I 040. I

𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒔

❝ look back ❞

     THE REST OF THE SUMMER SEEMED STRANGE BECAUSE IT WAS SO NORMAL. She didn't know how it could be, not after what had happened in the beginning, and it weighed heavily on her mind.

The daily activities continued: archery, rock climbing, Pegasus riding. They played capture the flag ( though they all avoided Zeus's Fist ). They sand at the campfire and raced chariots and played practical jokes on the other cabins. All aside from cabin twelve.

Chiron and Dionysus had excused Pollux and Ariadne from any daily activities if they chose to not participate. The campers didn't see them all that much that summer. It was fairly off not to see Pollux in the strawberry fields with his late brother, or Ariadne training campers and laughing at her friends, it set a sad mood across the camp.

Many called it a curse.

No one mentioned it around the two, knowing the prophecy, but that's what they called it. A curse that settled across the land, along with the dead patch of grass where the two siblings had held Castor's body, where only vines can grow from.

Usually, if you were to find the two campers, they would be on the porch of cabin twelve wearing worn and false smiles while looking at their hands and whispering backs bd forth. Or, on the edge of the strawberry fields where they would stay for hours.

Ariadne hasn't used Lunacy ever since the Battle of the Labyrinth—the name their quest battle had been given after it had died over a bit.

She hadn't felt compelled to touch her sword, not even when Pollux went to train from time to time.

Percy and Ariadne pretty much skirted around each other. He rarely saw her at dinner, and if he went to the infirmary or the docks, she left quickly.

He wanted to talk to her about Kronos, but he couldn't do that anymore without bringing up Luke, which upset Annabeth, and he couldn't speak about his two weeks missing without angering Ariadne.

July passed, with fireworks on the beach on the Fourth, which also happened to be Ariadne's birthday.

She had asked the Hephaestus cabin to commemorate the losses of the battle, and they agreed. It wasn't easy to see all those faces flash in the night sky. Ariadne had sat with Pollux and they held each other once Castor filled their view, and she had given her friends a smile that they had been waiting for since the battle had happened.

August turned so hot the strawberries started baking in the fields. None of the cabin twelve members cared, they were busy mourning the loss of their brother.

Finally, the last day of camp arrived. The standard form letter appeared on Ariadne's bed after breakfast, but she only tore it up and tossed it to the side, giving Zoe a pat on the head as they sat on her bed.

It was around nine o'clock when Ariadne passed by the training arena.

She had been walking after breakfast, most had already eaten their share of food. Pollux hadn't joined her that morning and she completely understood. It was normal for him to stay in the cabin nowadays, it was odd not to see Castor by his side.

Ariadne heard a low growl and stopped. She thought it was Zoe, who had decided to follow her instead of laying around the cabin, but she found it was coming from the training arena.

The girl peeked her head in to see a struggling Percy as he tried to get Mrs. O'Leary to listen to him. He held a bright red ball, and the girl almost chuckled at how familiar this scene was, thinking back to when Annabeth had used a red ball to tame Cerberus for a few minutes so they could pass by.

"Mrs. O'Leary, sit," Percy said as firmly as possible, but the hellhound only shook her head and went back to chewing on a training dummy.

Percy only groaned. "Come on Mrs. O'Leary, help me out here."

Ariadne leaned against the side of the training arena, watching as he hopelessly attempted to train the giant hellhound who ignored him. She had to admit, it was quite cute watching his jaw clenched and him grow frustrated, but she only scowled at herself.

Mrs. O'Leary perked up. Percy wondered what she was looking at before the hellhound bounded over him and leaped into someone behind him.

He spun around to see a figure struggling under the hellhound. Mrs. O'Leary licked the figure's face as they tried to push her off.

"Mrs. O'Leary," the figure laughed. Percy realized it was Ariadne and his whole stomach erupted in butterflies. "Okay, Kay, I get it, you missed me."

Mrs. O'Leary barked loudly and it shook the ground. She climbed off of the girl who wiped slobber from her face and onto her shirt. She gave the hellhound an annoyed glance, but the animal's tail wagged behind her.

Ariadne glanced over at Percy to see him standing there with an awkward expression. Neither had seen much of the other that entire week. The only time she saw him was when they ran into each other at the docks, and the both of them fell into the water.

Percy came out dry but she swam to the edge soaking wet. He apologized but she was already heading toward her cabin and away from him.

Ariadne looked at Mrs. O'Leary. "Have you not been listening?" she asked. The hellhound only whimpered and nudged her head against the girl's body. "You have to listen to him."

"I've been trying," Percy said. "I've never had a dog, so I don't really know what I'm meant to be doing."

She knew it was a long shot but she took a deep breaths bd stepped next to him. They faced Mrs. O'Leary who only watched them with her head tilted. It must've looked like her two parents were scolding her.

Ariadne held out her hand. Percy only gave her a confused look and she sighed. "The ball."

He stuttered and handed it to her quickly, almost dropping it. "S-sorry."

She only smiled slightly, and that calmed him easily. The girl narrowed her eyes at Mrs. O'Leary. "Mrs. O'Leary, sit," she ordered.

The hellhound sat instantly. It shook the ground, and a few dummies fell over as Percy gave her a dumbfounded look.

"See, with dogs, you have to be firm. They see us as they're owners, but because of..." She trailed off. "Because of Daedalus, we have to train her to listen to us. You have to sound like you mean it."

"I do mean it!" Percy said. He shook his head. "I've never had a pet."

Ariadne only raised an eyebrow. "Okay." She dropped the ball in his hand. "You try."

Percy only stared at her. His feelings were buzzing in the back of his mind and made it incredibly difficult to concentrate. He couldn't draw his eyes away from her face, not knowing how someone could be that pretty.

With her various freckles sitting her face, and the bright sun illuminating her eyes, making them crystal clear. He couldn't look away until there was a growl and he looked back at Mrs. O'Leary.

Percy raised the ball in his hand. "Sit," he said, imitating what his friend had just done.

Luckily, she listened.

The two left Mrs. O'Leary to chew on another training dummy, finding that she was okay for the time being.

Percy watched as she nudged a rock on the ground. He hadn't asked about her well being in a while because they had been avoiding one another, but he found that she wasn't okay.

"How-how have you been?" he asked.

She only shrugged. "As well as I can be."

"Are you okay? I mean, after everything."

Ariadne snorted. "Are you?" she shot back.

He went quite.

She realized how rude she was being. The girl hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. It was as awkward as the first time she had when her and Annabeth had given him a tour of camp. "Hey, it'll be okay. We'll stop it."

Percy knew she meant the war. He was conflicted on if he was going to live to see past sixteen, and he probably wouldn't. But some part of her tone kept him hopeful.

"Yeah," he said softly. "I guess."

The girl inspected the boy she had met when they were only twelve. Three years of quests and bonds she didn't think would ever be broken.

"I never thought I would have friends like this," she said. "I always expected my life to be lonely and me running away from everything. But, this place has helped me learn to fight, and it's helped you too."

Percy looked up at her. He forgot how tall she was.

Her hand moved a piece of his hair out of his face. "I don't think I would be who I am without you and your stupid decisions," she said with a small smile. "Percy, no matter how mad I am at you, I can't bear to see you get hurt."

"So, are you still mad?" he asked.

Ariadne dropped her hand and looked away. "Yeah."

"Ariadne, when I was gone, I was stuck by myself—"

"Don't give me lies, Percy." She glared at him. "I know you weren't alone. Stop saying you weren't with her."

His eyes hardened. "Who are you talking about?"

He was a terrible liar. The girl only scoffed and shook her head.

"You're insufferable."

Ariadne left him standing there. Percy watched as she left, wondering if he could turn back time and fix every mistake he had made with her.

***

     IT WAS TEN O'CLOCK WHEN SHE CAUGHT HIM AGAIN.

He stood at Half-Blood Hill, waiting for the camp van that would take him into the city. He'd made arrangements to leave Mrs. O'Leary at camp, where Chiron promised she'd be looked after.

Ariadne had told Percy she was heading back to Miami on her own later on. She was originally invited in San Fransisco to stay with Annabeth, but the more she thought about it, the less safe it seemed. Two powerful half-bloods in the same place near Mount Tam where the Titans were, and she couldn't t run back to New York, Percy was already there.

She lied and told Percy she was heading to a new place Aria had set up in the Sunshine State, but that was a complete lie. With everything that was happening before the war, she told Chiron and her father she would go on scouting missions for other monsters and take them out. She was to keep them away from camp and it's borders, and she would be crossing all over the nation.

Annabeth was staying a bit longer. She would tend to Chiron until his leg was fully recovered, and keep studying Daedalus's laptop, which had engrossed her for the last two months. Then she would head back to her father's place in San Francisco.

Ariadne was leaving in the next week for her scouting missions, and she was taking Hailey with her.

Overall, Hailey was the only other person who was able to leave for the scouting missions. Neither had talked since Artemis went missing, and honestly, Ariadne didn't want to, but she knew it had to happen at some point.

"There's a private school down there that I'll be going to," Ariadne said to Percy, lying about Miami. "I'll probably punch somebody, but..." she shrugged.

"Yeah, well, call me, okay?"

"I guess," she said half-heartedly. "I'll keep my eyes open for anything. Annabeth said she would look out for Luke."

Her voice caught on the name, and he noticed.

"Ariadne," Percy said. "We need to talk about it."

Her eyes fell on the woods in the distance, but she didn't say anything.

"You exploded before the quest," Percy remembered. "I wasn't lying to you when I told you I was by myself, okay?"

Ariadne shook her head.

"And then you blew up on Rachel," Percy pressed on. "You're mad at me. And with everything that happened with Castor...@

"Percy—"

"And I haven't talked with you in over two months and I don't know what I can do to make this better or fix this—"

"Because you can't!" Ariadne had an angry look on her face. "I can't even look at you without remembering how you lied to me. You were on an island for two weeks with that girl."

Percy shook his head. "I was alone—"

She scoffed. "Okay, let's imagine this. So I was just hallucinating when I saw a girl with brown hair in a braid, who stood in a beach and you watched her and thought she was prettier than Aphrodite."

His face went pale, and the sun seemed colder than it had a moment ago.

"Am I hallucinating, Jackson?" Ariadne took a step closer to him. Her fists were clenched at her sides. She hadn't used his nickname since they were twelve. "Tell me, am I?"

Percy looked up at her with sad eyes. "I'm sorry," he said.

She only shook her head. "I've been left alone most of my life, this is no different. And with Luke, I-I thought..."

Before she could continue, a sparkle of light appeared next to them, like someone had opened a gold curtain of air.

"You have nothing to apologize for, my dear." Standing on the hill was a tall woman in a white dress, her dark hair braided over her shoulder.

"Hera," Ariadne said. Her purple eyes burned with anger.

The goddess smiled. "You found the answers, as I knew you would. The quest was a success."

"A success?" Ariadne said. "Luke is gone. Daedalus is dead. Pan is dead. My brother is dead. How is that—"

"Our family is safe," Hers insisted. "Those others are better gone, my dear. I am proud of you."

Percy balled his fists. "You're the one who paid Geryon to let us through the ranch, weren't you?"

Hera shrugged. Her dress shimmered in rainbow colors. "I wanted to speed you on your way."

"But you didn't care about Nico. You were happy to see him turned over to the Titans."

"Oh, please." Hers waved her hand dismissively. "The son of Hades said it himself. No one wants him around. He does not belong."

"And my fist belongs in your face," Ariadne snarled. She didn't care how she was treating Hera, she already did that to Ares multiple times.

"Hephaestus was right," Percy growled. "You only care about your perfect family, not real people."

Her eyes turned dangerously bright. "Watch yourself son of Poseidon. I guided you more than you know in the maze. I was at your side when you face Geryon. I let your arrow fly straight. I sent you to Calypso's island. I opened the way to the Titan's mountain. Ariadne, my dear, surely you see how I've helped. I gave Pollux that extra boost of power. I would welcome sacrifice for my efforts."

Ariadne stood still as a statue. Hera expected her to say thank you. To promise to throw some barbecue on the beard for Hera and forget the whole thing. But she didn't like the goddess, and when she didn't like someone, she made sure they knew it. She was not one to overlook someone who had screwed her over. Percy realized that was one of the many things he liked best about Annabeth.

"Percy is right." She gave the goddess a dangerous look. She turned her back in the goddess. "You're the one who doesn't belong, Hera. My brother died and there's a mark left to remind Pollux and I for the rest of our lives. So save it. You get no sacrifice from me."

Hera's sneer was worse than an empousa's. Her form began to glow. "You will regret this insult, Ariadne. You will regret this very much. Even if it is your life, I will gain my sacrifice."

Percy and Ariadne averted their eyes as the goddess turned into her true divine form and disappeared in a blaze of light.

The hilltop was peaceful again. Over at the pine tree, Peleus the dragon dozed under the Golden Fleece as if nothing had happened.

"I'm sorry," Ariadne told him. "I—I should get back. I'll try to keep in touch."

"Listen, Ariadne—" Percy thought about Mount St. Helens, Calypso's Island, Luke and Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and how suddenly everything had gotten so complicated. He wanted to tell Ariadne that he didn't really want to be so distant from her.

The Argus honked his horn down at the road, and he lost his chance.

"You better get going," Ariadne said. She handed him a small box wrapped in blue. "Stay safe, Percy."

She jogged down the hill. Percy watched until she reached the cabins. She didn't look back once.

He looked at the package in his ah d and opened the box, slowly. Inside was a small picture of them. He knew she had gotten it before their fight, and his heart ached as he saw them laughing under a tree by the lake, leaning against the other.

How badly he wished they could be like that again.

***

     ARIADNE STOOD NEXT TO HAILEY ABD ANNABETH AS THEY FACED CHIRON AND HER FATHER. Her face was stoic as she looked at the two, her hands at her side.

"It will be dangerous," Chiron said. "You two must stay vigilant in your travels. You can't stay in one place too long."

Hailey nodded. "We know," she said. She wore a por of shorts and a grey shirt that matched her eyes. "No more than a day."

Her father rolled his eyes. "Yes, safe travels. Now, be on your way. Ariadne are you staying for a game of pinochle?"

Ariadne gave her dad a look. "I'm leaving."

Chiron sighed at the god. He looked back at the girls and winced in his wheelchair. "Monsters will be chasing you, stay quiet and alert. You will return by Christmas," he said. He looked worried and stressed, which was a given.

Hailey and Ariadne were the only ones being sent on the mission. Others would be covert missions with other demigods, but theirs was the most dangerous. They were running towards the monsters and taking them out. They were creating barricades around camp and New York. They were the ones who were meant to slow down the Titan army at any chance they could.

"I'll go pack," Hailey said. She gave the girls a nod and left. Annabeth watched her sister go and shook her head.

"Promise me you'll be safe," Annabeth said. "Both of you. Come back alive."

Ariadne gave her a smile. "I'm not leaving you, Annie. I told you I'm not."

Chiron looked at the brunette girl, eyes tired. "Stay safe, my girl." It was hard for him not to be worried. He had watched this girl for the past then years as she grew up and learned to fight. He was sending her out into imminent Dana her, and he didn't know if she would come back alive.

Ariadne gave him a nod and left the Big House. The girl walked to cabin twelve. She opened the door and saw Leo, Fang, and Zoe on the couches as they slept. She scratched their heads and walked to her bunk.

The girl had packed her backpack with materials and everything she needed. She had a few months worth of medicine so she didn't hurt Hailey on the road. Her hands played with the gold necklace in her hand, the pearl charm at the end which seemed to taunt her.

She leaned against her pillow and sighed.

Soon, it felt warmer and warmer in her cabin. The girl opened her eyes and noticed a young girl standing before her, eyes alight with fire.

"Hestia," Ariadne said. "What-what are you doing here?"

Hestia walked closer to the girl who sat up straight. "You must be careful, Ariadne," the goddess said, moving some of her hair away from her face.

"About what?"

"Your sword. You must never break it. If you do, terrible things would happen."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why would I ever break Lunacy?" she asked.

Hestia began to shimmer away. "Heed my warning, Daughter of the Vines. Do not break your sword."

And she was gone in a hot mist and the scent of fire.

Ariadne shook her head and looked outside to see Hailey walking toward the Big House. She grabbed her pack and ran toward the stairs to Pollux's loft.

"Polly?" she said. "I'm about to leave."

She found Pollux laying on his bed. He was holding a picture of him and Castor, as well as his Yale letter of acceptance. "I don't think I can go," he said.

Ariadne shook her head. "Yes you are. You need to go. Cas would've wanted it."

"But how can I go if he's not there with me?" Pollux said. "We were meant to be roommates. Our birthday..."

The girl leaned down and gave the boy a supportive glance. "You can do it," she said. "I know you, and I knew Castor. He's always with us. I feel him everyday. And he'll be with us while you're at Yale and I'm scouting."

Pollux gave her a sad look. "You have to go?" he asked quietly. "I can't lose you too."

"You won't." Ariadne gave his head a pat. "I'll be okay. I'll make it back to you. I better have some messages from you. I'll see you at Christmas."

"Okay," he said. "I love you, sis."

"I love you too, Polly."

The boy stood and gave her a tight hug. They rocked back and forth as she felt Pollux sniffle into her shoulder, and she rubbed circled on his back. He had to let go to breathe, and she chuckled.

Ariadne met Hailey by Thalia's tree. Annabeth was being a good sister and checking on her. "I'm okay, Annabeth," Hailey said.

"I know," Annabeth said, "I'm still worried."

Ariadne chuckled. "We'll be fine."

Annabeth attacked the brunette in a tight hug that made Hailey wince.

"Don't break her ribs just yet," Hailey teased. Annabeth gave her sister a glare before looking at her best friend.

"Stay safe."

Ariadne nodded. "Of course."

Hailey and Ariadne faced the borders of camp. They gave each other glances before Hailey placed her sunglass over her eyes, that being her dagger and her shield on her wrist in the form of a bracelet.

"You ready?" Hailey asked. Her hair was in a ponytail, and a few hairs framed her face.

The brunette looked back at camp and seeing Annabeth running back to the cabins. She found herself smiling, and knew she had to protect her home at all cost.

"Yeah," she said. "Let's save the world."

And they were going to.

Both girls got into the van and smiled at Argus. They watched as Camp Half-Blood escaped from their view, and they shared a look.

They were heading straight for the army.

Ariadne was going to rain hell on the Titans. She was going to rip them apart.

END OF ACT II.

authors note:

This is it. Next is TLO and shits gonna get real.

Ariadne ain't playin no games and I can't wait until you guys get to see her in action. She's gonna be even more badass and amazing than she was before.

I'm gonna make her so freaking amazing it's gonna blow your mind.

Also, Hailey is played by Dove Cameron.

This book has taken forever and I'm sorry for that. I hope you guys can forgive me.

Tell me what you want Ariadne to wear or think she would look good with or what aesthetic you think she is. I love your ideas. So far we've got platform shoes/boots. Or even what you think she would look like. I was planning on giving her more piercings.

It's been so crazy how just this summer I started this journey all nervous now one would read, and now I have over 25K on Horns and Swords.

Thank you guys so much and stay tuned.

Love you guys!