~Chapter 7~

~Leo's POV~

"Leo, what are you doing here?" my father asked as I walked down the hall to the throne room.

I was determined to get to the gods. I needed them to do something, something to take away the pain of being stabbed in the back by people I thought were my friends.

I walked faster. He caught up with me. I didn't care.

"No offense or anything, but please go away," I didn't care if I suffered a punishment for saying that kind of thing.

As I finally made it to the throne room, Hephaestsus caved and let me through the huge doors. Inside, I saw all of the gods arguing. I approached and they immediately silenced. They all looked down on me accusingly before Zeus stood up.

"What are YOU doing here? You have not been allowed permission!" I gulped. Maybe I was a little nervous.

"Lord Zeus, I have come for a favor from you," I piped up nervously.

He considered this idea. "I suppose you have helped save the world...what is it that you need?"

I told him that I had a fight with some campers, and that I wanted the sadness to go away.

"Why don't you forgive your friends? You don't need us to do this," he replied quickly.

"Lord Zeus, this is one of the most depressing things that has happened to me, along with my mother's death. I have faced so much in my life. But they-"

I paused for a moment. Should I really tell him?

"They betrayed me. I thought they were my friends, but I thought wrong. They blamed me for things I didn't do. So please, I need something to take the pain away,"

"You refuse to forgive your friends. I am the god of order and justice. And I would like to do my job. Sure, you saved the world, but I am the ruler here, and I make the decisions."

So much for justice.

"But-"

"Goodbye," he said in closing of our conversation.

I remember being escorted out of the throne room and going down the elevator in the Empire State. I didn't feel different. Stupid Zeus.

But as I walked out into the streets of Manhattan, I saw no one. That was unusual. The only one I saw was a woman, beautiful and regal.

She was dressed in a black dress embedded with gems. She had a tempting smile, and her eyes seemed to pull you closer.

"Leo Valdez...just the one I was looking for."

Everything went black.

~Ariana's POV~

"Where would he go?!" I paced around the Hermes cabin, which was empty, considering everyone was at the campfire but me, Annabeth, Percy, some girl named Piper, and Leo's girlfriend (shocking, right?) Calypso. Nico was sitting on a bed far away from us, lost in thought.

"This is like Leo. He's hot tempered...pun not intended. When he gets mad, he gets really mad, because he normally doesn't get mad. He puts on his happy face for us."

Calypso went on with her inspirational speech while I thought.

"Wait, shouldn't we send some kind of search party for him or something?" Percy interrupted. Calypso blushed a little. Hmmm...I would have to figure them out later.

I looked around. They all looked so casual, not counting Calypso and Percy, who looked sad in a childish kind of way.

"Percy, why do you look sad? Shouldn't you be worried?"

"He's my buddy! We..." he lowered his voice sheepishly. "We listen to Set Fire to the Rain by Adele together..."

Finally something I could laugh about. In fact, we all laughed, even Calypso. "What? This isn't funny!" Percy said as he stifled a giggle.

These people were a little strange to me. But they seemed trustworthy. I felt different than I ever had felt before. I had opened up. I felt more free.

I felt like a whole new person. Usually, I would be trying not to be seen, but now...I had to be a hero.

"Guys, what about the quest? Nico can't-" I stopped myself. Did I just tell him? Oh, no.

Suddenly Nico piped up. He ran to me. "What?" He grabbed my arm and jerked me towards him. "Tell me," he hissed in an angry voice. I was frightened, and tried to pull away, but his scrawny arm was surprisingly strong at the moment.

"I can't say," I said.

He moved closer angrily. He was inches away from my face, his eyes gold.

"Nico, stop! What is wrong with you, man?!" Percy sat up and shoved him away.

"I-I have to go," I said as I pushed open the door. I heard them calling for me. But I didn't care.

I went to the campfire and grabbed Vanessa from a log. "We need to go, now. We need to find Leo for the quest; Nico is already being possessed.

"Possessed?! What?!" She said as I dragged her to the lake. I had hidden a bag there full of the necessities, since I practically lived there. I took the bag from behind my tree and slung it over my shoulder. "Let's go," I said.

Vanessa followed me to the camp entrance, where I looked back and wondered if I would regret my decision.

"Ariana!" Percy called as he marched up the hill.

I ran. Vanessa ran, too. I had to get away.

I ran to the bottom of Half Blood Hill to find a woman, in regal, black robes.

"Hello, mother," I said, emotionless.

"Ariana," she said. She sounded a little muffled. "I know you want your little friend, but to find him, you will have to get my apple. Bring me the apple, and your friend will be released. You have three days. Now, the Apple is in the place of the Olympians residence-Olympus, of course."

~MWAHAHAHAHA MESSAGE~

I HAVENT BEEN HERE IN AWHILE

~Isabel