So we all separated, as if today hadn't happened. I had a bad feeling in my gut, but I decided not to worry anyone about it. Plus, tonight was dedicated to thinking about my part in the prophecy. I had decided to take my mind off of it but I mean, who else was I supposed to tell?
Even though I had slept, it was hurting to keep my eyes open so I slumped down on mine and Leo's bed to think. I closed my eyes and let the fuzzy particles dissolve into a dream. It wasn't one of those nightmarish visions or anything, just a dream. The kind you don't want to wake up from. It was just a montage of all the things I loved in my life – my friends, my family, my (favorite singer), Camp Half Blood. I couldn't help but wonder, why me?
The hyper elf landing on the bed scared me more than awakening and finding dolphin men. Leo kicked his shoes off and climbed under the covers quickly.
"I haven't slept in days, do you mind if I..?"
"I wasn't stopping you." I rolled my eyes and grinned. For a moment we sat in comfortable silence.
He gulped. "Hey, I kind of wanted to talk to someone, but I didn't know how to approach that, you know?"
"About what?" I grabbed a pillow and got comfortable. He shrugged.
"I keep thinking about the whole prophecy thing, y'know? To storm or fire, the world must fall? It's basically saying that I'm gonna end the world."
"I've been thinking about it too. A healer's heart is kind and pure, sent to prevent the greatest war. That's supposed to be me.."
"And you'll do great!" He perked up. "My line is a lot more.. Scary."
"How am I meant to prevent a war? I hate that kind of stuff."
"Like I said, you'll do great. You're, like, the nicest person on this ship. I think you're capable of stopping a whole war."
"If that's the case, let's keep our fingers crossed that the world falls to 'storm'." I gave him a blank look, he winced. "Not funny, alright. Hey, I'll wake you up when we get near Rome, yeah?"
"When is that, may I ask?"
"When I wake you up." He stood up and flicked the lightswitch, engulfing the room in a still, dark silence. I turned over on my side and let my eyes droop closed.
Leo's knuckles rapped on the door making my heart stop in surprise. I climbed out of the bed and detangled my hair to quickly make myself presentable. When I opened the door Leo was no longer there so I ran up the stairs to see the view. The sky was so blue, the day so bright that my eyes squinted immediately upon my descent. The sun rose over the distant hills, so everything below them shone and sparkled like the entire city of Rome had just come out of the car wash. I walked onto the quarter deck and held onto the wooden railings of the side of the ship, lifting myself dangerously over to watch the shimmering waters bounce off each other in a synchronized rhythm far below.
The only word I could use to describe the sight was breathtaking. I felt winded just seeing it. It spread through hills and valleys, jumped over the Tiber with dozens of bridges, and just kept sprawling to the horizon. Streets and alleys zigzagged with no rhyme or reason through quilts of neighborhoods.
Glass office buildings stood next to excavation sites. A cathedral stood next to a line of Roman columns, which stood next to a modern soccer stadium. In some neighborhoods, old stucco villas with red-tiled roofs crowded the cobblestone streets. Everywhere I looked, there were wide piazzas and traffic-clogged streets. Parks cut across the city with a crazy collection of palm trees, pines, junipers, and olive trees, as if Rome couldn't decide what part of the world it belonged to—or maybe it just believed all the world still belonged to Rome.
"We're setting down in that park," Leo announced, pointing to a wide green space dotted with palm trees. "Let's hope the Mist makes us look like a large pigeon or something."
It seemed to work. The Argo II set down in the grassy field and the oars retracted. The noise of traffic was all around, but the park itself was peaceful and deserted. To the left where I stood, a green lawn sloped toward a line of woods. An old villa nestled in the shade of some weird-looking pine trees with thin curvy trunks that shot up thirty or forty feet, then sprouted into puffy canopies. To the right, snaking along the top of a hill, was a long brick wall with notches at the top for archers—maybe a medieval defensive line, maybe Ancient Roman. To the north, about a mile away through the folds of the city, the top of the Colosseum rose above the rooftops, looking just like it did in travel photos. From down below, Jason pointed to the base of the archers' wall, where steps led down into some kind of tunnel. I carefully left the quarter deck and met Jason and Percy on the main deck as everyone else gathered too.
"I think I know where we are," he said. "That's the Tomb of the Scipios."
Percy frowned. "Scipio...Reyna's pegasus?"
"No," Annabeth put in. "They were a noble Roman family, and...wow, this place is amazing."
Jason nodded. "I've studied maps of Rome before. I've always wanted to come here, but..." Nobody bothered finishing that sentence.
"Plans?" Hazel asked. "Nico has until sunset—at best. And this entire city is supposedly getting destroyed today."
"You're right. Annabeth...did you zero in on that spot from your bronze map?"
"Yes," she said carefully. "It's on the Tiber River. I think I can find it, but I should—"
"Take me along," Percy finished. "Yeah, you're right."
Annabeth glared daggers at him. "That's not—"
"Safe," he supplied. "One demigod walking through Rome alone. I'll go with you as far as the Tiber. We can use that letter of introduction, hopefully meet the river god Tiberinus. Maybe he can give you some help or advice. Then you can go on alone from there."
"Fine," Annabeth muttered. "Hazel, now that we're in Rome, do you think you can pinpoint Nico's location?"
Hazel blinked, as if coming out of a trance from watching the Percy/Annabeth Show. I was used to it from my time at camp but it was amusing nonetheless. "Um...hopefully, if I get close enough. I'll have to walk around the city. Frank, would you come with me?"
Frank beamed. "Absolutely."
"And, uh...Leo," Hazel added. "It might be a good idea if you came along too. The fish-centaurs said we'd need your help with something mechanical."
"Yeah," Leo said, "no problem."
Frank's smile turned into something more like Chrysaor's mask. "Then I want Y/N to come too." Everyone went silent. I glanced around, hoping that someone would object but it was clearly obvious that Leo and Frank had some tension and Frank wanted to retaliate back by dragging me along. Everyone else went awkwardly stiff, but Hazel nodded.
Piper drew her knife and set it on the rail. "Jason and I can watch the ship for now. I'll see what Katoptris can show me. But, Hazel, if you guys get a fix on Nico's location, don't go in there by yourselves. Come back and get us. It'll take all of us to fight the giants."
She didn't say the obvious: even all of them together wouldn't be enough, unless they had a god on their side.
"Good idea," Percy said. "How about we plan to meet back here at...what?"
"Three this afternoon?" Jason suggested. "That's probably the latest we could rendezvous and still hope to fight the giants and save Nico. If something happens to change the plan, try to send an Iris-message."
Everyone nodded.
Coach Hedge grunted. "That'll give me time to eat the coconuts—I mean dig the coconuts out of our hull. Percy, Annabeth...I don't like you two going off on your own. Just remember: behave. If I hear about any funny business, I will ground you until the Styx freezes over."
Percy smiled. "We'll be back soon," he promised. "Good luck, everyone."
Leo lowered the gangplank, and Percy and Annabeth were first off the ship.
As Frank, Hazel, Leo and I were all preparing to leave as well (including me needing to change and grab my medkit), Coach Hedge stopped us as well.
He scowled. "The same goes for two." He jabbed a finger at Frank and Hazel. "Y/N, if you notice these two trying to sneak off, I expect you to keep them in line."
I decided to humor him so I nodded intensely. "Oh, of course Coach. No funny business."
So, much like Annabeth and Percy, we descended off the gangplank and hit the solid. grassy ground for the first time in what felt like forever.
➻ AUTHOR's NOTE
I HAD THIS WRITTEN AND FORGOT TO PUBLISH IT OH EM GEE
anyways maybe another one comingggg idk also its gona start getting to the romance part im just taking slowburn a little too seriously lolh ehe bye
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DAYLIGHT ↬ leo valdez x reader
Fanfiction"i once believed love would be burning red; but it's golden like daylight." [Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. A healer's hea...
