Toby was going to visit his mother, he had wanted to stay away for her own safety but he needed her now he really did. Things were wrong right now, Nico had been fighting with his father a lot and Toby knew it was about him even though Nico had been trying to protect him from it. He had seen it in the way Nico looked at him sometimes, sad and scared for him and he'd overheard some of the fighting to when it didn't take place in the underworld.
Nico was afraid for him, of what would happened when he died because Nico didn't want to be separated from him when they could die any day really. He was arguing that he had done enough in his lifetime that was good that he should be able to take Toby with him into the gardens. There was president for it, Hazel had given up her place in the gardens to take he mother out of the fields of punishment and they'd both gone to the fields. Well she'd done less then Nico had so why couldn't he transition most of his good deeds to Toby?
The answer the gods were giving was that Toby had done a lot more bad things then Hazels mother had too so it wasn't that simple. He wasn't sure his mother could help at all but she could listen to his fears because before Nico he'd never really thought about what would happen to him after he died but now it terrified him. He had never felt pain so he had no tolerance to it at and he didn't know how he would manage. Even if he died now and ended up in the fields of punishment and Nico managed to get him out quickly the damage might already be done and Toby would be fucked up in the head instead.
He and Nico had been together for years now, Nico was about 18 and Toby was 21, way past both of their 'best by' dates. They were living on borrowed time with no way of knowing when it would run out and even now being away from Nico for just a day to see his mom was stressing Toby out. What if today was the day the clock ran out for one of them and they weren't together? Nico was going to argue with his father again, what if something went wrong? What if Hades got to mad and vaporized Nico?
Toby sighed and leaned his head against the glass on the window which he couldn't tell whether cool or warm, he assumed cool. He watched the trees pass by and a few monsters from Nico's world, which showed some interest because Toby smelled like Nico, but they realized Nico wasn't actually there and didn't attack. The bus pulled in to the stop closest to his mothers new home and he spotted her already there waiting for him.
He smiled, once a mother always a mother and whenever he called and told her he needed help she was there for him. He would never stop being grateful to her for being there for him through everything even though he was objectively a bad person. He got off the bus quickly since he didn't have any luggage at all to gather up, Nico was coming to get him the same evening so there was nothing to bring. He ran across the parking lot and hugged her hard and she hugged him back hard too and they stayed that way for a minute as they always did on the rare occasions that they saw each other.
"I brought sandwiches so we could just sit on the hood of the car and talk if you want, or on the grass." Connie Suggested and Toby nodded so she got out a basket an they went and sat on the grass. "Alright, so what's wrong?" Connie asked once they were both settled on the grass and Toby looked down trying to think of where to start.
"You're still Christian right?" Toby asked and his mother nodded looking confused and Toby started fidgeting with his hands as he thought about how to say what he was feeling, "I'm going to hell." He said bluntly suddenly and his mothers jaw dropped a little and she looked like she wanted to argue but couldn't think of anything to say. "Don't argue it because I know I am, Nico's one of the sons of the judge, not the one in the sky the other one, and he's been arguing with his dad for, I think years now about saving me from the flames but he won't agree.
"I know you might not believe it but Nico's coming to get me after this and he can prove it, he's planning to show you some of his powers. But the other thing you've got to know is Nico isn't evil and neither is his dad like Christianity says. He punishes bad people he doesn't actually do much of the tempting or anything. Nico works on earth with spirits who choose to stay behind, the work he does helps everyone and he's been good all his life, so good, he's helped save the world many times and there's president of people transferring good deeds to those they love to get them a better afterlife but he's not being allowed to do that for me and I mean I can't understand why.
"He doesn't talk to me about the higher worlds cause I wouldn't understand anyway but I can tell and I know him well enough to know what he's doing. I want to help but there's nothing I can do and I know nothing, at the end of the day I'm just a human and he's so much more. And I'm living on borrowed time now you know that, I could die any day and if Nico can't make a deal with his father we could be separate forever and I don't want to lose him. I never thought about this before I just did what I wanted but now looking back I wish I hadn't because if it doesn't work not only will we be separated but Nico won't be able to go home because he'll know that somewhere there I'm suffering."
He took a bite of his sandwich so his mother wouldn't feel pressured to answer before she was a ready and she took a quiet bite of hers too. The silence stretched between them as Connie tried to process what Toby had just said and think of how to reply.
"I wish I had some motherly wisdom to share Toby but this is beyond my life experience and knowledge." She admitted with a sigh when she was half way done her sandwich putting it down on her leg and turning to look at Toby sorrowfully. Toby felt almost guilty because of course she couldn't help and now she would just worry, unconsciously he started picking at his hands and his mother laid one of her hands over his before he could make himself bleed. "You trust Nico don't you? I hope you wouldn't have stayed with him so long if you didn't. Trust that he'll succeed and protect you."
Toby relaxed a little and nodded, he did trust Nico more then almost anyone, he trusted Nico with his life he could trust Nico with his afterlife. He was more worried about Hades though, he could remember overhearing Nico and Hades talking in that church in Portugal "Even if it's that.. Toby boy who makes you happy." He'd sounded so contemptuous Toby couldn't help but think that Hades would love to through him in the fields of punishment.
"His father doesn't like me at all though, Nico is the 'best' child he's had in centuries and I think he thinks I'll corrupt Nico and I'm not trying to." He said and his mother shrugged.
"Well if Nico is the best shouldn't his father trust him about you?" Connie asked and Toby sighed and shook his head, she didn't really get it but that wasn't really a surprise.
"He thinks he knows best, he'll always think he knows best. That's just how immortals are really." Toby explained tiredly and his mother hugged him tightly.
"I wish there was more I could do honey, I want to protect you from everything but this is so far above my head I don't even know what to say. When I first met him we had a vague talk about some of this stuff and he promised he'd protect you. If his father doesn't have faith in him I will, I believe he'll keep his word and protect you." She said fiercely and Toby leaned against her and relaxed. Right, Nico was so much stronger then Toby that there was nothing he could do besides trust and have faith. The same way he had faith that the murders Slender had him commit were for a higher purpose of some sort.
"You're right mom." Toby said, he felt a lot better about it now even though they hadn't really come to any sort of solution. This was something far, far out of Toby's control, the best he could do was stand right behind Nico and support him, maybe duck in front of Nico to take a blow if he had to. Long story short Toby is, and has always been a the mercy of powers beyond his control and at least now he has a couple of those powers in his corner. He'll believe in them as hard as he can because he's been raised to think that belief and prayer can make a difference.
The rest of the day is spent in much more light fashion until the end of the day when Toby guided his mother to a specific clearing in the woods. It was a interesting time getting there, with Toby first directing his mother as they drove and then guiding her on a walk through the woods.
"Toby why are we going there?" Connie asked curiously as she ducked a branch, it was a testimony to how much she trusted her son that she was willing to walk blindly into the woods with him even though he was a known killer.
"I promised I'd prove the things I told you earlier. Don't tell me I don't have too, we both know I've suffered from delusions in the past so you can't take something that crazy at face value. We're going to meet Nico and his sister Hazel here soon. Hazel is.. well she's apparently the most powerful white witch in hundreds of years and she'll be able to help you see things humans usually can't see. Just briefly though because we don't want you to be a target, it's to late for me but I can defend myself so that's okay." He holds a branch out of the way so Connie can walk into the clearing and then Toby follows.
"Yep this is the right place." He said looking around and then walking around a little to find the smooth rocks sunk into the ground.
"How do you know?" Connie asked curiously, looking around, it just looked like any other clearing to her.
"This place is a really really old graveyard. See these stones? They're worn down tomb stones, this is one of Nico's favourite places to sleep. The dead here watch over him and keep him safe, I think it's one of the few places he feels actually safe so it's where we're doing this." Toby explained and his mother looked a little nervous but nods and then toby takes a deep breath time to mention something else he's been putting off.
"Mom, would you like to see Lyra again?" He asked and Connie gave him a sharp look.
"Of course I would but that's impossible, she's in heaven now." Connie said sounding a little aggressive which Toby did not like but understood but he shakes his head.
"She is but she's still attached to this world because of us so Nico's called her for me so I could talk to her. It was so nice to see her again. If you want we thought maybe that's how he could prove his powers to you, if not there are tons of other things he or his sister can do." Toby said and waited anxiously for a answer from his mother who looked like she was having some trouble comprehending what Toby had just said. Maybe they should have started with something smaller, reanimating mouse skeletons and putting on a puppet show like Nico had been doing for Sally lately.
"Oh.. Okay if he can really do that and she'll go back to paradise afterwards then yes, yes I'd like to see her again." Connie said finally and Toby smiled and hugged her, very relieved that she'd accepted it. She still seemed unsure though, like she wasn't going to get her hopes up because she wasn't sure. She probably didn't want to get her hopes up to high incase it failed, Toby understood and wasn't hurt or anything.
They only had to wait a few minutes before Nico and Hazel appeared, walking out of the deeper shadows. Even though the clearing seemed to be empty to Toby and his mother the two underworld siblings seemed to be having some trouble picking their way over to the them.
"What are they doing?" Connie asked Toby softly as the siblings stopped to apparently make small talk with the air while trying to get around the invisible person as quickly as was polite.
"They can both see ghosts remember? This place is probably chalk full of them and all excited to see them. We should go meet them." Toby said taking his mothers hand and then led her over to his boyfriend and the witchy sister. As they reached them Hazel had to slap a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing and even Nico's mouth quirked up into a smile. "What is it?" Toby asked in confusion and Nico looked apologetic.
"Sorry you just walked through a elderly spirit named William and he is very disgruntled about it. It's sort of funny, you know they can't see you you know they weren't trying to offend." Nico directed somewhere to the left and Toby gave a sort of helpless shrug in his mothers direction who was looking even more confused.
"Alright we should get started now shouldn't we." Hazel said firmly, it wasn't really a question and no one argued with her. Nico carefully shepherded toby and Connie into the middle of the clearing giving Connie a comforting look as Hazel rolled up her sleeves and started walking around the clearing. As she walked she moved her hand like she was trailing it through water and a ring of mist began to form around them.
"What's she doing?" Connie asked Nico in a hushed tone as she watched Hazel wrk with wide eyes.
"She's calling the veil to her, there's a veil that keeps humans from seeing the other worlds that interact with yours and if I tried to show you my powers while it was active you wouldn't see anything. Hazel has the power to manipulate it which is why I brought her, she can lift the veil off your eyes temporarily and let you see the truth. Then when we're done she can lower it again so you won't have to deal with the reality of the world all the time since that can be dangerous." Nico explained without bothering to hush his voice, he knew this was easy for Hazel.
"Oh.." Connie sounded and watched as hazel made a few more circles and started to look rather alarmed as her circles started to unveil the figures of people around them. Nico didn't seem to notice the change but when he saw the look on Connie and Toby's faces he seems to figure out what's happening.
"Don't worry, they've been here the whole time. They're the souls of the people in this graveyard who decided to stay and enjoy the world from beyond death as well as in life. No one here is angry or anything, I've helped everyone who wanted to move on. Everyone here wants to be here and they're all wonderful people." He said smiling around at the people who smiled back at him.
"Can you hear us now?" A elderly woman asked and Connie made a sort of squeaking nose in response. "You have nothing to fear sweetie, Nico is very dear to us here, he brings us news of the world and tells us stories from time to time and we make sure he's safe when he's here. You're friends of his so you'll be safe here too we promise." She assured them and Connie took a deep breath before nodding and giving a slightly shaky smile.
"Okay.. okay thank you." She said taking measured slow breaths in a effort to stay calm as she looked around at the dozen or so ghosts around them.
"Okay now that that's done did Toby ask you about who you wanted to see?" Nico asked glancing back at them but it was Toby who answered.
"She does want to see Lyra again." Toby answered giving his mothers hand a squeeze as Nico gave him a look and nodded.
"Alright, I'll send out the call, it may take a bit for her to answer. I would have called earlier but I wasn't sure and.. I guess I didn't want you to think it was instantaneous. The dead have their own agency so they can answer me or not as they like." Nico said and then went to the center of the clearing and sat down to call Lyra's spirit.
As they waited Hazel came to join them standing with them, she reached into her shoulder and pulls out a bottle of water. "Want something to drink?" She asked with a odd smile though it fell when Connie shook her head. "Oh come on indulge me, it's my favourite party trick." Hazel said with a little pout, she seemed to be trying to distract Connie from wondering and fretting about if Nico would succeed.
"Alright sure I'll have something to drink." Connie agreed looking back at Hazel who's little smile returned, her gold eyes shimmering.
"Okay, what do you want it to taste like?" She asked smiling wider as Connie's eyebrows furrowed. Toby smiled, he'd experienced this trick of Hazels before, she'd been thrilled when she figured out how and had showed it off to everyone she could.
"What do you mean? It's water, it'll taste like water." Connie said and Hazel replied with a 'ah' face and holds up a finger like a performer, she was having fun.
"It would but how my 'magic' works is I can fool your senses into believing something else. So I can make this water look, smell and taste like whatever you want!" She said with a expansive gesture.
"Okay, how about red wine then?" Connie suggested looking sort of resigned like, 'okay things are just going to be weird now. Hazel nodded and moved the bottle of water behind her back for a second and when she brought it back out it was full of a red liquid. She passed it to Connie who smelled it, wide eyed and then took a sip.
"That's kind of amazing." She admitted and hazel looked thrilled and very flattered.
"Thank you, and it has practical uses too. While traveling and on quests food is usually sort of a issue and even though I can't make food that has any actually nutrients or anything this can still help. Now we can bring along things like hard tack that are nutritious and long lasting but not /good/ and I can make them taste like anything we want so no one gets sick of travel foods. It's great for moral." Hazel explained as Connie sipped the wine Hazel had 'made' for her.
"So this is still actually water so it won't get me tipsy or anything?" Connie asked Hazel who paused to think about it.
"I don't think so and if it feels like it is it's probably just a placebo affect because your body expects it to." Hazel decided and Connie nodded again.
"Well that's very interesting and I'm just not going to think about the implications of you being able to change peoples perceptions as you call it." Connie said and Hazel was about to reply before Nico stood up from the ground and dusted dirt off his pants, reaching back to tighten his ponytail.
"She's on her way, she'll be here in just a couple seconds." Nico said and Connie immediately looked like she was about to panic and glanced at the bottle of 'wine' as if considering chugging it before remembering it wouldn't get her tipsy and handing it back to Hazel instead. In her hand it immediately turned back to water and Connie stepped forward. At Nico's feat a crack opened in the ground and smoke began to bubble out of it, Nico stepped back to give the forming spirit room and in less then a minute Lyra's spectral figure was standing in front of them, smiling lovingly at her brother and mother.
"Hey Toby, hey mom." She said in the sort of wispy voice most f the dead had and gave her mother a uncertain smile.
"Lyra." Connie said breathlessly stepping forward before Toby pulled her back.
"You can't touch her, she's just a ghost remember?" Toby said and Connie nodded staring hard at Lyra to memorize her face.
"Yes, yes of course. How have you been Lyra? Are- are you happy were you are? Are you well?" Connie asked hopefully and Lyra smiled more warmly and nodded.
"Yes I am, it's beautiful where I am mom. I'm happy here, I'm safe. The only reason I wasn't at peace before was because I worried about you and toby but now Nico's helped me talk to both of you. How have you been? You're doing better now that dad's gone aren't you?" She asked hopefully and Connie nodded, eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Yes, I'm doing much better. I-I felt so bad thinking both my babies were gone but now I know Toby's here and I'll see you again eventually won't I?" She asked and Lyra responded by glancing at Nico who nodded making Lyra beam as she looks back at Connie.
"Nico knows and he says yes, yes we'll be together eventually." Lyra said though her gaze flicked to toby for a moment and she looked sad. Toby looked away, he was the only one who would be left out of that family reunion, he'd be with their father in punishment if Nico couldn't do something.
Both toby and Connie spent the next half hour catching Lyra up on how they'd been before Lyra informed them that she could feel Nico tiring and they couldn't talk much longer.
"Well, I love you Lyra. It's been so good to see you and know you're doing well, I feel.. so much better." Connie said choking up as tears spilled down her cheeks. Toby wrapped a arm around her shoulders, he was taller then her now, he'd gotten broader too now that he was fully mature.
"I love you too mom, I'll see you again. Toby I love you too, good luck, Nico good luck too." Lyra said and then she was gone and Connie started sobbing. She hugged Toby first and then surprised everyone by pulling Nico into a tight hug.
"Thank you, that meant, so much to me. You let me talk to my girl and you're trying to save my boy. I'm so glad Toby found you." She said fiercely as Nico awkwardly patted her back.
"I love Toby, I'll do everything I can to protect him I promised you that the first time we met." Nico pointed out softly seeming awkward with the contact. He'd been with toby for a few years now but he was still not used to affection from anyone other then Toby, Hazel and Sally.
"You can do it, I know you can. You're part of the family now, you're like my son now too," She told him leaving no room for debate and Nico found he didn't want to because he was choked up too. Was this what it felt like to have a mother? he'd have to visit Connie more often. He relaxed as Toby joined to make it a group hug and they stood there like that for a long and comforting minute.
I haven't written in a long time so be forgiving if it's a bit sloppy, also I can't figure out where creepypasta is in the system. I have a ask blog for the characters in this universe; cats-ask-blog on tumblr