Here And After.

Fire.

Last one.

Leo.

No no, I needed to get down there why did he send me away?!

The roars of fighting echoed in the air all around me, high above the clouds I couldn't see anything... was he alive?

"Festus, get back to Nico we cant leave him!" Festus whistled and his gears crunched.

He began landing slowly but it wasnt fast enough, the warm air that fiercely pushed my hair from my eyes turned cold and hollow.

Nico... no.

Far below I saw black whisps floating through the clouds, Grabbing at any light it could swallow.

A dark emptiness crept into my mind.
What had he done?

I could see the island now, yet the Dark feeling had not dissipated.

"Festus find Nico!" I cried, Festus clicked tracking where Nico was and he snapped and shot down like an arrow from a bow.
I tucked my head against Festus, begging all the gods he was alive.

Crash!
I hit the hot red sand hard, I ached but pulled myself up spitting sand from my mouth.

I looked over to Festus who laid on the sand. "Festus, are you alright?"
Festus clicked morse code,
Ok. Go.

I turned and scanned the beach, my heart stopped as I spotted him.
He lay in the sand unmoving, dark tendrils circled his body.

I ran, my body ached and the wound on my leg had opened but I had to get him.

His eyes were closed and he wasnt moving an inch.
"Nico!" I crashed down beside him, he was cold and limp. I pulled me on to me and cradled him.

"Nico... please"
I caressed his cold face.
Grabbing his wrist I felt for a pulse.
Faint but there.

"Nico, come on. Come back"
I didnt know what to do, I wasnt a healer, I didnt have my belt what could I do?

I felt something cold touch my arm, I removed my eyes from his face and saw the dark tendrils encased us.
The Darkness was taking him.

"Nico dont let it in, come back." But already Nico's legs had faded to a shadow like a ghost.
It was going to swallow him, he would fade forever.

The Dark crept its whisps across me and I felt the pull of the void.

"No! You wont take him from me!" I cried grasping his fading body against me, my anger burst forth... and the world burned.

Fire covered my skin bright and hard slowly the Dark tendrils stopped moving, flames brighter than I'd seen before covered us. I looked down, Nico's pale face illuminated with the light but did not burn him.

"Stay back!" I yelled, letting my anger and my will to keep him here burn. Fire engulfed us the Darkness faltered the coldness passed, But the tendrils lingered.

"No... you wont take him"
I roared and the fire grew larger, the sand burned the air turned to smoke.
My rage kept coming, tears streamed my face.

Then...

The Dark was gone.
I looked around, we were clear.
I let the fire dim slowly, sobs flew from my mouth. I may have stopped the Dark from taking him but...

Looking down at Nico, I ached inside he lay so still.
His features soft and pale.

I rested my head against the face, cold yet soft.
I could hear Festus clicking behind me.

Sorry.

I could not reply.
I held him, my body trembling with sobs.

"Leo"
I snapped up, looking down my heart began beating wildly.

Nico eyes where open he smiled the beautiful smile.

"You came back"
I laughed sobbed, he was alive!

"Nico... I"
I didnt get a chance to say it. Nico grasped my face in his hand and kissed me.
I let my feeling flowing into the kiss, everything loved about him like a wildfire.

He was everything.

When I pulled away I was out of breath, he was still weak but grinning.

"I love you Leo."
I smiled pulling him closer to me.
"I love you too... ghost king".

He chuckled and kissed me again.

The end.

That's all.
It's been a good run thank you to everyone supporting this.

❤