OTHER HALF

"you're here. you're really here"

     ARIADNE WAS PREPARED FOR ANYTHING—EXCEPT AN EXPLODING STATUE.

Annabeth had paced the deck of their flying warship, the Argo II, checking and double-checking the ballistae to make sure they were locked down. The blonde had lashed out at everyone on the ship, and they had all retreated from helping her, all but Ariadne.

The brunette had calmed her best friend down, reassuring her nothing would go wrong, but they both had a guy feeling they were so desperate to ignore. Ariadne went ahead and confirmed that the white 'we come in peace' flag was flying from the mast. Both of them reviewed the plan with the rest of crew—and backup plan, and the backup plan for the backup plan.

Most important, Annabeth had pulled aside their war-crazed chaperone, Coach Gleeson Hedge, and encouraged him to take the morning off in his cabin and watch reruns of mixed martial arts championships. The last thing they needed as they flew a magical Greek trireme into a potentially hostile Roman camp was a middle aged satyr in gym clothes waving a club and yelling 'Die!'

Everything seemed to be in order. Even that mysterious chill Ariadne had been feeling since the ship launched had dissipated, at least for now.

The warship descended through the clouds, but Annabeth looked nervous. She bit her lip in a frustration.

Ariadne gave her a smile. "Annie, it'll be okay. We'll be fine."

"I know, I know," the blonde muttered, more to herself than anything. "But, what if the Romans panic at the sight of us? Or, what if they won't let us see Percy?"

Percy was close to Annabeth. They had been friends since their first quest. She had been helping him figure his feelings out for Ariadne since the very beginning, and pushing them toward each other.

The Argo II did not look friendly. Two hundred feet long, with a bronze-plated hull, mounted repeating crossbows fore and aft, a flaming metal dragon for a figurehead, and two rotating ballistae amidships that could fire explosive bolts powerful enough to blast through concrete...well, it wasn't the most appropriate ride for a meet-and-greet with the neighbors.

Ariadne had asked Leo to send one of his special inventions—a holographic scroll—to alert their friends inside the Roman camp, as a heads up. Hopefully the message had gotten through. Leo had wanted to paint a giant message on the bottom of the hull—WASSUP? with a smiley face—but Annabeth vetoed the idea. She wasn't sure the Romans had a sense of humor.

Too late to turn back now.

The clouds broke around their hull, revealing the gold and green carpet of the Oakland hills below them. Annabeth gripped one of the bronze shields that lined the starboard rail. Ariadne leaned against it, standing next to her, knowing she needed that comfort.

Their three crew mates took their places.

On the stern quarterdeck, Leo rushed around like a madman, checking his gauges and wrestling levers. Most helmsmen would've been satisfied with a pilot's wheel or a tiller. Leo had also installed a keyboard, monitor, aviation controls from a Learjet, a dubstep soundboard, and motion control sensors from a Nintendo Wii. He could turn the ship by pulling on the throttle, fire weapons by sampling an album, or raise sails by shaking his Wii controllers really fast. Even by demigod standards, Leo was seriously ADHD.

Piper paced back and forth between the mainmast and the ballistae, practicing her lines.

"Lower your weapons," she murmured. "We just want to talk."

Annabeth looked weak in the knees.

For a child of Aphrodite, Piper tried to play down her beauty. Today she was dressed in tattered jeans, worn out sneakers, and a white tank top with pink Hello Kitty designs. Her choppy brown hair was braided down the right side with a few streaks of blue that Ariadne had helped her with a few weeks before.

Then there was Piper's boyfriend—Jason. He stood at the bow on the raised crossbow platform, where the Romans could easily spot him. His knuckles were white on the hilt of his golden sword. Otherwise he looked calm for a guy who was making himself a target. Over his jeans and orange Camp Half-Blood t-shied, he'd sons a toga and a purple cloak—symbols of his old rank as praetor. With his wind ruffled blond hair and his icy blue eyes, he looked ruggedly handsome and in control—just like a son of Jupiter should. He'd grown up at Camp Jupiter, so hopefully a familiar face would make the Roman's hesitant to blow the ship out of the sky.

Annabeth tried to hide it, but she still didn't completely trust the guy. She had ranted to Ariadne before, which the brunette understood. But her feeling had smoothed over after their quest. Of course, Annabeth hadn't been on it to know he was nice and dedicated, but also a bit confused in many ways.

The blonde girl had a bitter taste in her mouth when she looked at him. He'd been part of Hera's forced 'exchange program' to introduce the two camps. Her Most Annoying Majesty, Queen of Olympus, had convinced the other gods that their two sets of children—Roman and Greek—had to combine forces to save the world from the evil goddess Gaea, who was awakening from the earth, and her horrible children the giants.

Without warning, Hera had plucked up Percy Jackson, Ariadne's boyfriend, wiped his memory, and sent him to the Roman camp. In exchange, the Greeks had gotten Jason. None of that was Jason's fault: but every time Ariadne saw him, she remembered how much she missed Percy.

Percy...who was somewhere below them right now.

Ariadne couldn't become overwhelmed. She had to stay strong. Throughout the last six months she had been their standing support. Never crumbling, there for anyone, even in the middle of the night. When Annabeth would start tearing up over perfecting her plans, when Leo would overwork himself and breakdown, when Piper missed her dad, or when Jason needed some comfort from a friend, she was right there.

She had to stay strong, most of all, for herself. If she let herself go, she was afraid she'd never fully stand straight again.

She felt it again—that familiar shiver, as if a psychotic snowman had crept up behind her and was breathing down her neck. She turned, but no one was there.

Annabeth gripped her hand. "Hey, we'll get him back," she whispered.

"I know." Ariadne managed a small smile. "I just wonder if he's still the same after this long."

"Nothing's going to change what he feels for you. We both know that."

And they did.

The cold pressed closer. She thought she heard a faint voice in the wind, laughing. Every muscle in her body tensed. Something was about to go terribly wrong.

Annabeth must've felt it. She looked ready to order Leo to reverse course. Then, in the valley bellow, horns sounded. The Romans had spotted them.

Ariadne thought she knew what to expect. Jason had described Camp Jupiter to them in great detail. Still, she had trouble believing her eyes. Ringed by the Oakland Hills, the valley was at least twice he size of Camp Half-Blood. A small river snakes around one side and curled toward the center like a capital letter G, emptying into a sparkling blue lake.

Directly below the ship, nestled at the edge of the lake, the city of New Rome gleaned in the sunlight. She recognized landmarks Jason had told her about—the hippodrome, the coliseum, the temples and parks, the neighborhood of Seven Hills with its winding streets, colorful villas, and flowering gardens.

She saw evidence of the Romans' recent battle with an army of monsters. The dome was cracked open on a building she guessed was the Senate House. The forum's broad plaza was pitted with craters. Some fountains and statues were in ruins.

Dozens of kids in togas were streaming out of the Senate House to get a better view of the Argo II. More Romans emerged from the shops and cafes, gawking and pointing as the ship descended.

About half a mile to the west, where the horns were blowing, a Roman fort stood on a hill. It looked just like the illustrations Annabeth had shown her from military history books—with a defensive trench lined with spikes, high walls, and watchtowers armed with corpiño ballistae. Inside, perfect rows of white barracks lined the main road—the Via Principalis.

A column of demigods emerged from the gates, their arms and spears glinting as they hurried toward the city. In the mist of their ranks was an actual war elephant.

The ground was still several hundred feet bellow. Ariadne scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of Percy.

Then something behind her went BOOM!

The explosion almost knocked Annabeth overboard. They whirled and found themselves eye to eye with an angry statue.

"Unacceptable!" he shrieked.

Apparently he had exploded into existence, right there on the deck. Sulfurous yellow smoke rolled off his shoulders. Cinders popped around his curly hair. From the waist down, he was nothing but a square marble pedestal. From the waist up, he was a muscular human figure in a carved toga. "I will not have weapons inside the Pomerian Line!" he announced in a fussy teacher voice. "I certainly will not have Greeks!"

Ariadne's eyebrows furrowed. "Pomeranians?"

Annabeth nudged her.

"Terminus," Jason said. "It's me. Jason Grace."

"Oh, I remember you, Jason!" Terminus grumbled. "I thought you had better sense than to consort with the enemies of Rome!"

"But they're not enemies—"

"That's right," Piper jumped in. "We just want to talk. If we could—"

"Ha!" snapped the state. "Don't try that charmspeak on me, young lady. And put down that dagger before I slap it out of your hands!"

Piper glanced at her bronze dagger, which she'd apparently forgotten she was holding. "Um...okay. But how would you slap it? You don't have any arms."

"Impertinence!" There was a sharp POP and a flash of yellow. Piper yelped and dropped the dagger, which was now smoking and sparking.

"Lucky for you I've just been through a battle," Terminus announced. "If I were at full strength, I would've blasted this flying monstrosity out of the sky already!"

"Hold up." Leo stepped forward, wagging his Wii controller. "Did you just call my ship a monstrosity? I know you didn't do that." The idea that Leo might attack the statue with his gaming device was enough to snap Annabeth out of her shock.

"Let's calm down." She raised her hands to show she had no weapons. "I take it you're Terminus, the god of boundaries. Jason told me you protect the city of New Rome, right? I'm Annabeth Chase, daughter of—"

"Oh, I know who you are!" The statue glared at her with its blank white eyes. "A child of Athena, Minerva's Greek form. Scandalous! You Greek have no sense of decency. We Romans know the proper place for that goddess."

Annabeth clenched her jaw. "What exactly do you mean, that goddess? What's so scandalous about—"

"Right!" Jason interrupted. "Anyway, Terminus, we're here on a mission of peace. We'd love permission to land so we can—"

"Impossible!" the god squeaked. "Lay down your weapons and surrender! Leave my city immediately!"

"Which is it?" Ariadne asked. "Surrender, or leave?"

"Both, daughter of Dionysus!" Terminus said. "Surrender, then leave. I am slapping your face for asking such a stupid question, you ridiculous girl! Do you feel that?"

"Wow." Leo studied Terminus with professional interest. "You're wound up pretty tight. You got any gears in there that need loosening? I could take a look."

He exchanged the Wii controlled for a screwdriver from his magic tool belt and tapped the statue's pedestal.

"Stop that!" Terminus insisted. Another small explosion made Leo drop his screwdriver. "Weapons are not allowed on Roman soil inside the Pomerian Line."

"The what?" Piper asked.

"City limits," Jason translated. "You cannot land!"

"And this entire shop is a weapon!" Terminus said.

Down in the valley, the legion reinforcements were halfway to the city. The crowd in the forum was over a hundred strong now. Ariadne scanned the faces and...oh, gods. She saw him. He was walking toward the ship with his arms around two other kids like they were best buddies—a stout boy with a black buzz cut, and a girl wearing a Roman cavalry helmet. Percy looked so at ease, so happy. He wore a purple cape just like Jason's—the mark of a praetor.

Ariadne felt her heart in her throat.

"Leo, stop the ship," she ordered.

"What?"

"You heard me. Keep us right where we are."

Leo pulled out his controller and yanked it upward. All ninety oars froze in place. The ship stopped sinking.

"Terminus," Annabeth said, "there's not rule against hovering over New Rome, is there?"

The statue frowned. "Well, no..."

"We can keep the ship aloft," Annabeth said. "We'll use a rope ladder to reach the forum. That way, the ship won't be on Roman soil. Not technically."

The statue seemed to ponder this.

"I like technicalities," he admitted. "Still..."

"All our weapons will stay aboard the ship," Ariadne promised. "I assume the Romans—even those reinforcements marching toward us—will also have to honor your rules inside the Pomerian Line if you tell them to?"

"Of course!" Terminus said. "Do I look like I tolerate rule breakers?"

"Uh, Firebird..." Leo said. "You sure this is a good idea?"

She closed her fists to keep them from shaking. That cold feeling was still there. It floated just behind her, and now that Terminus was no longer shouting and causing explosions, she thought she could hear the presence laughing, as if it was delighted by the bad choices she was making.

But Percy was down there...he was so close.

"It'll be fine," Ariadne said. "No one will be armed. We can talk in peace. Terminus will make sure each side obeys the rules." She looked at the marble statue. "Do we have an agreement?"

Terminus sniffed. "I suppose. For now. You may climb down your ladder to New Rome, daughter of Dionysus. Please try not to destroy my town."

Ariadne ensured that her friends went down first. It was only because she wanted Terminus to get off their boat, incase Coach Hedge found him. That would not be good.

A sea of hastily assumed demigods parted for Annabeth as she walked through the forum. Some looked tense, some nervous. Some were bandaged from their recent battle with the giants, but no one was armed. No one attacked.

Entire families had gathered to see the newcomers. Ariadne saw couples with babies, toddlers clinging to their parents' legs, some elderly folk in a combination of Roman robes and modern clothes. Were all of them demigods? Ariadne suspected so, though she'd never seen a place like this. At Camp Half-Blood, most demigods were teens. If they survived long enough to graduate high school, they either stayed on as counselors or left to start lives as best they could in the mortal world. Here, it was an entire multigenerational community.

At the far end of the crowd, Ariadne spotted Tyson the Cyclops and Percy's hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary—who had been the first scouting party from Camp Half-Blood to reach Camp Jupiter. They looked to be in good spirits. Tyson waved and grinned. He was wearing an SPQR banner like a giant bib.

Some part of Ariadne's mind registered how beautiful the city was—the smells from the bakeries, the gurgling fountains, the flowers blooming in the gardens. And the architecture...gods, Annabeth was having a field day.

In front of her, the demigods made way for a girl in full Roman armor and a purple cape. Dark hair tumbled across her shoulders. Her eyes were as black as obsidian.

Reyna.

Jason had described her well. Even without that, Ariadne signaled her out as the leader. Medal decorated her armor. She carried herself with such confidence the other demigods backed away and averted their gaze.

Ariadne recognized something else in her face, too—the hard set of her mouth and the deliberate way she raised her chin like she was ready to accept any challenge. Reyna was forcing a look of courage, while holding back a mixture of hopefulness and worry and fear that she couldn't show in public.

Ariadne knew that expression. She saw it every time she looked at Annabeth.

Annabeth and Reyna considered each other. Ariadne pushed through the crowd, standing next to the blonde girl. The crowd whispered in shock, some stumbling back, other hitching their breaths.

Reyna looked pale. The Romans stared in awe at her.

Then someone else appeared from the crowd, and Ariadne's vision tunneled.

Percy smiled at her—that sarcastic, troublemaker smile that had annoyed her for years but eventually she couldn't live without. His sea-green eyes were as gorgeous as she remembered. His dark hair was swept to one side, like he'd just come from a walk on the beach. He looked even better than he had six months ago—tanner and taller, leaned and more muscular.

Ariadne was too stunned to move. She felt that if she got any closer to him, she would latch on and never let go.

During their separation, her feelings had grown painfully intense—like her heart had been ripped from her body. She missed the way he smiled, the way his laugh would ripple through her chest and turn her head to mush. How his hands would meet at the small of her back when he hugged, and she wanted to feel his warmth radiate all across her skin. His absence has been horrible for her health.

The praetor Reyna straightened. With apparent reluctance, she turned toward Jason.

"Jason Grace, my former colleague..." She spoke the word colleague like it was a dangerous thing. "I welcome you home. And these, your friends—"

Ariadne totally meant to surge forward. She couldn't wait any longer. And if somebody had tried to stop her, she would just glare. Percy rushed toward her at the same time. The crowd tensed. Some reached for swords that weren't there.

Percy threw his arms around her.

Ariadne didn't need world peace or a safe place, all she needed was a minute with him, to kiss him again, and she could die peacefully. And that was what they did.

His hands centered at the small of her back, her own looping around, splayed at the base of his neck. Percy was desperate, so desperate to taste her again. Her lips were soft against his own, while he kissed her roughly, taking in that he could feel her skin and taste the cherry chapstick she always wore.

The two needed to breath, sadly. They pulled away and Percy studied her face. Her eyes gazed up at him with the same look, the hope returning to their eyes. His thumb dragged across her cheek, pressing his forehead against her.

"Gods, I'm so glad I found you," he whispered.

Ariadne chuckled. "I found you, Kelp Head."

His heart did flips when she said the teasing name he'd come to adore.

"Percy!"

Annabeth rushed forward. The boy gave his friend a smile. The blonde grabbed his wrist while he went for a hug, and flipped him over her shoulder. He slammed into the stone pavement. Romans cried out. Some surged forward, Ariadne gave them a hard look and some stepped back, but Reyna shouted, "Hold! Stand down!"

Annabeth pointed at Percy, who laid on the floor. Usually, he was the test dummy for Annabeth's martial arts moves, and Ariadne would laugh while he looked helplessly.

"If you ever leave again," Annabeth said, her eyes stinging, "I swear to all the gods I will take my knife and shove it—"

Percy had the nerve to laugh. Suddenly she smiled.

"Consider me warned," Percy said. "Missed you, too."

Ariadne held her hand out to her boyfriend and helped him to his feet. She wanted to keep kissing him, but she managed to restrain herself, knowing that they had a lot to talk about.

Jason cleared his throat. "So, yeah...It's good to be back."

He introduced Reyna to Piper, who looked a little miffed that she hadn't gotten to say the lines she'd been practicing, then to Leo, who grinned and flashed a peace sign.

"And this is Annabeth," Jason said. "Uh, normally she doesn't judo-flip people."

Reyna's eyes sparkled. "You sure you're not Roman, Annabeth? Or an Amazon?"

Annabeth looked a bit stunned, but she held out her hand. "I only attack some of my friends and my girlfriend like that," she promised. "Pleased to meet you."

Reyna clasped her hand firmly.

Jason gestures toward the brunette next to Percy. "And this, is Ariadne Phoenix."

Reyna stared at her like she was the mightiest sword in the world. Others gasped. Some older Roman demigods began kneeling, while some bowed in respect.

"Uh, there's no need for that, really," Ariadne told them. "I'm not going to be judo-flipping anyone."

The female praetor tilted her head. "They are bowing because they believe you are a goddess."

"Huh?"

"Never mind." Reyna's eyes softened at her. They seemed to be remembering something. "It seems we have a lot to discuss. Centurions!"

A few of the Roman campers hustled forward—apparently the senior officers. Two kids appeared at Percy's side, the same ones Ariadne had seen him chumming around with earlier. The burly Asian guy with the buzz cut was about fifteen. He was cut in a sort of oversized-cuddly-panda bear way. The girl was younger, around fourteen, with amber eyes and chocolate skin and long curly hair. Her cavalry helmet was tucked under her  arm. She seemed to be a dwarf compared to Ariadne's tall frame.

Ariadne could tell from their body language that they felt close to Percy. They stood next to him protectively, like they'd already shared many adventures. She had spent her whole life learning read people. Survival skills and all. If she had to guess, she'd say the big Asian guy was the girl's boyfriend, though she suspected they hadn't been together long.

Meanwhile, Reyna was giving orders to her officers. "...tell the legion to stand down. Dakota, alert the sprits in the kitchen. Tell them to prepare a welcome feast. And, Octavian—"

"You're letting these intruders into camp?" A tall guy with stringy blond hair elbowed his way forward. "Reyna, the security risks—"

"We're not taking them to the camp, Octavian." Reyna flashed him a stern look. "We'll eat here, in the forum."

"Oh, much better," Octavian grumbled. He deemed to be the only who who didn't defer to Reyna as his superior, despite the fact that he was scrawny and pale and for some reason had three teddy bears hanging from his belt. "You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship."

"These are our guests." Reyna clipped off every word. "We will welcome them, and we will talk to them. As augur, you should burn an offering to thank the gods for bringing Jason back to us safely."

"Good idea," Percy put in. "Go burn your bears, Octavian."

Reyna looked like she was trying not to smile. "You have my orders. Go."

The officers dispersed. Octavian shot Percy a look of absolute loathing. Then he gave Ariadne a glazed look, but shrunk back when she scowled. He stalked away.

Percy slipped his hand into Ariadne's. "Don't worry about Octavian," he said. "Most of the Romans are good people—like Frank and Hazel here, and Reyna. We'll be fine."

Ariadne felt as if someone had draped a cold washcloth across her neck. She heard that whispering laughter again, as if the presence had followed her from the ship.

Annabeth looked up at the Argo II.

"We'll be fine," Annabeth repeated, trying to believe it.

"Excellent," Reyna said. She turned to Jason, and Ariadne thought there was a hungry sort of gleam in her eyes. "Legs talk, and we can have a proper reunion."

That was when the ground began to rumble.

authors note:

WERE BACK BABBY HEAH

PERCIADAN HAD REUNITED SHIP IS SAILONG

Hope y'all enjoy the cliffhanger

Q: Favorite one direction song?? If you listen to them that is
A: DIANA ALL THE WAY

Hope you guys enjoyed this!

Love you guys!