Here And After.

The Fight For Love.

The end has begun.

Leo.

Cold.
I felt cold again just like everytime I awoke in this  abandoned home.

My eyes wandered over everything Calpso had left behind.
It was now tainted with the evil and blood that had been spilt here.

I never thought I would die here but now I wished it was quick.

"Valdez..."
Khione stood above me looking beautiful yet her eyes burned with pure malice.

I didn't move, the chains were heavy on my arms.
Kill me, end it please...

"Come Valdez." Khinoe purred and the old spirits of this island pulled me from the ground and held me up.

"He has arrived..."

Nico.

Festus landed softly on the sand, within the icy wind the smell of iron hit the air I looked around cautiously blood patches soaked many places and my heart stopped. Please say it wasn't Leo's, I shook my head and patted Festus by he didn't react he was focused on something far from us in the hazy fog.

I dismounted him and trudged past the blood soaked sand and Festus stepped behind me on guard.

We walked for awhile spotting certain scenes of a fight broken tools that must have been used as a weapon, smashed debris and bones... lots of bones.

I wanted to call out, to find him but I did not dare.
Festus stopped his gears whirring fast, he look towards the horizon and I saw it too.

A silhouette stood in the fog a woman, she eminated a force like a storm.

She stepped forward a few paces and the fog parted showing her form.

Her skin was pale and cold, hair like a night sky and eyes full of nothing.
She glided across the sand towards me. I raised my blade and growled.

"Not another step Khione."
She stopped and smiled if I didn't feel the evil flowing from her I would have thought she was kind.

"Nico Di Angelo, Son of Hades." She said with slight purr to it.

"We have waited awhile for you to come."
I didn't feel like playing games with her but I knew she had a spectacle planned.

"Where is Leo?!"
I cried stepping closer my sword raised.

Khione chuckled with a icy sweetness.
She waved her hand and in a flutter of snow leo appeared.

I screamed with horror.

Leo was blood soaked, he was scarred and weak.
I could feel that the island was healing him, but I also felt how many times he had been close to death.

Too many.

Leo raised his head slowly and when his eyes met mine he looked horrified.

"No... Nico go, run!"
My heart ached with the pain in his voice.

"Let him go!" I growled my control seeping she would pay.

"Oh sweet boy, you can have him."
Khione smiled  it felt like poison she shift grasping Leo's chin to face her but his eyes did not leave mine.

"Defeat my monster and you can take Leo and go"
I felt the lie in her voice, she let go of his face and stared at me she was giving me a choice and yet the were no options within.
Did she expect me to leave him behind and save my own life?
Did she want him to snap with abandonment? His final curse at her bidding?

I would never leave him.
She would not doubt my resolve.

Festus huffed he did not like seeing his friend like this.

"I agree to this." I solemnly stated, I would not leave him here, I had a inkling of a plan. It wasn't good but it may just work.

"Nico no! Please!" Leo yelled out to me. Tears streamed his face he attempted to fight his chains but it was hopeless he was weak from whatever he had to suffer in her hands.

"Leo, whatever happens I  love you."

Leo stared at me his eyes happy but he pulled at his gold chains, unable to resist their pull.

"Nico ... please no" Leo shouted tears pooling down his face.

"Excellent" Khione grinned she clicked her fingers and Leo's chains fell, Leo hit the ground limp and shaking.

"You have a minute before I unleash my monster" Khione grinned and in a flash of snow she was gone and I ran to Leo as fast as my legs would take me. Festus followed galloping in the red sand.

"Leo!" Leo pulled myself  up and stepped towards me.

I grasped his face in my hands and pressed my lips to his.
He was here with me alive.
Leo kissed me hard with passion and fear.

"Nico.." he breathed pulling away.
"I love you Valdez, gods above I love you."
Leo smiled slightly, "My heart has always been with yours" his voice was music I hadn't heard in so long.

"You shouldn't have come, I couldn't bare.. I-"
I kissed him again knowing this may be my last.

"I would not have left you, no matter what you might think."
He smiled sadly, "The monster its... we wont survive" Khione would pay for this a 1000 lifetimes.

She had broken him.
His usual perky, carefree attitude was melted into fear.

I remember feeling that every day after Bianca died.
And yet...

"You, my beautiful fire will endure." His eyes stared into mine hard and unrelenting.

"Let us end our tale with a fight." I whispered pressing my forehead against his, my eyes closing my eyes breathing in this last moment.

I stepped back from him as he walked over and patted Festus.
Festus clicked and whirled in happiness.

"Let's do this Ghost King"
Leo grinned it was soft and didn't reach his eyes but I knew he was ready to fight or fall.

And then a roar that shook the very sand echoed around us.

Our minute was up.

...