The Argo II flew through over the clouds. Beneath the decks Leo could feel the gears and cogs moving as they should, slowly urging them toward Greece. Above him, stars and a half moon shone bright. The wind encouraged them east.

No one was on watch, each hidden away in their respective cabins, dreaming of prophecies and destinies.

The night was still.

For once Leo stood will out moving a muscle, listening, waiting, for something to happen. How could it be this quiet? He hesitantly placed one foot in front of the other, as he took the largest hammer he could summon from the tool belt. His half-blood senses were tingling.

"I know someone's there!" He shouted.

Silence permeated the night. He lifted the hammer and brought fire to his other hand.

"Come out!"

Festus snorted as he turned his head to him. Leo slowly lowered the hammer but kept his palm lit. He sighed.

"I don't know Festus, maybe this quest is making me paranoid. Tio Leo needs a siesta. Especially since he's talking to a mechanical dragon in third person."

"I agree."

"Crud." Leo'd jinxed it. He whirled around blazing fire and swinging the hammer, but they caught it midair and simply tossed it aside. With their other hand they stopped his left fist. They held it above his head as the flames were slowly engulfed.

"Crud." Leo repeated.

The figure was tall and hooded, obscuring their face. The cloak was shifting and swirling black and white, mixing and separating.

Leo tried to wrench his hand away. But they just squeezed harder.

"The gods would condemn me to Tartarus if they knew it was I who intervened with their chess game. So, I was never here." The voice was genderless, disguised as much as the rest of them. They raised a finger to the emptiness of their hood, like they were telling Leo to shush.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Stupid Leo! Shout for help, you idiot demigod! But that was all that escaped his lips, like this god or goddess wanted him to ask it.

I am someone who is tired of seeing other gods laugh at the mortals who provide their amusement. Your hopes, your dreams, your love, your FATE."

Amen to that, Leo thought. They release Leo's hand.

"I want to offer you... Clarity."

Hooray for the dramatic pause. "Great! Are you going to tell us what the prophecy means?"

The figure waved a hand like the Great Prophecy, the words that had controlled his entire life and his mother's death, meant nothing.

"Good always triumphs over evil. No, I am here to spare the Seven from the mismatched future that is before you."

"Huh?"

"Specifically the two on a path of heartbreak and sorrow. And to assure those of you who are on the correct paths. I am here to offer you..."

Holy Hades, this immortal loved the dramatic pauses.

"Your other halves. Remember them. Fight for them. And know that love comes in many forms and follows many roads."

The figure lifted a hand and placed it on his forehead. Leo's vision faded out.

Percy was back in the Styx. The boiling pain seared his flesh, and entered him mind. His past began leaving him. His mother, Grover, Chiron, Annabeth, Luke, Tyson, Thalia, Bianca, Paul, the Battle for Olympus, Hazel, Frank, Jason, Piper and Leo. All of them whispered familiar words in his ear, and then the memories melted away. The river began to tug his soul away from his body.

PERCY, someone shouted from above the water. Concentrate on your mortal point!

Something kept him from being swept down the river. A firm grip on the back of his shirt.

Suddenly Annabeth stood in front of him on the end of the rickety old pier in the lake of Camp Halfblood. She was smiling, and bent down on the edge of the pier to help him out.

Annabeth wore her Yankee's cap, which should have made her invisible.

"You are such an idiot sometimes!" She said laughing. She retracted the hand she had offered to help him out of the water to her Yankees cap.

Annabeth's figure flickered like bad reception.

"You are such an idiot sometimes!" She repeated. This time it seemed dull and orchestrated, like a line from a bad movie.

She took off the hat.

"You are such an idiot sometimes!"

This time the voice wasn't Annabeth's. Instead of blond hair tumbling from the confines of the hat, short dark brown curls fell into dark eyes.

"You are such an idiot sometimes!" It was a boy's.

The boy slowly melted into existence, beginning from the top of Annabeth's image and revealed the person underneath. An aviator's jacket, skull t-shirt, and a skull ring.

He gripped Percy's hand and hauled him out of the water. Olive skin mixed with light tan and lithe muscled arms. He had faded rings under his warm brown eyes. They glittered with his smile. He was gorgeous.

Nico?

Percy threw himself out of bed. He didn't know why, but he needed to find Annabeth. He swung open the door and immediately turned around.

"Whoa! Guys!"

Jason and Piper were making out in front of her room. Piper giggled as Jason's fingers found the bottom of her shirt and she found his."

"Real happy for you guys, BUT THERE'S A ROOM RIGHT BEHIND YOU!"

Jason and Piper stumbled in still locked at the lips and slammed the door behind them. There was a loud thunk against the door.

Percy rolled his eyes as he turned left to Annabeth's room, but almost ran into Frank and Hazel, kissing passionately with their arms wrapped around each other.

"Seriously! Get a room!"

Frank leapt back and looked like he wanted to turn into a sheep. Hazel grabbed his wrist and led him into his bedroom.

"What is with everyone?"

Percy ran the couple of steps to Annabeth's room.

"Annabeth?!"

"I'm up here!" Her voice was coming from on deck.

He bolted up the stairs, and saw Annabeth kneeling next to a melancholy Leo.

"What happened and why are there four people going at it below decks?"

Annabeth was patting Leo's back. "I'm not sure. Leo says that a hooded god appeared and didn't want to kill/sacrifice any of us. But he has yet to finish."

Percy sat down next to them. Annabeth kept her gaze fully on Leo.

"Come on Leo, what happened next?" Annabeth coaxed.

"Um... So a hooded figure appeared, swirling cloak in black and white. And it said it wanted to help us.

"It?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, I think was a god or a goddess. They said if the gods knew they had come they would be condemned to Tartarus. It said it wanted to give us clarity."

"About the prophecy." Annabeth guessed.

Leo shook his head and continued. "They said that they were tired of the other gods using us as amusements and they were going to offer us our second halves. And that we have to fight for them and know that love comes in many forms and follows many roads." As he finished he looked at Annabeth for an explanation and Percy followed his gaze.

Her jaw had fallen open and her eyes were slowly widening. Finally she snapped her jaw shut and glared at Leo. "No! That can't be it! You're lying!" She shouted at Leo and shoved him backwards so he landed on his back.

The son of Hephaestus cringed. "I'm not!"

"Annabeth! What is it?!" Percy grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him. She met his eyes for a moment then tore her eyes away. He cheeks burned.

"Plato. Plato said in the Symposium, that according to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms and four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate beings, condemning them to spend their lives in search for their other halves. Of course none of that really happened, but that's not the point. The idea of a second halve is the ancient Greek version of a soul mate."

Percy's brow furrowed. He looked away from Annabeth to the floor of the deck.

"That's what they revealed to us... But, Percy." She looked up at him and he met her eyes. "I didn't dream about you."

Percy released her shoulders.

"I did... But you turned into..." Nico? No he wasn't going to say that. "Someone else."

Calm swallowed up the early morning, like everything knew better than to make a sound.