Sorry if Nico di Angelo is a little OOC.
Chapter 19
Lucius
"NO!" The blood curdling scream tears its way out of my lungs.
I throw James off of me. He comes off easily, so overwhelmed by what had happened. As I run toward the hill, I barely notice what goes on around me. I don't notice that the rain stops. That the sky clears and the sun comes out. That the monsters evaporate from existence. All that mattered to me was getting to Phoenix.
I collapse at her side when I reach the top of the hill. But it's too late. She's dead.
The tears streak down my face with no control. She looked peaceful, and she was smiling; as if she was glad I was the last thing she saw before she died.
I grab her hand and hold on to it. "No, no, no…" I say the words over and over again, even though I know it won't bring her back.
Starlight is stuck in her still chest. I want to remove it, but I can't. My own sword, Sunlight was no where in sight and I dimly remember leaving it back with the resting demigods.
My sorrow washes over me and I drop my head on her chest. Tears run down my face and I openly sob.
I'm aware of people standing close to me. Through my tears I can see Percy holding a crying Annabeth a few feet away. Chiron is running around the camp, trying to gain order. Random demigods stand there out of respect, but not many people are actually crying. I see James walk up to Percy and Annabeth. He's still crying as he talks to them. I can't hear what they're saying.
Suddenly there's no noise. No one is saying a word. I don't care though. I'm still crying over Phoenix when I feel a hand on my shoulder.
I look up. The person who had their hand on my shoulder was a beautiful woman. She had long golden hair, and her skin was lightly bronzed from a tan. She was tall, and had a very curvy figure. Her eyes were a deep golden colour that was almost hypnotizing.
I scowl up at my mother, and the turn back to look at Phoenix. Then another hand lies on my other shoulder.
I look up once again. There was another woman beside my mother. She had long flowing black hair and her skin was as pale as a twinkling star. She was just as beautiful as my mother, only in her every opposite. This woman was also tall, and had a curvy figure too. But her eyes were a piercing black that was as cold as the depths of space.
I shiver. She seemed really cold on the outside, but I could see that she was warm and loving on the inside. Just like her daughter.
The woman falls to the ground beside me. I rise so I'm on my knees, but I'm not standing up. Nyx leans over and caresses her daughter's face.
"Oh my dear daughter." She sighs.
Nyx looks at Starlight and then yanks it out of her body. I flinch at the movement, but the goddess seems undisturbed. The goddess takes the sword and seems to crush it in her hands.
I start to protest. Phoenix had loved that sword. But the hand of my mother on my shoulder tightens and I keep my mouth shut.
Nyx reveals a handful of shining silver powder in her hand. Then she blows the dust onto her daughter. I'm amazed when the wound in Phoenix's chest closes up and leaves no mark.
The goddess stands up. Then she speaks. "Rise Lucius."
I don't want to, but I don't think it's wise to refuse a goddess either. So I rise and turn to look at her. The mother of my dead girlfriend.
The thought almost sends me into sobs again, but I keep my expressions unreadable. I don't speak, but I don't have to. Nyx does. "We witnessed what just transpired."
My mother speaks up. "We did not mean for our war to make Phoenix take her own life."
My eyes burn with hatred. It was their fault she was dead. I'm about to yell at them, when I feel a third hand on my shoulder.
I look over my shoulder at James. His face is a mess of tears. He nods at me solemnly and suddenly I can't be mad at him anymore. I give him a slight smile and then turn back to the goddesses. I keep my anger in check, for James and for Phoenix.
"She must really love you. Though I have no idea why." Nyx looks lovingly at her daughter.
"I've got no idea why you like her either, but you seem to truly love her." Dawn says to me.
Suddenly I speak up despite my resolve to stay silent. "Do either of you have any more children?"
They both seem shocked, but they both give me the same answer. "No."
"Then why did you try and drive us apart? There's not even a good reason for you two to be enemies! Neither one of you could exist without the other. The sun can't exist without the moon."
They both look slightly ashamed, if that's even possible for a goddess. I look down at Phoenix as I continue in a whisper. "Just like I can't live without her."
Suddenly my mother has my sword, Sunlight. She takes it in her hands, and crushes it into a fine powder. Just like Nyx had done with Starlight. Dawn takes the powder and blows it over Phoenix.
"What's that going to do?" I say hopelessly as I fall to the ground. "Neither one of you can bring back the dead."
"True." Dawn agrees with me.
"But we know someone who can." Nyx smiles slightly at me, reminding me of her daughter.
"And he owes us a favor." Dawn grins brightly, and I wonder if I looked like that when I smiled.
Suddenly a dark shadow appears and a sleepy looking teenage boy emerges. His brown hair is ruffled like he had just woken up.
"Dad sent me here on a stupid errand. I was going to talk to Bianca today." The boy mutters.
"Nico." Nyx warns in a dangerous voice.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Nico mutters.
Then he closes his eyes and concentrates. After a few minutes I begin to wonder if something was amiss. Suddenly Nico convulses and something comes out from inside him.
"Ugh. Remind me to never do that again." Nico mutters as he steers the spirit.
That's when I realize what the spirit is. It was Phoenix's soul. It must not have reached the Underworld yet. Nico must be the son of Hades.
I barely breathe as Nico steers her soul back to her body. I notice that her body is a little brighter, and not as death-like. The powders from the swords must have made her body a little livelier so it was possible for her soul to return.
Suddenly the spirit is gone. Nico breathes out a huge sigh of relief. "Well I'm glad that's done."
He looks up and sees people. "Oh. Hey, Percy. Annabeth. Chiron."
They all wave at him and he yawns. "Well I'm going back to go take a nap or something."
The dark shadow spears again and then it disappears along with Nico. Suddenly a shudder from beside me brings my attention back to Phoenix.
Her eyes flutter open and I feel tears begin to pool out of my eyes again. She looks up at me and blushes. "Hey."
I take her hand. "Hey yourself."
Phoenix grimaces as she sits up. "I have a killer headache."
I laugh and choke on my tears at the same time. She smiles at me and tears run down her face too.
James leans down and whispers in my ear. "Well don't just sit there! Kiss her already!"
I don't need him to tell me twice. I pull her close to me and close my lips over hers.
A cheer goes up from the entire camp. We break off laughing at the cheers and whistles. I stand and then help her to her feet, keeping her in my arms at all times. I wasn't going to let her go for a long time.
I turn to our parents. Phoenix lets out a small gasp at the sight of the two goddesses. I smile and hug her tight as I speak. "Thank you so much."
They both nod and smile at the two of us. Dawn speaks up. "While we may not approve of the two of you together, you both seem happiest together."
"And you'd better stay together now boy." Nyx warns me. "You have a lot of work to do."
I'm confused. "What do you mean?"
They both laugh. I'm really surprised that they're enemies. They seemed to get along so well. I guess it was a job description thing. Hate the person who can't live without. Weird.
Nyx walks up to her daughter and gets down on her knees. Then she places her hands on Phoenix's stomach. My eyes nearly bug out at her words. "You're pregnant dear."
"P-p-pregnant?" Phoenix exclaims.
"Yes." Nyx smiles. "Would you like to know the gender?"
"N-no. I want to be surprised when the time comes."
Nyx nods and stands back up. Phoenix turns to me. "Well know we know why I was throwing up yesterday."
I can't even laugh. I hold her close and just hold her. She hugs me back, laughing her head off. Soon I begin to laugh too. I couldn't believe we were going to have a child together!
Dawn smiles. "Be grateful. And you can be sure that we will be back to check on you."
"And remember: we're always watching. So no funny business boy." Nyx warns me.
"Thanks mom." Phoenix says with tears in her eyes. She gets out of my grip and goes over to hug Nyx.
I could practically hear the gasp that came from everyone. Everyone was holding their breathe. James leans over and whispers in my ear. "Is she allowed to do that?"
Then Nyx hugs her back. "I guess so.' I whisper back to him as everyone seems to sigh at the same time.
They let go of each other, and Phoenix walks back over to me. I put my arm around her, happy I could be with her forever.
Nyx and Dawn smile at us and then wink out of being. Phoenix laughs beside me.
I turn to her. "What's so funny?"
She smiles and looks at me. "I was just thinking how mad my dad is going to be when he finds out I'm pregnant."
I look at her funny. "Isn't that a bad thing?"
She shrugs. "I never liked my dad too much anyway." And then she laughs again.
I laugh along with her. "See. I made you a happy person like me."
She chuckles darkly. "Then come here you happy person."
Phoenix wraps her arms around me and kisses me, as passionate as ever, her lips like the honey that fueled my very existence.
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