(A/N Review already guys! I mean it's chapter five and I have one review! Please! I feel like no one likes this story. *Puppy-dog eyes*)
Chapter 5: Farewell
Nico walked into the barracks.
"Ari," He said. "We should go back to Camp. They'll be looking for you.
I rubbed my eyes. "Let's go. No use wasting time."
Nico grabbed my shoulder and I felt the world disappear.
We appeared on the hill. I walked down it slowly to the dining commons. It was about noon in New York, so everyone was eating.
"Ari," Hazel said as I sat down. "Where were you?"
"Camp Jupiter," I said. "Nico needed some help."
"How's Frank?" She asked.
I looked down at my shoes.
"Hazel," Nico said quickly. "Maybe we should go inside and talk."
Her face fell. "No, no, no, no, no, no."
She started to sob.
Percy ran over. "What's wrong?"
"Frank's dead," Nico said.
Percy turned pale. "Oh, gods. Frank."
Percy Jackson started to cry. Not loudly weeping like Hazel, but I saw tears fall from his eyes.
I couldn't help it, I started crying.
"Hazel," I said. "He left a note, would you like to read it?"
She dried her eyes.
I pulled the piece of paper out of my bag.
She read the first few lines silently then read aloud, "Tell Hazel to burn the firewood. Tell her that I'm so, so sorry. The remaining of the seven must work together. If they lose hope then all is lost. The seven are my family, make sure they remember that."
All four of us were silent for a minute.
"Find Annabeth, Jason, and Piper and tell them to meet us in bunker nine," Hazel tells Percy.
Percy and Nico ran off to do this.
"Hazel," I said. "I'm not going to tell you it'll be alright. It won't be alright for a long time, if ever. Frank was sorry, so, so, sorry. You can't stop fighting. I don't even know if there's an enemy, but I do know that there are friends. Frank was a great guy, Hazel. He shouldn't have died."
"How did he die?" Hazel asked.
"A sword through his chest." I said sadly.
"Who?"
"I'm not sure, yet, but I will find out."
"Come on," Hazel said. "Let's go,"
We were halfway to the forest when I tripped over a gold bar.
"What the…"
Hazel pointed her hand at it and it ran into the ground leaving nothing more than a hole.
We walked into bunker nine without another word.
Leo stood on a ship hammering something.
"Leo!" I yelled.
He dropped the hammer.
"What's up?" Leo said.
Hazel started to cry again.
"Oh, great," I said. "Look what you did."
He jumped down onto the ground and ran over.
"What just happened?" He asked.
"Frank…" I glanced at Hazel. "…Moved again. To a place very far away. Where we can't visit."
"What do you… ooh." Realization dawned on Leo's face. "Ooh."
Leo put his head down.
The rest of the group ran in.
"Oh, Hazel," Piper said. "I can't believe it."
Piper threw her arms around Hazel.
"It'll be all right," She said, working charmspeak in. "You're going to be fine."
"Hazel," Nico said. "I'm going to kill whoever it was that…"
Nico didn't finish the sentence.
"He left a note," I said, my voice quivering. I pulled the paper out and read a part of the note, "Hazel will need your guidance. Percy will lose hope, make sure he stays strong. Annabeth and Piper will need help, but will pretend to be fine. Leo won't even know for days, I'm sure, but tell him to let out his anger. Jason needs to come home. Make sure Nico knows that he isn't alone. That Hazel isn't the only one who cares."
"He thought I wouldn't know," Leo quivered. "He thought I didn't care?"
"It isn't that, Leo," I said. "You are a bit of a hermit."
There was silence.
"We are going to get your mind off of this," Leo said suddenly. "All aboard."
Jason shuffled his feet. "No."
"What's wrong?" Leo asked.
"I have to go to Camp Jupiter, Leo," Jason said. "I'm sorry that I can't help you with the search, but I have to go. I have to go home."
"Oh," Leo said. "Okay."
"Wait," I said. "Jason, I'm… I'm sorry."
"For what?" Jason asked.
"For that first day," I said. "When I almost killed you."
We both knew what I meant. I was sorry for judging him that first day.
Jason grinned. "Good luck, Ari."
Jason kissed Piper, then turned and walked out of bunker nine.
"Let's go," I said. "Where ever we need to go."
"All aboard," Leo called with less enthusiasm. "All aboard for Ogygia."
I remembered my promise to Nik. I was going to help Leo and then I would go see Nik again. One way or another.
(A/N Soo… how was it? Review, seriously. I'm convinced you guys hate this story.)