Daughter of Mother Earth

Chapter Fifty-Seven

"I think, for now, we should focus on building the ship. We know for a fact that it's vital to the next quest," Crystal gazed up at the clouds.

"Later," Leo pulled her close and they laid together, watching the clouds.

And for once, Crystal finally felt at peace.

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It had been about 3 months since Crystal and her friends returned from their quest. Every day she helped Leo and the Hephaestus cabin in building the Argo II. So far, it was halfway done and it looked pretty great. Crystal had gotten special permission from Chiron to work on the ship during some camp activities. Entering Bunker 9, she gazed upon the wooden creation they had worked so hard on. Tying her curls into a ponytail, Crystal got to work.

Hours had passed and Leo grew concerned. He hadn't seen Crystal since morning activities. He had stopped by her cabin and even the strawberry fields, but there was no trace of her. Leo looked toward the forest and sighed.

Hooking her legs around a bar, Crystal hung upside down. She kept a few nails in her mouth and a hammer in her hand. She stretched her arms in an attempt to get to a hard to reach area. Humming to herself, she hammered a plank into place.

Leo entered the bunker. The sound of hammering got his attention. He followed the noise into the half-constructed ship.

"Crystal? You in here?" Leo called out.

He yelped as Crystal suddenly appeared in front of him. "Leo?"

"How's it hanging?" Leo couldn't resist the urge to make a joke.

Crystal deadpanned. "You know, you look much more attractive upside down."

"Oh I get it," Leo smirked. "You find me attractive then?"

Crystal rolled her eyes and turned herself right side up, dropping to the floor. She gestured to the white handkerchief bundle Leo was holding. "What's that?"

Leo opened the bundle, revealing some bread, cheese, and fruits. "I haven't seen you since this morning, so I figured you might be hungry."

Crystal blushed at the kind gesture. "Oh, uh, thank you, Leo."

They sat together on a blanket on the floor, sharing the food Leo brought. Crystal didn't realize how hungry she was until she took a bite of bread. It didn't take long for the food to be reduced to nothing but crumbs. Crystal laid back, stretching onto the blanket. She sighed in content, feeling her muscles relax. Leo looked down at her.

"So," Crystal began. "Why did you visit me?"

Leo blinked in surprise. "Am I not allowed to visit my friends?"

"I suppose," Crystal sat back up, staring at the ship in front of them.

There was a brief moment of silence before Leo broke it. "Crystal?"

"Yes, Leo?"

"Do you ever wonder who your parents are?"

Crystal's heart stopped for a split second. "Of course I do. Why do you ask?"

Leo shrugged, fiddling with a bent nail and rubber band he found on the ground nearby. "I don't know, I just feel like I would hate not knowing where I come from."

Crystal chewed her lip. She knew she would have to tell him eventually. She'd have to tell everyone eventually. Nothing would be the same after that. But Leo was different, he believed in her, trusted her. Maybe?

Crystal sighed. "Leo, I-"

She was abruptly cut off by a sharp pulsing pain in her head. She gripped her hair, screaming in agony. Her head felt like it was about to split. She squeezed her eyes shut but the pain would not go away. Crystal fell back onto the floor, writhing in agony.

"Crystal!" Leo's called out, but she could not hear.

All that could be heard was the sounds of battle. Demigods were everywhere attacking monsters, including her. Crystal's vision flashed from white to red, to green, to blue. The sharp wind she produced nearly cut skin as it whipped around her as she fought her way toward her destination. Giant spikes shot out from the ground, impaling anything that dared to near her. Trails of flames followed in her wake, scorching the earth she walked on. Geysers erupted from deep within the ground, destroying monsters unfortunate enough to be upon them. The ground rippled like waves, causing demigods and monsters alike to lose their balance. In the corner of Crystal's eye, a blazing comet streaked upward from the ground. She turned her head just as the comet intercepted a large ball of fire above them. The explosion turned the entire sky gold. Crystal dropped to her knees, unable to breathe. She felt as if her entire soul was brutally ripped from her body. She let out an ear-piercing screech. There was another explosion, this time from the demigod. Every monster was completely disintegrated from the sheer energy her body radiated. Everything became black.

Leo nearly kicked down the door to the infirmary. He carried Crystal's limp body in his arms, desperately calling out for any help. A child of Apollo, Will, came rushing forward.

"Set her on the cot!" He ordered, putting on a stethoscope.

Just as he tried to feel her pulse, Crystal's body began convulsing. The sudden and forceful movement caused Will to slam back into the wall. Leo rushed forward, in an attempt to help. Her eyes snapped open, flickering from color to color. The multiple colors Crystal's eyes went pitch black. Leo leaned over her face, listening for any sign of breathing.

Crystal's hand suddenly shot out, grasping Leo by his throat. He choked for air, grabbing at her wrist.

"Crystal, what are you doing?" Leo rasped.

Her head tilted, black eyes zoning in on Valdez.

Leo pleaded. "Please... Crystal... amor..."

Crystal blinked, her eyes returning to her original bright green eyes. Realizing what she had done, Crystal dropped Leo. He fell to the ground, gasping for air. Crystal immediately dropped to his level, gently grabbing his face.

"Oh gods, what have I done?" Tears streamed down her face as she examined the bruise she left on Leo's neck. "Leo, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened."

She buried her face into his chest, sobbing. Leo quietly wrapped his arms around his friend, trying to soothe her. He glanced over at Will, where another child of Apollo was tending to him. Another infirmary attendant attempted to help Leo, but he waved him off.

Chiron galloped in, concerned written across his face. "What's going on?"

Crystal lifted her face from Leo's chest. "Chiron..."

Chiron somehow knew she needed to have a word with him. Wordlessly, Chiron lifted Crystal onto his back and they rode off, toward the Big House. Leo silently watched his friend ride away as he finally got his injuries tended to. One question was on everyone's mind.

What the hell just happened?