Prologue

(1133)

Leo took a deep breath. He pressed the red "start" button and took a step back.

"Uh okay, so HI! Apparently, your man Leo, Super McShizzle, Bad Boy Supreme, Commander of the Toolbelt, Chef Leo the Tofu Taco Expert and a whole bunch of other aliases (yeah I know I'm a man of many names) is NOT dead! I'm back!"

"Uh, whether or not you're happy about that." He added as an afterthought, still grinning.

"Took the physician's cure as soon as I died (Festus helped a lot, thanks buddy), yeah so well, I'm alive and kicking. Yeah, just so you know, dying kinda sucked and to reassure you guys, I'm not gonna do it again, well hopefully. Boy, I can't wait for all of y'all's hugs and kisses when I get back, but right now I'm gonna travel around a bit with my girl Calypso here, so won't be back anytime soon."

Leo turned to Calypso and whispered discreetly (well, at least he attempted to).

"Say hi, Sunshine! Don't be rude!"

Calypso ignored him, rolling her eyes.

Sighing, he turned back to the camera-scroll.

"Okay, so right now I'm rescuing Cal here from Ogygia and-"

"I DO NOT NEED YOUR RESCUING LEO VALDEZ! And how many times must I tell you, you are NOT rescuing me! You are just taking me on a permanent vacation, you got it?"

"Okay, so Cal is letting me take her from her island 'cause she can't resist my charm and-"

"LEONIDAS VALDEZ!"

"ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! Stop yelling for gods' sake!"

He looked back at the scroll.

"Okay, so... BYE!"

Hastily, he ended the recording.

The Son of Hephaestus folded the scroll into a paper aeroplane ('cause why not) and tossed it into the air. A breeze carried it away.

After all, Calypso could control some air spirits and air spirits sent stuff by paper aeroplane all the time. Coach Hedge had said that other air spirits would keep the letter going across the ocean until it finds Camp Half-Blood, or in particular, his wife, Mellie the cloud nymph. Leo knew that it wasn't as fast as an Iris message (sadly the rainbow goddess didn't accept nuts and bolts as an offering) and although whether the message got across depended on if the spirits decided to be helpful enough, making it a risk, he knew it was his best bet of getting the scroll (aeroplane? aeroscroll?) to his friends.

He didn't want to worry them. Gods, if Jason or Piper or anyone else in the crew had been in his place, he would probably be so worried for them that he wouldn't be able to focus on anything else. At least the letter could (hopefully) give his friends some reassurance.

He turned to Cal.

"Come on, sunshine. Let's get you off this island."

With Calypso's arms around him, Leo spurred Festus into flight. The bronze dragon spread his wings, and they soared off into the sky, leaving the island behind them.

A bolt of lightning struck the air before them, and Zeus's voice boomed from above.

"The curse has not been lifted. You will be punished for attempting to leave this island."

The words were followed with a clap of thunder, then the arms around Leo's waist went limp. Calypso's body slumped forward against Leo's, cold and no longer moving. Leo shook her gently.

"Sunshine?"

Silence. He started to shake her vigorously.

"Hey babe, stop playing tricks on me 'cause this isn't funny! Jokes are my department..."

Leo was on the verge of tears, and his arms moved frantically.

"No, it can't be… They said that they'll lift the curse! And my oath… Don't die on me! Cal, WAKE UP!"

His floodgates opened and a torrent of tears streamed down his cheeks. Her body remained motionless, as still and as cold as ice.

"No… wake up... please…"

Still in a daze, Leo told the dragon to land as they neared a clump of trees.

Leo dismounted and carried Calypso to a patch of land. Pulling a shovel out of his toolbelt, he started to dig.

~.~

"What are you doing? You blew up my dining table!"

"You keep burning through the clothes I give you, so I thought I would weave something less flammable."

"I—I thought I would be released. I dared to hope… but I am still here."

Tears mixed with the perspiration that stung his eyes as he worked. The memories invaded his thoughts and it hurt. His hands were sore and his fingernails were caked with dirt.

"You didn't think I could start Leo and Calypso's Auto Repair without Calypso, did you?"

He carried Calypso, bridal style, over to the shallow grave.

Even in death she was beautiful. He brushed a strand of caramel hair from her face, out of her almond eyes.

"I'm coming back for you, Calypso. I swear it on the River Styx."

His sunshine. Gone.

He was about to lay her down when a familiar, sinister laughter filled the air. The earth.

Leo jumped to his feet, eyes blazing and body heating up more than ever. A small clump of dirt took shape to form the face of the goddess of the earth. Leo stepped backwards.

"Gaia? No... impossible… I died killing you! I destroyed your physical form!"

Princess Potty Sludge growled, voice dripping venom.

"Yes you did, you wretched child. Because of you, this is my last moment, my last breath with a physical form."

An oath to keep with a final breath.

What if… it wasn't his oath?

"But," her lips curved upwards, her voice sickeningly sweet. "I see your lover dead in your arms. Didn't I tell you ever since you were a little boy? The gods were never the answer. Opposing me will cause hurt to all of your loved ones. Her death is not just the gods' fault, it's yours, just like with your mother. It will always be your fault.

"You made the wrong choice to stand with the gods. Now there's no turning back."

For once, Leo had nothing. No witty comments, no snappy comebacks. Nothing. Gaia chuckled one last time, knowing her work was done, before dissolving into the earth. Leo felt sick.

It all made sense now.

And Cal was dead in his arms. His sunshine.

Leo reached out and unclasped the necklace from Calypso's neck.

The gods and their empty promises. Gaia and her damn oath. Both resulted in the same, devastating loss.

No matter how much they tried to sugar-coat their lies, the gods were the same as Gaia, if not worse. They were the ones who had placed that oath on Cal. They were the reason his sunshine was gone.

He clenched the necklace tightly in his fist.

"Don't worry, Sunshine. They're going to pay. The gods will pay."