~~~A Deep Dark Secret~~~

Chapter 20: Nico

---Chapter 20---

Nico's Pov

          I woke up in the infirmary at Camp Half-Blood. I was wounded a bit by the battle with all those monsters at the top of Mount Tam. Suddenly, I remembered. "Jasmine," I whispered, and I sat straight up. The seven were surrounding me.

          "Nico! You're finally awake!" said Hazel, hugging me. I looked around us, trying to find Jasmine.

          "W-Where's Jasmine?" I asked. Everyone looked down, sadness in their eyes.

          "About that... Nico, we couldn't find her. We returned to Mount Tam and searched everywhere we could, but..." said Annabeth, starting to tear up. It felt like the world stopped. She's gone, I thought. She killed herself to save everyone else. I felt so weak, not being able to see what she was going to do. I could have saved her! I thought. Out of frustration, I punched the table next to me, causing the glass of water that sat on top of it to collapse on the ground, shattering into a million pieces. Everyone jumped back, startled. I buried my head in my pillow. I wanted to scream, cry, shout at the world, so many things I wanted to do, but I didn't. Hazel stayed by my side after the rest left to eat lunch. At some point, I dozed off, but I could hear Hazel and Piper talking.

           "Will he be ok?" asked Piper, worry in her voice. 

           "I hope so," said Hazel. "He's so devastated about what happened to Jasmine."

           "Yeah," said Piper. "We should probably wake Nico up so he can eat." The two started shaking my arm a bit and were saying my name over and over until I was fully awake. Hazel gave me some ambrosia and nectar, which I finished rapidly. After a few minutes, Piper left. Hazel was about to leave when I finally spoke up. 

          "How long was I out?" I asked. Hazel thought for a moment before answering.

          "Three days," she said. "I should get back to my activities. Bye, Nico." With that, Hazel left me to think for a bit in bed. Everything was processing through my head. I've been out for three days, I thought. That means three days after Jasmine's death. I silently prayed to my father and the other gods for Jasmine's safe arrival to Elysium. Tears began to form in my eyes. All the fun things Jasmine and I did together started to flow back to me. Our little sword play. Our first kiss on Zeus's Fist. Our many nights waking up in each other's arms.

          "I will never forget you," I whispered, eyes shut but tears streaming down. "I will love you for a thousand years." 

----------A Week Later----------

          I was walking the the pavilion for breakfast. Over the last week, I healed quickly and was able to recover. Although my heart would never again be mended, I was pretty much back to normal. Classes resumed as usual. We had a little memorial for Jasmine, which brought back happy and sad memories. I got a plate and started piling up. After I got a full plate, I gave some to the gods, thanking them and asking for Jasmine to be alright in the Underworld. After breakfast, I went to my first class, sword fighting. Percy went back to being mentor of our class. I swung my sword around. I haven't used my sword for four days. My first opponent was Conner Stoll. I unarmed him and held my sword to his throat.

          "Next!" said Percy. One after one, we battled, and I won each time. I smiled. Today's starting off pretty well, I thought. After I finished beating everyone, Percy stepped up to me. "Time for something a bit more difficult," he said. Percy got out his pen and clicked it, turning the plain pen into Riptide. He nodded and I got into position. I can do this, I encouraged myself, even though I knew that I couldn't beat to oh-so-powerful Percy Jackson. Percy made the first move and lunged at me. I simply side-stepped, but he followed, hitting my sword out of my hands. Dang it! Percy placed Riptide just above my neck, smiling. "Good job, Nico," he said. I got up and grinned back. I headed for my next class. Archery. Ugh, I hate archery. I wasn't the best at it, and I couldn't shoot very well.

          But at least you can hit a few targets, unlike Percy, said a sweet voice in my head, chuckling. It was feminine, and very pleasant to hear. My eyelids felt heavy at the sound of her elegant voice. She giggled, and that's when I snapped back into my thoughts. 

          Wait a minute, I thought to myself. That voice sounds to familiar, especially the giggle. Where have I heard it? It's on the tip of my tongue! I knew that voice. But who? It was so familiar. 

          Very familiar, indeed, said the lovely voice. I shook my head. Probably a goddess or something, I thought as I headed to archery. I got my bow and arrow, readying myself to shoot, but most likely to fail. I aimed, but before I shot, the voice talked to me softly.

          Aim directly. Try using your finger as a guide. Close your left eye and aim carefully, she spoke. I did as she directed me to do. Take a deep breath. Aim. Fire. I did as she said, and got a bulls-eye. Oh. My. Gods. I stood there, shocked.

          "Ok, very well done-" started Annabeth, writing down something that I couldn't see. She stopped when she looked up at who shot the arrow. "Nico-how-" I shook my head.

          "I'm not sure. There was a voice inside my head. A very sweet, lovely, angelic, voice," I said, nearly hypnotised at remembering the sweet voice. Annabeth thought for a moment before answering.

          "A goddess," she said simply, before walking off to inspect everyone else. A goddess. But who. Hera? No way. Athena? Nah. Aphrodite? Not a chance. Hecate? Nope. I thought of all the goddesses I knew, but none fit. I wonder what goddess... I thought to myself. Suddenly, everything around me changed. I was in a white room, everything completely white. I couldn't tell where the wall or ceiling even was. I took a few steps before stopping. The whole room was probably endless.

          "Where am I?" I mumbled under my breath, not expecting an answer, but still receiving it.

          "Where are you? Well, look around, Son of Hades," someone said. Suddenly, the room changed into Olympus. All the gods and goddesses, surrounding me. Zeus cleared his throat before saying, "Son of Hades." He seemed disgusted by the Hades part, but I don't really care. Zeus continued. "A certain goddess has asked us a favor, which includes you. We have all thought it over thoroughly," said Zeus, looking a bit disappointed with what he was about to say. I nodded for him to continue. "So we would like to ask-" he didn't get to finish before a bright light shined from behind me.

         "My apologies, Lord Zeus," said an elegant voice behind me. "I was a bit busy helping a demi-god." It was the same voice that instructed me with my archery. "Correct," said the goddess behind me, reading my mind. The goddess walked in front of me, and you would not believe who it was. Jasmine.

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Hey everyone!!! Sorry for not updating in FOREVA. Been busy with stuff. Anyway, what you think of the chapter?? Yay, Jasmine!!! XDD Sadly, though, my book is coming to a conclusion :<< But do not fret, my pet (jk), I might have a sequel. Might. We'll see. Soooo...

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