Ray of Sunshine

13

I didn't want to do this. I really didn't want to go there. I didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't, want it. It is just a bit nerve wracking to go talk to your half-sister-in-law and ask her if she and her mild-mannered immortal husband would help us fight against a few evil demigods. On my own. Without Rose or Tamara or Achilles or literally anyone. I breathed in deep. Then I breathed deep again. And I breathed another time for good measure. Than I sighed angrily and started sprinting up to the palace. I smashed through the door. "Lady Ariadne? I need your help! Please!" I screamed through the entire house. I waited for a few minutes. Than I heard footsteps down the hall. I breathed in, and then she appeared. She was gorgeous, I have to say. But she didn't look very happy. To be honest, I also wouldn't be thrilled if a total stranger would have kicked through my door and screamed for help. She walked closer to me, while pushing her long hair out of her face. "You said you needed help?" Her voice was icy. I swallowed. "Yes, ma'am." I was relieved that at least my voice still sounded strong. Her gaze became a little softer. "Follow me," she said. She turned around and strolled away. I followed her. We walked through a few long halls, and then we came in a large garden. It had mostly grapevines growing everywhere. She led me over a few paths, to a little bench. She sat down and signed me to do the same. I sat next to her. It was silent for a little while. Then I scraped my throat. "So, eh, Yes. I need help. See, there are evil old demigods roaming the world, and we thought we could use you and your husbands help, seeing as how you two actually were mortal once, and maybe know how to take them down, but like, with godly wine and maze powers and, things like that." I swallowed again. I looked at her. Her face looked puzzled. Than she looked me straight in my eyes. They were chocolate brown. Then she sighed. "I don't know what I can say about that. I would want to help you, but my past dealing with demigods... I think you know how that went." "You were left on an island and there you were found by the love of your life, whom you have been married too for about 3000 years," I interrupted her. While I said it, Herr Linckens words were ringing through my head. "That is one way to describe it," she replied. She giggled. "Let's put it another way. I would like to help you and your friends, but I don't think i'd be of much help. And my husband... I think you could ask him, but I don't know if..." She fell silent. "Eh, right. Yes, We already thought about that." I started to ramble, "I know. That's why we came to you, actually, so that, er..." "So that I could talk around my husband, who would not have listened to you kids." She sounded sharp. And annoyed. I couldn't blame her, even though I wanted to. I wanted to tell her that we really needed their help. Instead, I started to cry. I wanted to be done with the mission. I remembered how happy I was when I left, on half-blood hill. I wanted to go back there and be happy again, with all my friends, so Scout wouldn't be dead and I wouldn't have needed some goddesses help. The thought of Scout made me cry even louder. And what about Apollo? How would that go on? Would he get bored of me? More tears started to flow down my cheeks. While I was sobbing, I felt Ariadne softly stroking my back, trying to calm me. I don't know why, but it made me cry even louder. I never had my mother or sister trying to calm me down when I was crying. I was left in an elevator when I was a baby. This was the first time when it all felt like it was too much. I had been bottling up all my emotions for a long time. I just had to let it all out. That is exactly what I did. I cried like a little kid in the garden of some winegods palace. I was so ashamed.

After what felt forever, I started to feel better. I started sobbing less violently. In the time I was blinded by sadness and drama, I didn't feel how Ariadne had pulled me in a hug. She still stroked my back. When I felt like I was really done with crying, I released myself and stroked the tears out of my eyes. Ariadne's entire attitude had changed. Instead of being cold and high, she now had the attitude of a mother that sees a child in danger. I remembered that from her point of view, that was exactly what was going on. "What was that all about?" She asked with a soft voice. "Do you really need our help that much, or is there more?" I nodded. "There is more. Way more. My entire life feels like a train wreck. I don't remember what happened before I came to camp Halfblood. One of my best friends is dead. Two gods keep strolling in and out of my life, wanting to help me and bribe me at the same time. I don't know what to do anymore." I felt more tears coming up. I pushed them back. "I... had to let it all out." Ariadne smiled. "It is okay, Halfblood. I had that problem once too. As you said, it led me to better things. Maybe it will with you as well. At least, I will help you. I will try to talk to my husband." She helped me back on my feet. She grabbed my hand and walked back into the palace, where she washed the tears and puffiness of my face with a washcloth and gave me a glass of water to drink. When I was done, she brought me back to the door. She laid her hand on my shoulder one more time and looked me in the eyes. " I know what you were thinking. No, I am not locked inside a toxic relationship. Yet, my life did get better when I was saved from one. Things did get better. Now go." She walked back into the house. I turned around and walked down street. After a little while, I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped up, turned around and looked straight into the face of Apollo. He looked rather serious. "What were you asking her?" He asked it with a desperate tone. I straightened my shoulders and told him: "I asked if she and her husband could help us with the wild demigods. We calculated that they were the best for the task. I am not going to tell you how we came to that conclusion." "Ray, why didn't you ask me? I can do a lot, you know! I would have helped you, no problem! Did she even agree?" I swallowed before angrily replying: "She said that she would help us. I don't know if her husband will help us. She said she would think about asking him to help us." Apollos glance changed into pitiful one. "Ray, do you really think Dionysus is going to help?" I smacked his hand of my shoulder. "Yes, Apollo. Wait, I know. If he does, I will kiss you. If he doesn't, you get to kiss me. Fair?" A smile grew across Apollos face. "Yes, my Ray of cloudy sunshine. Would you like a kiss for good measure?" I smiled again. "Yes, Apollo. I would very much like that." And so he did. It was the best kiss yet. I left the place with a fuzzy feeling from Ariadne's peptalk, and with a butterflies bouncing in my stomach. For short: I felt great.

Apollo felt down. Why didn't ray come to him? Didn't she like him? No, that was crazy talk. She proposed a bet, with the price being a kiss. She very much liked him. Of course she did. He fell back on the bed, feeling a little better. But the nag that she maybe didn't want him, or Zeus and Hera talked her around, kept punching in his stomach.