An Old Dead Friend Speaks
Percy
I pulled Calypso aside as soon as Chiron dismissed us. "Calypso. Is it really you?" I asked, wondering if she would recognize me.
"Yes, I am Calypso. Have we met?" She cocked her head at me. Well, that answered my question.
"Yes, this might help." I lifted my eyepatch to show her both of my eyes. I changed my clothes to those I had worn when I was on her island.
She gasped. "Perseus?"
"Yeah, it's me." I replaced my eyepatch and changed my clothes again to what they had been before.
"How are you?" She smiled. "What happened after you left Ogygia?"
"I'm good. We eventually defeated Kronos but our friend who hosted Kronos was killed. After that we fought Tartarus and his army, and then Gaea and her army. Did Leo tell who we're facing now?"
"Yes he did. I can help. I do have some Titaness powers. I am not sure how powerful they are, seeing as how I was on that island for a long time. I will do my best to help." Calypso offered.
"Thank you."
"Perseus, I'm curious, did you plant the moonlace?" She wondered.
"Yes, I did. It's still in my mom's garden box in our apartment. Listen, seven years ago, did your island feel any different? Did you feel any different?"
Calypso thought for moment. "No, I do not recall any strange feelings. Why?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed, starting to pace. "My wish from the gods after we defeated Kronos was, among other things, for you and the other peaceful Titans to be freed. I should have known they would forget."
"Perseus," Calypso placed a hand on my shoulder. "It is all right. Thank you for trying. Thanks to Leo, I eventually became free, that is good enough."
"Okay." I said.
"I must talk to Chiron. It look likes the blonde needs to talk to you. I'm guessing she is the young woman you left Ogygia for, all those years ago?" Calypso pointed behind me and I bit back a curse. I didn't bother looking, already knowing she was talking about Annabeth.
"Yeah, that's her. Thank you, I hope you like Camp Half-Blood. And thank you for helping us fight this war." I massaged my forehead.
"Of course, anything for my friends." She grinned. "Goodbye." Calypso rubbed my arm and walked away. I heard Annabeth start to walk towards me. As she came closer I thought about where we would talk.
"Percy--" Annabeth started to say but I whirled around, grabbed her arm, and flashed us away.
We reappeared on top of Zeus' fist in the forest. Annabeth stumbled and I grabbed her middle to keep her from falling. When she recovered we stared into each other's eyes. I leaned forward to kiss her.
Annabeth turned her head away and picked herself out of my arms. I felt as if I had been slapped. She sat and motioned for me to sit in front of her, which I did. "Percy. Why didn't you tell me you had landed on Calypso's island?"
"I didn't want to worry you, or make you nervous, or whatever it was that you would have reacted like." I shrugged my shoulders.
"Okay, what about earlier today when you first saw her?"
"I was still working on believing it was her."
She sighed. "Fine. But Percy, you have got to start telling me these things. You say that we'll be completely honest with each other, but I keep finding secrets you have. And Percy, it hurts."
I shifted where I was sitting, reaching out a hand toward Annabeth and placing it on her knee. "I know, and I'm really sorry. Most of these secrets I've kept to protect you, but either way it seems I hurt you. I'm really sorry. I don't try to find more secrets and keep them from you. It just happens and most of the time it's best to keep them to myself, at least for a little while. I planned to tell you about me and Chaos, and I planned at some point to tell you about the Roman camp. It just never works out. Believe me, I've learned my lesson."
Annabeth scooted around so that she sat next to me. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Next time you have a secret, tell me, okay?"
"Swear on the River Styx." Thundered rumbled at my oath. Annabeth looked up at me, smiling. My lips found hers in a much needed kiss. She responded and her lips moved with mine. I cupped her neck with one hand and her back with the other while her fingers tangled in my hair.
Sooner than I would have liked, I pulled away and rested my forehead against hers. "I love you so much," I whispered and brushed her lips with mine.
"I love you so much, too." Her lips pressed against mine and kept me from speaking.
We kissed each other for a long time. I loved the feel of her hands in my hair, how her body fit to mine. I loved everything about her.
Finally, we pulled away. Annabeth's hand caressed my face as I held her close to me. "I guess that means I have to tell you that Norse gods and demigods are real too."
Annabeth laughed loudly, "yeah right, and one of them's my cousin."
We both laughed again before I kissed her softly.
"We should probably go." I tugged on Annabeth's hand and pulled her up with me. "I have to go do something back at my home away from earth." Annabeth looked pointedly at me. "I just, need to get away from everything for a little bit. And I want to talk to Chaos, see if he has any advice about how to deal with Bob. I'll be back soon, okay?"
Annabeth nodded. "Okay." She pulled my face to hers for another kiss before pushing me away. She jumped off of Zeus' fist and and landed nimbly. "I'll see you soon."
I waited until I sensed that she was safely back in the view of the other campers and headed towards the cabins. Then I flashed away and the familiar walls of my room in Chaos' palace greeted me. So did Chaos.
"Hello Perseus," I flinched and Chaos pretended not to notice, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Bob, or Iapetus. Any idea what to do about him?" I asked, hoping he would.
"I find that exploring a place you know like the back of your hand helps." Chaos told me and then disappeared.
"Well," I said to myself, "That was completely confusing and not at all helpful." Nevertheless, I walked around the palace. I knew the place very well, it was my third home. My first was with my mom, my second was Camp Half-Blood, and my third was this place.
I came to the rooms of my team. The rooms of my former team members were there as well. Luke's, Daedalus', Beckendorf's, Silena's, even Nancy Bobofit's. I stopped in front of hers, frozen. Something compelled me to enter her room.
I pushed open the door and peeked my head in. It was simple. She had posters of bands and magicians she had liked when she was on Earth, sleight of hand teaching packets and other predictable children of Hermes items.
"I was never interested in many things that much." A familiar voice spoke and I closed the door behind me. I looked over at Nancy's bed and saw someone I thought I never would again. Nancy.
"Nancy! What are you doing here?" I wondered. She looked the same as she had before she died. Red hair, orange freckles, and her hands were always fidgeting.
"Well, it's actually just my ghost. I've been here for a while. No one came in, and I couldn't really leave."
"Oh, I'm sorry. How are you?"
"I'm good. Chaos has been talking to me. I know about everything that's happening on Earth right now. I might have some advice." She patted the bed beside her and I sat, looking at her with confusion. "Bob is your friend, right?"
"Well, yeah, but right now I think he is more Iapetus than Bob."
"But even as Iapetus, the part of him that is Bob is still there. It will always be there. Just like when he was Bob, Iapetus was always there. Once something is put inside you, especially someone's heart, it isn't removed easily. Think about it. You may be able to get through to Bob." Nancy smiled at me and started to fade.
"Wait, why are you leaving?"
"I made a deal with Hades when he let my ghost come here. I was waiting for someone, to tell them something important. Then I would return to the Underworld. It was you. I waited because I needed to tell you that. Goodbye, Percy." She waved and disappeared completely before I could reply.
I sighed, but remembered her words. I flashed back to Earth and found the Camp in an uproar. There was a circle of people in front of the cabins, surrounding something burned into the ground. Annabeth was in the middle of it trying to calm everyone down and organize them. I raced over to her, praying that what I thought had happened had in fact not.
I reached the charred grass and cursed. War had commenced.