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ANDROMEDA LET THE SHOWER-WATER BURN HER. it washed away all the dirt and grease and grime from her pores. the hot water soothed her restless senses. it washed away her cold tears, refilled the heat in her body.

chiron had given them the time to bathe unpack before he would be summoning them to talk at the big house before dinner. and she was taking her sweet time in the shower rooms. the other campers, out of consideration, had left her alone in her misery under the scorching water.

she slipped into her a washed camp t-shirt and a pair of jeans, shoving her dirty clothes into the laundry. she walked out into the camp, and was immediately met with concerned looks.

ever since the two girls had returned, the campers were giving them looks as if they were made of glass. shattered glass just pieced together by bonding it with tape, like they might break with the slightest force. that only made her angrier, but she managed to hold it in.

she walked directly to the big house, her backpack layed on her spot of the floor on the hermes cabin, she couldn't find it in herself to unpack it just yet, afraid the memories may overwhelm her. she was more keen on distracting her mind with other tasks, and this seemed like the perfect excuse.

she walked into the big house, not bothering to knock. inside was just as hollow and empty as it had been before, only chiron stood gazing over the windows. he turned at the sound of the lock turning.

"you look fresh,"

"i just bathed."

"have a seat," he gestured.

andromeda sat.

"you haven't unpacked yet?"

"maybe later, i don't feel like it."

he nervously trotted over to her, his hooves sounding loudly in the silence on the wooden floor. "it is good you are here first, i wish to speak with you alone,"

"more bad news?"

chiron pursed his lips. "the gods want you to know the savior's prophecy. they believe you to be the one."

andromeda laughed. she actually laughed. and the sound felt foreign to her. "i'm not the savior, chiron."

"how do you know?"

"it's pretty fucking clear in the same itself. the savior. the one who saves the hero. well, right now, the hero is gone," she swallowed. "and i couldn't save him."

chiron shook his head. "you misunderstand. the savior is not the one who saves the hero. it is the one who saves olympus. and the death of a hero could also mean the savior's enactment."

she was furious. "is this why they want me to know? because it's me who's they're next target? because percy's gone and it's my turn to be their pawn? it hasn't even been twenty-four hours —"

"we cannot question the decisions of the gods," chiron warned. "i understand your headspace is a little messy, but that will not excuse you from their wrath."

"i was electrocuted when i was seven, nearly choked to death at ten and i held the sky for two days at fifteen." she listed off. "i think i'm pretty used to it at this point."

he sighed. "they want you to know the prophecy. by the end of this summer,"

"because i turn sixteen in the winter break."

chiron looked away.

"fine. whatever."

three knocks sounded on the door. andromeda expected annabeth, but in stepped clarisse.

"take a seat," chiron offered.

clarisse was the only person who's eyes weren't dripping with sympathy when she looked at the two girls, and she never stared at them. andromeda felt a little gratitude in her for that. annabeth arrived shortly after, casting a quizzical look at clarisse before taking a seat next to andromeda.

"i've asked her to come to this discussion," chiron explained. "her knowledge with combined yours is extremely valuable."

they began explaining one by one, collectively leaving some parts out of the story, like either of the kisses, or how andromeda had been teaching nico necromancy. by the end of it, chiron wore the most thoughtful look ever, and clarisse was paralleling this information with one she already had.

"have you heard from them?" annabeth asked regarding grover tyson and evander.

"this is the first communication i have had with any of you for a month," chiron informed. "i was not aware of anything prior to this."

"what about grover?" andromeda asked. "his searcher's license?"

chiron frowned. "revoked in absentia,"

"what?" annabeth gasped. "they couldn't,"

"i'm afraid they have," chiron said solemnly. "the deadline the council of cloven elders gave grover has long passed, should he come back he will be forced into a shameful exile."

"when," annabeth and andromeda corrected.

"when." chiron agreed, albeit suspiciously.

"that would explain why chris was driven mad," clarisse said with a faraway look. "it was that cursed ghost!"

"nico is indeed in danger with minos by his side," chiron mused.

"we left him at the ranch," andromeda informed. "eurytion said he was welcome to stay as long as he needed. so far we haven't received word that he left, so hopefully he's well protected."

"one can hope."

"we can't just wait around," annabeth insisted. "we need to do something."

"we must exercise patience," chiron advised. "there is nothing we can do."

"what about going back into the labyrinth?" andromeda asked, a sliver of hope creeping up in her at the thought of their friends in the underground.

"a quest needs three atleast," chiron said. "and you are two, unless. . ." he looked at clarisse.

the daughter of area shook her head. "still a never."

the centaur sighed. "then waiting we shall do. in the meanwhile, we can honour our lost heroes with a shroud to —"

"no." said the girls in unison.

chiron frowned.

"they aren't dead." andromeda insisted. "evander is still with grover and tyson. and percy. . .percy isn't dead. he can't be."

"child," chiron said cautiously. "i understand your denial, but he would not have survived that eruption."

"he survived when he fell of the louis arch." andromeda began. "he survived slaying medusa. he survived the sirens. he survived circe's magic. he survived holding the sky. he can survive a volcanic eruption. he's percy jackson. he's alive. . .i just — i just know it."

chiron and clarisse seemed to share words without speaking.

"very well," chiron frowned. "we shall wait. i urge you to return to your routines in the meantime."

the conch horn sounded. it was dinner time.

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andromeda didn't go to dinner. aside from the lack of apetite, she was sure if someone stared at her with that pitiful look, she'd be punching them. she was in need of some solitude, and to lay in her spot while the whole hermes cabin was out for dinner, it seemed luxurious.

she didn't really want to, but if she let her backpack lay packed on her spot, she would have nowhere to sleep. so she began to unwind the contents inside.

the flashlights were still intact, so were the batteries, the nectar and ambrosia had been used up, the mistform card sat contently in it's pocket, so did her spellbook, and then she saw half of her spear.

she remembered she'd only taken out half in haste when they were in the forge, and this half was blunt and just a stick at first glance. she pressed the top button, and two celestial bronze tips portruded out, she tried extending the spear — it was currently the length of her forearm — but it wouldn't elongate, she supposed it only worked when both parts were together.

then the last object, her eyes stung even as she looked at it. as if it had thorns rather than petals.

the flower. the flower that smelled like sour-sweet candy and ocean mist and sea breeze and reminded her of percy. she could still remember tasting his lips. sour-sweet just like his mothers candy.

she inhaled shakily, frowning at her own lack of composure. but gods she missed him. his stupid smile his beautiful eyes his gentle touch. everything about him.

him.

she put all the objects away to their places, letting the flower hang between her fingers. she pulled out the mistform card at last, and as she gazed simultaneously at the flower and the card, an idea came to her mind. she muttered the activation spell.

she thought of him. the little streak of gray in his raven hair, the way it looked swept by the wind, his soft slender hands and kind aquamarine eyes and long lashes, his lips carved in a grin, white nails and even teeth and everything about him that she had ever noticed. she closed her eyes and pictured him in her mind and when she opened them,

he was there.

right there.

sitting on the bed in front of her, grinning as if he had just come back from making everyone think he was dead. everyone but her. and if anyone saw him, they would they he was the real deal. everyone but her.

she knew he wasn't real. his smile was too pressed and his eyes were squinting too hard, his fingers were clasped between one another and he was sitting perfectly still. it wasn't percy. this was just a mistform.

"hey," she held back a sob.

the mistform regarded her curiously.

"i fucking hate you. you know that?"

no reply, just a lopsided smile.

"i would call you a son of a bitch, but sally jackson is anything but."

just a blink.

"your mom is going to be so pissed at you, jackson." andromeda warned.

the mistform arose from the bed, it sat before her instead, legs crossed and hands on his knees. she didn't understand why he did. she controlled it, and she hadn't given it that command. but she supposed, subconsciously, she wanted percy close. and this was the closest thing.

"why would you do that?" she cried, wiping her tears on her wrist before they could fall. "why would you kiss me right before diving into death?"

a silent tilt of head.

"you're an asshole. if you were here, i would kill you."

she sniffed.

"actually, i'm just joking. please come back, percy. the world needs you. camp needs you. . .i need you. you're a downright dumbass but. . .but it's better when you're there. everything is better. you made me want to live, you know that? the whole time i was holding the sky, i was so tempted to just let it crush me. to let go of it all, just so it could end. but i had to stay alive to warn your ass to not come here because of the trap atlas had layed. but," she laughed. "silly me, what would percy jackson do if not save the day?"

the mistform listened with a simple smile, a twinkle in it's blue eyes. it was starting to look even more like percy. the look she saw in it's eyes. . .it gave her a familiar feeling to when they had first held hands.

"it used to be that way," she went on. "you save the day; i save you. but this time," she shook her head. "i screwed up this time, hero. i left you in that place alone. . .i couldn't — i couldn't save you." she gulped.

"i don't believe you're dead. i don't think i ever will. if i even live to the old age, i'll still be talking to your mistform like it's you. just know that when we cross paths, i will be murdering you myself and hauling your soul back to this shithole."

"is this how you felt when i when missing? after css birmingham and westover hall? i wouldn't blame you for being so upset with me if that's the case. but you probably didn't. you have priorities other than me. but i don't think i'll be able to put anything over your dumbass, even when you're not here."

the mistform stared at her, eyes deep and smile stable. she reached for it's hands, but they passed clean through. and she cried again. she missed his gentle touch.

"gods," she wiped her eyes. "i'm such a fucking mess over you. i miss you too much for you to be dead, dipshit. . .please come back, percy. . ." she traced it's misty skin. "please. . ."

outside, campers unwinded from the pavillion, moving back into their own cabins. dinner had been dismissed.

andromeda deactivated the card and clutched the flower to herself as she layed staring at the ceiling, hoping for the serenity of sleep.

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if you thought she wouldn't go to breakfast the next day after not having had dinner the previous night, you would be utterly wrong. because she did go. and she tried to ignore the looks, giving a smile to annabeth as she sat down at the hermes table — the other campers had squished together to give her space — and she ate. and just for his sake, she drank down a blue soda.

the first person to approach her after breakfast was jasmine, her own eyes had been rimmed red with — andromeda presumed — shedding tears over her brother's worry. jasmine gave her a hug and told the girl how sorry she was about percy. she'd made them all flower crowns of victory for when they got back, and percy's had been blue tulips.

the second person was silena, the next day after breakfast, she had come to give her condolences and teach her how to ride pegasi. they'd spend the evening together before curfew started and silena had to depart, but before she left, she made sure andromeda knew that she was open and free anytime she wanted to talk. about anything.

andromeda appreciated that, she really did, but she didn't think she had anything to say to anyone. the only person she talked to was the mistform during dinner when everyone else was away. she would conjure it. talk to it, gaze at it, reach for it, like it was percy himself. she encouraged him to come back as if percy could hear her. she didn't know why, it seemed to be the only way to convey all that she had to say.

in her own words, she recognized tons of things she said that proved eveyone's suspicion that she liked him. maybe she did. but now he was gone, and it didn't matter. and when he returned, it wouldn't matter either, because he didn't. that she could live with, as long as she knew he was alive. she didn't need him to herself, she just needed him.

the eighth day of her return, she went to take a stroll in the woods, skipping archery to do so. she loved getting reminded of little memories she had with him everywhere, it was like carrying a part of him with her. she stopped at the entrance of the labyrinth, reminded of the night they found it while playing the war games. it was still rigged with traps and weapons. right now, the apollo children were taking their turn in guarding the entrance, so bows littered on the grass, vials of healing concoctions spread on the ground, a lyre and a flute.

a week. a week since they had come back without more than half of them. a week without no further communication from grover or tyson or evander. a week of riding on nothing but hope. a week of wait. a week of chiron pestering her about burning the shroud and andromeda rejecting each day. a week of delaying the hearing of the prophecy.

andromeda stood at the juniper tree, the nymph at the base playing with the blades of the grass. juniper, grover's girlfriend sat with her legs tucked underneath her, her skin was darker under her eyes, which were sunken and sullen, her hair was losing its complexion, which andromeda didn't think was possible, but she didn't know how it worked for nymphs. juniper looked sick.

ofcourse she did, her boyfriend was still down there in the labyrinth, and after the fiasco of news that annabeth and andromeda brought. . .it must've done little to comfort her. just this week without percy had been anguish, andromeda couldn't fathom how juniper could cope for a month.

she walked upto the tree nymph, plastering a hopefully upbeat smile on her face. she crouched before her.

"hey, juniper," she whispered.

"hullo," juniper sniffed.

"how are you doing?"

juniper cried. "i'm trying to be strong. i know he's doing what's best. he's trying hard, like he always does. but it's just hard to remember that. . ."

"i know," andromeda layed a hand on the nymph's shoulder. "but you're doing great. you're doing so great."

andromeda listened as juniper talked. talked of every little thing that seemed to have been bugging her for the past month. she listened, and it somehow comforted her own self, knowing that she wasn't the only one who worried insanely over mundane things and random scenarios.

after having told every detail to andromeda, juniper insisted they take a walk around the forest, while she introduced her to other nymphs. but just after some nymphs named autumn had left them, they spotted a very suspicious sight.

it was quintus, trailing silently in the forest in caution. andromeda and juniper kept their distance, but they also kept an eye on him.

"where is he going?" andromeda muttered silently as she followed his footsteps.

"i have an idea i don't like," juniper frowned.

"then it's probably right."

andromeda didn't know what juniper was thinking, but she was also thinking the same.

quintus stopped at the entrance of the labyrinth, which now lay empty except for the traps. made sense, it was dinner time now. he looked around again, slashed away the traps and defensive tools, then dropped into the entrance.

andromeda watched, waiting for him to pop back out, trying to assume he hadn't just left them. that he had a better reason than that for going and he would be back shortly. but something told her he wouldn't be back. he had left them.

she turned to juniper. "you stay here and keep watch in case he comes back, i'll get chiron."

juniper nodded.

andromeda bolted for the big house, barging in between a conversation between annabeth, clarisse and chiron. some sort of scroll layed between all them, and they all looked to her with wide eyes.

"you guys might want to see this," she beckoned them out. annabeth rolled up her scroll with a curious look.

andromeda filled them in on the way, just in time for them to be looming over the mess quintus had made when he left. the demigods around entrance were now hephaestus cabin, and beckendorf was frowning down at all of it.

"he was suspicious," andromeda offered.

"why did he go?" annabeth looked at chiron.

"i have no idea," chiron scowled. "but for now, i can confirm, we have lost another ally."

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i'm SO sorry for the delay in this chapter tbh i don't even have a good reason i just forgot.

my god i love writing angst