I 010. I

𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔

❝ looking for the children ❞

     ARIADNE OPENED HER EYES TO THE DIRTY WATER OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. She panicked as she couldn't breath, eyes stinging from the lack of oxygen in her lungs.

Trash floated by, sticking in her hair as she was laying on the sand. The girl struggled to move, her side was still on fire and was in a lot of pain. She would have swam to the surface by now, but her body wasn't letting her.

She remembered her heart stopping. She remembered her soul opening its eyes in the Underworld where the rest of the dead were, but she wasn't waiting for judgement, she was in a room with a beautiful woman and a black throne.

But that was all she remembered before awaking in the river. Her eyes searched for Percy, but they were stinging so badly. So she moved the beat she could, struggling to swim up.

Percy stares up at the Nereid who spoke to him, debating what she meant before she opened her mouth again. "You must hurry, Percy Jackson," an urgent tone in her voice. He gave her a confused looked before seeing Ariadne struggling in the water. "She will not survive, you are luck on of the Olympians helped her, but the poison is still spreading."

"And, Percy," he looked at he once more. "Watch out for her, because those doves are not kind to people who forget their love."

The boy was already gone, not even thinking about what she just said. Swimming expertly through the water as his bubble of air swallows her once he was close enough.

Ariadne let the oxygen flow through her lungs as she grew dry, but the pain was still there. She gasped out as she fell into Percy's arms, the boy placed his hand on her side where blood was sleeping through her jacket. It heals instantaneously, along with the cut on her arm.

She gave him a long hug, both floating at the bottom of the river while holding each other. But her eyes spotted Riptide sticking out of the ground, she pointed over and they swam told it.

Percy grabbed it and they swam up, emerging from the river. Her hair was soaked, but he was dry to the bone.

Ariadne quickly walked up the bank, almost falling to the ground and kissing it because of how happy she was.

The two had to discreetly get to their friends without someone seeing, but a girl had already noticed them. "Mama! That girl and boy walked out of the river!"

Her mom wasn't paying attention, trying to look at the large amount of emergency vehicles at the base of the Arch. "That's nice, dear."

"But he's dry!"

"That's nice, dear."

Ariadne spotted the familiar head of blonde hair and the horns, she shoved through people, ignoring their dirty looks as she shot some words towards them.

Her arms locked around Annabeth tightly as both girls resisted the urge to cry, they shuddered as they hugged for a while longer.

She released the girl to hug Grover who looked on the verge of tears as well, the Satyr was worried about losing both of his friends.

The girl realized she had left Percy on his own, looking up at the Arch which had multiple helicopters flying around it. Many onlookers gazed up at the structure, no one knowing the exact story minus the demigods themselves.

A reporter caught her attention, "Probably not a terrorist attack, we're told, but it's still very early in the investigation. The damage, as you can see, is very serious. We're truing to get some of the survivors, to question them about eyewitness reports of two people falling from the Arch."

So the family and ranger were safe. That eased some of her worries. She scanned the area around them with her friends as they looked for Percy.

Another reporter was speaking, "...an adolescent girl and boy. Channel five has learned that surveillance cameras show an adolescent girl and boy going wild on the observation deck, somehow setting off this freak explosion. Survivors say that the girl showed quicker reflexes than a trained boxer. Hard to believe, John, but that's what we're hearing. Again, no confirmed fatalities..."

Percy was standing in the back with his head down, trying not to gain anyone's attention but there's. Ariadne rushes forward, but Grover had beaten her and tackled the boy in a hug. "We thought you'd gone to Hades the hard way."

Ariadne gulped at that statement, her mind drawing back to what she saw before she woke up.

Annabeth tried to seem mad, but she was more relieved over anything else. Her glare softened, "We can't leave you and Ariadne alone for five happened?"

"We sort of fell," he relied sheepishly.

Her hands went towards her hips, "Percy! Six hundred feet?"

Ariadne stepped forward as Grover let the boy go, she latched onto him tightly as he did the same to her.

Percy was happy she was okay. He wouldn't have known what to do if she had died, or what he would tell everyone how he would get her body back to camp. The boy was relieved she was healed and that she wasn't in pain, so he just put his face in her hair as they hugged tightly.

Annabeth cleared her throat, sharing a glance with Grover who smirked at the two demigods flushed faces once they parted.

"Thank you," the brunette whispered. She grasped his hand in hers, "I mean it. And... and I'm sorry."

He tilted his head, "For what?"

"For saying you weren't a hero. Because you are. You saved my life, and that's a debt I can never repay."

Percy have her a smile, "You're welcome." Their hands were still together before they separated, their stomachs shifting in their stomachs, like butterflies fluttering around. They chopped it up to just being the adrenaline wearing off, so they ignored it.

"Gangway!" A cop shouted into the crowd, paramedics pushing a stretcher through the onlookers with the mother of the kid strapped into it.

"And then this huge dog, Thai huge fire-breathing Chihuahua—" she tried explaining but they cut her off, believing she was crazy.

"Okay, ma'am. Just calm down. Your family is fine. The medication is starting to kick in."

But she kept going, "I'm not crazy! The girl had a sword, a sword. And-and she fell through the hole so the boy jumped after her and the monster disappeared." Her eyes found Ariadne and Percy's, "There they are! That's the boy and his friend!"

The kids ducked down while pulling their friends behind them, rushing out of the crowd before someone else saw them.

Annabeth stopped them, "What's going on? Was she talking about the Chihuahua on the elevator?"

And so Ariadne and Percy told them of what happened. From Echidna and the Chimera, to what happened when they fell. Even Percy went into his message from his father that the underwater woman told him.

"Whoa," Grover breathed out. "We've got to get you to Santa Monica! You can't ignore a summons from your dad."

But a reporter caught all of their attentions, "Percy Jackson. That's right, Dan. Channel Twelve has learned that the boy who may have caused the explosion fits the description of a young man wanted by authorities for a serious New Jersey bus accident three days ago."

"We have also learned that the girl who was with him on the bus the day of the crash, her name is Ariadne Phoenix and she has been apart of a missing persons case for over seven years. Yes, Dan, seven years. Her case was unsolved and remained cold until she was spotted again, we do not know where her mother is or why she is traveling with Jackson, but we do know both are headed west."

"Her case is especially interesting because of her mother's mental health problems and years spent in therapy and hospitals, maybe some of that has been passed down to Ariadne herself. Here are pictures of both Percy Jackson and Ariadne Phoenix."

The brunette cursed as they all slipped into an ally away from prying eyes, escaping the public.

"First things first," Percy panted as he looked at Grover. "We've got to get out of town

Luckily, they made it onto the train without being noticed and before it pulled out for Denver. Ariadne slumped in the seat next to Percy as she sighed, "Never again."

And they left behind Saint Louis as red and blue lights darted around the city, looking for the children who were no longer there.

***

IT WAS JUNE FOURTEENTH ONCE THEY PULLED INTO DENVER. The group hadn't had food since the night before, which made them all starving. It was obvious none of them had showered since leaving camp, and Ariadne was starting to smell disgusting, especially since the lingering scent of the Mississippi River was still on her skin.

Annabeth had told her how bad she stunk, along with Grover. Which she couldn't help, it wasn't her fault they were attacked by a Chimera and she plunged into a river to survive.

But Percy tried being nice, not moving seats so she didn't feel bad but she still did. So at some point, the girl almost yelled at him so he didn't have to smell the rancid scent she was giving off.

Annabeth has a great plan, "Let's try and contact Chiron. I want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit."

"We can't use phones, right?" Percy asked, but Ariadne threw him a smile.

"She wasn't talking about phones, Kelp Head."

Denver was taunting the girl. From the cafes lining the streets, or the comforting buildings with air conditioning.

The dry heat was not helping either, when a wind blew through, it was hot and caused them to smell even worse.

Rocky Mountains laughed down upon them, towering over the city as they scoured the city for half an hour not find some place to call Chiron.

Once they found an empty-do-it-yourself car wash, they entered the stall farthest from the street. Ariadne watched out for police due to the fact that half of the quartet was the center of a nationwide manhunt.

Percy looked confused as Grover took a spray gun in hand, "What exactly are we doing?"

Grover looked through his pockets, "It's seventy-five cents. I've only got two quarters left. Annabeth?"

"Don't look at me," she replied. "The dining car wiped me out."

Both looked towards Ariadne who shrugged, "All I have is a Walkman and a piece of jewelry, I would have money if I hadn't have bought that bag of jellybeans for you and Percy."

Percy was offended by her statement, "Hey! You ate most of that."

She shrugged, holding her jacket to expose her orange camp shirt that had splotches of blood by her side. Percy gulped at the sight before handing her her gold ring back, which she gladly slipped on her finger.

The boy had dug out the last of his change before handing it over to Grover, "Excellent. We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connection isn't as good, and my arm gets tired of pumping."

"What are you talking about?" Percy asked.

"I-M'ing."

"Instant messaging?"

Ariadne shook her head, "Iris-messaging. The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask, and she's not to busy, she'll do the same for half-bloods."

"So, you've done this before?"

Ariadne rolled her eyed, "How do you think Grover told me so much about you?"

"You summon the goddess with a spray gun?"

Grover pointed the nozzle in the air, mist falling from it as light struck the particles. "Unless you know an easier way to make a rainbow."

The blonde of the group held her hand towards Percy, "Drachma, please."

Why they let him hold the money, Ariadne didn't know. But he handed one over to her.

"O goddess, accept our offering." Annabeth said as she held the coin over her head, she flipped it into the rainbow of colors that was escaping the gun. It dissolved into a shimmer of gold sparks. "Half-Blood Hill."

Soon, the camp appeared in view. It's strawberry fields glistened in the sun, and if she looked hard enough, the brunette could almost see two figures in them while vines grew. She liked to think those were her brothers, which allowed her to smile a bit at the thought.

They were on the porch of the Big House, and a familiar head of blond hair had their back to them. A sword in his hand while he looked out on the meadow, "Lukey!" Ariadne called out, he whipped around with wide eyes.

"Ariadne!" He spoke, a grin on his face. "Percy! Is that Annabeth, too? Thank the gods! Are you guys okay?"

Annabeth was having trouble speaking, "We're... uh... fine," she tried fixing herself to look presentable, but it's not like Luke cared. "We thought— Chiron—I mean—"

Luke's grin faded, "He's down at the cabins. We're having some issues with the campers. Listen, is everything cool with you? Is Grover all right?"

Grover steppes into view, "I'm right here. What kind of issues?"

A Lincoln Continental pulled into the car washes ugh the volume up so high, it was shaking the concrete they were standing on.

"Chiron had to— what's that noise?" The blond boy asked.

Ariadne sighed, "We'll take care of it," Annabeth shut up as she was happy to have a reason to leave, "And if those kids are better when we get back, I'll show them not to cause problems."

She said goodbye to Luke just as Annabeth grabbed her arm, "Grover, come on!"

"What?" The Saytr asked, "But—"

"Give Percy the nozzle and come on!"

He handed the gun over, and muttered his girls were harder to understand than the Oracle of Delphi. Which Ariadne rolled her eyes at, while Annabeth pulled them away.

The man with the loud music had his car door opened as the loud rock blared out of the radio, he was washing his car while rocking out. He had dark hair and was tall with a leather jacket, and black jeans with studs on his boots.

"Hey, turn your music down!" Ariadne yelled, the man raised his eyebrow at the three before letting out a laugh

"What are you gonna do if I don't?"

The three glanced with each other before cruel grins spread across their face.

Ariadne let out a loud laugh once the man drive off in his car, speeding out fo the car wash with his music turned down.

Grover places his fake feet and hat back on before yelling something after the car, Annabeth gripped her side as the two girls have the Saytr a hi five.

All three walked back towards the stall where Percy was, but no image of Luke was in sight. The spray gun was hanging limply in his hand with a grin look on his face, which the group stopped laughing at.

"What did he say?" Ariadne asked, "Was it anything bad?"

"No." He shook his head, "He didn't say much."

He tried lying but Ariadne could see right through it, so could everyone else. "Come on, let's find some dinner."

Grover and Annabeth took the lead as Ariadne stuck back with Percy, he tried ignoring her glances but it agitated him. "What?" He snapped, hands in his pockets.

She shrugged, "Nothing." But she want down, "Other than the fact that you're a shut liar."

His eyes went wide, but she just kept walking. "If you won't tell me, that's fine. I'll figure it out at some point, I always do."

And she was right. She always did figure out everything in the end, even if it takes a whole summer.

authors note:

I might as well stop making promises.

Sorry, this was short but next one is the talk with Ares and the waterpark scene.

Love you guys!