Moon Says: Don't kill me! I just got an idea; besides, it is only an oneshot. I could make it into a longer fic, later. But right now it was just a quick idea. I'm still working on Twilight of the Gods. It got longer than I thought it would, so I took a break when this muse wouldn't leave me alone.

Words/Pages: 4604/ 11

Death's Beloved

Nico had been given his own Quest, one to do just by himself a few years after the Titans had been defeated by a combination of Nico, Percy, and Luke.

His father had tasked him with dealing with an annoyance of the last fifty or so years, a cousin of some sorts of Nicos.

Tom Marvolo Riddle was a third, or maybe, fourth generation away from a demigod daughter of Hades. And it was the little bit of Ichor in his veins that did two things: it drove him insane with a fear of death (ironic for a descendent of Hades) and gave him the ability to split his soul into seven or so pieces.

It was Nico's job to hunt them down and destroy them.

The Son of Hades thought it'd be boring, but it was so far from it.

His first stop was at Hogwarts as there was supposed to be one Soul piece there.

There were more than that.

Nico gave himself over to the shadows and reappeared inside of Hogwarts. It took nothing to clock himself in the darkness and walk around. It was night after all, and there was plenty of darkness.

He saw a few adults walking around and one or two students, but they didn't even notice him.

Nico walked through the ancient castle and followed the trail that he had traced here. The trace lead him to the seventh floor and to a…wall.

He could clearly feel the Soul piece on the other side, but there was so interference of the magical kind.

Of course his somewhat cousin wouldn't leave his soul piece in just a room. No, it had to be more protected by magic and it wouldn't be east to get into.

For a magical person, but a demigod of Hades? How as this wall to stop him?

Nico focused intensely on the Soul piece, gave himself to the darkness and shadows once again, and let the shadows take him where he wanted to go.

When he opened his eyes, he had to blink a few times. This was not what he was expecting.

A room with lots of books, no, not lots. Countless books and the item he was looking for was in a box in front of him, in the middle of the room.

But it wasn't just one box. It was four of them.

Nico's dark eyes widened as he realized what he had stumbled upon.

"Is there a reason why you are trespassing in my walls, demigod?" a light, definitely female voice spoke softly behind him, and it took everything he had to stay still and not look as if he was effected by the voice.

He was no startled by her nor did she sneak up on him.

Not at all.

He turned slowly to his right; she was leaning up against a corner that seemed to be made just for her body.

And what a body it was.

She was not in the uniform he had seen the other older students walking around in.

This redheaded beauty was in armor. Armor that had some residual presence that he felt; Nico assumed it was magic, but it also felt like something from his world too.

She called him a demi-god, recognized his status, did that mean she was part of his world?

The room was lit enough that he could see her sea-green eyes, eyes that while a green, it held a black in it as well. Her body was decked out in a leather type armor, maybe from a magical creature. The top was clearly a corset of some sort, but it reminded him of those Chinese tops that he had seen some females wear—apparently, it was popular all over the world. Her pants was of the same material as her top, both were black with ice blue thread. She also had black boots that went up to her knees, the pants fitting tightly around her legs and inside the boots.

Fuck, she was hot, but he had a Quest to do. And if she knew of him, perhaps she was a demigod herself, she would let him do his job.

"I was sent here by Lord Hades to destroy the Soul pieces of Tom Riddle," Nico answered after her observed the woman in front of him, eyes never leaving her.

She titled her head, her hair fell over her left shoulder.

He would not be distracted.

"And if I refuse?" she questioned, and Nico sighed.

"Then I guess we would have to fight, and someone will end up dead, injured, or worse.'

Her eyes lit up when he mentioned death, and he narrowed his eyes. Either she was insane or she had a positive connection with death.

"What is your name, intruder?"

"Nico, yours?"

She blinked at his quick response before looking thoughtful. "I have many names depending on who is the one calling them. I am Scorpia Christina Lily Potter-Knight-Black-Prince-Gryffindor-Slytherin," she bowed her head slightly without taking her eyes off him.

Good. That meant she knew he was a threat.

Wait, Slytherin?

Wasn't that the name of the family that Riddle was a part of, that he was descended from? His demigod ancestor was a Slytherin…

Nico's eyes narrowed. "So you are protecting the Soul fragments due to his family connection to you."

Christina looked shocked for a second before laughing. "No, I'm using them as blackmail. Otherwise, he would have tried to kill me again."

Nico didn't understand.

"I was born Harley Lily Potter, but was adopted by my godfather who cannot stand the name, so he renamed me Christina, a name his mother wanted for a daughter. My godmother refused to have me forgo the Black tradition, so I got the name Scorpia, a female version of the constellation and Zodiac Scorpio, but I prefer Christina."

Nico had looked into that when it had been a fad at Camp; apparently, the Zodiac had assigned elements and Gods to it, so it was fun to see if children matched up to their parents.

Scorpio was supposed to be Pluto and Water. Not exactly the right mix, but maybe it was for her.

He noticed she had paused to let him come to his own conclusions about her name, then she carried on.

"There was a prophecy when I was born that stated that I would be the one to kill the Dark Lord, and he came after when I was one, on All Hallows Eve, and murdered my birth parents. He could not kill me; however, his Soul spilt again. I have four out of the seven in front of you, and I know where the other three are."

"What do you plan on doing with them besides the Blackmail? Do you intend to return them to him?" Nico asked, curious after she told him a little bit of her history. To survive death was not a feat anyone could do.

"I was thinking of finding a way of merging them back into his body, making him sane once more, so that he can deal with this society—fix it. That way I don't have to kill him and become even more of a 'hero.' Because that is just what I need, more fame," she rolled her eyes.

Nico couldn't understand why someone would not want to be recognized as a hero. After everything he had been through dealing with being a Son of Hades, he just couldn't fathom why someone would not take credit.

She seemed to understand his confusion. "I am more of a Shadows kind of girl. I am content to be in the constant in the darkness, protecting people from its depths, and if no one knows, so be it. It isn't like I care if they care. I only care about my loved ones. As long as they are safe," she whispered the last part, "I will do anything and everything."

Nico understood that part. In the end, Nico had played such a role in the Battle of Olympus. Though he was somewhat recognized, Percy was the one people really looked to, and that one tried to push it all on Luke. Campers and Gods alike knew Nico had taken part, but after a few months, things faded back where people ignored him. Maybe they didn't fear him as much as before, but they still didn't seek him out like they did Percy.

Nico had gotten over it.

Or so he thought.

But to see this girl… no woman, devoted to the unseen realm, he was moved.

"My Quest is to get rid of all the Soul pieces, so you will not be involved at all." Nico offered, trying to help her out. After seeing her, hearing her, Nico had this intense need to help her.

Christina smiled bitterly, "I would still be expected to fix this world. They seem to think I am the Savior. That my purpose on this Earth is to fix their problems. Their mess. And what a fucking mess it is. A part of me wonders why Lady Hekate even tried here. What the fuck was she thinking? Did she not know this would happen? The Magical World has deteriorated. Soon, all the oppressed will rise up and—" she cut herself off, not wanting to say it out loud.

Nico understood. This was exactly what happened with the demigods and the so-called minor gods.

Too much, too little time.

That was why she wanted someone else. She wanted someone else to fix the problems, but at the same time, she felt a responsibility to these people.

This was a no-win situation for her.

"I wonder if Lady Hekate would let me burn it all to the ground…" the woman spoke as if she wasn't really there.

Nico noticed she wasn't even paying attention o him anyone, looking at him, yes, but not paying attention anymore.

Then her attention snapped back, her mind cleared, and she refocused. She hated when her mind did that.

Just another price to pay for what she was given.

Sometimes she felt it was too much.

Hearing her talk more only fueled his desire to help her.

"If you aren't here, does that mean you're still responsible? Come with me to Camp Half-Blood, and…" Nico didn't know exactly what he was proposing. He couldn't understand the intense need he had to help her, be with her, to soothe her.

The woman focused on him more before something clicked in her mind, and that is when he felt something touch him. Her magic he though at once, and fuck did it feel good. He felt safe, loved, whole, and aroused.

What was she doing to him?

"You belong in the other world, don't you?" she finally asked instead of explaining what just happened.

Nico nodded. "So do you. You're a demi-god aren't you?"

Christina chuckled. "Something like that. I a granddaughter of Poseidon, and the daughter of Thanatos. Though he did not fuck my mother and impregnate her. I am more of a different kind of daughter. I am Death's Chosen, his Beloved. He claims that we have a parent-child relationship but has no explained much other than the fact that I am, for all intents and purposes, his daughter."

Nico shouldn't be surprised, but he was. Was this girl birthed of the mind like the children of Athena? Or was she just touched by Death so much that he imprinted or something on her?

This was something he would have to ask his father.

Hopefully, she would be by his side.

She waved her hand toward the four boxes. "You maybe destroy them as you like, but there are three others."

Nico nodded and preceded to get rid of the Soul pieces. He offered them up to his father, through the fire in the fireplace. Once the fire glowed black, he tossed them in, one after another.

When the last one went through the fire, Nico was even more confused. How could he still feel one? Was she hiding it from him?

Nico got up, walked away from the fireplace and toward her. "The other three?"

Christina looked uncomfortable for a second before she came to a conclusion. "One piece is inside the snake that is his familiar, and the last is Tom himself."

Nico frowned. "That is only six, where is the seventh."

Christina looked away, "It will be here waiting for you when you come back."

Nico felt she was hiding something, but since she was willing to give it to him, he just nodded and accepted it.

She had agreed, didn't she, to come with him? To come into the world where she belonged?

This world was tearing her apart; he didn't even know her that well, but he could see it. He could feel it.

~Death's Beloved~

She was waiting for him when he returned hours later. It had been easier than he thought to kill both the snake and her master. Apparently, Wizards were shit against swords. Nico had been too fast for both of them, and in two strokes, he had both of their heads cut off.

Lucky for him, the bastard was by himself. While Nico was confident in his abilities, he did not want to fight a bunch of wizards.

He just wanted to get this Quest done and over with. And take her back with him.

She belonged with him, after all.

Nico was startled by the thought, but it seemed right. It was more than she belonged with him, she belonged to him.

Nico pushed those thoughts away as he came back into that room and saw she was still there. She had been waiting in a chair, with a book in her hand, but she didn't seem to be reading it.

When Nico took a few steps toward her, her green eyes snapped to him.

Nico wondered why he never noticed the eye color before. It was the same color Percy had.

She stayed seated though as he walked toward her.

"The last one?"

The red-head in front of him hesitated for only a moment before she moved the hair she had titled to the left side of her head. That was when Nico saw a scar, a lightning bolt scar.

It was funny, really. Granddaughter to the God of the Sea and a daughter of Death—she had the mark of the Sky King.

The closer he looked at the scar, the more he felt from it. He only stared at it for a few seconds before he realized just what it was.

There was a soul piece inside of her, concentrated in that scar.

Nico quickly pieced the puzzle together. "When he tried to kill you as a child, it attached a piece of his soul onto you, didn't he?"

Christina nodded. "It was not what he intended, that is for sure. The bastard meant to kill me, not bind himself to me. If he had known, I'd be locked up somewhere."

Nico did not know what to do. He couldn't kill her; he'd die before he allowed that. His father demanded that he do whatever it took to get rid of Tom Riddle and send him, all pieces, into the Underworld.

Nico had no doubt his father wouldn't give two shits about the girl and would want her dead. And Nico didn't know what to do.

Would Poseidon care for a granddaughter?

Would Death care for his child?

That was it.

Nico prayed to Thanatos, hoping the god had some advice on how he could finish his Quest without killing the girl.

Not even a second later, a book flew off the shelves and to their feet, opened.

Christina narrowed her eyes and picked it up. Her eyes widened as she took in whatever the book said.

Nico didn't say anything because he had recognized the look in her eyes. His…the woman in front of him had figured out what to do.

He thanked whatever god tossed the book their way because he didn't know what to do.

Quickly, Christina went into action.

She closed her eyes, wishing for an object that could contain magic. Strong, powerful magic.

The room granted her wish: on the table where the four boxes were with the other Soul pieces, was one similar to it, but it had a different feel.

"The others only contained them when I put them in; this one can accept and contain. The others were just objects that already had the pieces in them. What we need to do," she explained as she looked up at Nico, "is transfer the Soul piece from me into the box."

"You can do it?" Nico eagerly questioned.

With a quick nod, she went back to the book and read it again.

With the direction in her mind, she went to the box, put her hands on it, and reached into herself to locate the Soul piece. She imagined it moving into the box and threw her entire will behind it. She was strong; she was stronger than this stupid Soul piece. She had survived the torture and breaking of the Light Lord. She survived the rape, the losing of Abraxus, and the breaking up of her mentors knowing she was the cause.

She was Morrigan.

She threw everything she had in ripping the taint from her body and shoving it into the box. As soon as she dead, she collapsed and Nico went to her, to see if she was alright, but she waved him off.

The sooner they'd destroy that damn thing, the better.

Once the last piece was offered, Nico knew his Quest was over.

The only problem was this woman in front of him that had made such an impression on him. He had to have her.

When he finished, Nico was back to her side. Christina was breathing heavily, and he felt that something was out of place, something was missing inside of her.

As if her Soul wasn't complete.

Nico frowned as he held her. Something was wrong, he could feel her dying, but she didn't say that the extraction would kill her.

"Why do you feel like your dying?" Nico whispered, half hoping his senses were wrong.

Christina stiffened then chuckled darkly. "I've been dying since I was eight years old. I'm seventeen now, so whatever eight plus seventeen is, that is how many years I have been dying."

Could she not count?

Nico had to know what was going on with this woman who had suddenly become his world. This Son of Hades wanted her, needed her.

He reached into himself, grabbing at his power to see and observe Death and touched her with it.

Nico immediately felt the world slip away as he found himself in what looked like a hospital operation room/torture room.

There was a black haired girl on the table with multiple people around her. She was being tortured, but there was no sound coming from her, only her body jerking.

"She has retreated in her mind for the last time. There is nothing left we can do. She hasn't broken in the last year, has it already been a year? She isn't going to unless…" the horrible man paused, Nico couldn't get a good look at him, but he could feel some power, more than average, radiating from the man. Twisted, tainted power. "Prepare the special exit program for her. Once I get back from my trip tomorrow, we will commence with her graduation ceremony and then give her back to her Guardians. Useless that they are. Maybe this will open their eyes…"

Nico didn't get to see the man who spoke because his total attention was on the girl. A girl that looked and felt, somewhat, like Christina.

The girl was wheeled out by two guards. It was only ten minutes later when they put her back in her cage-like room that had clear, bar like walls where she could see all the other children prisoners.

One of the guards spoke, "About fucking time the boss lets us fuck. The last time he let us do anything was a year in a half ago. And that was one of those whore nurses of his. That pussy was so stretched and that woman was a lousy fuck. But the girl," he turned to grin at Christina who was only started to come out of her mind, "She's a virgin. Imagine how tight she'll be even after the boss has her first."

The other guard seemed disgusted, and the two argued. The one that didn't like it and didn't believe that the boss would rape the eight year old. "The others were of age and consented. This is rape, and not just any rape, she's a child!"

Christina seemed to understand what they were saying, and Nico was horrified for her. Sex at that age would destroy her body, and the Gods only knew what damage would be done to her mind.

Nico felt the panic build within her, the fear overwhelming her, till something inside of her snapped. The force, the magic, exploded not outward, but inward. Nico would feel that she was only hanging on by a thread. That shit should have killed her, but there was something inside of her that kept her alive. Something that kept her core from completely shattering though it was broken with no hope for repair.

Nico watched what happened next. He saw how she had got her red hair. It was a curse, a reminder of the blood she split that day. Christina had killed everyone inside wherever they were. Adults were murdered in revenge, to prevent this from happening again.

The children were her greatest, only, regret, but she did it to spare them. She cried for them as she ended their lives. But what lives did they have after the abuse they had suffered? Nico noted that the youngest, so the signs on the cage doors said, was fourteen (that was only one), four were fifteen, and the other seven were sixteen.

When she was finished cleaning house, Nico followed her outside where, just as she emerged and used what magic she had left (the will she had was intense, to be able to still use magic even after her core was broken and couldn't regulate magic nor did she have much left she almost all of it was used when the inward explosion happened inside her) and burned the place down, two male figures approached her.

One with red hair and the other black.

Christina turned to them with lifeless eyes. Her clothing, body, and hair no color other than red, "It took you long enough, master."

Nico felt shoved out then, and came to realize why he felt like she was dying. When a magical person's core is destroyed, they can no longer do magic. Most find a way to die as not having magic is worse than death. Some cannot handle it. Some cannot live without the production of magic.

Christina's core exploded inward which should have killed her instantly, but something awakened inside of her that kept her stable long enough and enough at the base, core, of her core. Slowly, he could feel that she was dying because she could not produce magic. Witches, Wizards, and other magical beings live off magic, and if they cannot produce it, they die. It is why magical exhaustion is so deadly.

None of them can't live without magic, even Squibs have magic inside of them, but they cannot access it.

Nico had a feeling that the connection they just shared had opened their minds to one another. While he knew a good bit about Hekate's children, he didn't know that much. His suspicion was that Christina either shared the information voluntary through their minds or his was connected and pulled the information from her mind.

Just like he had done with her memory.

Christina looked at him with a blank face. "So you know what happened," her voice was no more than a whisper.

Nico nodded, not trusting his voice. How was she still alive? If she could not reproduce magic, how did she learn to use it let alone keep her levels up?

"I'm a leech," she answered. "When I connect with a person, trust them absolutely, and if their magic is compatible, I can take some of their magic. Because of the…stabling of my core when it exploded, I can still produce my own magic. The only problem is getting my reserves high enough that I can duplicate it."

Nico understood, that only meant that what she had done earlier had not helped any. In fact, it seemed to have hurt her.

The Son of Hades started to think that bringing her into his world, damaged as she was, was not a good idea. There was too much of a risk of her using too much magic and dying because she had none left or no one to leech from.

Christina smirked as she seemed to gather her strength back. "I can fight without magic. In the old days, Wizards were very proficient at using their weapons as extensions of their magic. I thought it was useful because nowadays Wizards are useless without their wands."

Nico wanted to text her. "What blades do you use?"

"I dual-wield two three-fourth swords," was her quick reply. "These swords carry a deadly poison each that have to antidote."

Nico was impressed, "Are you immune?"

Christina chuckled darkly, "You have no idea."

Maybe, just maybe, this could work. He'd have to see about getting around that magic thing with her as magic could be useful in battles where sometimes weapons don't hurt the monsters.

Besides, he didn't want to give her up. No, he couldn't give her up.

"I've only just met you, so why do I feel as if I can't leave you?" That I need you?

Christina sighed as she stood up, though on shaky legs. Nico helped her steady herself.

"Because, what stabilized me was a creature inheritance that kicked in"

The red-head didn't give him more information, but he was now curious. "What kind of creature? Snake?"

Was that why she was immune to the poison?

Christina smiled as if she knew something he didn't. "Somewhat, yes."

She still didn't answer.

Nico raised an eyebrow and looked at her all unimpressed. He wanted that answer, and she wasn't going to keep avoiding it.

The woman sighed. "Poseidon fucked a dragon in human form, and she gave birth to Salazar Slytherin. And, since" she paused as she thought really hard about those numbers, "However many years later it is between eight years old and seventeen, he blood adopted me. Thus, even though I awakened the dragon in my blood, it was strengthen by the blood adoption."

"So was the Ichor in your veins too," Nico said thoughtfully. She was a daughter of Thanatos and a granddaughter of one of the Big Three.

He wondered exactly how strong she was.

Daughter of the Sea and Death, indeed.

Nico would not want until he brought her back into his world, but still his question wasn't answered. "What does having a creature inheritance have to do with the connection between us?"

Christian sighed. "Dragons have mates."

Nico blinked, "and I'm your mate."

"Do you want to be?" Christina asked as she titled her head.

Nico chuckled, picked her up, and threw the both of the in the shadows.

"What do you think, beloved?"