Thalia: (Artemis' Throne)
"Now lieutenant, you understand the punishment of loving a boy? Think of this everytime you choose to fall in love with one." Said Artemis sympathetically. Favonious came in behind her.
Unforunately, he wasn't strong enough for love, as you can see. He had too much anger. He started. He wasn't good enough for you. He was weak and let anger empower him."
Thalia glared at the pair. She didn't care what they were saying now. The gods had yet taken another boy away from her, and she wanted revenge. "Remember this Thalia..." Artemis said as she and Favonious begain to walk away.
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"You want to see anger?!" Thalia cried out as she pulled out the ambrosia from under Nico's photo. She gulped the ambrosia down, whole. The color returned to her face, and her wounds healed. She was full of energy and strength now.
She stood up , with electric sparks all around her body.
"I'll show you anger!" She challenged.
Thalia drew her daggers. Favonious and Artemis turned around just as they were pushed downward by the force of Thalia's electric current.
The pair was smashed downward back into the throne room. She ignored her fear of heights for once, ash she summoned wind to fly her down the throne room.
Thalia looked around the room. Favonious was no where to be seen. One down.
Thalia didn't care to keep track, she was now full of hatred. Hatred towards Artemis. She was the reason she had been leaving Nico, and the reason for her suppressed loneliness.
Artemis crawled on the floor coughing. Thalia charged at her with her dual-wielded daggers.
Artemis, being quick, was able to turn around and draw her own daggers.
She easily dodged Thalia, and sweep kicked her. Thalia fell on her back. She desperately tried to crawl to one of her daggers that had dropped. As she reached her hand out, Artemis threw an arrow which grazed her hand.
Artemis then leaped, both daggers raised to impale her. Thalia quickly activated the shield from her bracelet and blocked the latter.
Thalia grunted as she kicked Artemis away. She quickly stood up, to see Artemis charging at her with a spear: MY collapsible spear! She thought.
Thalia quickly held up her shield as it stabbed through the metal plating. They both struggled for their weapons.
"So Thalia?" Artemis chided. "What brings you to kill the one you work for?" Her voice sounded more sinister as she talked.
"Something called..."Thalia struggled."LOVE!"
"HAHAHA!" Artemis laughed cruelly. "You'll soon learn that love for a boy, is-"
"-Something you'll never understand!" Thalia finished in triumph as she summoned the biggest bolt of lightning she could. "NOOOOOOOOO!" Artemis screamed as she was incinerated. The explosion destroyed the entire throne, leaving only debris and smashed rocks.
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Thalia crawled out of the debris and into the snow. She coughed violently desperate for air, as her strength began to sap. "I'm sorry Nico..." She said tearfully as she stared at the debris.
Devastated, she began to walk into the cold landscape, leading to nowhere...
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Thalia felt a sharp pain from her back and out of her stomach. She looked down to see an arrow tip shaped like a heart, impaling her. She gasped as she had no energy to scream in pain.
Shall I give YOU a lesson about love as well? Said Favonious as she fell to the floor.
Thalia couldn't speak, as she was in shock. Favonious pointed an arrow at her heart as she lay sprawled on the floor. She tried to talk but she was in too much pain. She closed her eyes as a stabbing noise was heard.
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From Favonious' chest, stuck out a black stygian iron sword.
"I don't care about love..." Nico started, his face tight with effort, and anger. He gritted his teeth. "I care...about... HER!" He yelled dragging his sword through Favonious' back.
"AGHHHHH!" Favonious' scream echoed in the distance as he crumbled into dust.
"Thalia..." He said sweetly. She looked into his abyssal-black eyes, and managed a weak smile. Her head lolled back and everything turned black.
Nico: (Aftermath of Artemis' Throne)
If it weren't for the extra ambrosia Will had packed him, he would've died. Now, Thalia lay in front of him in the aftermath of his battle, dead.
She was dead, because he let his anger get to him, causing him to lose his fight. And again, Thalia had to sacrafice herself for him. A wave of emptiness crowded him again. He felt like screaming and crying...but there was no time for him to mourn.
He just had to keep moving...yeah...run away from anything painful.
Thalia began to move. She stood up facing away from him.
"Thalia! You're alive..." Nico said with relief. She disturbingly pulled out the arrow from her stomach with ease. "It's okay...I'm here...you're here." He said trying to console her.
"..." She didn't respond.
"Thalia?" He persisted.
Thalia turned to face Nico. Her clothes were ripped but she looked fine. He looked at her face, and to his horror, they were a glowing blood-red color. He gasped.
"What...what...what happened?" He stumbled for words. He was now full of fear.
Thalia charged at him, with her two daggers drawn. Nico straged to the side, and regarded his sword. "Thalia! What are you doing?!" He started. " It's me! Nico!" He shouted desperately. He knew it was hopeless, she was gone now. He had lost a love to a fate worse than death.
Thalia summoned a bolt of lighting towards Nico. He immediately summoned a stone to block the lightning force. "Thalia! Stop!" His voice croaked.
She responded by summoning wind to lift him into the air and hurled him through the busted debris. He was tired of being thrown around.
He regained his balance as he stood back up. Thalia charged at him with a spear and shield with a medusa head design. Nico instantly went into defensive mode as their weapons clashed. He easily slashed her spear away.
Thalia retaliated by bashing him with her shield. She raised her spear again to stab Nico. He barely strafed away from her though.
With her spear stuck on the ground, he took the opportunity to lift his sword and slash her twice on the back. She screamed in pain, which broke Nico's heart. His eyes began to sting.
NO. He was tired of heartbreak...His grudges reformed inside him. "You know..." Nico started, dodging another attack from Thalia.
"I went through so much suffering..." She raised her spear again to attempt to slash him. He ducked away from it. "And it was all because of you!" He yelled.
Thalia drew her daggers, and shot electric towards Nico. The electric waves shocked Nico throughout his whole body and sent him flying into the snow.
He struggled to stand. "She...she...died for you..." He said shakily. Thalia sent a gust of wind flying at Nico, which he blocked by summoning a large obsidian rock.
"And yet...you still abandoned me! Right when I needed you!" Nico's voice was filled with pain. "So if you want to fight me...then FINE!" He released all his anger.
Thalia threw her daggers at Nico, which he easily countered by summoning two skulls to intercept. "I hated you anyways!" He yelled."You made me go through so much!" The grass beneath the snow wilted beneath his shoes. Thalia summoned another bolt of lightning.
Nico retaliated by summoning a wall of shadow to absorb it. "I hate you!" He yelled, full of rage. The earth bellow Thalia shifted as skeletons grabbed from down under.
The skeletons grabbed each of her limbs, and pinned her down. Thalia struggled and screamed in Favonious' voice. She seemed to be fighting her way out. "I...HATE...YOU!" Nico shouted with anger.
He called upon the earth to sink her down to her knees. "YOU HEAR ME?! You left me...!" his voice faultered.
A memory of Thalia flashed before his mind. Her electric-blue eyes stared at him sweetly as she said 'We live for each other.'
Then another memory of her face in anguish before she left him, and face Orion. She sacraficed herself so that he could get away with the Athena Parthenos, and avoid suffering with her.
Promise me Nico... Bianca's voice said.
The memories stopped flashing as he returned to his senses.
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"Thalia..."he said in sorrow. "I...I can't..." he broke down into violent sobs.
"I...I can't hurt you..." His voice cracked. "I just can't..."
He looked down at her now blood-red eyes.
"I see why you left for the Hunters now..." He lost all his focus. The skeletons released Thalia and the earthly fissures closed. The skeletons then faded away.
"You wanted to escape the pain..." His voice was now quiet and somber. "...The pain of losing someone you loved. You lost Luke, and you were scared and broken" Nico's tears started flowing down his eyes. "I know your pain...and I know how you felt now...and I guess it's too late...but if you can hear me.."
The possessed Thalia released herself from the ground. She then walked up to Nico, pointing her spear at him. She readied it so stab him.
"If you can hear...I'm sorry..." He managed to say. He hung his head down, ready to die.
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The color in Thalia's eyes turned back to beautiful electric-blue. "Nico..." she said as if just realising what she was doing. "Th...Thalia..." He looked up excitedly. His tears suddenly stopped flowing.
She began to scream in pain as Nico watched, confused and scared. She grabbed her head, as it began to ache violently. "AHHH!" Thalia kept yelling as Favonious' soul left her body. Favonious then reformed into his original self, with the white clothes and all.
Thalia stumbled, losing her balance. She then fell down into Nico's arms.
Nico and Thalia were too drained out to attack him. The both just looked up at him in fear.
Do not worry. I'll no longer harm you. Favonious started.
For you have already passed your test...
"What...What do you mean?" Nico asked worriedly.
"You see..." Favonious' voice was more happy and human now. " Love is in another aspect...a sense of understanding each other and your individual struggles. A sense of mutual sacrafices, and a sense of being there for each other, and loving unconditionally, no matter what you've done unto the other."
Understanding each other's struggles... The words echoed in his head, but he knew directly what he was talking about. Now that Nico understood how Thalia felt fighting Luke, he found the strength to forgive her for joining the hunt.
"Wait! You did ALL this just to prove a point?!" Nico spoke up. Favonious nodded. "It takes alot to get into that thick skull of a Hades child." he replied.
"Thank you... Favonious..." Nico said gratefully.
"Thank a man for doing his job, and it'll go to his head...goodbye Di Angelo...for now. Good luck with the girl." Favonious smirked, as he began walking towards a figure in a silver hood.
"The girl can hear you!" Thalia shouted. "Don't walk awa-UGH!"
"It is done." Favonious said to the hooded figure. "Thank you Favonious." The figure replied. The voice was clearly female. It was Artemis. Favonious disappeared into the winds. Artemis walked over to the couple.
Thalia looked up shocked. "I thought I killed you..." Thalia said unbelieving.
"Don't be ridiculous, you can't kill a goddess." Artemis said.
Thalia sighed."I guess so..."
"Look..." Nico started. "Lady Artemis, I'm-"
"Do not apologize. I've learned enough today..." She reassured him. "You're more than just a boy. You're a MAN."
"Wait so...It's okay if I love her?" Nico asked almost like he was asking for permission.
"Normally I'd not trust a man with one of my hunters, but I see now, you're different." Artemis smiled at him.
"Thanks..."
"Don't thank me. I should thank you, for you've changed my mind. Not ALL men would sacrafice and go through so much pain for a girl."
"Hey!" Thalia said, feeling insulted. Artemis chuckled.
"It's okay Lieutenant, you'll someday get your chance to mock me as well."
"Wait...Lieutenant? I'm still a hunter of yours?" She asked confused.
"Of course...I can make a few exceptions. After all, the both of you...Well, let's just say, you helped me let go of my grudges as well." All three of them exchanged smiles.
"Now that I'm enlightened to what true love is...I'll risk allowing boys into the hunters as well. But only certain exceptions of course." Nico hoped Artemis wasn't talking about him.
"As the kids' slang say nowadays, tally-ho." Artemis disappeared in a puff of gas.
"That's not what kids say..." Nico said to Thalia. He turned red when he realized he was still holding Thalia in his arms.
"Haha...It's okay Nico..." She said. "I don't mind being in your arms." She moved hair away from his face."After all..." she started.
"We live for each other." They finished at the same time. For once they both had genuine smiles on their faces.
The snowing stopped suddenly and the skies cleared, revealing a beautiful dark blue night sky with stars sparkling. Just like Thalia's eyes. Nico thought. He didn't realize that they were staring for too long until he remembered they were still in the middle of nowhere.
"Uhhh..." he looked around embarrassed."We should probably get out of here..."
"Okay...but first..." Thalia leaned in for a kiss. Nico closed his eyes and puckered up.
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Their attempted kiss was then interrupted by lightning that hit about fifteen feet away from them. They both immediately looked towards the sudden flash.
"What now?" They said simultaneously.
After the flash cleared, out came Zeus and Hades.
"Oh...Oh...Oh my. Oh stix." Nico said panicked, as he dropped Thalia and backed away.
"Uhh...dad...?" Thalia said nervously.
"Oh relax!" Zeus started. "We already talked it out, and we decided you guys can live-" Hades elbowed Zeus in the stomach."Ugh...I mean...You guys can do as you please. As long as you only see each other under either one of our territories."Zeus said with a forced smile on his face.
"Okay! I always wondered what the underworld looked like in person!" Thalia said excitedly. Sparks began to fly around her.
"Ummm...those aren't real skulls on her earrings are they son?" Hades whispered to Nico. "No...jeez, relax, not everything with a skull belongs to the underworld."
"Good, that would be a waste of good underworld decor." Hades said relieved. He cleared his throat. "Just...don't...shock anything..."
"Right..." Thalia said as her sparks cleared up.
"ANYWAYS, what are you really here for father?" Nico asked suspiciously.
"What? You don't think I'd visit my own son, simply to congragulate him on getting a girlfriend? That Jackson was annoying anyway, with all his blue and such." Hades said with disgust. "Hey!" Thalia said. Hades ignored her.
"To be fair, It IS kind of hard to picture you doing anything nice...just saying." Nico said pokerfaced.
"Right..." Hades sighed. He glanced over to Zeus." DO NOT expect me to start holding your hand too." He teased.
"Dude...really?" Zeus replied.
"Good bye my first...HAPPY child." Hades smirked as he dissapeared into the darkness. Zeus nodded at Nico before he dissappeared in a flash of light.
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Nico looked at Thalia. "Finally..." He sighed. "Do we have to go on a fancy date now?"
"If you call burgers a 'fancy date' then yes." She replied.
"You'll probably love this place called Mcdonald's...It has some of the best burgers ever." Nico said sarcastically. They shared a laugh.
"But first..." Thalia grabbed Nico's hand and released more skeletal butterflies in his stomach than he could handle. She flew upwards into the beautiful night sky.
All around them, the stars sparkled brightly around the full moon. "Aren't you like afraid of heights or something?" he asked. "Not anymore..." she said.
"You know...I really 'hate' you right now..." They laughed. Nico and Thalia's eyes met affectionately. "That's okay... I'm fine with you just the way you are...you're perfect.
Nico leaned in for the best sky-kiss ever.
***THE END***
Credits Song: Sparks- Mattia Cupelli