AN: Ladies and gentlemen, it has arrived. I wrote a Calypso story, something I never thought I would do. No, this is not and never will be a PercyXCalypso story. Sorry, I'm Pro Percabeth, 100%. This is just a story about Calypso's life after Percy leaves and when she finds out Percy used his wish to set her free (one of the many things he asked for in TLO)
I started thinking about Calypso's character. At first, I hated her. I hated anyone who came in the way of Percy and Annabeth getting together, including Rachel. But now that I know that they "get together", I started thinking. About what it would be like to fall in love with someone. Who loved someone else. And watching them walk away. And then repeating that process several times over the next couple millennia. And so I really started to feel sympathetic towards Calypso. She couldn't help but fall in love with Percy (I mean, honestly, who couldn't?)
So here, my friends, is Calypso's happy ending.
***
It's safe to say, my world started and ended the day my hero left.
He was only with me for a short while, you see. Once every thousand years or so, the Fates send me a hero who needs my help. But to my dismay, they only send me heroes who cannot stay with me.
So when Percy Jackson mysteriously turned up on my island, I couldn't help but fall for him. His deep sea green eyes were enchanting. I don't often have company, but I knew he was something extraordinary.
I knew he could never love me back. During his entire unconscious part of his stay, he mumbled all night about a girl. Annabeth, I believe was her name?
Yes, I knew he loved her, even if he didn't know it himself. So I let him go. I tried not to tell him he could stay with me. Of course, my heart got the better of me, and it slipped out.
But even then, he did not want to stay. It broke my heart, but I understood. He loved her. I couldn't stand to watch him go, however, because it broke my fragile heart into a million pieces.
This had happened before—with different men, of course—and it would never end as long as I was a prisoner on my island.
So I gave him a little bit of Moon Lace and asked him to plant a garden in . . . Manhattan? With that, I helped him onto the raft and explained that it would take him where he needed to go. He thanked me, and I watched my hero sail away, never to return.
I became an emotional wreck. But this was different than the other times. Yes, it may seem like I had fallen for quite a few heroes, but one hero every millennium is hardly a lot.
Believe me, when you are marooned on an island for eternity and you occasionally get sent a handsome, smart, strong young man, it's hard not to fall head over heels in love.
But this time was very different from the rest. Percy was . . . amazing. The other heroes had thanked me for my hospitality and then left, hardly looking back. But Percy, dear sweet Percy, he connected with me. He cared about me. He said he would come back for me. But it could never happen. No man can ever find Ogygia twice. But, despite how that would fail, I knew by saying that that he cared for me.
Watching him leave left a hole inside of me. Right where my heart should've been.
Some time after he left, I had another visitor. I don't know how long after it was precisely. It could've been days; it could've been years. Time was difficult on Ogygia, and it was even worse when you were suffering from depression.
My visitor was none other than Hermes. He visited me when he could. I wasn't surprised to find out that a year had passed—in mortal time—since Percy had left my island. What did surprise me, however, was the news of the war.
"I bring news of joy and grief to you, Calypso," Hermes said.
"What happened? Is the war over?" If the war was over, it was obvious who won. If the Titans had prevailed, Hermes would not be visiting me. Rather, he would be sitting in Tartarus with his Olympian family for a couple thousand years.
"Yes. It was terrible. Worse then the first war let me tell you. More battles, more anger, more deaths."
That was the first time I had really looked at him. Poor Hermes, he looked like death.
"Is something wrong, Lord Hermes?" I asked solemnly. The truth was, I liked Hermes. He was kind to me when others were not. He did not hate me because of who my father and mother were. I did not want to see one of my only friends sad.
"My son, my Luke, he was taken over by Kronos. He was able to gain control towards the end of the battle. Just long enough to kill himself before Kronos could tear Olympus down."
I looked at him sympathetically as he broke down. I comforted him until he regained composure. During his many visits, he would tell me about Luke. At first, Luke was Hermes' pride and joy. He was every god's dream child. He had been so kind, generous, caring, strong, courageous, etcetera. But then, Hermes became worried. His son had started down a dangerous path. He began to follow Kronos, and he turned his back to the gods. Hermes was heart broken when his child, the child that he loved so much, thought that his father didn't care about him.
Hermes tried to calm himself, but his words came out shaky, "He died thinking that his father never loved him."
"Oh, Hermes! He must have known. He never doubted that you loved him. The Titan Lord just corrupted his mind. But he knew. Deep down, under all of Kronos' magic, he knew that you always loved him."
"Do you really believe so?" He asked me, an astonished look crossing his face. Had he not considered that maybe his son did know he loved him?
"I would be willing to swear on my honor that he knew," I said confidently. There wasn't a doubt in my mind. No matter how "evil" Luke had become, I knew he was a good boy at heart. He loved his father, and he knew his father felt the same.
Hermes smiled. My invisible servants fixed as a drink, nectar of course. We sat under the stars and I let Hermes talk. I knew he just needed to talk to someone. About his son, the boy that he lost. He just needed someone to listen. So I listened to his stories, things that Luke had seen or done. Hermes often watched his son—before he turned to the Titan's side—and the child had a lot of adventures. I laughed at every funny moment in his life. And I will admit, many of the stories that Hermes told me about Luke had me in tears.
Like Thalia, for instance.
The poor girl had been so heroic, perishing to save her friends' lives. Hermes told me how devastated Luke had been when Thalia passed. It seemed to me like Luke had loved her. It made me sad, to tell you the truth. I had watched my fair share of "crushes" walk out of my life. Now, it wasn't quite the same as death, but it seemed close enough.
He told me about Luke and Annabeth. I recognized the name and it hurt me a little bit to think about her. I knew she and Percy were meant for each other, and I wanted them to be happy. But I couldn't help being slightly bitter.
Hermes said that during her earlier years, she had had a crush on Luke. But evidentially that had changed, because now she liked Percy.
Next, Hermes talked about Luke and Percy's relationship. Of course, during that first summer when they were "friends", Luke had been plotting against him the whole time. Nevertheless, Hermes explained that Luke actually did like Percy as a friend. Kronos just wouldn't let their friendship last.
Whenever Hermes mentioned Percy's name, I internally cringed. I still missed him. Time hadn't healed my wounds.
"Oh, speaking of Mr. Jackson, I forgot to tell you, he used a wish that the gods granted him to free you. The wish was . . . rather long to say the least, but part of it was that you would be let free. So I am here to keep this promise."
At that moment, I truly felt happiness. Percy had freed me, just like he promised he would. It was pure bliss.
Hermes and I went to bed shortly after. We decided to leave Ogygia in the morning.
***
The next morning, I packed up some stuff I thought I might need in Manhattan. I left most of my stuff on Ogygia though, because now that it was no longer a prison, I could come and go as I pleased.
Hermes helped me as far as the empire state building, but since that was the "new Olympus" he had to go.
I was alone in Manhattan. And I understood why Percy didn't have a garden. Manhattan was big.
Eventually, I found my way to a "cab". I didn't know what one was exactly, but I got in. I told him an address. I didn't know exactly what I would find there, but I vaguely remember Percy mentioning something about a place he mentioned. He had told me the address and since I had nowhere else to go, it was my only shot.
When the man in the front told me we were done, I was feeling queasy. This "cab" was nothing like the chariots of my day. It was much faster. I threw a piece of paper at him when he requested payment. Hermes had previously given me money and told me it was the mortals' currency.
So basically, I realized that the world had drastically changed in my absence. No more Troy and Sparta. It was all about New York and LA these days.
I got out and climbed up a hill. I saw a big tree, and realized it must've been the tree from Hermes's story. Thalia's tree. Of course, he spirit no longer inhabited the tree, since she was a hunter, but the tree was still called Thalia's Tree in her honor.
I had a feeling I wasn't supposed to be here. This must've been that camp Percy told me about. I didn't want to be seen here, so I snuck around. I saw the cabins, the dining area, and something called a volley ball court, but I couldn't find Percy anywhere.
Then I saw a patch a black, unruly hair. It had to be him, no doubt. But then I saw who he was with. A blond girl. She was beautiful. I could see that even from my far away hiding spot. She was gorgeous. And Percy had chosen her.
He gave her a hug. They didn't let go of each other for a while. Then, he kissed her lightly on the forehead and they separated from their embrace.
My heart pounded; my head hurt. It was painful to see Percy with someone else. But I also saw the love that they shared. I realized that Percy and Annabeth were meant for each other. I was not meant for Percy, I had just been an obstacle in them getting together. It hurt, but I knew it was true.
I left the camp, happy for the couple but submerged in my own heart-brokenness. Once I was down the hill that Thalia's tree sat upon, I began to cry. Tears slid down my face silently. And then, almost as if Zeus had sensed my pain himself, the sky began to cry too.
I walked around, not wanting to mix my pain with sickness by taking another "cab". I eventually made it back to the city—using my god-like speed, which made distances seem shorter by bending time—but I had nowhere to go. I had no place to stay in Manhattan.
I thought about going back to Ogygia. I was alone there, sure. But the pain of the outside world, the immense amounts of sorrow I felt at the moment, they were not there in Ogygia. Nothing hurt me there. Only my memories of sadness haunted me on my island.
Just when I was going to God-Travel—something all Olympians and Titans can do, for the most part—I felt a hand on my shoulder. I stopped and turned around.
Hermes was standing there.
Without saying anything, he hugged me. The look on my face must've given away my emotions. He held on to me and comforted me, like I had comforted him the night before.
After a minute, I melted into his embrace. His being around made some of my pain disappear. After all, he had always been my one and only friend.
So maybe Percy Jackson would never be mine.
But who says Hermes won't be?
**The End**
