Chatterbox: Inkwell

PJO Fanfic? SPOILERS ABOUND, PLEEEASE BE WARNED.

This fanfic is set AFTER Blood of Olympus, which is the tenth book (technically, the 5th book in the second series, Heroes of Olympus). I hadn't read Trials of Apollo when I started writing this, so consider this an alternative to Trials of Apollo. xD

I'm going to post 3 chapters to start, but then it's one chapter a week--probably uploaded on Tuesdays or Sundays.

Guess me! (if you're in the cabin, no fairs xD)

I

Jason

It had been a week since the battle of Gaea.

The burials were completed. All the campers were putting on brave faces and continuing on with their lives.

Jason was still in shock.

He had lost one of his best friends in the battle. Leo Valdez. He had sacrificed himself to make sure Gaea was slain.

“Jason!” Came a sharp voice. Jason yelped and ducked as Clarisse La Rue swung her sword above his head, just barely missing his hair. “What are you doing?”

Slowly, he came back to his surroundings. He was in the middle of sword fighting class at Camp Half-Blood. But of course, he got matched up with the most ruthless girl in the Ares cabin, Clarisse.

Clang! Jason held up his sword as Clarisse swung again, and the two blades clashed together. Sparks flew off of his sword and he gritted his teeth.

Focus, Jason, he told himself. You have to get out of the past. You’re here now.

He began to push more offensively, swinging and slashing as Clarisse parried every single blow. When she attempted to attack, Jason saw his opening and went for it. As she swung high, he ducked low and slid between her feet. She twirled around, but Jason’s blade was already at her neck.

“Checkmate.” He whispered. Clarisse scowled and Jason sheathed his blade. He walked back over to the small group as the counselor spoke.

“Class dismissed.”

“Nicely done,” Piper said softly.

“Thanks,” Jason responded. She sounded upset, and Jason didn’t like it. “What’s wrong?”

“What’d you mean?”

“You know what I mean. You sound upset.”

“I just…” Piper looked down at the ground. “Hazel gave up.” Jason’s breath caught slightly. Hazel and Nico were the only two children of Hades at the camp, and they had both felt Leo’s death. Nico had given up hope the day it happened, but Hazel was stubborn. She knew something was different about this death. But if she had given up hope…

“Oh,” Jason said quietly. The two of them stopped walking and the crowd flooded to the mess hall around them. They stood in the middle of camp, staring at the sky for a few moments.

Just as Jason turned to go to the mess hall, a flash of gold caught his eye. He pulled his eyes back up to the sky.

“Did... Did you see that?” Piper asked shakily.

“Yeah. What…?”

“I don’t know.” The two of them scanned the horizon furiously, but they didn’t see anything that could’ve caused that gold glint. Then, a whoop tore through the air. Piper jumped and Jason grabbed the hilt of his sword.

“What was that?!” Piper hissed. Jason made a shushing motion with his free hand.

Suddenly, a huge golden blob flew in front of the sun. Jason squinted and tried to make out what it was.

Piper gasped just as he realized.

“How is...is that Festus?!” She cried.

And sitting on top of the golden blur were two humanoid shapes.

II

Annabeth

Annabeth couldn’t believe her ears. If Chiron himself had come to tell her, it might’ve been different.

“He did what?”

“Percy had a fight with Jason…?”

Annabeth was very confused. “When?”

“In sword-fighting class.” Annabeth’s eyebrows dropped.

“I swear, Connor Stoll, when I get my hands on you--!” Connor ran out the Athena cabin before she had a chance to finish. Blowing her blonde bangs out of her face, she looked back down at the blueprints and plans sitting in front of her. The pictures seemed to only get more complex the more she looked at them. Annabeth heaved a sigh of frustration and shoved the papers out of the way. She folded her arms on the desk and lay her head on top of them. Just a few more minutes before dinner…

“Annabeth!!!” Her head rocketed off the desk.

“What, Percy, what?!” She cried.

“You better come see this!!” His eyes were wild and it looked as though he’d run a thousand miles.

“Okay, okay, I’m coming!” She bumped into the table in her haste to get up and winced. Pain shot through her ankle. She limped out the door, following an urgent Percy.

The camp looked completely normal. She squinted, but the only people she saw were Jason and Piper, staring straight up at the sky. Everyone else must've been in the mess hall already.

“I don’t see any--”

“Look up,” Percy said sharply. Annabeth glanced up and nearly fell over backward. A golden dragon was flying in front of the sun.

She stumbled backward and hit the wall of the Athena cabin. “F-Festus?” She stuttered.

“Seems like it.” Percy said. He sounded just as astonished as she was.

“But...but that’s impossible. I’ve done the math, there’s no way--”

“Annabeth!” Piper cried. Annabeth tore her eyes down to the slope below, where Jason and Piper were waving them over. Percy charged down the slope and Annabeth followed at a normal human being’s pace.

“How…?” Was all Annabeth could say.

“The cure.” Percy muttered.

“What?” Jason asked sharply.

“That’s right, you weren’t there,” Percy said.

“Leo basically stole the cure and gave me a fake one Hazel created,” Piper clarified. Jason’s brow knit. “I’ll explain more later.”

“Guys!!” Came an exhilarated shout. Annabeth whirled around and Hazel stood in front of the Hades cabin, waving frantically. She was dragging Nico by the arm. Nico looked completely in awe.

“What in Hades?!” A cry from behind. Annabeth turned around and there was Frank.

“It’s Leo.” She whispered. “He’s back. Against all odds, he’s back.”

III

Nico

It was impossible.

It should’ve been impossible.

But it obviously wasn’t.

Unless it wasn’t Leo.

Nico had just been sitting in his cabin when Hazel burst through the doors of the cabin.

“Nico, you’d better come see this!” She’d cried.

“What is it?” He asked. He wasn’t too worried. Hazel always got worried about the littlest things.

“Festus.”
“WHAT?” He cried.

“Ugh, you’re impossible! Come on!!” She pulled his arm and tugged him outside. He stared at the golden dragon covering the sun.

“What in Hades?” He muttered.

“What in Hades?!” Someone mimicked. He glanced down and noticed Frank, a little bit away from the rest of the group. Hazel tugged Nico down the hill just in time to hear Annabeth say”He’s back. Against all odds, he’s back.”

“Unless it’s not L--” He began, but Frank cut him off.
“Dude. Don’t.” He glared at Nico. Nico raised his hands up.

“Sorry, man.”
“Boys, stop. Look, it’s coming down!” Piper cried.

Sure enough, the gold dragon swooped down low, and Nico heard a jubilant cry as it passed. “Who would play such a prank?” He murmured. Frank shot him a warning look.

Thwump!--

The dragon landed.

Nico and his friends all ran down the hill to meet the moment of truth.

“L-Leo?” Hazel stuttered.

Festus’ wing folded, and sure enough, there sat a giddily grinning Leo and a nervous-looking young woman.

“Hey guys.” He said softly. For a moment, no one moved. Nico took in Leo.

For someone that had died and come back to life, he didn’t look half bad. Sure, his clothes were basically in tatters, and his face was bruised and covered in soot, but his eyes sparkled and his cheeks dimpled, just like they used to.

Leo slid off Festus. Still, no one spoke. “Guys?” He whispered, still grinning.

Annabeth squealed and raced towards him, pulling him into a hug. Leo looked taken aback for a moment, before he smiled even wider and hugged her back. Hazel, Frank, Piper, Jason, and Percy all moved in to hug him as well. But Nico hung back. He still didn’t trust this boy. How did he know it was Leo, that it wasn’t a trick of the Mist? And even if it was Leo, this boy had sacrificed himself for Gaea. Who’s to say he wouldn’t do the same to any of them?

Leo hugged them all. Then he noticed Nico, and pushed out of the group. He stepped in front of Nico, staring him straight in the eye.

Nico stared straight back. They stood completely motionless for a few minutes before Nico let out a small gasp. It really was Leo.

Leo started laughing and pulled Nico into a hug. Nico didn’t hug back. He was too shocked.

“L-Leo?” He stuttered out.

“That’s my name!” The boy crowed.

“But how? I-I don’t understand--”

The doors of the mess hall banged open. Leo pulled away from Nico, and stood, grinning sheepishly. Everyone was silent for a moment.

Then Clarisse pushed to the front of the crowd and squinted across the road. “It’s him.” She said, a smile splitting her face. The campers whooped and cheered as they charged down the road, anxious to meet Leo. Leo’s eyes widened slightly as the mob rushed towards him, and Nico fought back a laugh. It didn’t stay down. Nothing happy could.

Not with Leo back.