Disclaimer: Do not own Heroes of Olympus or Greek Mythology.
AN: Am I the only one who sees this pairing?
Night had fallen over the Argo II as the seven prophesized demigods lay in their beds waiting for sleep to take them. Their satyr chaperone was patrolling the halls to make sure they stayed in their rooms. Most of them had finally drifted off to a peaceful sleep for demigods but one still lay awake.
Leo Valdez; son of Hephaestus and pilot of the Argo II, was staring at the ceiling of his room, brooding. He had a feeling that he was forgetting something but he had no idea what it could be. His thoughts kept drifting back to his meeting with the goddess Nemesis and how she had said he would always be the seventh wheel. He finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.
His dream was of a beautiful girl. A young woman in a tunic that blended into the rocks she was surrounded by. Her hair blended into the dry grass with a color between brown, blond, and gray. She faded in and out of view even when she moved as her surroundings camouflaged her. It was impossible to find her when she disappeared from view as if something was erasing her face from his mind so he wouldn't know what to look for. He felt like he should know her but his mind was drawing a blank. For the first time he understood what Jason felt like when his memory was wiped. The knowledge was there but you couldn't remember what to look for.
As he watched the girl she smiled sadly staring at a man leaning over a lake. The man paid no attention to her or the other girls vying for his notice. He felt anger on the girl's behalf. She looked upset as she faded from view once again. He swore that he wouldn't forget her face even as she disappeared once again. He had to concentrate on remembering her to find her again. He knew this girl! Who was she though? He had to remember.
His alarm went off and the girl faded a final time as he jolted awake. He would have to think about it today. He walked down the hallway yelling for everyone else to wake up and his voice came back to him. A memory came forth in his brain: Hazel telling him the story of Narcissus and Echo. Both were cursed in their lifetimes but were given a second chance by Gaia. Nemesis cursed narcissus to fall in love with himself because he broke so many hearts while Hera forced Echo to not only repeat whatever she had heard last but to be forgotten immediately because of her gossiping. Echo tried to save Narcissus from himself with no success and both perished. When Gaia brought them back Echo was given another chance to save her love. Sadly she would probably fail unless he realized he needed to be saved. From what Leo and Hazel had seen in Salt Lake City he didn't.
Thinking about his dream he realized he was seeing Echo. Her face forgotten because of her curse she was left to fade into non-existence. The ultimate tragedy: the lead not only doesn't get their love but can't just die they have to be completely forgotten. To Leo Echo and Narcissus' story should be told instead of Romeo and Juliet.
He swore to himself that he wouldn't let Echo die again. He would save her like she couldn't save Narcissus. With that thought in his mind he briefed the other demigods over breakfast.