I 07. I

𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔

❝ through the mist ❞

     NIGHT TIME WAS A SAD TIME FOR THE DIONYSUS GIRL. Especially since they had just been attacked by the Furies and Medusa, as well as Percy saying a triggering word that brought back a lot of trauma.

She knew he didn't mean to, he didn't even know what the word 'lunatic' meant to her and how it was connected with her past. But nevertheless, it still hurt her heart.

The girl didn't know if she was ready to tell him. She had already told Annabeth and Grover once they became some of her first friends, but if Percy could help her figure out what her dreams meant, he needed to know.

But how long would it take to explain all her childhood trauma? How her mother was an alcoholic because of her father and therefore caused a lot of images that Ariadne never wanted to see again.

Of course, Percy would ask many questions, so she had to prepare herself for that but was she ready? Hell no, was the answer.

They settled down at a damaged campsite, where teenagers had left bits of food and drinks. Annabeth told them not to start a fire, much to the dismay of herself and the other kids.

So they decided to take rounds for a chance to sleep, Percy saying he would take the first so Annabeth, Ariadne, and Grover were free to ride the train to dreamland.

But she couldn't sleep. Unlike the blonde, who placed her head down and was out like a light, she rested her back against a tree a few feet away from where Percy and Grover lay. The Stayr up in the tree while son of Poseidon leaned against its trunk.

Ariadne never had trouble sleeping. It was her favorite past time. Something was keeping her awake and she didn't know why. Grover and Percy were having a conversation between themselves, so she decided to converse with herself like she normally did when she was alone.

The thought of never seeing her siblings or father agains stood out. If she died, would they mourn? Would they show up to her funeral wearing all black and an umbrella like they always said they would, to make it seem like she was harboring dark secrets before she died?

Would her father miss her? Yes, he said he loved her but would he miss her? Would he have hallucinations despite the fact he's the god of madness? Hallucinations of her doing daily things, hearing her voice or laugh. Maybe that was what she wanted to happen, but in reality, it would be like any other death of a demigod; short-lived and never remembered.

Her eyes closed while she sighed, a pit settling deep within her stomach, it was always there. Had been since the day she realized her mother had abandoned her, she cried and cried that day, calling out for the women she thought lived her, but her father was the only one who answered.

He consoled her in the best way he could; teaching her pinochle. Of course, she became exceptional at it but that didn't stop the girl from moping about camp

One day stuck in her mind, where she thought that maybe her mother returned for her, she heard her voice so distinctly out the borders of camp.

So she ran, ignoring the calls of the other campers. But once she was a mile away, she was lost. That was the day she had almost died, and Ariadne had always hated being lost. It was because of Ariadne's story with the Labyrinth, a maze was it her favorite thing.

But from them on, Ariadne never left camp, not even today goodbye to her brothers who wanted her to meet their mother. She refused.

Her biggest fear, and why she was so keen on the idea of soulmates, was to die without feeling love. Yes, she had her father and brothers, and surely the sisterly love she felt with Annabeth, but love love. With another person who made her feel special. Who insisted she wasn't a lunatic like her mother always shouted at her, who made sure she was happy and not giving a forced smile, but sometimes, that was a lot to ask for.

Ariadne decided to tune into Percy and Grover's conversation, done with herself. "How are we going to get to the Underworld?" Percy asked, "I mean, what chance do we have against a god."

Next to nothing.

Grover sighed, "I don't know. But back at Medusa's, when you were searching her office? Annabeth and Ariadne were telling me—"

"Oh," Percy scoffed, "I forgot. Let me guess: Ariadne helped with Annabeth's plan?"

The girl glared at her mud covered shoes, a slight jerk in her stomach as the pit rose higher in her body.

"Don't be so hard on her, Percy." The Saytr told him, "Or Annabeth, either."

Percy had an agitated look on his face, "At least Annabeth gives me the benefit of the doubt, even with the whole Athena and Poseidon rivalry thing. I though Ariadne did too," he looked at the ground, "but I guess she was just doing that so Chiron would still see her as the star student."

The pit rose higher. Ariadne fought down the tears willing to race down her face at that moment, why did it hurt so much? He was a twelve year old boy who she hadn't known existed until a week ago, why did his words hurt her so much?

"You don't mean that." Grover fought back, "She can get angry, yes. She can be defensive and impatient... but she's a good person. An amazing and funny person. Ariadne... she's had a rough past, Percy. She got mad because of what you said, the word—"

He cut himself off, and Ariadne was thankful for that. She wanted to tell the boy herself, and she would once Grover went to sleep.

"What word?"

Grover stumbles over his words, "I-it doesn't matter. She'll tell you when she's ready." Percy wasn't satisfied with that answer, "What I'm trying to say is that you should give her the benefit of the doubt. She was the first camper aside from me to accept you, your first real demigod friend. After all, she helped me sort of forgive myself..."

Thalia.

Ariadne has never actually been close with the daughter of Zeus. Annabeth and Luke were, Grover too. They traveled with the dark haired girl until they made it to the borders of the camp, up until they were attacked by a Cyclops.

She had watched it happen. She helped pull Annabeth, Luke and her first friend Grover through the border. But Thalia wasn't able to make it, she died protecting and saving her friends, so Zeus made her the pine tree that made a protective barrier around the camp.

That protectiveness of Grover kicked in. She helped nurse him back to help and made progress with him, he opened up about what happened before a part of him forgave his mistake, but his mind still held a grudge against itself.

Percy was giving Grover some rapid fire questions, "What do you mean? Forgive yourself for what?" The Satyr didn't reply, but the demigod has an idea. "Wait a minute. Your first keeper job was five years ago. Annabeth has been there for five years, Ariadne was your first friend. I mean your first assignment went wrong—"

"I can't talk about this," Grover spoke in a shaky voice. "But, as I was saying, back at Medusa's, Annabeth, Ariadne and I agreed there's something strange going on with this quest. Something isn't what it seems."

"Well, duh." Percy replies back stupidly, "I'm getting blamed for stealing a thunderbolt that Hades took."

The Satyr shook his head, "That's not what I mean. The Fur—" he took a deep breath, "The Kindly Ones were sort of holding back. Like Ms. Dodds at Yancy Academy... why did she wait so long to kill you? Then on the bus, they just went as aggressive as they could've been."

"They seemed pretty aggressive to me."

"They were screeching at us: 'Where is it? Where' "

"Asking about me."

Grover didn't look convinced, "Maybe... but Annabeth , Ariadne and I, we all got the feeling they weren't asking about a person. They said, 'Where is it?' They seemed to be asking about an object."

Percy furrowed his eyebrows, "That doesn't make any sense."

"I know. But if we've misunderstood something about this quest, and we only have nine days to find the master bolt..."

Ariadne gulped at the consequences she had thought of earlier. She did not want those coming true.

Percy seemed to not like silence, "Look," he took a breath. "I haven't been straight with you. I don't care about the master bolt. I agreed to go to the Underworld so I could bring back my mother."

It didn't surprise her really. Expected. Not saying Percy seemed like the type to do this on a regular basis, but from Grover told her in all his Iris messages that he sent her, Sally Jackson was a goddess. And not like the Greek ones, no, she was a walking angel who was full of motherly love and kindness for everyone.

If she had a mother like her, maybe Ariadne wouldn't be this way. Maybe she would be happier. But she understood Percy's motives, he didn't care about the bolt, or the civil war, he cared about his mother who was floating around in the Underworld with other souls.

Grover pulled out his reed pipes and blew a few notes, "I know that, Percy. But are you sure that's the only reason?"

"I'm not doing it to help my father. He doesn't care about me. I don't care about him."

Lie.

She knew he was lying, because his eyes said it all. The sea-green full of longing to know his father despite him being a god, or the fact he wasn't around for twelve years, she knew the feeling. Despite everything they ever did, the demigods were always lying about not caring for their godly parent, it was a common flaw they all shared

Grover glances down at his friend, "Look, Percy. I'm not as smart as Annabeth. Or as skilled of a fighter as Ariadne. I'm not as brave as you. But I'm pretty good at reading emotions. You're glad your dad is alive. You feel good that he's claimed you, and part of you wants to make him proud. That's why your mails Medusa's head to Olympus. You wanted him to notice what you'd done."

Percy denied it, despite it being true. "Yeah? Well, maybe your Satyr emotions work differently than human emotions. Because you're wrong. I don't care what he thinks."

"Okay, Percy. Whatever."

"Besides, I haven't done anything worth bragging about. We barely got out of New York and we're stuck here with no money and no way west."

"How about I take first watch, huh?" Grover was tired, so Ariadne stood up at his statement. "You get some sleep."

Ariadne shook her head as she came into view, "I'll do it." Grover went to argue but she placed her hands on her hips, "Grover, you're exhausted. And frankly, I won't sleep until I tell him."

He understood, so the Satyr rolled over and was out quickly.

She sat next to Percy against the tree trunk, her knees up as her hands were resting on them with her fingers interlocked.

Percy watched her closely, wondering what she was doing. But the girl didn't speak, only hearing the soft crickets chirping in the dark.

"Okay," he started, "what's your game?"

She chuckled, "Man, you really don't like silence, do you?" Her eyes met his, both shining brightly in the dark. "Our argument. I wanted to clear some things up."

"Yeah, which one?" He held up his fingers as he started to mockingly count, "The one at camp, the one with the whole bathroom thing, the one after the bus, or the one at Medusa's place?"

Ariadne sighed, "The one after the bus." Her fingers unlocked as she fiddled with her necklace, "I want you to know why I got mad."

"Grover said it was a word or something, I have no clue."

"He's right. I..." She sniffled before stopping, "I didn't meant to block you out, I was just frustrated and-and you said the word lunatic which made me check out of reality."

Percy's lips parted, "Why?"

She grit her teeth, "Well, to understand, you have to hear my full story. So, here we go." She cleared her throat, "Before I was born, my mom had seen things ever since she was a kid. She would describe them as big monsters roaming the streets, or kids with swords and bows running down the street."

"Now, her mom always said it was her imagination, but soon, my mom described a Cyclops in perfect detail at the age of three. So the neighbors started to avoid her and her family all together, they uh, they would yell out at her about how she was crazy, that my grandparents had hurt my mom."

Percy watched as her purple eyes grew sad and angry, "When my mom finally joined school, the kids ignored her. They teased her about how she was crazy, 'Lunatic!' They would scream out. Everyday my mom would run home crying."

"And everyday, my grandparents sent her to therapy, thinking that was what she needed. But it wasn't. So it never helped. Once my mom graduated high school, she left. Went to college, never mentioned anything to anyone. She had friends, had good grades, the total package."

"She met my dad her junior year. He was only there for a party but he met her, and he realized she could see through the Mist. So they would talk about it, and for my mom, she assumed he was just one of those demigods who she always saw. But she finally had someone who understood her, so they fell in love."

"My mom became pregnant with me and my dad confessed, my mom hated him for it. Saying how he ruined her life, how she couldn't give me up now and how I was just going to be a half-breed. Part of the demigod world which had tormented her for years."

Ariadne felt the tears well up in her eyes, "So he left. And when she had me, she turned to alcohol. When I started mentioning the monsters and everything she had when she was younger, she went berserk. I was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia at age three, which caused her to resent me and call me stupid. And when I was five, she started calling me a lunatic. Saying how if she felt that way at that age, so would I."

Tears fell down and Percy put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side as he hugged her tightly. "She dropped me off at camp. Her final words to me? 'You can stay here, Ariadne. I never wanted a lunatic child.' And I never saw her again. So those words always stick by me, constantly taunting me."

Her hand reached over and twisted her ring, making sure it wasn't near sight of them so they wouldn't get cut.

Percy watched as her fingers traced the vines on the blade, somehow it didn't cut her. A gold ball of yarn shimmered on the handle, she sighed as she uncovered the inscription on the sword. 'παραφροσύνη'

She let him hold the sword, the boy held it delicately, the weight feeling oddly similar to his but at the same time, it was weird. His brain translated the inscription easily, "Lunacy." He spoke softly while she nodded.

He eyed her, "Why? Why have that reminder?"

"Because it shows that I've used my past to become then best frighten at camp. That I've become powerful in my own way, that I don't let my pain consume me."

Percy softly smile, "It feels weird." She tilted her head, "The sword does. I feel... I feel like I've held it before but at the same time, I haven't."

Ariadne let out a breath, "Huh, weird." She eyed his pen that was peeking from his pocket, "Whats yours called?"

"Riptide." He spoke proudly, handing the gold sword back to her while she transformed it back into her ring.

"Wow, not expected at all." She joked, he munched her shoulder before they fell quiet again.

Percy watched her as she looked up at the stars in the sky, her curly hair being blown by the little wind there was. "What's your middle name?"

She raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Nicknames." She laughed at his response, he gave her a smile.

"You already gave me a nickname."

"I have one." He told her, "You have two for me."

The sighed dramatically, "Aidan."

"Aidan?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Ariadne Aidan Phoenix."

He held his hand out, "Nice to be you, Aidan."

Ariadne shook her head at his proud look before shaking his hand, they held it while looking at the stars before she noticed a white mass flying through the air. "Didn't know doves lived around here."

Percy watched as the bird landed on her head, the girl's eyes widened while she tried not to freaking out. He laughed into his hand while the bird cooed slightly, nestling in her curls as it watched the two.

"There is a bird in my hair." She narrowed her eyes at the boy who was in fits, "This is not a laugh matter, Perc."

"I think it is, Aidan."

She scoffed, "Kelp Head."

"Curly Fry," he shot back. But smiles rested on both of their faces, watching the dove as it flew away from the two.

Percy noticed her stifle a yawn before shaking his head, "Get some sleep."

"I said I'm on first watch."

"You won't be for long if you don't sleep."

And so she did, her head leaning against his shoulder while Percy interlocked their fingers. Staring up at the night sky and the dove flying away with its partner, Ariadne and him had made up.

He had his friend back, which made the quest a bit better.

authors note:
This chapters short but I wanted to make it this way since the next one is packed full of adventure.

I hope you guys like the book so far and Ariadne.

Love you guys!