After Percy cleans the River Elisson and retrieves Iris’s staff, Annabeth sends Percy across the cavern fields with the staff to create a rainbow and lure the horned serpents away from Grover. Annabeth plans to turn invisible, reach Grover, and guide him to safety while using Snakie Bakies as distractions. Percy begins by skipping as instructed, then realizes running works just as well and produces a brilliant rainbow trail.

The rainbow successfully attracts the serpents, and thousands of them begin chasing Percy through the grass. Grover’s exhausted panpipe version of “YMCA” stops in the distance, which Percy hopes means Annabeth has rescued Grover. Percy then loses his bearings in the tall grass and tries to circle back, but exhaustion from cleaning the river slows him down.

Percy trips on a rock and twists his ankle, leaving him nearly unable to move. Percy climbs onto a rocky outcropping as the serpents surround him, entranced by the glowing staff. Percy decides not to fight because killing the serpents would ruin the cruelty-free quest and would likely get Percy killed anyway.

While Percy waves the staff to keep the serpents mesmerized, Percy thinks about Annabeth and all the things Percy still wants to tell Annabeth. The staff begins lifting Percy into the air, and Percy realizes that as a messenger’s staff, it can carry a message. Percy tells the staff to take Percy to Annabeth, and the staff transports Percy through rainbow light.

Percy rematerializes at the mouth of the cave beside Annabeth and Grover, who are safe. Percy delivers the message that Percy loves Annabeth, and Annabeth returns the feeling before joking that Percy did not plan the escape. The trio heads back to Manhattan by train, muddy but successful, with the restored staff and Percy occasionally burping colorful clouds after his rainbow journey.