Ballad of Jason Grace ||Heroes of Olympus||

7. A LIGHTSHOW

FRANK

"Wow she looks way different without the skull makeup on." Leo whispered to Frank as Aurora and Piper came into the mess hall. It was true, She had the type of beauty men went to war over. If she had claimed to be a daughter of Aphrodite he wouldn't have questioned it. All kids of Aphrodite were blessed with beauty, Piper for one could attest to that, Piper was beautiful like a lake in the middle of the forest. Aurora was beautiful like plum blossoms in the snow. She reminded Frank of those pictures of Chinese Goddesses floating on clouds in sheer billowing robes and ribbons that his Grandmother had hanging around the house. Her hair was jet black, long, and slightly way. Her skin was so bright and healthy it nearly glowed. Her features were soft like rolling hills, and her lips were naturally pouty and appeared to be stained a soft pink that made it look like she just ate cherries.

"Get yourself a girl like that." Grandma would say.

"Uh, a Chinese girl?"

"No you fool, A strong independent woman!"

Frank glanced at Hazel and smiled, he silently took her hand in his. A move that might still be too much for a girl who grew up in the 1930's.

She blushed slightly and tightened the grip.

"You can sit here." Piper said pulling up a random chair from who knows where to the table.

"Thanks." Aurora smiled.

Frank thought he saw a slight dimple, but he wasn't sure. Piper sat down and began to explain what happened on the Topeka highway. Apparently they had met Bacchus the god of wine, a person Frank wanted nothing to do with. Gaea had set up a trap and the eidolons had possessed Percy and Jason forcing them to battle.

"Aurora healed them, you should've seen it it's was amazing." Piper remarked, the girl blushed in embarrassment.

"I couldn't just let them die I suppose." She rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"Of course!" Hazel slapped the table, which startled Frank so much that he dropped his burrito."That's what happened to Leo too."

"So it wasn't my fault." Leo exhaled. "I didn't start World War Three. I just got possessed by an evil spirit, that's a relief!"

Just then Annabeth, Percy, and Jason came through the door from the sickbay.

"Hey you guys!" Leo shouted, "I didn't start a war!" He said happily.

"But the Romans don't know that," Annabeth said. "and why would they take our word for it?"

"We could contact Reyna." Jason suggested. "She would believe us."

Aurora glanced between Jason and Piper like one might watch a reality TV show, you could just tell she was enjoying the spectacle.

"You could convince her, Pipes. I know you could."

All the sighs sighed to themselves and shook their heads but Jason didn't seem to notice.

"I could try," She said halfheartedly. "but Octavian is the one we have to worry about. In my dagger blade, I saw him taking control of the Roman crowd. I'm not sure Reyna can stop him."

"She's right." Frank said. "This afternoon when we were scouting, we saw eagles again. They were a long way off, but closing fast. Octavian is on the warpath."

"Octavian is a weasel from Camp Jupiter." Piper explained to Aurora as they went on.

Hazel grimaced. "This is exactly the sort of opportunity Octavian has always wanted. He'll try to seize power. If Reyna objects, he'll say she's soft on the Greeks. As for those eagles...It's like they could smell us."