Gosh this is getting harder to write. Thanks everyone for the kind reviews though and reading as always~ Enjoy.
Chapter 10
It was only after sitting on the dock for a few minutes that their peace was shattered. Looking back on it now, Nico wished Will and he would have just left as soon as the son of Ares eyed them with his cold sharp gaze.
"Well if it isn't the son of death and the healer," the boy said as he approached them. A girl and another boy flanked him on either side, effectively blocking anyone from getting around them.
Will narrowed his eyes at the trio. "He's not the son of Thanatos; Hades is the lord of the Underworld. I would think any demigod with common sense would know the difference."
The camper shrugged as if it didn't matter. "You would be the one to know a bunch of garbage information. It's not like you can actually do anything but be useless after all."
Beside the blond, Nico tensed. Noting this Will spoke before Nico could attempt to sing what he thought he was feeling.
"Useless? Tell me that next time you get seriously injured in capture the flag."
"Oh, you think you aren't useless because you're a healer? How about when my little sister died because you couldn't save her, huh? You let her die."
Beside the son of Ares, his younger companions nodded. It seemed they were all siblings that had lost one of their own and were now pinning the blame on Will.
Will stood up fast, his mouth open in protest as his eyes took on an almost broken quality.
"I tried everything I could to save Emily," the son of Apollo said. "My siblings and I sat with her for days trying to stop the infection but it still reached her heart even with the ambrosia and unicorn draught. While I'm sorry for your loss it is unfair for you to—"
Quicker than he could have reacted, the son of Ares shot forward and pushed him backwards into the lake. Of course Will could swim so it wasn't a big deal, but at that moment the shadows from under the dock came alive. The trio of demigods before Nico was forced to take a few steps backwards as he stood up, waves of anger radiating off of him.
"We all know that life ain't fair," he sang tersely. This only seemed to make the children of Ares more annoyed though.
"Oh, now the son of Hades is going to preach to us? In song no less." He scoffed, eyes blazing. "You probably aided in her death by being in the infirmary while she was being healed. Everyone around you dies, but you probably enjoy that don't you?"
Shaking his head violently, he cursed Apollo once more for making him unable to talk back to these jerks. "Seems I've crossed the line again for being nothing more than who I am."
"Nico!" Will said as he pulled himself back onto the dock dripping wet. He placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder despite this, causing brown eyes to meet blue hesitantly. "They aren't worth our time. Let's just leave, okay?"
Laughter rang out at this, causing Will and Nico to glare at their aggressors.
"This is hilarious! At first I thought what I heard was just a rumor but it seems to be that you two really are interested in each other. That's perfect," he crowed. "It really is. The useless and death-bringer make a gross but good match."
"All you'll ever be is a faded memory of a bully," Nico sang as he shook off Will's comforting hand. "Make another joke while they hang another rope so lonely. Push him to the dirt 'til the words don't hurt. Can you hear me? No one's going to cry on the very day you die, you're a bully!"
"What did you just call me, monster?"
Monster?
Everything happened as if in slow motion to Will. All of a sudden on the other side of the dock a group of skeletons sprang from the ground holding swords. The temperature dropped several degrees as well, making Will shiver as he stepped in front of a now shaking Nico. What startled Will the most was how Nico's once dark brown eyes appeared to swirl black with shadows as he exuded an air of anger and fear so strong the three bullies began to panic. The skeletons approaching them didn't help either.
"Nico," Will called softly as he noticed a few campers watching run towards the big house. He saw one of his siblings among them and prayed she knew to fetch Jason or Percy if she could. "Please calm down. You know you aren't fully healed, and using your powers this much might—"
As if the fates were reading his mind, his hands slipped through the son of Hades' now transparent form. With a gasp from the younger demigod the temperature returned to normal and the skeletons disintegrated. However, the damage was done. Everything went black for Nico as he collapsed on the dock fading fast.
"No! No no no," he chanted while dropping to his knees by the fallen demigod. The bullies seemed as if they were going to stop Will from healing him, but when shouts from the five of the Seven and Calypso reached their ears they fled. "You can't fade, di Angelo."
He set to healing right away, light glowing dimly from the palms of his hands while Jason and Annabeth knelt down next to him. The others stood by and made sure no one was around to interrupt anything.
"Do we need to get him to the infirmary?" Jason asked.
Breaking his concentration, the panicked healer shook his head.
"It doesn't matter where he is; I need to stop him from fading. The shadows are eating him alive," he said shakily as he closed his eyes. "Is my father around?"
Percy frowned angrily. "He and Chiron are at a meeting at Olympus. Mr. D is of no help, so it's up to you, Solace."
"Do what you need to do, Will." Annabeth said encouragingly. "You healed me from the brink of death during the battle of Manhattan. I am confident you can save him too."
Thankful he wasn't blushing, the son of Apollo managed to nod. "I would normally sing a hymn to my father, but since he may not be able to listen I'll have to sing an alternate form of song. I'm a terrible singer but since my healing skills are above average it may just work."
"We're not going to judge you," Piper replied. She turned to give Leo a warning look. "Go guard the end of the dock to make sure no one gets close. Will, we'll give you some space."
Will barely heard her words. He was already preparing himself mentally, resting his hands over Nico's faint shadowy form.
"So everything that makes me whole belongs to you I'll give heart and soul," he sang softly under his breath. "I'm yours."
"Hey," his voice became little louder, reaching a moderate talking volume, after the other demigods walked part of the way down the dock and couldn't hear him as well. "I've never laughed like this in my life, forgetting all of the bitter strife." He thought about how they had been before those morons had messed everything up. "I know I've made mistakes, even so I'm glad I kept my feet on that path because it's brought me to where I am today. I'm here with you"
When he realized his friend wasn't getting any better, tears welled up in Will's eyes. He had to try harder or Nico was going to fade.
"I'll keep my head held high always looking at the not too distant sky," he raised his voice as he sang with emotion. "And I promise you we will go far where the stars all are 'cause we'll be connected by our joining hands. Smile and all of my tears dry and this love of ours will never die."
"The two of us have something precious we must protect no matter what, but there will come a time when our own strength alone won't be enough." Though his eyes were closed, Nico's friends were listening with awe as the light from Will's hand grew strong and evaporated the darkness from the son of Hades' transparent form. "Even if all hope is lost and somehow you and I lose our way, and even if the darkness comes and tries to take you far away I'll become the light that shines down enveloping all dark you see! I'll hold you close and won't let even God above take you from me." Will's heart clenched at how true this was. He was in way too deep in Cupid's game. "So everything that makes me whole belongs to you I'll give my heart and soul. I'm yours."
To his delight, when Will opened his eyes Nico's form was almost solid. This made him wipe the few tears that had escaped him a few seconds before away and take a deep breath before resuming the song with renewed feeling.
"Hey, in this world I can see so much beauty and happiness that I can't help but believe we'll find it too." He sang quietly as he gazed at his crush. He didn't even care that Nico's friends, Jason and Piper more so than the others, had migrated closer to him and were listening in with interest.
"There will come a time when someone accuses you of telling lies," he went on, growing louder as he did. "And they'll try and hurt you with their heartless words and judging eyes. Even if the world turns on you and won't believe a word you say, and even if they make you wear a crown of thorns upon your head— I will stand and be the one to wipe away those tears you shed, and when someone's hurt you let me be the arms you can run to." Suddenly he saw Nico's eyelids twitch, and a blush erupted on his face as it became apparent Nico may have been listening to him sing. Still, he decided to keep singing. Just because he was solid didn't mean he was safe yet. "So everything that makes me whole belongs to you; I'll give my heart and soul. I'm yours.
He took another deep breath as he readied himself to sing the last few lines when a cool hand on his face stopped him.
"One day," Nico sang so softly Will had to bend down to hear him, "you will understand all the mysteries inside my heart. I will wait for that day praying that we will never fall apart."
"Death Boy," Will said warningly as he noticed the shadows around from afar drifting towards them. "What's going on?" This caught the attention of the other demigods, making them rush over to Will and Nico just as he continued singing.
"Even if all hope is lost and somehow I'm forced to fade away," he said through song, sending a bout of fear coursing through those listening, "and even if I disappear, I know that things will okay. I'll become eternal and will live on in your memory. I'll never forget you and I hope you will remember me. You're my dearest treasure and for you I'd take my heart and soul. And I'd risk it all.
"Stop talking, I mean, singing like that! You're going to be fine."
However, a second later Nico's form burst into a cloud of shadows.
. . . . . . . . . .
In order of appearance:
Bully by Shinedown
My Dearest by Supercell (lyrics from Amalee's cover)