A little longer than I intended, but I hope you guys like it!
The Promise, Caleo Week 2014
“I’m coming back for you, Calypso. I swear on the River Stynx.”
Leo Valdez is one who never breaks promises. A promise if a promise, a vow to do something for someone, no matter who. Sometimes they aren’t fulfilled, but that’s unfortunately the way life works. Plus, he has to keep this promise or else he would get disintegrated or something of that sort.
Most importantly, he is keeping this promise because he loves her. From the bottom of his heart, by god he loves her. Leo didn’t care that he knew her for a week, or however long it was he was trapped on the island; he was proud to admit that she stole his heart. He also still couldn’t believe he stole hers. Who would’ve thought?
"I have to go back," He continued to mumble those same five words over and over when he was alone, and no one knew why. On the Argo II, even when working on whatever machines he’d planned out, it’d always be, "I have to go back, I have to go back, I have to go back…" from under his breath. It didn’t even matter if he was alone, or if there was somebody in the room. He never kept his mouth shut.
His teammates were confused. They were worried for him, mumbling the same words over and over, having no clue what in the world he was talking about. No one dared to approach him, fearing they might trigger something. As more and more time passed and the mumbling continued, they all craved the same curiosity. They were all eager to help their friend, but they were afraid to. Finally, Piper volunteered to check up on him. They were also so caught up in the war that was approaching they needed to clear at least one thing off their minds.
She found him in the mess hall, sitting alone, hands completely still on the table. Piper took a seat next to him, digging her hands into the pockets of her basketball shorts. “Tell me,” She demanded.
Leo remained silent. He didn’t want to tell her, but he felt he had to. The silence permeated throughout the room. Piper scoffed, brushing back several strands of hair that fell in front of her face. She wasn’t mad, not even a little, though the impatience was growing. “We’re worried,” She began. “You’ve been freaking us out a little. You’ve been going around, mumbling the same thing over and over and we’re just standing on the side watching with no clue how to help you.” he continued to stare at the table, and Piper didn’t even know if he was listening. She grabbed one of his hands by impulse, lacing their fingers. “Tell me how we can help,” She charmspoke. Suddenly, Leo almost came back to life. He blinked, shaking his head as if he were just waking up. He finally spoke up.
"You can’t." He whispered. The air suddenly turned cold when those words came out of his mouth. For some reason, Piper didn’t believe him.
"Yes, we can! We’re a team, we have to help each other!"
"It’s different this time!" He protested. "I-I have to do this own my own! I can’t leave her! I have to go back!"
"Leo-"
"I HAVE TO GO BACK TO OGYGIA!" Leo’s voice bellowed throughout the whole ship, making everyone finally understand where he had to go back. They were all in their rooms, just down the hallway from the mess hall. Percy heard it, immediately sitting up from his bed, letting memories take over him. He remembered the invisible spirits taking care of dining table when dinner was about to be served, the gleaming sun that warmed every inch of his body. Of course, Calypso appeared in his mind. Her perfume-like scent of cinnamon, the lovely singing voice she has that fixes whatever it was that needed fixing, her kindness, her beauty. He remembered.
He dashed into the mess hall, finding Piper rubbing a hand up and down Leo’s back. He buried his face in his palms, his shoulders quivering. Percy whispered to Piper that he could take it from here, and before she walked out, she kissed Leo’s head as a sisterly gesture and left without another word. Percy took Piper’s seat, not saying anything. He was taking his time finding the right words.
"So you met her." Percy began. Leo slowly detached himself from his hands, placing them back onto the table. He shut his eyes, breathing deeply.
"Yeah, I did." Leo answered quietly. Percy nodded his head in understanding.
"Like her?" Leo almost have the urge to bust out laughing.
"Love her." He scoffed quietly. Percy smiled, happy that his friend found someone, but sad it was a fact he could not return to Ogygia. "And don’t you dare start that ‘look buddy, you can’t go back! It’s strictly forbidden!’ Because I don’t want to hear it." Percy raised his eyebrows.
"Thanks for reading my mind. Seriously dude, how are you gonna do that?" Percy knew Leo always had crazy plans. Something told him it might not work this time.
"I’ll figure it out. I always figure out something." He simply stated. Percy nodded in understanding, leaving the room in silence.
” ”
The plan sounded simple but might have been the craziest thing he’s ever done.
Leo Valdez is planning to sail around until he finds Ogygia.
"You’re nuts!" Percy exclaimed. Leo decided to talk to him privately to discuss his plan when everyone else was asleep. Unfortunately, his sea friend didn’t approve. "Dude, I’ve got navigation skills drilled in my head and even I know that’s impossible!"
"If you know me, you’d know that I always make it work somehow." Leo shot back. He didn’t have time to dilly-dally, he had to go. "I’m leaving now, don’t tell the others. And I’ve got everything for once so I’m prepped for anything. Just…just don’t tell them till morning, alright?"
Leo got into the motorboat he made this afternoon, but it was really more of a tiny yacht. It had a room for when he needed to rest, cannons on the side in case of an attack, and a computerized navigation system built in. “I’ll see you soon.”
"Y-yeah." Percy sighed. "Stay safe, okay?" He clapped Leo on the shoulder, commanding the sea to slow his fall when lowering himself into the ocean. Leo gave Percy a smile before he left, the first anyone had seen from him in the past week or so.
And he sailed off to find the mysterious island of Ogygia.
” ”
Calypso was busy in her garden, tending to her plants and trying to keep Leo from coming into her mind. When he did, however, she’d wipe away the tears that fell from her eyes with her gloved hands. It’s been the same routine ever since he left.
Today was different.
She was doing some handiwork, making small, metal figurines out of the scrap metal Leo left from the machines he made. Again, the tears slowly came out of her eyes. Her heart could barely take it. It wasn’t fair, she wasn’t allowed to have anyone she fell in love with, even if they loved her back.
As she made her way to her cave, she noticed something on the shore. In the distance, something pretty banged up had washed on the sand. Taking a closer look, she put the pieces together and concluded it was a boat, and someone was in it.
It was the very person her heart longed for.
"Leo?" She ran as fast as her feet could take her, sprinting to the point where her lungs were burning and her legs were on fire. She ran, and ran, and ran, and ran.
Finally reaching the boat, it really was him. He was hanging off the edge of the boat, limp and unresponsive. She began sobbing tears of joy, only for them to turn into tears of misery and anguish when she saw the large, red-stained spot on the side of his shirt. “No…no!”
She flipped him, placing his head in her lap. She stroked his hair, the tears falling into his curls. “Leo..”
"You’re getting my hair wet…" He whispered groggily. Calypso gasped, automatically looking into his eyes that were opening slowly. "Hey, beautiful." His voice was quiet, his throat completely dry and his strength completely drained away. She lifted him higher, cradling his shoulders.
"You came back?" She asked between sobs. Leo laughed a little.
"Y-yeah, I did. Now kiss me, or I’m gonna die a sad man." Calypso smashed her lips to his, kissing him passionately. When she pulled away, he was smiling faintly. "Never thought I’d get that again."
"How did you even get back here?" She asked astonished. Leo merely shrugged, too weak to answer properly.
"Guess I gotta get in some kind of danger and get injured first," He smiled sadly. "It is a pretty nasty side stab from a freak-bird talon." Leo coughed, a little bit of blood came out his mouth. Calypso gasped, and Leo already got the sense she wanted to go get herbs to heal him. Leo grabbed her hand, not allowing her to leave. "If I die, I want you here."
"But-but I can heal you!" Leo shook his head.
"I think it’s too late for that." He reached up, stroking her cheek gently. She held his hand, gently pressing it against her cheek. "Have I ever told you that you’re a total knockout?" She laughed, kissing his forehead.
"Have I ever told you you’re really annoying?"
"Heard it too many times to care." He brushed a few hairs that fell in front of her face, sadly knowing he won’t see it again. "I honestly don’t know how much longer I can hold on." Calypso nodded quickly, understanding that she had to let go at some point.
"Okay," She began sobbing, then harder and harder. Leo’s heart broke, devastated he couldn’t hold her in his arms and comfort her. He couldn’t watch her cry. He too felt the tears coming as well. "I love you." She choked out after a small crying session. Leo smiled a little.
"Yeah, I-" Leo’s body relaxed in her arms, letting her know he left. She pressed her face into his shoulder, holding him to her. She was crying harder than she ever has, and she’s cried too many times to count. Her gut wretched sobs broke through the island, but no one was there to comfort her.
Suddenly, there was a gentle touch on her shoulder. She looked up, finding an almost opaque Leo kneeling behind her. “Underworld decided to be nice and give me about a minute to say goodbye.” She wiped the tears away from her face. Leo managed a real smile now that he wasn’t dying or in pain or anything. “Even when you’re crying, you’re the most beautiful girl in the world. Gods of Olympus…” He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. “You’re amazing, and I’m so glad I landed here, even though I burned your dining table.”
Calypso let out a laugh. “That’s way behind us though.” Leo chuckled.
"Yeah, it is." He leaned in, kissing her on the lips despite the fact he was just a ghost. "I will never love anyone as much as I love you."
Calypso smiled sadly. She kissed his cheek as a final goodbye, knowing that their minute was up. “I’ll see you around, okay?” She joked. It wasn’t really the right time to be funny, though there wasn’t anything else to say.
"Okay," And just like that, Leo vanished with wind, leaving Calypso on the island alone, trapped between the sky, the Earth, and the sea.
“Stupid mortals and their stupid litter,” he muttered angrily.
“What did you just say?!” Sally exclaimed. The pure absurdity of the situation hit her. Had he just said mortals?! The man spun around and looked at her so fast that Sally feared he might have just given himself whiplash. His sea green eyes widened as he registered the fact that she was looking right at him. He dropped the golden trident and it disappeared into the waves.
“You can see me,” he said breathlessly. It wasn’t a question but Sally felt the need to respond.
“Yes and you still haven’t answered my question,” she pointed out. Something about this man was not right. He was tall, tanned, and muscular. He had jet-black hair, a small amount of facial hair, and eyes the color of the water at their feet. But when Sally looked closer, she couldn’t even determine what his age might be. He could have been 21 like her or he could have been 35, it was impossible to tell. He had an otherworldly quality about him.
“I said stupid mortals and their stupid litter,” the man sighed. So Sally had heard him right.
“Mortals…” she repeated, trying to understand what was happening. Her brain couldn’t quite catch up.
“Yes,” he nodded.
“And you’re not mortal?” Sally asked hesitantly. The man shook his head. He was staring at her very intently. It was starting to make her uncomfortable.
“Then what are you?” Sally had a very bad feeling that she was not going to like the answer he gave her. He smiled and said quite simply,
