Rise of the Forgotten || A Percy Jackson Chaos AU Fanfiction

Chapter 83

Chapter VIII

Thalia

The giant suddenly roared with anger and charged at Nico. I knew in that very second that if that sword hit my best friend—the person that I loved, then he would undoubtfully die. Nico didn't seem to be scared though, in fact it almost looked like he was welcoming death.

I couldn't allow that to happen.

I jumped in front of my best friend and held my arms out, pushing him back behind me as far away as possible. I just could not let Nico die, not if I could help it.

"Thalia!" I heard him scream my name as the sword cut through my skin. I closed my eyes and waited for death's arms to greet me but instead, strong but surprisingly gentle arms wrapped around me and lowered me to the ground. I forced my eyes to open and stared up at Nico in slight shock. The giant wailed loudly as it vanished back to Tartarus.

"Thalia?" he whispered, his voice suspiciously close to a whimper. I smiled sadly up at him and tightened grip on his arm. At least if I died, I would not be scared.

"Nico..." I breathed and then I coughed. Something wet and sticky trailed out of my mouth but I was too tired to care. I just wanted to rest... after so long. I had finally found him again and I was happy. "Nico," I struggled to sit up but his hold tightened and I slumped back into his arms, utterly exhausted. "Thank you."

Nico's eyes widened with shock and then he began to shake his head, as if he could deny what was considered reality. "No." he muttered a little angrily, "You are not going to die Thalia. Not when..." he sniffled slightly and I smiled sadly at him.

"We both know that... that's a stupid reason for me to live." I saw a lone tear stray down his cheek and I gently brushed it away. "Besides," I murmured a little quietly, "I don't want anyone to cry because I am gone. I want you, and everyone else, to laugh because of the good times we had."

I tried to smile for him, but I was sure it was a pained grimace. I groaned as the pain suddenly increased tenfold and I squeezed my eyes shut. I heard his panicked shout and I forced them to open again. He stared at me, his mouth open slightly and there were tears in his eyes but he was holding them back. I swallowed back a lump, I needed to tell him.

"Nico..." I suddenly felt so weak and the tears were starting to swim in my eyes. I didn't want to die, not really. "Nico..." I wanted to live, not only for myself but for him. I wanted to see Percy become the next ruler of the universe. "Ni... I..." I wanted to tell Nico that I loved him.

But I couldn't, my life had finally drained away.

"Lo..." I tried one last time, and then my life flashed in front of my eyes.

I saw where Charon's boat should have been and I fell to the ground.

I raised my head and screamed as the tears finally escaped from my eyelashes.

I never got to finish what I had wanted to tell him.

Life really was not fair.

Nico

My eyes widened as Thalia's head fell back and her eyes slipped shut. "No..." I breathed out as I choked back the tears. She told me not to cry and I... I wouldn't. "Thalia... wake up..."

The monsters began to flee around me but I kept staring at her. I had loved her, I knew that now. And now... she just couldn't be gone.

"Thalia!" I cried a little louder and I shook her harder. Dread settled in my stomach and I felt like I was about to gag. Or throw up, both would do. "Thalia!" I shouted loudly. She still didn't respond and I felt a strange mix of laughter and fear bubble. "THALIA!" I screamed and... there was nothing.

I gently put her down and raised a hand to cover my face as the sobs began to escape and I tried to choke them back. Do not cry, laugh because of all the good times we have had. I felt the tears come into my eyelashes but I held them back. I would not break her last wish.

"THALIA!" I slammed my hands against the ground and black hands reached out and began to grab the monsters by the ankles. I heard a horn and the monsters began to retreat quickly. I screamed again and I felt warm arms wrap around me. I didn't think about what I did next, I wrapped my arms around my sister and sobbed.

"Nico..." she breathed quietly as I just shook and sobbed but there were no tears. I told Thalia that I wouldn't cry, I would laugh because of all the good times we had had

Percy

Void's army retreated and I fell onto my knees, next to Nico and put a hand on his shoulder. He trembled and sobbed but I noticed that he wasn't crying. I stared at Thalia's bloodstained face and sniffled slightly. My cousin was gone, the girl –woman, technically—that had been like a sister.

To Annabeth, she had been a sister. I watched as Annabeth bowed her head and tears fell out of her eyes. I raised my eyes up to the sky and wondered just why everything was going like this. I felt Annabeth lean closer to me and I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to steady myself.

"Thalia... Thalia would want us to try to walk forward." Nico whispered brokenly and I looked at him in surprise. He met my eyes and though they were red, his gaze was unwavering. He didn't look like he blamed me either, but... it was my entire fault anyways, so he should. "Don't blame yourself Percy," he whispered heavily. I stared at him in shock. "You couldn't know what would happen, and... Thalia wouldn't want to blame yourself."

I bent over and held my face in my hands as the tears finally started to stream down my face. My body shuddered with the force of my sobs and Annabeth wrapped her arms around me.

It wasn't just Thalia who had died though, Luke and Zoe and so many other people had as well.

I punched the ground as anger rose in me and my crying abruptly stopped.

"Nico..." I muttered and I stared at the son of Hades. He turned to look at me in confusion. "This war will end by tomorrow evening." I growled out as fury ignited in me. Nico's eyes widened and I stared at him. "I promise."

And they all knew that Perseus Jackson never breaks his promises.