I really, really hope this is a good chapter. Enjoy!

Anubis was gone, leaving Nico to face death alone.

He was a son of Hades; the Ghost King. He could summon an army of skeletons and zombies and command them at will. He spent a heck of a lot of time in the Underworld, listening to the tortured cries of those in the Fields of Punishment, and the wails of those lost in the endless Fields of Asphodel. And yet, he was afraid. Perhaps it was because seeing death and actually experiencing it are two different things, or maybe he simply didn't want to die.

As poisonous shadows surrounded him from every angle, threatening to envelope him, Nico thought of his sisters. After Bianca had passed away, a terrible emptiness had moved into his heart. His father didn't care about him, Persephone was a complete jerk, and Camp Half-Blood was the last place he'd wanted to be. He'd felt so, so alone. If he died now, Hazel would still have her friends, but she wouldn't have a brother. He did not want to leave her that way. He just couldn't allow it. Not if he could help it.

Hazel stood at her brother's bedside, clutching tightly a wax figurine that had been shaped to resemble Nico. Other than the squashed lump of a head and face, it was a fairly decent replica. She had to use it to heal her half-brother, though she still wasn't quite sure how it would work.

There was no time for hesitation, though. Less than five minutes remained in Nico's life. It was now or never, and she had to succeed. Mentally, she reached out to him.

At once she was forced out. Hazel was shocked at the sheer enormity of her brother's pain and fear. She realized she was wrong— even after the battle with Gaea, Nico still had a good deal of darkness that he did not want anyone to see trapped inside. The mental torture he went through every day made the tjesu heru's bite seem like a paper cut.

It sickened the daughter of Pluto. How can one person alone bear so much pain and misery?

She attempted to enter his mind again, this time more focused than before. Nico, please: tell me your secret name.

So close to death, yet the son of Hades was still as adamant as ever. His mental strength was incredible, resisting anything attempting to get close. So many thoughts and secrets were bottled up inside because he was too afraid to share them, afraid he would be judged.

Nico, she reached out with her thoughts, desperately trying to give him some kind of comfort. It's all right. You're okay.

He wanted the pain to end. All it would take was a few words. The simple words that summed up his entire existence. He only had to tell his sister, whom he knew could be trusted. But he was afraid, terrified of revealing who he really was. Even the closest of friends didn't share everything. But if he were to survive, he would have to do just that.

Suddenly he could hear his half-sister, calling out gently: It's okay, Nico. I'm here for you. You don't have to hide.

The words kept flowing out. Hazel let them. All she wanted right now was for her brother to know that she was here for him, no matter what happened.

You don't have to hide. You don't have to keep everything inside. I don't care how different you are from me or from anybody else— you are my brother and my amazing friend. You're okay now.

The invisible, mental wall lowered slightly.

It's okay.

Hazel felt the ground vibrate beneath her feet. Cracks seemed to appear out of thin air.

I love you.

The wall collapsed.

Hazel heard a faint voice call out. Nico was trying to telling her something. He sounded distant, but somehow Hazel understood him perfectly.

Suddenly she could see everything in Nico's life. She saw a moment from years ago while she'd still been dead, when Percy had sadly told Nico that his big sister had died on a quest; she watched as the ten-year-old version of her brother threw down a tiny statue and ran off into the forest. She saw him cleave a fissure in a stone floor and send the ghost of the wicked King Minos back to the Underworld. She saw the entirety of Nico's fourteen-year life pass in mere moments before her eyes. And she finally learned what had taken place at Diocletian's palace.

She glanced down at her hands and remembered the little wax statue. She felt a surge of power as she spoke Nico's secret name. She spoke the spell, and the figurine turned green and melted as it absorbed all of the poison in Nico's body.

Inside Nico's mind, everything went black.

It's okay, Nico. You're okay now.

The son of Hades slowly opened his eyes. A blurry figure was sitting in front of him. As his eyes adjusted, he made out a pair of lovely golden eyes looking concernedly at him.

"Nico?" she said quietly.

He managed to push himself up into a sitting position, feeling slightly sore all over, not to mention he was downright exhausted.

Looking around, Nico realized it was very dark out, and that he was in the infirmary. He wondered why until he remembered the monster.

"What…happened?" he asked Hazel, his voice tense and hoarse from not being used for such a long time. "The monster…"

Hazel shushed him. "Lie down. You need to rest. You've been through a lot." She gently pushed him back down.

"Yeah, but…" his dark eyes betrayed nervousness. "Did you..?"

"See everything? Yes."

"Including that whole thing with…?"

"Yes."

His gaze flickered away. "And you…don't care?"

Hazel gave him a slightly exasperated smile. "Why would I? Nico, it's okay. You're still the same brother to me." She tightly wrapped her arms around him. Nico awkwardly hugged her back.

It's okay.

He smiled a bit as he settled back into his slightly-uncomfortable bed. "Well…okay."

Is this good as an ending? I mean, yeah, it could be, but I think I want to write a little more to this. Anyway, tell me what you thought! I'd really appreciate it, and please let me know if I messed up on anything. Thanks for reading! :)