The Return of Leo Valdez (After Blood of Olympus)

40- Leo

"Alright," Hephaestus said as he finished tying up the Pegasi to the golden chariot. "She's all finished."

The sun shone between the mountain sides, darkness was setting soon.

Calypso climbed onto the chariot and sat down in the passenger seat.

"I really appreciate you doing this, with Festus and all," Leo said.

"Oh anything for my boy!" Hephaestus said wrapping Leo in a warm hug. The embrace heated Leo up, like sitting on a radiator.

Hephaestus slowly released him. "Now go on!" He said. "Leo Valdez must return to camp half blood!"

Leo nodded and swung himself into the chariot. The mechanical pegasi clicked and sputtered to life and began to ascend into the sky.

Leo and Calypso waved to the helpful cyclops and Hephaestus, who all waved back.

"Oh and remember!" Leo's dad called out. "Make sure you go to the Empire State Building!"

"I will!" Leo yelled as he let out a loud mischievous laugh. It felt good to be on the road again, but sad to be without Festus.

Calypso and Leo traveled along the mountains of Italy, Calypso staring wide-eyed at the golden-orange sun.

Leo took a breath of the cold, crisp air. This could be it. Maybe this was the last challenge, and the rest was just a small, smooth journey till Calypso and him can finally live happily ever after in Camp Half-Blood.

However, he couldn't stop worrying about Festus. Would his plan work? Would the master inventor, Hephaestus, be able to fix it? Or did Leo give him too vague of instructions? He didn't say much, but if the myths were correct, Hephaestus was a brilliant thinker and would be able to decode Leo's puzzle.

Calypso leaned over. "What's wrong Leo? You look stressed."

Leo shook his head. "Nothing, sunshine, I'm just thinking."

Calypso nodded. "Me too."

The metallic pegasi continued forward. Leo looked at the sun once again and noticed a small figure on the side of it. Must be Apollo and his sun chariot. Leo assumed.

Once it got dark, Leo and Calypso found a small cliff to set up a temporary camp. The demigods would travel by day, that way it's harder for monsters to sneak up on them.

Leo pulled out a box of matches and some small pieces of wood for the fire and gave some gasoline and tabasco sauce to the horses.

They began to remind Leo of...he decided to not think about it. Everything would be fine.

Leo also whipped out a small camping grill with ingredients for his world famous fish tacos.

"Have you ever had a taco before?" Leo asked as he began assembling the food from the grill.

Calypso shook her head.

"Well you about to have one," Leo said flipping the fish into the hard corn shell.

Calypso took the taco gingerly and took a small bite. She looked up at Leo with a new form of excitement in her eyes.

"Leo!" She squealed. "This is amazing!"

"Once again, the bad boy supreme makes killer tacos!"

Leo pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down. Calypso laughed and applauded Leo.

Leo and Calypso both slept in sleeping bags under the stars.

At that moment, Leo barely worried about monsters in the dark. He was finally with the girl of his dreams, whom he could live with happily ever after. Of course, once they get to Camp Half-Blood.

But, as usual, it never really works out that way.