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Jason
It had been only a few weeks since the seven of us led two united demigod camps to victory against Gaea, since Leo had sacrificed himself to save us all. I still blamed myself. Some might say it’s selfish to hide from everyone, but I didn’t care anymore. The prophecy said storm or fire, and he knew that. The only other option was storm, me, Son of Jupiter, Jason Grace. I was the only other option. I was supposed to die. He probably thought I would continue living some sort of happy heroic life as the leader everyone thinks I am, but what he didn’t realize was that I don’t even remember how to do that, how to be a leader, how I supposedly led a Roman army, defeating monster after monster. When Hera paid me a visit, she didn’t just take my memories. She took whatever strength I had, whatever confidence, whatever mental stability I had gained over years of quests and wards. She took it all and left behind an empty shell, not a leader.
The last thing I fully remember doing is waking up on a school bus with Leo and Piper. All the demigod stuff starting from me arriving at Camp Jupiter all felt like a life I had dreamed up. It didn’t feel real. That wasn’t my life that was the life of past me, or maybe the life of me in some other universe, some other Jason Grace, a stronger better version of myself. Now, I barely even remember my home life. I know my mom was crazy and Thalia had to care for me as a toddler; I know I was left to die until Lupa found me and raised me as a wolf in her pack, but everything else is a blank slate. Leo thought I could move on and go back to living life like I did before that bus ride, before I met my closest friend. What he didn’t realize was that I didn’t even remember a life before that ride.
I was sitting at the foot of my bed with a book turned to the same page I had been reading the night before. I read the first sentence about a hundred times, “Hercules swung his sword.” I still didn’t know if he killed the monster when Percy walked into my cabin. I knew why he came. He was just coming to ask me to leave the cabin, but I had no intention of leaving any time soon. Unfortunately, Percy seemed to know exactly what I was thinking.
“It’s been almost two weeks since the war, Jason. You have to go out and face everyone soon, rumor is that you killed yourself in here and your corpse is lying in a pool of dried blood on the floor.” I responded to Percy’s attempt at a joke with a groan.
“Let them think that. See how little difference it makes with me dead.”
Percy rolled his eyes, “I have seen it, and it’s not good bro. Piper needs you to come back, we all do.”
Jason considered the statement in silence before replying, “Frank has Hazel, you have Annabeth and in case you didn’t know, Piper and I broke up before the final battle even started, so no Percy, no one needs me.”
“Annabeth is amazing, but I still need my bro. Frank follows Hazel around like a lost puppy, and just because Piper broke up with you does not mean she doesn’t miss you. Both camps could use a good leader right now. Nearly everyone lost a friend in the war Jason. They are still upset too. If you talk to them as someone who understands what they are going through, you could really help them. You're good at helping people. You like helping people, and the praetors can only do so much.”
He looked upset when he said it, as if he was the one who had lost his best friend to a crazy earth goddess. I saw him check his watch before jumping up to leave, but I wasn’t ready for him to go yet.
“Late to another date with Annabeth? Dude, you better watch it. She can be scary when she wants to.”
Percy smirked at that, “No actually, the oracle gave me another quest this morning. It’s minor, but I’m leaving tomorrow, and I still need to pack all my anti-death by monster stuff into a duffel bag so.”
Jason interrupted, his expression returning to serious, “What kind of quest?”
“I need to ask Annabeth to explain it to me after I pack. Poems still confuse me. I’m dyslexic.”
“What’s the prophecy?”
“I wrote it down somewhere, hold on.” After pulling out a few pencils, a pocketknife, some textbooks, and a bag of what looked to be the remains of Sally’s famous cookies, now a few blue crumbs, Percy finally pulled out a very crumpled up piece of paper and started reading.
Two boys shall venture on their own
To change the fate of their last quest
Fire never found Hade's home
There never was a final breath
Water and storm will go at first light
Where one has been, and one has not
The goddess is gone like a thief in the night
Leaving only one clue to where it is hot
Fire found it not once but twice
The island where she was left behind
Storm and water will turn to ice
Water escapes while storm turns blind
Not giving up on finding their friend
Together they go back to the start
Where storm and fire nearly met their end
They will escape but torn apart
“So that’s why you really came to see me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The quest, water and storm will go at first light,” Percy just stared at him quizzically, “seriously Percy, Annabeth was right you really are as oblivious as you look.”
“Oh.” Percy let out when he realized what Jason was saying.
“I will just go, Jason. I've survived monsters and stuff alone before.”
“Really, name one time.” Jason made sure the question came out with a sarcastic tone, careful to keep the fear out of his voice.
“When I still went to school. My teacher was a monster.”
“Your best friend was a satyr, and your other teacher was a centaur.”
“Okay, when I was on that quest to save Annabeth, and Grover was back at camp.”
“You were with Tyson and Clarisse.”
“Fair point, what about the time...”
“Forget it, Percy. You can’t go on a quest alone,” Jason interrupted. “That’s why the prophecies always mention at least three people.”
“Well, what do you want me to do? You know it is suicide for anyone not mentioned in the prophecy to go on the quest.”
“I know.”
“So, I will just go alone,” seeing the unsure look Jason was giving him, he stuttered on, “I’ll be fine,” and shuffled out the door.
About an hour since Percy had left, and Jason hadn’t stopped pacing. He had been thinking about what Percy’s prophecy had said, specifically the lines about fire, and the line where it said there never was a final breath. Reading it over one last time, he quickly packed his backpack and after triple checking that his coin was in his pocket, made his way to the Poseidon cabin.
Jason stood in the dark at the door of his uncle’s cabin for what felt like forever before he finally knocked. He could hear drawers being slammed shut and things being thrown around, then as soon as the noise stopped Percy opened the door looking slightly dismantled.
“Sorry for the... Jason what are you...”
“Just please shut up. I don’t want the others to know I’m here.”
“Okay, chill out, so why are you here?”
“Do you really think I am going to let you go on that quest without me?” Jason laughed nervously to himself.
Percy grinned at the statement but was still confused as to what changed his friend's mind so suddenly. He hadn’t seen Jason this excited in weeks. “Of course not, but why so ready for a quest all the sudden? You didn’t look so happy when I told you about it earlier.”
“Percy, I think Leo is alive.”
Percy sighed, “Jason, you saw what happened in the war, Leo, he...”
“No, listen to me. I didn’t believe it either at first, but I have been thinking about what the prophecy said, and I know, it is saying Leo’s alive.”
Percy sighed, assuming his desperate friend had convinced himself of something crazy, “how do you figure?
“The prophecy said it, Percy. If you don’t trust me, trust the oracle. It says we can change the fate of our last quest. Our last quest was the prophecy of the seven, and its fate was Leo dying, but the new prophecy said there wasn’t a final breath!” Percy’s face started to turn pale. Jason’s voice grew louder and sped up as he kept going, “okay so we have to go to a place where only one of us has been, somewhere with a goddess. All I could think of was Lupa; she is basically goddess of the wolves.”
“Dude, slow down. I think you might be right, but not about the wolves. I know where we need to go.” Percy’s head was spinning as he thought to himself, “could Leo really be alive?”
By the time he had convinced Percy of his theory the sun was beginning to rise. Percy was glad Jason was coming on the quest with him but didn’t want him to be disappointed if Leo never showed up, “Are you sure about this?”
Jason replied with more enthusiasm than he had shown in weeks, “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Jason
It was five in the morning when they got on the boat. Jason insisted they left before the others woke up, and Percy didn’t want to risk him changing his mind for the second time. Jason was holding firm to his decision until he was forced onto the smallest, most rotted boat he had ever seen. Percy insisted that they needed to travel that way to find the goddess in the prophecy. Being a son of Jupiter, the ocean, part of Neptune’s realm, was not an ideal place to be. The environment itself seemed to want to take out any relative of Jupiter or Zeus. It was no surprise Jason hadn’t left the side of the boat since they had set off out of fear that the second he stepped away he would need to throw up over the side again. Percy on the other hand looked more alive than ever. His whole being practically glowed as he steered the ship by controlling the waves around it. “Why won't you just tell me where we are going?” Jason had been on the water for too long.
“I’m not quite sure where, but it would explain why you had to come on this part of the quest.”
“What do you mean you don’t know where?” Jason’s voice rose.
“Well, no one knows where Ogypia really is. You kinda have to just, well you know run into it.”
“Ogypia!” Jason’s eyes became huge as his voice rose. “How are we gonna find Ogypia if you've already been there!”
Percy was getting annoyed. “You haven’t been there!”
“Man, I’m sorry this stupid boat is making me insane.”
“Your good. Just expect it from me if we ever have to fly somewhere.”
After another few sick hours Jason woke up to a jolt as Percy directed their boat onto the shore. “We made it! I can’t believe that worked! I’m here again!”
“Jason stood up with a grunt, “thank the Gods.”
Percy swung on his backpack and stepped out onto the sand, “Calypso! Calypso!” Percy waited a minute before giving up. “Usually she’s here, or she’s supposed to be. Maybe the gods finally let her go, so anyways, what’s the plan?”
They hiked around for hours before they saw it, “Percy, did you do that?”
“Do what?” Then he saw what Jason was looking at, a massive pillar of ice in the middle of an island where it had to be at least ninety degrees. “No, I didn’t.”
After examining the pillar, the only thing they found was a bracelet. It was made of shells and had an incredibly intricate design. “That’s Calypso’s bracelet.”
“How do you know?” Jason was disappointed it wasn’t a clue to who made the pillar.
“I've been here before remember.” Percy’s voice sounded aggravated.
Jason stuttered, “well, whoever was here clearly took her too.”
“Okay, so any ideas?” His voice rose.
“Actually, I think I might. Can I see the prophecy?”
It was dark and colder now, so before Percy got out the paper, they decided to make a fire. Finally calmed down and warm again he took out some food to share and the prophecy and handed it to Jason.
“There!”
“There what?”
“It has to be her.”
“Has to be who?” Percy was starting to get annoyed again.
“Back to the start, where storm and fire nearly met their end, it has to be Khione’s kingdom.”
“You mean the crazy ice lady that attacked the Argo!” Percy stood up and joined Jason in his pacing.
“Yup.”
Percy groaned, “really, her of all people.”
“Hey, you think I want to go back there? Last time, I was on a quest looking for Hera, my evil stepmom, who happens to be the most annoying goddess on the planet, I almost got turned into an ice cube and was sent back to the Wolf House!”
Seeing Jason was clearly frustrated Percy reassured him, “let’s just get some sleep we’ll get Little Miss Ice Queen tomorrow.”
Jason laughed out loud at Percy’s new nickname for the goddess. “You know you were on the water to long when you start laughing at Percy’s jokes.”
“Hey! Percy had the most sarcastic grin on his face as he rested his head on his bag and muttered goodnight to Jason who was already snoring a few feet away against a tree.
“Rise and shine Fish Face!” Percy jumped from the bed he had made himself out of sand the night before and groaned, “Fish Face?”
“Jason chuckled, “it’s the first thing that came to my head. Now come on, we’ve got to find an ice goddess.”
Percy was more awake now, “you do know we’ll have to take a boat again, right?”
“Yeah, whatever, let’s go. I already packed your stuff.”
Percy smirked and shook his head in response, “okay.”
After another long day of hacking over the side of the boat, Jason spotted the tower of ice. “There it is. That’s Khione’s castle.”
“You sure? It looks like Elsa’s, straight out of Frozen.” Percy stared.
“Positive; can’t wait to get off this thing.”
They hit the shore with a jolt causing Jason to have to puke for the hundredth time as he jumped out of the boat. Due to his sea legs, he didn’t make it very far and collapsed as soon as he stepped out onto the icy shore.
Percy awkwardly squatted down next to him, “You good bro?”
Still on the ground and out of breath he tried to respond, “dizzy, one sec.”
After some of the nausea went away Jason carefully stood up hands out to keep his balance, “I’m good now. Let’s go get Leo.”
Percy walked next to him worried he would fall again, “You sure?”
Jason nodded his head in response, as they kept walking slowly towards the castle of ice.
“Great.” Jason threw up his arms in frustration upon seeing the guards. “I love these guys.”
“Met them before? They don’t look like much.”
“There not anything but annoying by themselves, but they won’t ever fight us alone.”
“Well doesn’t matter. We have the advantage. It’s windy enough and everything is made of water." Percy shrugged.
Jason raised his eyebrow, “advantage over a goddess whose power comes from the cold, who can shoot ice out of her hands?”
“Okay, so we both have an advantage.”
“Not enough going for us though. There’s got to be a way to sneak in.”
Percy
“This has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever done.” Percy was hanging on to Jason's neck for dear life as he jumped from tip to tip of the icebergs making their way up the palace.
“I highly doubt it.”
“Highly?”
“Wasn’t on purpose.”
“Sure,” Percy replied unamused.
After about 15 minutes of covering his eyes and trying not to hold his breath, Percy let out a sigh of relief when Jason put him down on the balcony of the top floor, “THANK THE GODS.”
“Shhh,” Jason rolled his eyes while trying not to let out a laugh.
“Sorry, so now that we’re up here, what’s the plan?”
“Well, the throne room is on the level below, so if we can get rid of the guards up here without causing too much chaos hopefully, we can just walk right in.”
“Something tells me it’s not gonna be that easy.”
Percy knew something was off the second he stepped into the palace. Instead of feeling the surge of energy and power he felt outside, the usual feeling he felt when surrounded by his element, he started to feel drained. From the look on Jason’s face, he could tell he felt it too. No guards were present in the room, it was completely empty apart from a singular mirror in the corner of the room. Percy watched as Jason made his way over to it. At first his friend just looked curious, but suddenly he became stiff, and his movements became soldier like.
“Jason?” Percy called to him as he began to cross the room walking quicker and eventually jogging, but it felt as if some supernatural force was pulling him back. He felt as if the room was bigger, or like he was moving in slow motion until eventually he couldn’t go any further. He was frozen, forced to sit back and watch as his friend marched closer and closer to the mirror, entranced. “Jason.” “Dude! Jason!”
Jason
Jason couldn’t hear him. The sound in the room all faded out. He didn’t know why he needed to get to the mirror, only felt that his quest would be complete if he did. At first, he tried to fight it, realizing he was being pulled in. Seeing the trap he had gotten himself into, he tried to walk away, even to take a step back, but it was like his own body was fighting against him as he continued to walk forward, towards the mirror. That’s when he saw it. Out of the corner of his eye he looked into the mirror, into those eyes he used to know so well, the eyes of his best friend. “Leo?” This was all it took for him to give in, to no longer fight the urge to run. He didn’t know why Leo was in the mirror, but he knew if he only could make it there everything would be okay again.
Percy
Percy continued to fight desperately to escape whatever force was holding him back from reaching Jason, but when the magic finally let loose it was too late. He reached out desperately but still too far away as Jason made it to the mirror. Percy watched as he reached out to grasp thin air as the mirror shattered into shards of glass by the same unknown force that had been holding him back only seconds before. He dropped to the floor, successfully dodging the shards as they came flying towards him. Jason, holding his head, just being let out of a trance, was not so lucky. Percy ran towards him as he cried out in pain moving his hands from his head to his face and collapsing onto his knees.
“Jason!” Percy went into auto pilot as he knelt beside him trying to assess the damage. It didn’t look good. Jason’s limbs were all covered in cuts and one gash on his leg looked deep. Percy first took out his ambrosia and attempted to hand it to Jason who was still covering his face and gritting his teeth to keep quiet. “Come on man, this will help I promise.” Percy removed Jason’s hands from his face gently and couldn’t contain his gasp. Jason’s face and hands were completely covered in blood, but the blood wasn’t the worst part. It was his eyes. They were full of blood turning the whites of his eyes a scarlet color. Where tears would usually be falling drops of blood streamed out. Percy had to hold in a gag as he tried to process what he was seeing and how he could help. He placed the ambrosia in Jason’s hands and tore off the sleeve of his shirt as he prayed the ambrosia would help at least with the pain. He seemed to calm down slightly after swallowing, so Percy began to wrap his sleeve around the wound in Jason’s leg.
Jason barely even reacted when he pulled the cloth tight to tie it around his calf, which concerned Percy more than if he would've cried out. Instead, he placed his hands back over his eyes and took them off repetitively as if hoping the pain would go away each time, he took them away. “Percy,” Jason muttered. “I can’t see.” Percy didn’t know what to say to this. He should've assumed that was the case upon seeing the state of his friend’s eyes but had not allowed himself to even consider that he was right until Jason told him so himself. “Okay. We can work with this.” Percy was reassuring himself as much as he was Jason. “You've just got to hang in there okay. You've been stabbed a couple times before, so this is nothing.” “Yeah.” Jason replied. After Percy, with the help of ambrosia, finished cleaning up the cuts and blood covering Jason, he helped him up and draped his arm over his shoulder.
“You have to get Leo first.” Jason sounded angry, but the anger wasn’t really at Percy. He was frustrated with himself for altering their quest. “How? We don’t even know where he is if he’s even here, and how am I supposed to leave you like this.”
“I can still swing a sword.”
“You can’t see a sword coming.” Percy let out a big breath, also getting frustrated with their situation.
“I’ll come with you then. I can walk fine; you’ll just have to direct me.” Jason sounded embarrassed about his newfound weakness, used to being the independent leader on his quests, but let go of Percy to show he could still walk all the same. “See I’m fine. Where to?”
Percy resentfully walked down the stairs as slow as Jason, being his stubborn self would allow, holding onto his forearm. “Almost there.”
“Hallelujah.”
“Where’s the throne room?” Percy realized Jason being the only one who had been there before could be a problem.
“Big door, Diamond design on the front, probably a guard on each side.” Jason gasped as Percy quickly pulled him to lean against a wall.
“Found it. Two guards like you said. Didn’t want them to see us, sorry.”
“All good. What’s the plan?” Jason took a step back, realizing he wouldn’t be much help in coming up with a solution when he couldn’t even see the problem.
“You stay here. I take out the two guards. Then I check the throne room for Leo and come back to get you.”
“You can’t go in that throne room by yourself.”
“No offense Jason, but you're not gonna be much help in the state you're in. Not to mention you’ll end up hurting yourself worse.”
Percy took off for the guards while Jason tried to think of a way he could help as he crept closer to the action, feeling along the wall and staying low. “I've got it.” He whispered as soon as Percy had knocked out both guards. Jason waited until he could no longer hear fighting before speaking up. “I will go in first and talk to Khione while you look for Leo. I can keep her talking for a while without her knowing anything is wrong. I’ll make sure to look towards where her voice is coming from. Maybe I can even get her to tell me where he is.”
Percy knew it was suicide to go in there by himself, so he gave in, admitting Jason’s plan could work. “Fine, but as soon as she gets suspicious, we’re both getting out of there.”
“Khione!” Jason shouted powerfully as he entered the huge throne room. The sound echoed as it bounced across the walls.
“Jason Grace? It’s been a long time since I’ve had the displeasure of seeing you.”
“Ahh yes, and me, you.” Jason replied, staring hard towards the voice, standing tall.
“You must be very desperate to risk your life by once again visiting me in my palace, especially considering the last time.”
“You are going to have to remind me of the last time YOU paid ME a visit. How did that go?”
Khione gasped angrily. “You wouldn’t dare come into my palace to speak of such things. What do you want. Make it quick. I've never wanted to freeze a demigod so badly in my lifetime.”
“Well, if you insist, I am looking for someone whom I believe you have. Someone by the name of Leo Valdez.”
“I figured as much, though I’m not sure why you would come back for him. Such a nuisance that one was.”
“So, you do have him?” Jason tried to keep his voice authoritative, doing his best to hold in his excitement.
“Yes. He makes a very ugly sculpture but goes for a very high price.”
“What’s your offer?”
“No young demigod, I want to hear yours first.”
“Money?”
“What would I want of that?”
“Well then what are you looking for?” Jason was getting frustrated.
“A sculpture for a more powerful sculpture. That’s the only fair price.”
Percy
Percy listened to their conversation as he quietly crept around the throne room, and he had to admit, Jason was good. He didn’t sound like he was in pain at all. If anything, he sounded more powerful than usual. He just hoped Khione thought the same. Percy finally made his way to the huge space behind the platform of Khione’s massive throne and was immediately overwhelmed by the number of sculptures. Jason had warned him before they got there of the shear amount of people, she had frozen. It reminded him all too well of his first quest where he had paid a visit to Medusa’s Garden. He walked quickly between unorganized rows of sculptures scanning them for any sign of Leo when suddenly he stopped, overhearing Khione’s statement, “a sculpture for a more powerful sculpture.” He prayed Jason would be able to distract her for a little while longer as he picked up his pace to jog, still making sure to check every sculpture.
“What exactly are you suggesting?” Percy continued to listen to Jason’s conversation. He could almost hear the thoughts racing through Jason’s head as he tried to stall the conversation while keeping up a strong front.
“A child of one of the big three, like yourself, though I wouldn’t be opposed to Perseus or Diangelo.” The look on Jason’s face must have spoken for him. “I don’t usually make deals with lower powers Grace. You should be grateful. I even gave you options.” She smiled, giggling like a young schoolgirl about to get a new toy.
The amusement in her voice made Percy want to snap one of the sculptures in half. “Where is Leo?” Percy was getting frustrated, knowing Jason’s time was running out.
Jason
Khione was making it nearly impossible for Jason to contain himself. Percy needed to hurry up. “So do people usually just agree to whatever you ask?”
“Not always, but the ones who disagree I make sure never have the chance to do so again.”
“Statues?”
“Of course, Grace, now quit stalling.”
“You really need to get more creative in your punishments.” Jason was running out of options.
“Deal or no deal Grace? I can assure you that these insults are going to do nothing but hurt you.”
“Are they hurting your pride?” Jason gave up on sounding authoritative. He was desperate, so he decided to try and follow Percy’s example and use sarcasm.
“Deal or no deal?” Khione gritted her teeth. It took everything in her not to just freeze him on the spot.
“Fine, you can have me, but only if you allow me to watch as you free Leo first. I want to see him unfrozen, and out of your palace, so that I know you have kept up your end of the bargain.”
Percy
Percy was down to his last two rows of statues when he heard Jason agree to the deal. He knew it was coming, but still was frustrated with Jason when he agreed to give himself up. He picked up his pace to sprint, trying his best to still check every statue, hoping he didn’t pass over Leo in a rush. Turning the corner into the last row, Percy saw him. Leo was frozen with his hands covering his face as if defending himself from a punch. He had on what looked to be a wrinkled long sleeve and worn-out jeans with work boots, and his hair was tussled as if he had just gotten out of bed. Percy stood in front of the statue as he tried to contemplate how he was going to get Leo out of there, when suddenly he heard Jason cry out as if he had been struck. He then heard Khione laugh to herself. “So that you don’t try anything Grace. I’ll be right back with Valdez.”
Percy drug Leo’s frozen body across the floor as quickly as he could. He pulled some water up from the icy floor so he would slide faster, but it still wasn’t quick enough. He jumped behind another statue, leaving Leo in the middle of a row just in time to see Khione grab onto Leo’s elbow, dragging the sculpture as if it weighed nothing at all. “WHO IS WITH YOU GRACE?”
Percy sprinted over to hide directly behind Khione’s throne, making sure not to be spotted on the way. Still hidden, he watched helplessly as she struck Jason again, this time by throwing Leo’s frozen figure at him, knocking his already barely standing body over. “Who is it, Grace?” Khione growled. “No one is with me.” She struck him again, knocking the wind out of him so he couldn’t cry out. “WHO IS IT?”
“Why does it matter to you. You get what you want either way, and you're not scared of lower powers.”
“Grace, I swear to you, if another one of your little demigod friends is in this room, you will both join Valdez in decorating.”
Percy clenched his fists together waiting for her to give in to Jason’s deal and unfreeze Leo so he could help them get out of here. Just as he began to worry, she was too stubborn to give in, He heard Jason’s bold remark. “Keep your side of the deal, or I swear on the Stynx you will pay for not keeping your word.”
Khione did one last scan of the room before sighing angrily and giving in. “Fine.”
Percy watched as Leo’s body began to thaw. First his arms and legs began to loosen up as he fell flat on his back, revealing his face. Next, his chest began to rise and fall first slowly, and then at a normal pace. Finally, his face regained color, and his eyes began to blink rapidly. Percy wished Jason could see this. He was the only one who believed it would ever really happen. Percy watched in awe as Leo, who days ago he had thought was dead, sat up and looked around the room confused. Spotting the blonde attempting his best to stand a few feet from him Leo asked doubtfully, “Jason?”
Jason, hearing Leo’s voice could not contain a smile. “Yeah, it’s me Leo.” Tears fell from both of their eyes and the current situation was forgotten as Leo ran over to embrace his friend. He gasped and stepped back right before reaching him, however, when he got a good look at Jason’s face for the first time in weeks. He saw the redness of his eyes, and realized his focus was everywhere, but in the direction, he was coming from. He took another step, embracing him, while looking up angrily at Khione, eyes shooting daggers. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?”
“He did it to himself really. Now Grace, it is time to keep up your end of the bargain.”
“You haven’t finished yours.” Jason stepped away from Leo, nearly collapsing without support. Leo stood there confused as to why his friend had stepped back and what was taking place when he felt himself being lifted from the ground. Jason and Percy watched as he moved through the air and out the window of the throne room. It was as if he was in a soundproof bubble that lowered him gently down to the snowy ground outside of the palace. He screamed out Jason’s name, but he could tell by the way the sound echoed so tightly around him that he could not be heard by his friend.
“Done. Now it’s your turn.” As Khione stared at Jason’s crippled figure, contemplating what pose would complement the décor in the throne room the best, Percy quietly made his way over to her. He was a few yards behind her when she sensed his presence and whipped herself around in an uproar. “Perseus Jackson, what a pleasure to make your acquaintance once again. Why have one son of the big three when I can have two!”
Percy did his best to use the element around him, sending shards of ice flying at her face. She caught them sending them straight back at him as he got his sword ready. He sliced the shards just before they reached his chest and began to swing his sword more towards her waist. Jason took this time to sneak up behind her, hovering near her back, waiting for a good moment to strike. He could feel the small gust of wind as she began to move again to strike Percy, so he swung his sword at that same spot. He listened, satisfied when he heard her cry out. Percy took this as an opportunity to strike again and plunged his sword into her chest. The goddess then collapsed to the floor and her breath began to show in the air as it grew slower.
Percy then took hold of Jason’s arm and dragged him to the window. “You're gonna have to fly us down, I’ll tell you where to go. Just take it slow,” Percy said, trying not to sound nervous.
“Okay. Don’t crash us please.” Jason didn’t hide his nerves.
“Okay, like fifteen feet below you is the edge of the first floor.” Percy was hanging on for dear life, and wanted more than anything to close his eyes, but he knew that wasn’t an option if he wanted to survive.
“That was more like twelve feet.” Jason let out a breath as they landed on the ledge. It was less smooth than his usual landings, but still gentle enough.
“Well soooorry. I don’t spend too much time in the air superman.” Percy laughed as they made their way down to ground level.
“Never thought I’d say this about flying, but glad that’s over.”
“I always say this, but I hate flying.”
They both laughed, mostly out of relief that they were both alive. After laughing until they could barely breathe, Jason pulled himself together, remembering why they were there in the first place. “Where’s Leo?”
“She couldn’t have let him down too far. I just hope he didn’t try to go back for us.”
“LEO!” Percy shouted, taking hold of Jason’s forearm again, now walking side by side rather than dragging him. Jason hovered next to him to keep himself from tripping in an unseen hole or over a ledge. They took turns yelling his name. “LEO!” “LEO!”
After a few more minutes of this they finally heard a reply, “JASON!” “LEO!”
“I see him! Come on!”
“PERCY?” Leo yelled out in question. Where were you before?” Leo questioned as he came to stand at Jason’s side, offering him support once again.
“Behind the throne. Had to wait for the perfect time. Sorry man.”
“Nah are you kidding. Thanks for coming for me guys! I was getting sick of ice. I mean seriously, EVERYTHING was made of ice, even me.” Leo let out a chuckle. “Speaking of, let’s get out of here!”
LEO
Together they flew out Percy on blackjack, Jason and Leo following behind on Tempest. “Thanks guys.” Percy stated as Blackjack lowered him onto the ground of the woods outside of Camp Halfblood. After Jason and Leo expressed their thanks, they began to make their way to camp, Percy reaching out for Jason’s forearm once again, and Leo leaving him to it, figuring he knew more about the situation. Besides, He was only good at helping machines. People were NOT his specialty.
“So, how’d you know where I was?” Leo hated awkward silence.
“Quest.” Percy stated tiredly.
“How’d you know I was alive?”
“Didn't.” Percy said almost nervously. “Jason knew though.”
“How?”
“I knew you wouldn’t go down that easy I guess,” Jason smirked.
“Easy! Getting blown up while riding a dragon is easy to you!” Leo’s sarcastic tone lifted the mood and they all laughed, as Percy opened the gate, and they entered camp.
Percy guided Jason straight to the infirmary as Leo waited outside the door for him, wanting to know what had happened to his friend. When Percy stepped out of the room Leo greeted him with a command, “so now you gotta tell me what happened.”
They walked out of the infirmary leaving Jason in the hands of Will, as they made their way to the Poseidon cabin, Leo receiving many shocked and startled looks on the way. “People were looking at me like they're seeing a ghost.”
“We all thought you were dead Leo. To them they are.” Percy stated solemnly as he threw down his bag and collapsed onto his bed.
“So, what happened to Jason?” Leo asked, concern written all over his face.
Percy looked back at him with what Leo thought looked like guilt. “When we got to her palace there was a mirror and it put him in some sort of weird trance, drawing him to it, and I was stuck moving in slow motion by whatever magic was in there. I couldn’t stop him, so the mirror shattered and shot shards of glass towards him before he even touched it. He had a bad cut on his leg, but the ambrosia helped with that at least a little. His eyes though,” Percy paused unable to unsee what he saw in that moment when Jason removed his hands from his face. “The glass must have got to them too. They were full of blood. He can’t see anything. That stupid goddess blinded him, and I don’t know if any amount of ambrosia or medicine can help.”
“It’s not your fault Percy. You were trapped too.” Leo said, still scarred by the image of Jason’s blue, turned red eyes in his head.
“I shouldn’t have let him come on the quest. The prophecy told me it would happen.”
Leo looked back up at him and away from the deadbolt he had been fidgeting with, confused. “What do you mean?”
“It said water escapes, but storm turns blind.”
“No way for you to know. Prophecies are usually not literal. Usually, they're a confusing jumble of rhyming words that mean something completely different than what you’d think.”
“I guess.” Percy muttered as he put away the last of his clothes.
“I’m going to see Jason now. You should come. I’m sure he’d be glad to see you're okay too.” Leo tried to reassure him.
“I’m gonna finish this first, but I’ll meet you there.” Percy still sounded solemn.
PERCY
Percy was frustrated as he slid down to sit against the wall. Annabeth, always in perfect time, chose this moment to barge into the room. “Perseus Jackson! You get back from a quest and don’t even stop in to let me know you’re okay!” She was about to go on when she noticed the sad expression on his face. Her tone turned soft as she slid down the wall next to him. “What’s wrong Seaweed Brain?”
“Jason’s blind, Annabeth.” Percy sounded completely numb. His sentence completely monotone.
“What do you mean he’s blind?” Annabeth asked nervously.
“I mean he can't see. I couldn’t stop him. I brought him on the quest, and now he can’t freaking see!” Percy’s voice rose, angry with himself.
Annabeth grabbed his hand pulling him towards herself as a tear fell rolled down his face. “Not your fault Perce. No way you could've stopped fate. You know that.”
“I was stuck. I watched it happen, and I couldn’t move.”
“Annabeth squeezed his hand to console him. “Not your fault. Jason knows that too.”
Sitting in that same position it only took a few minutes for Percy, mentally and physically exhausted as he was, to fall asleep as Annabeth continued to hold him close to herself, hoping to offer some comfort. He woke up a little over an hour later, to Annabeth saying, “Jason’s asking for you.”
LEO
Leo jogged over to the medical tent, excited and nervous to see Jason. When he got there, he was greeted by a son of apollo in what looked like a lab coat. “Will wants to check you out when he’s done with Jason. I’ll let him know you're here.”
“I just want to see Jason.” He was annoyed by the delay.
“I guess you could just come with me to talk to him,” the young apollo kid replied.
“Thanks.”
As they made their way to the back of the surprisingly large tent, Leo continued to fidget with the screws and bolts in his pocket. Lost in his thoughts, he almost ran into the kid when he stopped abruptly to direct him, “to the left.”
The room was eerily quiet, with nothing in it but a bed and a small table. Jason appeared to be deep in thought sitting on the edge of the bed facing the wall. Nothing seemed different about him until he turned around pulled out of his thoughts, hearing his name. “Jason?” He had gauze taped carefully over each of his eyes.
“Did Will check you yet?” Jason sounded concerned.
“No, but...”
Jason interrupted, “What about Percy?”
“I’m fine superman, and so’s Percy. Look out for yourself for once okay.” Leo rolled his eyes. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m alright, just glad you’re back.” Hios voice picked up saying this. “Tell Piper told you so for me, would you.” He chuckled.
“I will.” Leo smiled “Right after you tell me what the great Jason Grace has been up to since his hilarious, good-looking, partner in crime died.”
“Well, I’d assume Percy already told you I didn’t leave my room very often. Everyone lost so many people, and I didn’t want to move on without even looking for you. No one ever found your body, so I wasn’t gonna just assume you were dead like everyone else if you could be out there somewhere and needed help. I tried just about every lead I had, but none of them got me anywhere until Percy came in and told me about his prophecy.”
Leo nodded, “he was telling me about that.”
After about ten minutes, Jason finally ended the tale of their quest saying, “and now we’re all here.”
“So, you killed her? Like without a God?” Leo asked in awe.
“I hope so.” Jason said. “How long were you stuck there? What did she do to you?”
“I don’t know exactly how long I was there, just that I heard Calypso’s voice singing, then crying out for help, so I went. Almost caught myself to, but it was like I couldn’t control my limbs.” He shivered thinking of the feeling. “Horrible feeling not being in control of your own body. Anyways, next thing I know, I’m an icicle, and then you showed up.”
“Calypso helped me look for you for the first week. She was heartbroken after all our leads kept falling through, thinking you were gone. I tried to reassure her, but she was to upset. I think she went to stay with Rachael.”
“I’ll have to go see her later.” Leo said zoned out.
“What are you thinking?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re always thinking something.” Jason smirked.
Leo turned to look at his friend, whose head was turned towards him. “I’m thinking about how I can fix this one, but I don’t know how.” His voice cracked on the last word, trying to pull himself together to find a solution.
Jason beckoned him over to his side, tapping the place next to him on the bed. Leo hesitated before crossing the room and sitting down next to Jason who reached his arm around Leo’s small figure, to place his hand on his shoulder. “You can’t fix everything Leo. Some problems aren’t meant to be solved.”
“I know Superman, but I’m still gonna try.”
Percy
They were still sitting on the edge of the bed discussing and laughing at everything from camp food to Dionysus tripping into last week’s campfire when Percy entered. “Hey guys. Care if I join?”
“The more the merrier.” Leo said, still laughing imagining Dionysus’s shocked face.
“Yeah, come on Perce.” Jason had a huge grin on his face as he turned his head towards the door. Seeing the gauze over his eyes, the guilty feeling crept back up Percy’s spine, but the guilty thoughts were quickly replaced with a much more pleasant one. “When was the last time he had saw Jason this happy?” Pulled back out of his head, Percy went and joined them sitting on the other side of Jason. “So, how are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling great Percy, honestly.” He sounded sincere.
“What’d Will say?” Percy was scared to hear the answer, but he had to ask.
“He said he hasn’t seen anything like it before. He told me my eyes are still bright red, like they were just struck, but by now they should be either improving or dried up for good. He also said that he’s never seen an eye injury that completely covered up the color of a person’s eyes until this one.”
The guilty feeling resurfaced as quickly as it went away before, “Sorry Jay.”
“Not your fault Percy. I was stupid to fall for whatever spell that was.”
“Yeah, but I shouldn’t have told you to come.” Percy sighed.
“You didn’t tell me to come.” Jason laughed, just happy his search for Leo was finally over.
Jason continued to laugh out of pure exhaustion. Nothing was funny, but eventually the other two boys couldn’t contain themselves. They continued Leo and Jason’s conversation from before, this time Percy pitching in with his sarcastic comments, and they stayed like that until it got dark. They would've kept going too, but Will sent Percy and Leo back to their cabins saying the three of them were laughing too loud and the other patients were trying to sleep.