Mostly Normal: Our Path

Chapter Two: Cherry Tree

Madeline nodded and gently picked up the smallest Griffin, who squeaked and started sniffing the daughter of Janus frantically. Maddie smiled. "She's so cute," she murmured, "I'll name her Ara, after my sister."

"Good choice," Fred nodded and picked up a bigger Griffin baby. This one sniffed him briefly and started licking his arm. Fred laughed. "This one likes how I taste, apparently," he commented. Madeline snorted with laughter.

Fred kissed his girlfriend and then they both started heading for the Big House, where they had a room prepared for them. Madeline laughed as they walked, Ara cuddled up in her pink hair.

"Um," said Clarisse uncomfortably, "How do I get this thing to stop licking me?"

Fred glanced back and nearly laughed, the daughter of Ares was holding a large Griffin baby at arm's length but the Griffin was still managing to give her face big wet kisses. Clarisse looked nauseated.

"Just hold on until we get back to the Big House," he advised, "I think he likes you."

"You think?" Clarisse said sarcastically.

Jason walked up, cuddling a tiny Griffin in his arms. "She's quite snuggly," he commented, "What should I name her?"

"How about Delilah?" Maddie suggested. Jason considered.

He nodded as they continued over to the Big House. When they passed by the giant fields of strawberries, Fred stopped. "Hey, Jason," Fred said, looking into the fields with a mystified expression, "How long has that cherry tree been there?"

His finger extended to a large tree that stood dead center of the fields. Its bark was smooth and half of the tree was covered in blossoms while the other half was covered with thick green leaves and rich fruit.

Jason scratched his head. "I'm not sure," he said, just as baffled as Fred, "I've never seen it there before."

"Talking about me?" an irritated female voice said, and an elfish girl materialized from the cherry tree. She had pink hair that looked like they were the petals out of the tree and wore a green dress that lay up against her skin like it was made out of flowers. Her thin arms were crossed.

"For one thing, I am not an It," she snapped, "I am the all powerful Japanese tree spirit, and my name is Cheri. Why are you here, and why did you bring those horrible creatures within fifty feet of my tree?"

"They're just Griffins," protested Madeline, "plus they're babies. They won't harm you."

"That's what your brother said when he brought his rancid pet up to me," Cheri said, Madeline's smile slipped off of her face when the spirit brought up her missing brother.

"Are you the one that has been taking all of the demigods?" Fred asked with a frown. His Griffin had woken up and was doing all it could to make itself look bigger than it really was.

The dark skinned spirit checked her nails and then looked at Fred with a small smirk, "Maybe I did, and maybe I didn't."

"Give me back my brother you-" Madeline said as she charged at Cheri, who simply sidestepped her, letting her fall into a lump of dirt and leaves.

Fred ground his teeth for a moment before he turned to the wood spirit. "You're coming with us little sprite. Taka needs to talk to you." At the mention of the Japanese magician, Cheri's face paled.

"Please, no," she whispered. Fred glared. "Begging won't help you, you insufferable creature," he hissed, "Taka is going to talk to you. Now come on."

"Please, let me explain," Cheri cried, "My sisters...they're missing. Raimu and Remon. I need the humans who come to me to help find them."

"Kidnapping them and making them disappear is a horrible way to do that though," scolded Piper in the sweetest voice possible. For a second, Cheri's eyes glassed over.

"Uhh," she said, then blinked. "You can't fool me, charm-speaker. Not for long anyway. I can do what I want."

"Yeah, I don't think so," said Clarisse, trying to ignore the constant licking of her Griffin.

"They didn't disappear though," Cheri said, still trying to resist going with Fred, who had been trying to drag her to where Taka had been staying.

"Then where are they?" Madeline shouted, still sitting in the dirt.

"In my tree," said Cheri in a small voice.

"How are they in your tree?" Fred asked incredulously, "It's way too small."

"Um, it's sort of hard to explain," Cheri said, trying fruitlessly to pull out of Fred's tight grip on her arm. Fred yanked at her and finally dragged her over to Taka, who sighed at her and put his hands on his hips sternly. Cheri gulped.

"What do you think, Percy?" Annabeth asked her boyfriend anxiously, "Do you think she's telling the truth?"

"How should I know?" Percy shrugged. "I'm not the expert on spirits. I'm the son of Poseidon."

"Well, we all know that," said Annabeth, rolling her eyes, "never mind. You're impossible sometimes."

Percy just grinned.

Fred just rolled his eyes and then began to drag Cheri towards the Big House, at this time she had simply given up trying to get away from him.