Seeking Happiness

Today started just like the rest down here. I woke up and headed towards the forges, grabbing a quick breakfast on the way. Beckendorf was already there by the time I strolled in. He's a really cool guy, we've become really good friends over the past couple months. It's weird to think that in some other alternate universe we might have lived together at camp halfblood.

Every once in a while I'll hear a voice in my head, it totally freaked me out the first time, but then Charles explained it to me. Whenever someone talks to me, well talks to my monument I hear it. At first it was annoying, almost every hour or so I had voices in my head. Sometimes it would even people I had never met, although it was flattering, it was weird. But now that I've been dead for a while, and things have calmed down, only those who really matter still visit. And even they visit less often as the days drag on. Now it's a bitter sweet occasion when I hear their voices. On the one hand I miss them, I crave their thoughts. But on the other hand, the conversation is painfully one sided. I want to scream out to them, to let them know I'm okay, that I miss them too.

I took my spot at my station at the forge, working on a meaningless project just to pass the time. Don't get me wrong Elysium wasn't boring, it was great. Lots of cool stuff to do, so many cool people to meet. Just the other say I met Achilles, and that dude basically runs this place. But if I'm being honest, this place isn't that much fun when there's a pretty thick barrier between you and the ones you love. Yeah I had Beckendorf, but he has some super secret project he's working on. he wont let me help and every time I ask about it, he just shakes his head and mutters something about Silena.

I spent the whole morning just staring at my tools. I wasn't particularly motivated to make anything today. Calypso had visited my monument this morning, she didn't say anything but I could sense that she was there. I almost willed her to say something, anything, just so I could hear her voice. But I knew that would only make it harder, knowing I couldn't respond, knowing I couldn't wrap her in my arms to take the pain away.

I nodded to Beckendorf as I left, on my way back to my little yurt. I just wanted to go lie on my couch and read the weekly Supremacy magazine. The Supremacy was a magazine that kept us up to date on everything going on in the upstairs. I opened the door, kicked off my shoes and swung my legs over the back of the couch and plopped down. I went to reach for the magazine when he popped into my living room.

"What the hell, where did you come from? Who are you?" He quirked an eyebrow at me, obviously offended I didn't know him. "I'm Hermes, messenger of the gods, god of thieves, travelers, and well a lot of stuff." He took a seat next to me on the couch, "And you Leo Valdez have become very important to me as of late." I rolled my eyes, "Listen dude, I don't know what you think I did, but I didn't. I'm a pretty boring side kick demigod."

He put a hand on my shoulder, "You are more important than you even know. As we speak my son Lucas is planning something awful. He plans to..." I cut him off, "Look man, your son, has a history of making some really dumb decisions, hurting a lot of people. In fact he is the one who killed me, so if you're here to convince me to do anything for him forget it." Hermes earlier look of concern grew hard, and frustrated, "Don't you talk about my son like you know him. I came here to tell you that he plans to kill himself, in the hopes that Nico can use the natural balance to let Thalia live. She's dying because she gave up mortality for him. But before her, he planned to use it for you. He was sick with guilt over what Tartarus did to you through him."

I softened my posture a little, I can't believe he'd ever think of doing something like that for me, a guy he didn't really know. Hermes continues talking, "There is a way, the balance does exist, but Nico doesn't posses the skills to use it, at least not yet. There's a lot more to this then they understand. With your help Mr. Valdez, not only can we save my son and his girlfriend, but we might also be able to save you."

Notes