Time ceased to exist. Darkness was all I knew and pain was my only company. I remember being alone, and scared- more scared then I had ever been in my entire life. Silence was deafening. Then I saw the moon. I wasn't scared anymore. It was so big, so bright- as bright as the night that my sister had died-I couldn't help but not be afraid.

But I should've been.

I would've preferred the dark and the pain to the new life I had been dealt.

My name is Nico Di Angelo.

~0~0~

It was the light that awoke the teen sleeping in the field. The moon was bright and full; glowing with luminosity and life, many people all over the east coast stopped and stared up at the sky to marvel at the brightness. The teen groaned and gasped, covering his eyes from the brightness, looking very much like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time.

"How?" he sat up, moving like an old man, gazing first at his pale white hands to the moon up in the sky, "why?"

The night was silent.

The teen scrambled up, standing straight at his height of 5'6, testing the weight on his legs which had been previously broken. He looked himself over. Not a scratch. Hands scrambled over his aviators jacket-finding it as whole and perfect as the day he stole it-his shirt underneath was perfect as well. At his side, connected to a chain belt, was his sword, but he swore he had lost it within the first hour of fighting.

Hands now shaking he gripped his raven black hair, brown broken eyes filling with worry and confusion, one thing running through his mind.

I should be dead.

He knew he wasn't dead. His heart thumped wildly in his chest as he rushed out of the moon light and into the deep long shadows created by the trees that surrounded the clearing. Clenching his fists he felt his power bubble within, waiting to burst out. Shadows engulfed him and he slunk through the darkness- his heart beating a little faster all the while- and came out only to find himself spotlighted in the moon yet again.

Camp Half-Blood was near empty, lending Nico Di Angelo to think it was winter; after all, it was primarily a summer camp. In the distance from the edge of the woods he could see the light of camp fire, reaching high into the sky, building a happy atmosphere. The son of Hades breathed a sigh of relief. Chiron would be there. Chiron would explain.

As he ran his sword banged against his leg. Wind whipped at his hair and clothes as if pulling him back. He ignored it though. He reached the campfire and breathed a sigh of relief. He saw familiar faces. His cousin was leaning heavily into Annabeth, looking weary, with an odd look in his eyes. Annabeth was running her hand through his hair. A child of Apollo was signing a happy camp song while everyone else sung happily, laughing and giggling away.

"Percy," Nico breathed. The last time he had seen his cousin had not been a happy affair. The black haired son of Poseidon was being held back by Jason, Leo and Frank, his anger causing storm clouds and winds to appear. Percy – next to Hazel- had been the one most against Nico's decision.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," Nico easily worked his way through the crowd, "is the silent treatment really necessary-"

A chill worked its way through his bones, and he gazed down at his hands as his form flickered blue, letting off a little wisp of smoke. A pain erupted within in his chest, and he clutched his chest, feeling as if part of his heart had just been ripped off. He gazed up with tears in his eyes and watched as Chiron-the one who had walked through him- knelt down next to Annabeth and Percy.

"What's-" Nico rushed forward and attempted to shake his cousins shoulder, but his hand went straight through, turning blue and wispy yet again, "-this has to be some sort of joke."

He took a couple steps backwards only to have someone step through him again. He clutched his chest and continued to move away. Another person decided to get up and walk through him. Nico gazed around in horror before dropping into the first shadow he could find, appearing by Zeus' fist.

"What is this?" Nico gazed around, talking to himself, "is this some joke? Am I still in Tartarus. Oh gods, I've really gone insane."

"Child…" the voice was soothing, like water on a burn.

The raven haired teenager gazed upwards for reasons unknown. The moon was all that greeted him.

"Your mortal life is over," the same voice said, "you are here for a greater purpose."

"Who are you?" Nico drew his sword, "tell me what's happening!"

"I am the Man in the Moon. You've been chosen," the voice said.

"For what?" Nico asked, pressing his hand against his chest to make sure that was in fact still alive.

There was no response.

"FOR WHAT?" He shouted up at the sky.

There was nothing but sounds on the wind to fill the night now.

"Father will explain," Nico rushed into the shadows yet again, only to be bodily pushed back out. He tried again, but only got the same result.

"Olympus," Nico breathed, focusing on the home of the gods, but yet again the shadows pushed him away.

He began to panic. He took a deep breath. Unbidden memories of Tartarus flashed in his mind. Crushing darkness. Traitor shadows. Unable to escape-

"No," Nico gazed up at the bright moon, "you're outside now. You're not in there. "

Who could he turn to? His only hope was the Romans. Hazel should be able to explain. Hazel was his only hope. He slunk into the shadows again, and this time, they obeyed him. Running fast he gazed around in an attempt to find Hazel. He wasn't surprised to find her sitting atop the roof of Hades shrine, precious gems and metals of all type gathering around as she cried. No. When Nico drew closer he noticed she wasn't crying. She was sobbing.

He climbed up onto the roof quickly but paused a foot away from her. Stuffing his hands into his pockets he sat down next to her. Not touching her yet.

"It should've been me," she was saying between heart aching sobs, "I shouldn't be alive in the first place."

"Hazel-," Nico tried to put an arm around her shoulder but it just went straight through, "-I'm right here."

"It's all my fault,"

"Hazel!" Frank yelled from down below, "We're heading for Camp Half-Blood soon! Please come down."

"I'll be back," Nico stood up, hands still stuffed in his pockets, hand unconsciously curling around his mythomagic figurine, "I promise. I just have to sort this mess out."

Into the shadows he went yet again. As he exited outside DOA Recording Studios he realised something. He wasn't even tired. It would usually wear him out to shadow travel so much, and yet he didn't even feel the littlest bit tired. He just needed to get to the Underworld. That would explain everything. Maybe Camp Half-Blood hadn't done the right funeral rites…no, they'd never done it wrong in the whole 3 millennia they'd been in business. They wouldn't do it wrong now.

There was a tugging on his jacket and he gazed down in surprise. A boy, no older than six, gazed up at him, eyes wide and rimmed with red. His red hair was in tangles, his pyjamas covered in ash, and he held a half melted action figure in his hand- melted beyond recognition. He didn't know what he found more surprising; that the kid could touch him, or that he got approached in the first place. Parents had a tendency of pulling their kids closer when he walked past.

"Excuses me, Mister," the kid stopped tugging on his shirt, "I think I'm lost."

"I don't think I can help," Nico said distractedly.

"The man in the moon said you could," the boy sucked back snot loudly, tears beginning to well, "please, Mister, I just want to go back to my mummy."

That caught Nico's attention.

Kneeling down, Nico looked into the boys blue eyes, and rested a hand on his shoulder. There was no life in this boy. Even as Nico watched, the colour seemed to be draining from the boy. Thanatos had gotten slack. It wasn't uncommon for the god of death to miss a few here and there; especially children, their souls were always so small.

For a small moment, Nico forgot about his own troubles.

"Do you know where they are?" Nico felt a slightly weight in his pocket, and he dug his hand in, only to pull out a Drachmae that hadn't been there before.

"There was a f-f-fire and-," the boy stuttered and rubbed his eyes.

Nico turned his eyes to the sky, but the night was too dark to distinguish between smoke and sky.

"Here," Nico dug out the coin and handed it to the boy, "come with me."

The son of Hades pushed open the door to DOA and entered the waiting area. As always, it was full. The walls were the usual dull grey, with matching carpet, and black leather seats. Nico moved through the crowd of the dead, who for the first time didn't beg him for coins as they usually did. Charon didn't even look at him.

"What's this?" Charon gazed down.

"Charon," Nico said in a confident voice that didn't match his thoughts.

"A little boy," the corner of the ferry man's mouth pulled down a little, "tell me, little man, do you have a coin?"

"Charon," Nico tried again.

Charon didn't hear him.

"Give him the coin," Nico said softly in defeat. The boy handed the coin upwards, and Charon looked it over for a moment before nodding.

"Go in the elevator. You're just in time for the next boat," Charon stepped down from his dais.

Nico followed behind Charon and let the boy get in the elevator. Nico tried to step in, but couldn't. It was like two positive sides of a magnet trying to touch. No matter how hard he pushed, he couldn't get in, and he bowed his head.

"Are you coming, Mister?" the boy asked him, eyes bright.

"I can't," Nico bit his lip, "you go."

The elevator doors shut and Nico took a step back. He couldn't enter the Underworld, he couldn't be touched, and now it seemed dead children would be drawn to him. Without even noticing he shadow traveled to his favourite cemetery in New Orleans. It was a ghostly beautiful place, with its old tombstones and intricate mausoleums. His usual hiding spot did nothing to calm his nerves or his panic.

"Is this what you want me to do? Find dead children and mother them until they reach the Underworld?" Nico shouted up at the moon, "is this why you chose me?"

"You made a great sacrifice," the voice of the Man in the Moon was soft, "you gave up your life so others may pass through the darkness and live their own."

"So now I'm damned to be invisible forever?" Nico ran a hand through his hair, "I'm a son of Hades! Not some minion! I'm supposed to be dead. I'm supposed to be reborn with my sister!"

The night was silent yet again. Nico sunk down onto the tombstone of some confederate soldier, covering his face in his hands. He'd given up his life for the others; an unusual but necessary act. Percy had been fully prepared to close the doors himself, but he had Annabeth; he had a future. Hazel had talked briefly to him about her being the one to close the doors, but he wouldn't allow it, he wouldn't lose another sister. He was the only one who could die not lose anything. His death wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to die, and be reborn, and hope the fates would lead him back to his sister.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.