Where he was had been a different matter. They simply flew off into the sky not knowing where they were going. They hadn t run into the island again so Leo took that as a good sign. He was also slightly worried because all machines on Festus like compasses or the GPS were scrambled for some reason.
There was a sick feeling deep down inside his stomach because it dawned on him his friend s didn t know if he was alive or not. He struggled to keep down the need to scream. He struggled to keep in his anger at the world. He wanted to scream into the air asking why, why he had to be ripped away from his friend s, why he couldn t get back to them. But it was impossible. The idea that they could escape was unrealistic to Leo. And they thought he was gone, flung into nothingness, engulfed by the darkness, left in the cold. But no, he was on a warm bronze dragon with the girl of his dreams clinging to him. It shouldn t have happened this way. It shouldn t have happened.
An hour had passed, and then two. They flew and flew and flew and yet, nothing. They were both afraid of what was to come. There was no way to get back to the island now. They were just flying over a seemingly endless ocean with almost no food. Day turned into night quickly and both Leo and Calypso grew tired. Leo clicked a button and bunk beds in an alcove appeared. It was a small square room made of durable bronze with matching blue beds. Leo switched Festus into autopilot mode and they fell asleep.
Light snuck in through the small holes for windows in the sleeping alcove and Leo found Calypso wrapped in his arms in his bottom bunk. Not wanting to wake her, Leo just lay there thinking about what his friend s were doing. Probably celebrating the war being over, if it even was over. Leo realized then that his friend s might not know what happened to him but he didn t know what had happened to his friends. What if they-no, he couldn t even begin to think like that. He knew somewhere, they were alive. What s for breakfast? grumbled a waking Calypso. I m thinking I want pancakes. But we don t have any so fruit. they both rolled out of the bed and started to climb onto the dragon s back. Leo jammed the button again and the sleeping alcove sunk back into Festus. Leo pressed another button and out came a carpeted platform with short gold fences to keep from falling.
They climbed up to the platform and started taking fruit out of Calypso s food pack. They came up with two oranges, a box of strawberries, and a container of grapes. As they eat they talk. They talk about random things in their conversation. They finish and Calypso packs away the food. They continue their conversation and soon it comes to the topic of escape. Do you think we ll make it out? Calypso asked looking off into the distance. I don t know. replied Leo. Calypso crawls over to him and curls up with her head in his lap. I m so scared. What if we don t make it out? she sniffled. We will. I promise. and she lifted her head. They sat facing each other, just looking into each other's eyes. Quick as a snap Calypso leaned in and kissed Leo. What was that for? Leo asked. It s just that, I m really glad you did this for me. Even if we don t make it. Leo grinned. Anything for you. Out of the corner of his eyes Leo saw a glitter, not of the sea though, but of iron. Calypso, oh my gods Calypso look. he said pointing and they both climb back onto Festus s back.
Leo clicked the button that took away the platform as they watched the land get closer and closer. As they watched Leo realized it was the shore of Camp Jupiter. He recognized the buildings and the streets. We made it. Calypso we made it! Their eyes met in a collective excitement and they both sang a little happy song in their mind.
Festus touched down on the shore and they slid off of his back. Leo collapsed Festus into his suitcase form and they started up the hill to Reyna s house. It took a while but they got there. Calypso was amazed by everything. The architecture, the people, the fauns, and the great smell coming from the pavilion. Must ve been lunch time.
By the time they had made it to Reyna s house the sun had started to go down. Leo knocked on the door, three times hard. They heard footsteps and the door opened. Oh my gods. Leo? said a surprised Reyna. She pulled him into a hug. We thought you were dead. she sounded shocked but with no depression. Well, Hello world! Leo s back from the dead! Leo yelled with excitement. So where is everyone else? Leo asked. Well Hazel and Frank decided to go and visit camp Half-Blood. They ll be back in about a month, I guess. Leo frowned. What about Jason? Reyna sighed as it to say why. He s going to camp Half-Blood now. He didn t want to be separated from Piper. Leo grinned and turned to Calypso. Looks like we re going to camp Half-Blood! Leo turned back to Reyna. So we re going to camp Half-Blood. We got the ride covered. he said holding up the Festus suitcase. But could you not tell them I m alive? I d like to make a flashy entrance! Leo said doing many poses. Yes, I won t. Goodbye and safe travels. and she slammed the door in their face.
Once again, Leo and Calypso were back on Festus flying through the air. How the mortals didn t see them was a mystery, except for the idea of mist. Without the mist they probably would ve thought it was a UFO or a plane. They flew over flat land, and mountains, and forests, and they finally made it to Camp Half-Blood. Leo felt butterflies in his stomach. He had no idea how long he d been gone. What if his friends didn t care? With a suitcase Festus in hand, Calypso and he walked to the gates of camp and stepped through.
They walked through the strawberry field together as people stared and pointed. I m guessing they all though I was dead. said Leo as he looked at the people. Was he famous, he wondered? They stepped onto the porch of the big house together. Chiron who was sitting playing cards rose. Leo? You should be dead. Leo blinked multiple times and grinned. Thanks! Chiron raised his eyebrows and told the Hermes kid he was playing cards with to go get his friend s.
Leo and Calypso sat at the table until his friend s saw him. It was a mix of Oh my gods. and Leo you re not dead! and many, many more things. Hugs went all around and soon enough Leo was introducing Calypso to everybody. Calypso, this is Piper, Jason, Percy, Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, and Nico. Calypso stares at Percy. Hello again, Percy. Just so you know, I m not mad at you or anything. Percy smiles wide. Awesome.
Later that night at dinner Chiron rose. Today we have witnessed the return of one of our own! Leo Valdez! Cabin 9 has requested that we play Capture the Flag as celebration and I m not one to refuse a game of Capture the Flag. everyone cheered and pounded on the tables. The teams were split up very unevenly. On the first team there was the Poseidon cabin, Zeus Cabin, Hephaestus cabin, the Aphrodite cabin, the Ares cabin, the Hermes cabin, the Hypnos cabin, the Athena Cabin, and then Hazel, Frank, and Nico. All of the other cabins were on the other team. Their best cabins on the other team were Apollo, Hermes, Hestia, Dionysus, Demeter, and Persephone. No one was sure how well the Iris cabin would do but they had to have them on their team.
Leo s team took Bunker 9 as a base and the other team took Zeus fist. Jason flew Piper up to the top of Bunker 9 and stuck the flag in the beams holding up the Bunker. They set up the Ares cabin and the Hermes cabin as defense along with Aphrodite and Hypnos. The Hypnos cabin set up a perimeter of sleeping kids around the bunker and the Aphrodite kids surrounded them waiting for boys to just fall into their trap. Piper hung out near the Bunker 9 doorway with her Charmspeak ready. Poseidon and Zeus cabin, A.K.A. Percy and Jason went to get the flag. Hazel, Frank, Nico, and the Athena and Hephaestus cabin went along with them mostly for protection and backup. Annabeth insisted that the Athena cabin go with them because they created the plan. Nobody wanted to argue with her so they paved a road for them.
As they reached Zeus fist the Athena and Hephaestus kids hid behind trees and in bushes while Percy, Jason, Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, Leo, and Nico creeped up to the fist with Annabeth s new and improved invisibility hat. It morphed into a shield that they all held onto except Jason and Hazel. Hazel stopped creeping and sunk herself into the ground to create a cave up the fist. Jason hovered above the fist in the treetops. Guards surrounded the whole base of the fist and had 4 closer to the top. The Apollo and Hermes kids surrounded the base while Demeter and Persephone kids took the top. That means Iris, Dionysus, Hestia, and the other cabins were out getting the flag.
Annabeth, Frank, Leo, Nico, and Percy continued to creep up the fist after weaving through the Apollo and Hermes kids. Phase 1 of the plan was in action as Nico turned around raising skeletons to get the Apollo and Hermes cabins. Soon enough all of them were knocked out and the Demeter and Persephone kids were freaking out. Everyone released the shield except Annabeth and put the plan in motion. As Nico had his skeleton warriors surround the fist campers flooded out of the trees from the Hygea cabin, the Tyche cabin, the Zelus cabin, the Ate cabin, and the Alastor cabin. There were about 40 of them and they all had silver armour and swords. They were surrounded by a perimeter of Percy s teammates. Percy sent a wave of water off of the fist and almost everyone got knocked down except for the skeleton warriors. The fist had grown over the years for some reason so they had to make their way to the top. Jason was blasting winds all about slightly drying off the kids but sending them flying. Leo was blasting fireballs everywhere angering the tree nymphs while Frank and Annabeth fought the campers. Frank went from eagle to tiger to bear to dragon and back again.
Soon enough the campers laid on the ground groaning. The skeletons had gone back into the earth and everyone was in human form. Percy, Jason, Annabeth, Nico, Leo, Hazel, and Frank all stood in front of the flag, deciding who would take it. It s belongs to Leo. someone finally said. Yeah. and like that Leo pulled the flag out of the ground and they were running.
They all jumped over the creek and cheered. They had won the game. They saw Piper running towards them with a horrible look on her face. Leo come on. Calypso. she gasped through her heavy breathing. They all started running behind Leo. They reached Bunker 9 and Calypso was laying on a stretcher with blood running from her shoulder. Oh my gods, what happened, Calypso? Calypso s form flickered. What? Calypso began to grin, but not a happy grin. It was an evil grin. She flickered again and that time she stayed in that form. What? Who are you. she stared angrily. Don t you know who I am?! I am Bia! Goddess of force and raw energy! she looked crazy with her golden wings and fiery-red floor length tunic. Gah! No one knows me! I ve always been outshined by Ares! Argus and Tyson came in with chains and strapped her to the stretcher. Bad goddess goes bye-bye. Tyson said as they carried her out. It d been nice for Percy having his brother help out at camp Half-Blood instead of work in their dad s castle. As they watched the crazy goddess be escorted out of Bunker 9, Leo laid against the wall. Where s Calypso? he said his face falling. Little flames began to dance in his hair. Where is she? his voice cracked. Everyone stared at him. Leo! Piper yelled to him as he stood and ran out of the bunker.
After a few days Leo was still nowhere to be seen. Calypso hadn t been real, and Leo could still die. He swore on the river Styx to get Calypso off that island. An Oath to Keep With a Final Breath. Then Calypso was gone, and Leo had gone into hiding. If only he would turn up.
One morning everyone had headed down to breakfast late. No one was sitting at the right table. Everyone was eating waffles and fruit salad. Suddenly a flaming ball of light came down from the sky and crashed into the lake. Jason and Percy ran down to the lake and returned with Leo and Calypso slung over their shoulders. Someone get stretchers. gasped Percy under the weight of a surprisingly muscular Leo. Argus came from the kitchen with two stretchers. They threw them onto the stretchers and carried them to the infirmary.
Leo awoke with Piper crowding his face. Ah! he shrieked. What are you doing? Piper backed away and sat on the chair next to the bed. It was my turn to watch you. Leo scrunched up his face. And watching me means you breathe in my face?! Piper blinked. Yes. Leo sat up. Where s Calypso? Piper stood and pulled back the curtain behind her. Calypso laid there still unconscious with tubes keeping her breathing. She breathed in too much water from the lake and it was really dangerous for her to leave the island. At least that s what we suppose. Leo started to get out of the bed but Piper stopped him. You probably shouldn t do that. Leo pulled back the covers suspicious of Piper s motives. Umm, Piper? Why do I have a cast on the foot. Piper pulled crutches from under the bed. Congratulations! Your foot s broken! Leo frantically started to glance around. Ohmegods! I can t walk!? Ahh! What am I gonna do!? I m gonna die! Leo sobbed dramatically. Piper continued to stare at him. You re NOT gonna die. her charmspeak washed over Leo. Yes ma am, Ms. Beauty Queen. he agreed. Besides, it s only your foot. Leo rolled his eyes. Hand me the crutches. Piper handed them over and he stood up.
Leo hobbled over to Calypso and turned the chair to sit next to her bed. When will she wake up? Piper sighed. I don t know. I think the most important question is how you got her here. Leo turned the chair to face her. Maybe we should have a meeting.
Everyone met in the big house rec room around the ping pong table. A few of the Hermes kids were trying to set ping pong balls on fire while everyone else looked for the fire extinguisher. Piper went into the rec room and announced Leo. Hi everyone! Leo s back and conscious! everyone clapped and cheered and the hermes kids threw the ping pong balls into the air. The Apollo kids knowing how stupid that was, shot the ping pong balls with water arrows.
Leo shrieked as the broken ping pong balls fell on his head. Chiron rose from his wheelchair and walked over to him. Leo. Percy appeared over his shoulder, or whatever it s called on a horse-excuse me, centaur. Leo! Hey! So one question. How the heck did you get Calypso here, man? Leo sighed. I guess you all want to hear my awesome story don t you? Because it s quite simple, I just built a giant catapult and flung myself into the sky. Chiron looked startled. Leo! There was no guarantee that was going to work! Why would you take that risk? he yelled. Leo looked up at him. I just... I couldn t live without Calypso. I mean either way I could ve died. Leo stared down. But she could die now and I never really thought about it. Annabeth pushed her way through the people and stood in front of him. Leo... and she pulled him into a hug. Suddenly Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Nico, and Percy joined in on the hug. Leo sniffled through the pile of people hugging him. Soon everyone backed away. Leo, Calypso s gonna be okay. said Jason. How do you know that? Jason put his hand on his shoulder. Because I m awesome. And because she s standing right behind you. Leo spun around. Calypso! You re okay! They pulled each other into a hug. They tore away from each other holding hands. Leo stood facing Calypso and pulled a small box from his jean pocket. He bent on one knee and said, Calypso, will you marry me?
Epilogue
A few years later after Calypso and Leo had married, they had two children. A boy and a girl. The boy looked like his mom with shiny blonde hair and the girl looked like her dad with curly brown hair and a mischievous grin. By that time, Percy and Annabeth, Jason and Piper, and Hazel and Frank, were all married. Nico and Reyna had just gotten engaged. Annabeth was pregnant with a girl and Piper with twins. No one know what adventures lay before them but it sure as heck will be exciting.
