel. Not only Annabeth lose her best friend twice, she also lost her love one, twice. Only this time, he was her true love, destined to be together by Aprhodite herself, the goddess of love.

So nothing in Nico's or Hazel's power can soothe Annabeth, unless, perhaps, for Nico to put down Percy's body, and for them to kneel down near Percy's body, Nico was crying, Hazel was hugging her brother, also grieving for Percy's death. But the worse of the three of them was Annabeth, she cried while hugging Percy's body, the arms that use to pat her in the back dangling uselessly at his side, the eyes that use to look into her eyes intensely now lifeless, the mouth that use to say encouraging words now will never say another word, the ears that use to hear her complains now will never hear another sound, and his shoulder, that use to hold her head when she is crying, now just another part of Percy's body that will never move again, much less hold her head.

"P-Percy Jackson." Nico called aloud. And as expected, Percy's ghostly form appeared wearing his orange Camp Half-Blood shirt, and his necklace, now filled with four beads but will not make place for yet another one, for another year at Camp.

When Percy say Nico, looking all unsettled and unease, he tilted his head to one side and said, "Oh, you?" while viewing his hand, completely lost as to why he looked alive again.

"Yeah. But not for long," Nico replied.

"You know, with all the stuff happening, I didn't really think I would actually die."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"… How, how's Annabeth," Percy said, not meeting Nico's eyes, "And the other's?"

"It's been two days. How do you think they are?"

Percy couldn't answer, with a guilty look already set on his face. "Thank you, by the way," said Percy while he was observing the ground.

"What for?" Nico asked.

"For bringing my body back to the other's and all," Percy rubbed his neck, a gesture of nervousness, "And I guess sorry for making you hate me so much." Percy actually looked sincere, like he was actually sorry for making Nico hated him.

Nico was taken off-guard by that statement. He couldn't reply for quite a moment, and Percy waited patiently for Nico's answer.

"H-hate you?" Nico finally opened his mouth, confirming what he hear, because he couldn't believe it at all.

"Yeah. I mean for… for Bianca," Percy remembered Nico's sister, who had died saving her friend's life, "And probably for Annabeth too." That one was because Percy thought Nico had a crush on Annabeth, Nico suspected, and that thought make Nico's secret undiscovered for quite a time.

"For making you to make that promise, the way I treated you, lots of things," Percy's voice sounded bitter to Nico's ears.

"I- I didn't hate you."

"You didn't? I thought…"

" Well, of course you 'thought'!" How could Percy be so stupid? Percy was nicknamed 'Seaweed Brain' for a reason, apparently. "You're stupid! Why do you think anyone would even want to promise to risk their life for someone they hate? It doesn't make any sense!"

Percy was speechless. "I-I thought you promised to lead them to the door's for Anna-,"

"It has nothing to do with her! I promised it to you, not Annabeth. You," Nico retorted. When he made the promise at the edge of the cliff, he really promised it to Percy, he would lead the Seven to Epirus because it was Percy who requested it. If it was somebody else, he would have told them that it was hopeless. It was impossible.

Percy stared at nothing. He couldn't believe that Nico didn't hate him. He always thought that Nico hated him, and held a grudge against him, because of the incident with Bianca. Percy thought that Nico had only helped at the Battle of Manhattan, and at this war with the giants because Annabeth had been in it. Now Percy was told otherwise, and he couldn't quite believe it.

"I … didn't hate you. I hated myself for not hating you the way I should have," Nico's voice quivered, "Even after Bianca, I still… It's all…the complete opposite." At that word, Percy, who believed he couldn't be more shocked than he already was, got a shock that would kill him, if he was not already dead.

"Now I have nothing to lose anyway," Nico braced himself, "So whatever. My horrible secret is out either way."

Percy, a seaweed brain that he was, couldn't understand what Nico was talking about. "I- I'm not sure I understood it correctly…"

Nico gritted his teeth in desperation. How stupid can Percy be? "What is the opposite of hate, Jackson?"

Percy knew the answer for that question. After all, he had said that word countless of times. "Love," Percy said simply.

And then it hit him. Nico was not in love with Annabeth. Nico was in love with Percy. That explain why Nico didn't hate Percy when Bianca died, and why Nico promised to do the impossible for Percy.

"Oh"

"Seriously? All I get, is some pathetic 'oh'?"

"Haha, sorry. But it's not like it really changes anything, now that I'm…"

"One more question." Nico said indifferently. "Will you chose Elysium, or rebirth?"

Percy was stunned. He didn't thought anyone would ask him that question. But the he relaxed. "Busting out the hard questions, huh?" Percy exhaled, "To be honest, I was never the over ambitious type. I never asked to be a hero, you know? Being with you guys… was more important." He stopped there for a moment, to let his words sink in. "Besides, I couldn't get reborn. Not if it means leaving Annabeth away for good."

"That's just like you." Nico replied. A selfless guy, loyal even in your death, Nico thought. "You're the one who's dead, but you're still thinking of her first." Nico had spent a lot of time with the dead, and usually, they tend to think for themselves, now that they're dead. But not Percy.

"You're so stupid. If you really cared about her happiness, then why didn't you just let Gaia kill me?" And he meant it. Just because he's a son of Hades, everybody usually avoid him. Add the fact that he's from another era, and they will never thought of him as normal ever again. Plus that he liked Percy, means everybody will not spoke to him unless absolutely necessary. But now that Percy had died because of him, people won't even look at him in the eye.

"It should have been me. That would have been the better outcome. No one will mourn for the son of Hades."

"Nico, that's not true"

"Oh, maybe they'd be sad for a few days, but then they'd move on," Nico continued his ramblings. "But you, there's no moving on from you, Percy Jackson."

"Nico, listen, that's not-," Percy's words was cut short because his form was starting to flicker. Nico realized what's going on. It meant Percy's time out of the Underworld will end shortly.

"I can't hold you here much longer. Any final requests?"

"Sure. Tell everyone my funeral better not suck," he said with a smile on his face. But then his tone turn grave, "Tell Annabeth and my mom… that I love them, and that I'm sorry. And Nico…I saved your live because I wanted to, got it?" Percy asked. "So don't you dare wasted it."

Nico was so stunned, that he couldn't say anything. But there are tears falling down from his eyes, onto his cheek, and then fall from his chin. Percy gave Nico one last smile, and with that, he disappeared, leaving Nico crying softly.

It took Nico all of his courage to walk down from the hill when he saw Annabeth was at the bottom of the hill. She was holding a piece of paper, Percy's funeral plans, Nico guessed, and she looked busy. Nico had always felt insignificant compared to Annabeth, and now, ashamed because he had caused Percy's death, he asked Annabeth a question he always asked himself.

"Do you wish it had been me?"

"Huh?"

"You haven't looked me in the eye since. Don't you blame me for what happened?" It was the question Nico had dreaded to ask, and Annabeth had dreaded to answer.

"Don't be stupid," Annabeth turn around. "I'm busy. So I can't talk right now. His funeral is tomorrow. Besides, blaming you won't bring him back."

Nico can't believe what he heard. Bring him back. Elysium, not rebirth. Percy's going to Elysium… That means… Why didn't I…To reclaim a soul that had passed into the Underworld, you need a soul that has cheated death… me…, Nico thought. He ran without paying much attention to anyone, absorbed in his newly found thought.

"Hey-hey!" Jason shouted. Nico had ran into Jason, not even bothering to say sorry, or look guilty, just passing Jason as it was. Jason stared at Nico, because even when Nico was troubled, he never looked as dark as he was now. He even radiated an aura, that only visible when he was mad. Jason thought Nico had some mad idea, so he grabbed his arm.

"What?" asked Nico, clearly interrupted.

"Why are you so troubled? You looked like you had some mad idea. Is it Percy?" Jason asked spot on.

"No," Nico lied. He didn't want anyone else to know, because they, especially Hazel, would stop him from doing this.

"Nico, don't lie to me. I know you are thinking about Percy. But he is gone, Nico, he is dead. I know you are feeling guilty, but please don't do anything dangerous. Please. You cannot bring him back from the Underworld. He is dead, Nico. Move on."

"What if I say to you, that I could bring him back?"

"Nico, if you are going to do what I think you are going to do, I'm going to hunt you down. Don't do it, Nico. Percy wouldn't want you to do it," Annabeth said, joining the conversation.

"What is he going to do, Annabeth?" Hazel asked, her sisterly instinct kicked in.

"If what I think is true, he's going to reclaim Percy's soul –just like what he wanted to do with Bianca, Hazel- but it's going to need another soul, a soul that has cheated death. In Bianca's case, he's going to use Daedalus' soul, but now, I don't know who he's going to use," Annabeth answered.

"Nico, who are you going to use?" Jason pressed on. "Come on, don't lie."

Nico was cornered. He couldn't lie in front of Hazel, his sister, and he couldn't lie in front of Annabeth, who is alone because of him, not to mention is a daughter of Athena, and can easily know his lie. So he answered, truthfully, "Mine. My soul. I had cheated death."

Annabeth, Hazel, and Jason were shocked. "Your soul, Nico? Why?" Hazel asked. The poor girl was almost crying now, and Nico didn't want to burden her anymore, but since he had answered the first question, he felt obliged to answer this one.

"Because I'm the reason he is dead, Hazel. And because, he can never be replaced. As for me, who would mourn over the son of Hades?"

"I will, Nico, and I'm sure Percy will too."

"Nico,"Annabeth softly began, "Percy wouldn't want it. I know it's hard, I felt it too, but he couldn't live forever. I had known he would die young ever since I knew him. And as painful as it is, it is a fact. Besides, Percy would be safe in Elysium. If you bring him back, he would only suffered more. So please, Nico, don't do it," Annabeth ended with a smile.

And Nico, realizing the truth in Annabeth's words, sunk to the ground, crying until his eyes were nearly blind.

Disclaimer: I do not own PJO nor HoO, and the story belongs to the artist, viria and minuiko, that started the battle. I only added the ending.

if you haven't been online on tumblr, you might want to check the actual comic, in viria and minuiko's tumblr. Hope you liked it, reviews are very appreciated.