Here is chapter 21! Ok, it's been a bit, but give me a break, I'm a 14 year old girl who is trying hard in school. Sheesh. Anyways, I wanna recommend an amazing book called Maximum Ride. It's by James Patterson (Put Robert at first. XD). Anyways, enough with my stupid chit chatting, not like you read this though. XD

Chapter Twenty One – Love Of Fire

Hazel's POV

With love came difficulties, Hazel knew that. Ok, love was a strong term, but to her, it sounded better than "like-liking someone a lot". Anyways, Hazel knew no one was perfect like herself, for example. Hazel wasn't the perfect girl. Not much people attracted bad luck with magical jewels sent from the death god Pluto, along with weird, creepy flashbacks and an attitude.

But Leo… he seemed near it. He was so kind, sweet, funny. Leo was cute, Hazel would not deny it. He himself was just… amazing. He was a bit slow, but she wasn't sure if that was just the whole comedy thing or him being… well, him.

Hazel was sitting by the fire, using a slender stick to poke at it with, when an object nudged her. Hazel was then on guard, ready to smack whatever was behind her to see Arion, looking at her with eyes of pity. Hazel looked at him, bewildered. "Arion… how'd you get here?" She asked.

Piper, who had been on the edges of the forest, trying to take a sneak peek at the two, spoke up. "Oh, well… we needed a fast ride, only to get knocked off by the monster and grabbed Leo… you were there for that part." She summed. Hazel pat the nuzzle of Arion, who whinnied in delight.

Sammy, who was awfully quit and dead like, spoke up suddenly. "Hazel… that's the horse from that day…" He noticed. Hazel remembered that Arion was indeed the horse, but that scene when Hazel last replayed it seemed like a life time ago. How ironic, considering the scene was.

Hazel looked up at Arion, who purred in agreement. "Well, that explains why Arion actually let Leo touch him." Frank spoke up, who was looking at Piper. He turned his head to the two, his face dull. Hazel made a mental note to cheer him up.

Sammy shrugged at this. "Arion was always a good horse, though the owner called him Chester. But he was intelligent and calm." He admitted, reliving the memories he should still be in. Hazel felt guilty, taking them away from him. He would have to go back. Soon.

Smiling Hazel poked the fire once more. "Let's play a game." She suggested to the two of her friends. It felt like she hadn't talked to them in so long, even though that was a lie. Frank gave her a puzzled look, and Sammy bit his lip.

"What type of game?" Sammy asked. Hazel smirked. "Would You Rather?" she stated. Frank laughed at that. "Oh Hazel, that' such a girl game." Hazel stuck her tongue out at him. "Shut it Zahng." She snapped.

Sammy looked absolutely puzzled. "Would you rather what?" He asked. Frank and Hazel exchanged looks and laughed. "It's a game." Frank explained. "You ask people a question like, 'Would you rather jump off a cliff, or…. Fall into the ocean?" Hazel rolled her eyes playfully. "You suck at questions…"

Giving a nod, Sammy smiled. "Ok… I'll try." He beamed, and Hazel felt her heart lurch. Not for love. She convinced herself. You do not love Sammy… not anymore. But Hazel didn't have more time, because Frank was then speaking.

There were some horrible "Would You Rather's" out there, with Frank was the owner of most. Hazel would say things like, "Would you rather get into a fist fight with Juno or Neptune?" or "Would you rather be able to fly or breathe under water?"

Sammy wasn't bad for a first timer. He got the concept, and would do interesting things, but most were outdated. Hazel realized people avoided the whole "relationship, liking people" thing, which eased the tension for her shoulders a bit. Gods knew that would be such a subject. "So, Hazel, who have you been with really?" "Oh, not much people, just three guys, all of who I'm traveling with… Yup. You know me." Not her favorite topic.

Piper bit her lip and made a moaning sound. "Shit. This can't be good." She turned to the others. "I'll be right back." Before Hazel could blink, let alone ask what the problem was, Piper was zooming off.

Hazel glanced at the two left with her, as Arion chewed on grass, left in his own little world. "Something is wrong…" Sammy almost whispered. Hazel looked into his eyes to see a fire burning in them, and not the small camp one they had. "Sammy…" Frank began, but suddenly Sammy began to twitch.

"Why didn't you tell me this at the Wilderness School?" He yelled in frustration. Frank and Hazel were then on their feet, by Sammy's side. "Wilderness School?" Frank ask, looking at Hazel for questions, but she shrugged.

"I didn't replace you with Jason! Hera did, and me and Piper forgot everything!" Sammy snapped, his body rigid. Sammy looked like he was strained, but his eyes held the fire and emptiness that gave Hazel chills. Frank lifted Sammy up, but he kept squirming. "Arion… any help?" Frank called. The horse looked up, saw the situation, and moved to the other side of the field area so he wouldn't have to watch.

Hazel's mind worked once more. "Sammy… Leo's speaking through him somehow. They're connected." She realized. Frank gaped at her. Sammy suddenly sneered. "No, it's no one's concern is it Juli? Chun is dead, and I am just learning this now!"

Chun. He was the guy Juli mentioned before the two left to talk. Well, it sounded more like yelling now that Hazel thought of it. Sammy suddenly snapped out of it, sweat beaded across his forehead. His eyes came back to the dark brown, filled with that kindness he always gave people. He examined the situation, silently as Frank slowly let go of him. "What happened?" He asked.

Hazel was about to explain his little connection to Leo, when Piper came running back with Juli, her eyes wild and scared. "Gotta go… now!" Piper ordered, like she was the leader. Well, she kinda was in this group.

Hazel searched Juli's eyes for an answer, but she seemed to avoid any eye contact. Great. Frank spoke now. "Dude Piper, what's—" A crack reached the group, and a smoldering tree feel into the entrance. Hazel gasped, fear building in her.

Frank instictivly went to the stick in his pocket, then remembered Hazel had it, which she did. It seemed to grow ten times heavier in her short jeans. She almost forgot about it. It felt like nothing in there, but now? Now she felt like a single speck of a flame would kill her and Frank in a heartbeat.

"Move! Hazel, get Arion!" Piper called out. Hazel jumped over a burning twig and to Arion, who was freaking out, bucking his hind legs. "Calm down hun." She cooed, patting his nuzzle. Arion tried to stay still, but he was forcing a lot of energy into that.

"Frank!" She yelled. Frank and Sammy were pushing burning things away with arrows. Frank's head bolted to her. "Get on Arion and lead Piper and Juli out of here! We gotta get moving, fast." She ordered. Frank opened his mouth to argue, but Hazel gave him a "Don't you dare even think about talking back" face, and the two obeyed. Hazel needed to thank Piper for teaching her that one.

As the two left, Hazel guided herself away from random sticks and branched. She had to get out, had to find the group. She was pushing through twigs when a large, burning log fell, blocking her path. Hazel screamed from the noise impact, and mentally slapped herself for doing so. Screaming was for girls… little, untrained 100% human girls.

Before she knew it, Hazel was trapped. Fire cornered her from every side. No. this couldn't be happening. She took out the wood Frank's life depended on. She wasn't going to take Frank with her. She couldn't.

The fire closed in on her. What was she going to do. She held the wood closely to her chest, tears streaming down her cheek. Memories flashed into her head the way they did when people where going to die. Or, at least that's what they said. And just like in those over dramatic movie or books, Hazel's life seemed to play out in her head.

It was short, and pitiful, at least at the beginning and most of the middle. But then she saw herself at camp, meeting Jason, then after he disappeared, Frank. She remembered seeing Percy, a person she still to this second considered a good friend, and the quest the trio faced.

That's when it died. The fire seemed to stop for no apparent reason. Hazel studied everything, when she remembered something, something a normal being would of caught automatically, but taking her forever; Leo could control fire. This fire had to of been him. Those words Sammy said were hateful like venom, and Leo got out of control.

No one was perfect. Leo had let go of his temper, just once, and Hazel almost died, along with the small piece of Frank she held. Hazel clutched the piece of wood and stood there, frozen. If Hazel wanted to be with Leo… could she really be able to live like this? To be able to handle his melt downs? What if one day he got so angry… he took her with him?

Hazel forced her eyes closed. "I love Leo Valdez." She whispered. "But can I handle him?"

Scary. Will Hazel break it with Leo, or will she decide that Leo is worth the risk? Find out soon. :D