See My Shadows, I'll Be Your Light

Will

It had been a week since our night by the lake.  I must admit, I am quite a good boyfriend.  I was teaching an archery course, and by Nico's expression, he was either thinking very deeply, or my hair was on fire.  

"Ok, guys.  Remember, breath.  Just relax your elbows and don't be stiff.  If you look down the shaft of the arrow, you should see the target at the end."  I advised one last time.  "Ok, and shoot."  The arrows were flung past me, and I dodged them quickly.  I watched Nico shooting hopelessly and suppressed the urge to laugh.  It quickly died as a yell sounded out from the hill near the library.  

"Guys! Come quick, we need help! Bring everyone!! Attack at the border, it's a troll of some sort!"  Annabeth was running quickly towards us.  The rest of us nodded in confirmation and ran to get our weapons.  I stayed behind- there was no way I was going to fight a troll when it was much more likely that people would get hurt and need medical help.  My students soon ran up the hill, belting out battle cries and slashing thin air, trying to scare the troll away.  It didn't work.  A thick black fog began to stir around it's large, ugly legs.  The campers fought through it, stabbing and wacking the monster.  I turned my attention away and ran to the infirmary to bring back supplies, returning just in time for my first patient.  Jocelyn, an Aphrodite girl, had been tossed by the troll and wounded her leg.  I fed her ambrosia and wrapped up her leg, moving on to the boy sitting next to her.  I kept moving as quickly as I could until a patient came up to me that I didn't want to see.  Nico.  He was limp and my sister, Cassie, was carrying him over to me.  She lay him down in front of me.  He was a pale, translucent sight, most of him melting into the shadows.  I cried out.  

"What happened?"  Cassie looked at me sympathetically.

"He fought too hard.  He put all his strength into sending the troll into the Underworld.  He saved the school, but not himself."  

"No, Nico, you idiot! Stay with me now, come on." I mumbled, tears forming in my eyes.  The battle on the hilltop had died down, but it made no difference now.  I took his icy hand and pulsed my warmth through it.  I started to glow, but not out of happiness.  It was a healing power I only used in dire emergencies.  Nico stirred, but didn't wake.  I took his other hand, kneeling in the thin layer of snow on the ground next to him.  I concentrated harder, the tears spilling now. 

"Wake up.  Come on, wake up."  I whispered, my voice shaky.  He responded at last.  Nico's body started to reform again, shaping into the perfect boy I knew.  He let out a puff of breath through his lips and his eyes slowly opened.

"Nico!"  I pulled him into a tight hug.  He patted my back awkwardly, and then pushed away.

"Um.. I'm glad I made you happy, but.." he paused. "Do I.. know you?" 

I sucked in my breath.

"What?"

"What is this place?  Why am I here?  Who are you guys?"  Nico was overflowing with questions, but I didn't hear any of them.  

"Nico..? You.. don't remember?"

"Remember what?  I just know that I woke up here and then you were hugging me.  I didn't even know my name was Nico until you said.  I'm sorry."   He answered softly.  I took another breath.

"It's okay."  New tears were now threatening to spill from my eyes.  "But you don't know anything?"

"Nothing, sorry."  A confused and sympathetic expression overtook Nico's face.  Then he glanced around and noticed the campers on the hill, cleaning up after the battle.  I followed his gaze to one camper in particular.  The camper helped someone up, smiled at him and then went to retrieve his sword.  He glanced back at us, gave a slight wave, then redirected the gaze of his sea green eyes and windswept black hair.  Percy.  I looked back at Nico to see hints and twinges of admiration and adoration.  I knew that look.  I wore it for years before Nico and I started dating.  But of course it would be Percy.  I stood up, remembering all the times we had shared.  When I showed him around school and saved him from the fury, and then we sat under the stars, when we danced at the Christmas Ball, the time we had a snowball fight with skeletons.  And of course, Valentines day.   All the "I love you"s and "Sunshine and Death Boy"s.  All the small things that had made the past three years perfect for us.  And now it was shattered.  I turned and fled, my cheeks stained with tears- permanently.