I 034. I

𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔

❝ crazy, out ❞

ARIADNE WATCHED AS PERCY BRANDISHED HIS SWORD. Her eyes glared at the warriors and monsters who were growing closer, sh was defenseless-- she was never defenseless. "One on one," Percy challenged Luke. "What are you afraid of?"

Luke's lip curled. The soldiers waited for the order to strike. Agrius burst onto the deck leading a flying horse. It was pure-black and its wings were spread wide, it bucked and whinnied.

"Sir!" Agrius called, dodging a pegasus hoof. "Your steed is ready!"

Luke kept his eyes on Percy. "I told you last summer, Percy," he said. "You can't bait me into a fight."

Percy glanced over at the brunette who eyed him warily, needing to know what to do. He sent a smirk towards the blonde teen. "Oh," he said, "I wasn't talking about me." The boy looked to Ariadne who's eyes were wide, he handed her Riptide, seeing as how last summer they both realized their swords were similar.

She gave him a confident look before twisting Riptide in her hand. Luke's face went slack and he gripped his sword tighter. "Come on, Luke," she taunted. "I've told you many times before: you can't beat me."

"Well," he spoke defiantly, raising Backbiter in the air. He whistled before a round leather-and-bronze shield was thrown his way. A wicked grin crossed her face.

Ariadne kept a glare in her eyes, "If you backdown now, I won't hurt you too much."

"I'll kill you quickly," he decided. His bade glinted with an evil gray-and-gold, where human steel had been melded with celestial bronze. Backbiter was a foot longer than Riptide and Lunacy, but it was made with tragedy, she could tell.

Luke made the first move. His sword swung under her arm but she dodged quickly, swiping Riptide at him and grazing his shirt. The boy gave her a glare before sending a swipe towards her head.

She jumped backwards once he lunged again, parrying his attack with a thrust, he dodged. Her body fell back into the swimming pool, which Luke thought was a good thing since she couldn't swim. Her friends panicked as they watched her underwater.

But something happened. The ring in Luke's pocket glowed with sea-green as the trident engraved in it pulsed. Riptide's grapevines glowed with a purple aura and the water shot her out, sending Luke backwards and knocking him to the ground. He was spluttering ad blinded for a few seconds until he quickly stood back up.

Surprisingly, she wasn't soaked, she was dry. But Riptide glowed in her hand until she felt a familiar weight on her right hand. She glanced down and saw Lunacy, glistening in the sunlight. A smirk found its way onto her face before she lunged towards Luke as he rolled to the side. Perfect.

Ariadne tossed Riptide to Percy who caught it, shocking Luke. Her hand twisted Lunacy and the gold sword popped out, vines daring the boy to make a move. Everyone held their breaths as the two greatest sword fighters in the last couple hundred years stood there.

Luke clashed his sword against Ariadne's as she pushed harder, both in a position to strike, but neither doing so. "Come one, Ariadne," Luke whispered, "you know you're on the wrong side."

"No," she grunted. "You are."

"The side who will lose? I would never be on that side, you know that. The gods are using you, Aria," his eyes were full of concern. "You're a pawn in their own game. They will use you for your powers and then cast you aside. You'll just be another hero in their massive card deck."

She gave him a glare. "Ever thought that they're trying to help me? I thought I could trust you, Luke. I really did. But you betrayed Thalia. You betrayed Grover. You betrayed Annabeth. How many others, huh? All because you thought daddy didn't love you. Pathetic."

Luke growled. "I want to help you," he offered. "We can help you control your powers. Show you your true talent and what you could achieve. We could take over the world and build a new one, a better one. Maybe, we can find your mom as well."

"No, you can't." Her body was shaking. "I don't care for her. I'm done with that."

"You're still the same seven year old that I found crying over her in your cabin. Scared, afraid. We can help you. You'll be unstoppable." Luke told her gently, and some part of her started to believe him. She stoped pushing and Luke did as well, he stood tall and. smirk crawled up his face as Lunacy hung from her hand limply. "We can do this-- together."

Her brain felt like it was on fire. Veins pulsed and her blood seemed to be boiling. She looked u at him with a glare, her purple eyes seeming to get brighter and brighter as she did. "You don't want to help me." Luke faltered before she continued, "All this time, you preach and preach about helping me, but you don't want to."

"That's not true," he told her, but she saw it in his eyes, it was true.

"I actually believed you for a second-- that you were caring for me again. I'm so stupid. I'm so, god damn, STUPID!" Her eyes lit up like glow sticks. Percy watched with wide eyes as Annabeth and Grover noticed their friend seeming to go crazy. "You were the one who told me to use my pain to make myself stronger. You. And yet, here you are, using that pain for revenge."

She grabbed her hair harshly as Lunacy twisted back into her ring. Luke dropped his sword and shield as well, backing away slightly. "Everyday, I tore myself apart because I couldn't save you. Thinking that maybe-- just maybe-- I could've done something better. But I guess it's not really my fault, huh? Because you've been like this ever since your quest. I noticed you weren't the same Luke, but I just thought it was because you failed."

Luke's eyes turned gentle, his head reaching out. "Aria," he said softly. She flinched away and started laughing, her friends worried sick.

Annabeth looked to her. "Aria," she pleaded, "calm down. Step away."

"No," she growled. "No, no, NO!" A flash of purple hit a warrior, sending him into a frenzy of screaming and crying. Yelling out as he immense pain in his head.

Percy shook his head. "What's happening?!"

"Her madness powers..." Luke said quietly. "Aria, please, calm down."

"NO! I'm tired of being so freaking calm all the time. Forced into anger management, forced to take stupid calming pills, every day. Maybe I need to be angry? I'm so done!" she shouted. Another wave and even more goons were running around like chickens without heads.

Percy took a step forward, only for Annabeth to pull him back as Grover shook his head. "She's in a state. We need to hide, or we'll turn into them." He gestured towards the frantic warriors before Percy stood frozen.

"I'm not leaving her."

Ariadne couldn't help but hear the words chanting in her head, shouting out in pain. "For once in my life, I'm not going to hold back. I-I can't hold back."

Luke shook his head. "Yes, yes you can, Aria. You're going to hurt yourself."

Her whole body trembled as Annabeth grabbed Percy's arms, "We need to go. We need to go, right now."

"No," her voice echoed loudly while she screamed. "I'm going to hurt you." Her eyes glared into his and he knew what true fear was like. Not even when he first talked with Kronos did he feel this way-- because this was a girl he had watched grow up, become powerful and finally release everything she had been holding onto. "Because I hate you, Luke Castellan."

His eyes went cold. "We don't need you!" He looked to his men, "Take them down," he ordered. They went in for the kill as Percy piped his sword.

"Aidan!" He called out, but she couldn't hear.

"I HATE YOU!" she screeched before her whole body lashed out.

Arms spread out wide as purple waves flowed out of her body, crashing into everyone's heads. Her eyes glowed brighter than ever while she let out a scream. Monsters clutched their heads before swiping their weapons at invisible beings and whatever scared them the most.

Agrius loosened his hold on the Pegasus's reins, letting the steed kick him the head and send him flying over the Miami Bay. A snake lady clawed at a Hellhound which fired back, launching every creator into a battle of fear.

Luke was cradling his head while he tried not to cry, images of his mother and father arguing and yelling at him. Thalia, Annabeth and Ariadne beating him senseless.

Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson were the only one's safe. They blocked their heads away from the waves, ducking the ground as they watched their friend lose it. But they could all hear chanting in their head: "Crazy! Out! Crazy, out! CRAZY, OUT!"

It was over as soon as it had started. Ariadne had never felt so much pain. From heartbreak and her powers, she was exhausted. The girl slumped to the ground as a tear rolled down her cheek, the last of the waves ending everyone's suffering, but the damage had been done.

Ariadne Aidan Phoenix had never been one to hate her powers. A lot of times, she welcomed them with open arms. But at the time, she just they were vines. Now, they were this. Her heart hammered in her chest as her body cooled down, the chanting has stopped but her mind hummed with adrenaline and blood.

She only wished it didn't have to come to this. That Luke Castellan hadn't been the one to be on the receiving end of all her built up powers or emotions. She only wished that life was easier than what it had been, but you can't always get what you wished for.

Percy immediately rushed over to the girl, picking her head up gently and placing it in his lap. "Aidan," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

A small smile crossed her face as her eyes drooped. "I'm alright. Just... a little... tired."

"Keep your eyes open," Annabeth ordered her. She tried hiding the tears in her eyes. "Gods, Aria... why...?"

She chuckled, "I'm a protecter."

Grover held her hand tightly as tears swarmed inches eyes, ready to leak. "Hold on, Aria. I promise you, when we get back to camp, I'll make you the biggest plate of blue cookies, and I'll make sure Percy doesn't eat them."

"I'd like that," she told them.

Percy let out a teary eyed chuckle, looking down at her as he moved aside some pieces of her hair. "I'll try not to eat them, just for you."

Her eyes moved to Tyson who looked ready to cry. Why was everyone wanting to cry? "Hey, Tyson," she called out. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you, you're the kindest Cyclops I've ever met."

He nodded, "Thank you, pretty lady."

She let out a chuckle but only realized how much pain she was in. Her eyes looked up to Percy who was already crying, trying s hard not to let the tears fall onto his face. All of them could see the girl's stomach, but the adrenaline hadn't left yet.

Blood was soaking her stomach, seeing through her shirt. No one knew if she would make it, they only hoped that was the case. "Why are you crying?" she whispered.

Percy sniffled, "You'll be okay." He cast a glance towards her wound and she followed his eyes, seeing the dark red on her body. The girl finally understood.

"Oh," she spoke softly, "that's why."

Annabeth shook her head, "You'll be okay. We promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Annie." Her eyes were soft, closing slightly. "Know that I love you." She looked towards Grover who was crying. "You too, Grover. Tyson, keep inventing. And, Percy," she looked up at him and butterflies filled her eyes, "you are a hero. Stay that way."

"Okay," he said softly, placing a small kiss on her forehead before she shut her eyes. "Anything for you, Curly Fry."

Her breath slowed down, as did her heart. There would be no goddess or sea foam to save her this time. The jaws of death were wide open and ready to let her in. "Hey, Annie," she whispered once more.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have a red rubber ball, by chance? I know Cerberus would like that."

Annabeth let out a teary laugh. "No, I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

She felt her heart slow down, the pain was tingly. Her mind only thought if this was how to die in peace felt like. She could ask Hades if she could watch over her friends for a while, just until the Prophecy was fulfilled. Watch as they live their lives, go to school. Yeah, that sounded nice.

Ariadne couldn't be saved by a goddess or a dove, she would let her eyes open and see the D.O.A Studios from last summer, waiting in the lobby for who knows how long. The girl wouldn't be saved by an Olympian...

... but she was damn well going to be saved by a protective centaur who thought of her as a niece.

authors note:

I once again, cried during this whole thing.

Maybe because I thought my brain was going be like, "Let her die." or some shit like that.

Anyways...

I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did.

Almost to the end.

Love you guys!