Storms And Sparks

Prologue Part 2

After defeating Gaea, the seven were each awarded one wish from Zeus. Having been separated from the rest of the group so that they could keep their wishes secret if they so chose, Leo stood before the council of the gods. His usual smirk and the constant present glint of joy in his eye had abandoned him as he stood, surrounded by eighteen foot beings that radiated power, and for the first time in forever, he felt very small and insignificant.

The past several years had took their toll of the clown of the group. Though he had always tried to keep the others in light moods, to shrug off battles and bury their memories in mounds of pizza, no one had been there to keep him stable, and, as all good machines do after time without being well oiled, he was falling apart. He felt this now more than even due to the fact that the one most important gear in him, the one that inspired him to keep ticking, had been removed. And in its place, desperation, fear, and a loneliness no one could soothe had crept into him, rusting his cogs, slowing his gears, distracting him from his purpose. The absent gear was called by only one name--Calypso.

The spacious room had taken some damage as well, side-effects of the war waged against Gaea and the giants. Even Olympus itself had not been spared injury in the brutal battles. Leo saw it only fitting, given that he had seen so many great demigods fall because the gods preferred to stay up on their safe little mountain and watch events unfold as if it were their favorite sitcom. After two years of fighting, it felt right, fair, almost, for the gods to have taken some damage as well. Leo, now eighteen, was surprised at his own thoughts, but he guessed he had the right to be a little bit bitter after all this time.

After quite a while of awkward silence, Zeus cleared his throat. "You, along with your friends, have done a great service to Olympus and your humankind. You've made the gods proud," At this, Leo felt a flicker in him, something he was surprised to feel, as he felt satisfaction from pleasing the gods--no, not the gods. One god. His father. Had he really even made his father take notice? For whatever reason, this thought struck home with Leo. He had never even faced his father before this moment. "And, as a reward for saving the world, we will give you one wish." Zeus continued.

Leo froze. He rose his head until he looked Zeus right in the eye, desperately searching his gaze to see if this was some cruel joke. A wish . . . anything he wanted. Leo knew what he wanted. Of course he did. He needed his gear back.

It seemed Zeus either already knew what the young man would wish for. His eyes held a cold sympathy usually associated with passers by looking at beggars on the street, yet not sparing any coin. It was known to Leo, in an instant, that what he'd wish for would be impossible.

"Well, boy," Zeus said. "Ready to wish?"

Leo nodded.

"I want Calypso back."

Zeus exhaled. The silence that hung in the room was tangible. After seconds stretched into minutes, Zeus once again spoke. "That, my boy, cannot be done."

Leo felt anger boil up in his veins. Sizzling, burning anger. He managed to keep his voice level. "You said I could wish anything. That's my wish. I. Want. To. See. Calypso."

His father, Hephaestus, shook his head but said nothing.

"Calypso may not leave her imprisonment," Zeus began. "But given the nature of your wish, we could stretch some rule to accommodate it, given what you did for us, it's only necessary to try and fulfill it best we can. Rather than have her leave the island, we could allow you to live there for three years before you have to return to the mortal world."

Leo couldn't breathe. Was he serious? "Wh-Why would I have to ever leave, Mr.--I mean, Lord Zeus?"

"Because the Fates foresee a different destiny awaiting you, one that you'll need your friends' help with." Leo stayed quiet, knowing if he opened his mouth, he quite possibly say something unflattering about the Fates. "And at the end of three years exactly, a raft will come for you. If you promise not to try to help Calypso escape her island, when you get back to the mortal world, you will be given permission to Iris message her daily. So you will not lose contact. And every, oh, ten years, you'll be allowed to visit her again for a few months."