Born Again

[3: pearl construction]

Leo couldn't believe his eyes. He would pinch himself to see if he was dreaming, but he was dead so obviously he couldn't dream. He was also panicking, because these were the people that others campers held sad smiles when talking about, the people that were always the center of the conversation somewhere in camp, the people that were heroes. These people were heroes and Leo was not.

Leo did the only thing he could think to do, he stuck out his hands and fingered-gunned the each hero.

"Leo, what exactly was that?" Bianca asked in confusion.

Leo struggled for words to respond as a large hand clapped his shoulder. It was Beckendorf, and Leo turned in surprise.

"You don't need to be nervous. We're just here to help you get back to where you need to."

Leo sucked in a breath of air and nodded. Silena let loose a small giggle at the sight of his nerves, and Luke raised an eyebrow.

"So, where so we get started exactly?"

Bianca cleared her throats and pushed forward a book that he hadn't noticed until then. It was an old leather-bound book that looked like it belonged in the hands of Gandalf. On the cover were the words Forbidden Magic written in Greek.

"We start here."

-

Leo's mind was a mess of confusion. Bianca had explained the plan, with the others chiming in every now and then. He tried listening, honestly, he did, but with his ADHD he just couldn't. His foot started tapping first, and then his hands felt shaky, and next thing he knew he zoned out the entire conversation without listening to majority of what they said. All he heard was that because of the physician's cure he wasn't fully bound to the underworld, but they still had to find a way to get him out.

"Well, first things first, right?" Silena gives a small smile and picks up the pearl. She was examining it from every which way, and when she finally seemed satisfied she put it down.

"Can you read the section about magic of love again?"

Magic of love? Well shit, Leo should have payed attention. He was completed and utterly lost. Bianca was about to speak when Luke cut her off, grabbing the book with a smirk.

"Forbidden Magic has many variables, and one of them is love. Many famous witches have used this form of magic in the past, such as Circe and Medea. By summoning great feelings of love, women blessed with this power and send the energy into any physical object in their choice, etc., etc.."

Leo nodded, a bit more up to date. Silena was going to send magic of love into the pearl. This must be the tinkering part that Bianca mentioned.

Silena nodded and grabbed the shimmering pearl with her hands, her eyes closed. Leo could she was focusing on the pearl and herself, trying to do what the book had stated. He could only guess who she was thinking of, from all the touching and contact between her Beckendorf. Just as he thought something was actually happened, Silena sighed and put down the pearl.

"I can't do it, I'm sorry but I can't."

Beckendorf walked over to her and crouched down. "Yes you can, you just need to think of more love."

Silena rolled her eyes. "I only love you, idiot."

"No, no you don't. You love me romantically. There's more types of love, you know. You said that to me once a long time ago. You also said that you love Clarisse as your best friend, you love your father as a parent, you love your siblings for them, and you love everyone around you for existing. You're a daughter of Aphrodite, Silena, and you feel more love than anyone else I know."

Leo, Bianca, and Luke all awkwardly looked at their feet as the couple was clearing having an intimate moment. When they looked up, Silena was holding the pearl, looking more focused than before. The pearl shone immensely for a moment, before a pink swirl turned the blue pearl purple.

"You did it!" Beckendorf toppled Silena with an embrace. Silena giggled as she hugged Beckendorf backed.

"So," Luke cleared his throat. "What's next?"

"Next?" Bianca thought for a moment. "Oh, yes. Next!"

"We're going to some mechanical power." She looked at both Beckendorf and Leo pointedly.

"What do you mean?"

Bianca didn't answer, but instead pulled out another book. This one didn't have a title, and instead of words were math equations, ranging from the basic of algebraic equations to the most complicated geometrical equations. To everyone else, it looked like complete gibberish, but to Beckendorf and Leo it made sense.

"Well, let's get to work."

Leo cracked his knuckles and began his tinkering on the pearl.

a/n: sorry this is a bit of a filler, i just need to get them to finish the pearl so a bit more drama can happen ;)))