Of Volcanoes and Curses
Part II
Percy was sitting on the beach watching the waves roll in while Annabeth taught an ancient Greek class. He had a free hour since the Hermes cabin were all having to clean the Big House for trying to prank Mr. D. Percy really didn't know what the Stolls were thinking. They had told him their plan and invited him to join in, but he had told them they would never get away with it and was staying out of it. At any rate, he had some time to spare before the Aphrodite cabin showed up at the arena for their lesson, and he decided to use that time to try to work through the tangled thoughts and emotions he had been having for the past three days, since Leo and Calypso had shown up.
He was happy for them, really he was. He was glad that Calypso had gotten off Ogygia. He was glad that she and Leo had one another and were happy. Honestly, he couldn't be more pleased for both of them. He had even made a point of thanking the gods for all of it.
The thing was, though, he was angry with Calypso. He hadn't been expecting it, but as soon as he saw her, the memories all came rushing at him. And not memories of his days on Ogygia with her. Memories of him and Annabeth in Tartarus. Memories of Annabeth being cursed to think that Percy had abandoned her. Watching her wander blindly along the edge of a cliff, calling and crying for him. Being unable to get to her, to call to her, to touch her, to save her.
With the memories came this wave of anger that threatened to knock him flat. It had caught him off guard, and it was all he could do to politely greet Calypso before high-tailing it out of there and to the arena where he destroyed five dummies in record time. And really he wasn't angry that Calypso had been hurt and angry and had cursed him. He was angry that she had directed her curse at Annabeth, someone she had never met, who had never done anything to her, someone he loved. He would have been fine if she had cursed him directly, but she hadn't. She had spitefully hurt Annabeth in her anger at him, and that he found, he just could not abide. As a result, he had been staying away, barely speaking to Calypso, trying – and failing – to quit being angry at her.
So here he was, alone on the beach, watching the water, and letting the ocean do what it always had done and sooth and calm him so he could think clearer and work through this mess. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice when someone else came up to him. It was only when the other person sat down beside him that he even realized he wasn't alone. He looked over and almost groaned because, of course, the whole reason he was such a mess had sought him out and had just sat herself down right beside him, hugging her legs to her chest as she gazed out at the ocean.
"Calypso."
She didn't even look at him. "I've been looking for you."
He watched the waves some more. "It would seem you've found me."
"It took effort. You've been avoiding me."
Well, there was no denying that. "Did you need something?"
She finally looked over at him and answered. "I need to know what's wrong, Percy. Leo said you promised to help him get back to me if he needed it, so I thought you would be happy that I am free and with Leo. But you do not seem happy, and I would like to help."
Percy rubbed his face, already exhausted from the conversation. "I am happy for you, Calypso. You deserve to be free and in love with someone who loves you back."
For a moment she seemed to glow. "Do you really think he loves me?"
"He came back from the dead for you. If that's not love, then I don't know what is," he replied quietly.
She blushed and smiled softly. "Hmm...I think you are right. But back to you. You may be happy for me, but that's not all, is it?"
Percy looked back out over the ocean as the anger started rolling back in, but he couldn't respond.
She turned to face him and put her hand on his arm. "Percy, do not shut me out. Let me help, please."
"I think you've helped enough," he answered before he thought. He shook his head and stood up. "Gah! I'm sorry." He walked further down the beach until he was standing in the surf.
Calypso followed him. "You are angry." She sounded surprised. He didn't answer, just continued to look at the horizon. "Why? What are you angry at me about?" Her voice was harder than he had ever heard it.
Percy sighed and rubbed his face again. "I suppose you've heard that Annabeth and I spent some time in Tartarus this past summer?"
She dropped her gaze and answered more gently. "Yes, I heard. I am sorry. The Fates are often harsh."
Percy felt some of his anger dissipate, but he knew that he was going to have keep talking anyway, or he would never get over it. And he really didn't want to drive a wedge between them. He wanted to be friends. "Yeah, well, someone had to close the doors of death from that side, but we encountered a lot of enemies down there: Titans, Giants, monsters. We ran into creatures I had never seen before, even."
When he paused, she looked at him. "Yes," she encouraged.
He took a deep breath. "We ran into a group of monsters called arai. Have you heard of them?"
"The spirits of curses," she whispered as her gazed dropped. "My curse..."
"Yes, your curse, Calypso. It nearly cost us our lives – both Annabeth's and mine. But really, I don't blame you for being angry at me, but you didn't curse me. You cursed Annabeth! She nearly died because of that curse, and there was nothing I could to save her."
The waves were coming in faster and bigger. Nothing dangerous, but enough to splash against their legs so hard that water droplets were reaching as high as their waists.
Calypso put her hand on his crossed arms and looked imploringly at him. "I never meant to put either of your lives in danger by that curse. You have to understand, I was at a weak moment. I was hurt; I was lonely. And in a moment of rage, I lashed out and cursed Annabeth. I never truly meant to harm her or you. I just didn't want to be the only person in the world to feel such utter loneliness and sadness."
Percy let out a breath of air through his nose. "I do understand, though. I get it. And I deserve your wrath, but she doesn't. Annabeth has never done anything to you. I just...She means the world to me, Calypso. I don't like it when people I care about get hurt, especially because of me. Be angry at me, curse me, but leave everyone else out of it."
She looked at him for a moment with tears in her eyes. "I am sorry. You are right. It was a line I should not have crossed. Can you ever forgive me, Percy? I want to be friends with you and Annabeth."
Percy felt his anger deflate and ebb away. The waves calmed back to gentle rolls of water, and he looked at the girl in front of him. "I crossed a line, too, in Tartarus. I let my emotions get away from me, and I did something I regret and that may still come back to bite me. So I do understand what happened to you, and I do forgive you. And I'm sorry, too, Calypso. I should have made sure the gods kept their promise and released you after the Titan War. Can you forgive me?"
She smiled brightly at him. "Yes, Percy, I forgive you. Friends?"
He smiled and nodded. "Friends," he agreed.
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A/N: Thanks for reading.
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HOO.
