TWO—A Boy on the Other Side
─── ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽☼☾.* :☆ﾟ｡ ───
Lux's first reaction was to wonder which god couldn't keep it in their pants this time.
Her second reaction was one of sheer disbelief and horror—not directed at her brother, but at what lies ahead for him at this revelation.
"No...not my son." Their mother clutched onto their father, tears staining his shirt as sobs wracked her entire body. He in turn was also holding her tightly, trying to calm her down by rubbing her arms and offering quiet words of reassurance. But even as he took on the role of support, it was clear to see that he too was heavily affected.
And how could he not be? In the past year, not only did he and his wife find out that their daughter is a child of a god, but now their son is one as well.
(He idly wondered if he should contact the home and find out what the hell happened.)
For Ciaran's part, he couldn't quite comprehend the significance of his previous action. How could a single step change everything? It wasn't like he was the first person to step on the moon. He was just some kid from New York.
He looked at his sister, the fear etched clearly on his face. As soon as she saw that look in his eyes, the one that told her all he wanted was to run away, Lux knew she had to step up and swallow the lump in her throat.
"Mom, Dad." She turned to her stricken parents, making an effort to keep her voice as levelled as possible. "I'm going to take Ciaran to Chiron, okay? Just stay in the car, and I promise I'll be right back."
For a second, she wondered if they were so deep in disbelief that they didn't hear her, her face only managing to relax for a bit when they nodded tersely.
She took a deep breath and crossed the threshold, the air leaving her lungs in the brief moment it took for her body to be caught in the boundary separating her two worlds. She gently held Ciaran's hand, resisting the urge to shiver when she felt the cold sweat seeping into her palm in favor of giving him a smile that hopefully would convince him (and her) that everything will be all right.
"Come on, CC. We'll figure this out, okay? I'm right here with you."
His hand squeezed hers tightly as Lux led him down Half-Blood Hill, further and further away from their parents' gaze. There was only a scattering of campers around, some of whom waved at her when she passed by them. She waved back but didn't stop to chat, not when her brother was clinging onto her like he wanted to disappear into her shadow.
They broke out into a light jog, sparing no glance to the dryads peeking from behind the trees or the sound of beating wings above them. Soon enough, the sight of the Big House came into closer view, and as they approached the deck that wrapped around the entire perimeter, Lux stomped down the feeling of dread bubbling like acid inside her stomach.
The first thing her eyes landed on was Chiron in his wheelchair. For a moment, she wondered what he was doing in the disguise he would only reserve for the mortal eye, but when Lux saw a boy with dark, mussed-up hair standing next to him—more than likely a new camper—she could more or less guess why.
"Chiron!" The name tumbled out of her mouth in a hurry. "We need you!"
He turned to her, his warm brown eyes crinkling with worry at her urgent tone. "Lux, I didn't expect to see you this early." It was barely noticeable, but she believed he gave a light jolt when he saw the person standing behind her. "And who is this with you?"
Lux's thumb began to trace circles onto the back of Ciaran's hand when she felt him shiver, hoping that it would help calm his nerves down somewhat. He wasn't the best at meeting new people, and she was sure the situation also didn't help in the slightest.
"This is my brother, Ciaran."
A flicker of recognition passed through Chiron. "Ah, the one you talk so much about." His gaze flickered between the two of them, realization dawning on his face. "I see, I think I understand what is going on."
"Uhh, Chiron? Should I go?" The boy next to him spoke up.
"There's no need, Percy. This shouldn't take long."
Even then, he stepped back, but not before taking another peek at them, catching Lux's attention.
He was a slight, lean boy around her age, his face haggard as if he both got too much sleep and not enough of it. But it did nothing to dull the color of his eyes, a bright sea-green that reminded her of the crystalline waves near the shore, the kind of color that poets would devote an entire poem to. If she wasn't so wrapped up in everything that just transpired, Lux wondered if she would have been lost in them more.
"Now then, when did you find out?" Chiron asked.
"Just now. But it's possible he's not a demigod, right? He's not diagnosed with ADHD, not dyslexic, and as far as I can tell, he's never been hunted down by any monsters." Her words came out in rapid succession, one of her feet lightly stomping the ground to replace her urge to wring her hands together.
One of Chiron's hands went up to stroke his beard in thought. "And did you or any of the campers allow him to pass through the border?"
Lux's shoulders fell then, clearly aware of the magic that protects this place. "No."
"Then by all means, your brother is a demigod. As for him showing no signs of ADHD or dyslexia, well, I do suppose there are always exceptions. I believe you would remember Will Solace being quite proud of his achievements in his school's spelling competition, yes?"
Of course Lux remembered. It made her think of those times she spent in the infirmary with a poetry book in front of her, when Will would come over and keep her company if there was the slightest chance that he didn't have to help Michael in attending to another wounded camper, helping her read out any word she couldn't quite decipher.
"But never been attacked by monsters..." the centaur muttered under his breath, leaving his thought unfinished to address Ciaran with a kindly smile. "I've heard much about you, Ciaran."
"I have about you as well, sir."
"All good things, I hope. And you can call me Chiron. There is no need for honorifics."
"Yes si–Chiron."
"I understand that this must be very foreign and even frightening to you. How much has your sister told you?"
"Most of it, I suppose."
Chiron nodded. "Then I do believe an orientation film is not needed. But I do have a very important question for you, Ciaran. Do you wish to stay at Camp Half-Blood? I would not be surprised if you're hesitant in answering, but all I want to advise you on is this place is the safest place for a demigod such as yourself."
Ciaran glanced at Lux, whose only response was to draw a small heart on the back of his hand, their personal reminder that whatever happens, they are there for each other.
Ciaran was silent, instead his eyes decided to travel farther from the vicinity of the house they were standing in to look at the world before him that now hummed with magic when he chose to listen. A world that he once thought he would only be able to see through his sister's stories. A world that once felt crafted with enchanting words was now tangible and real. A world that he might have been envious of because he wasn't there to experience it with her.
The boy gathered all the courage he had in him into an answer. "Yes, I want to."
"Very well, welcome to Camp Half-Blood. Now, your parents must be anxious for answers right now, aren't they?" Seeing the siblings bob their heads in confirmation, he continued. "Well, it just so happens that Percy and I are on our way to Cabin Eleven. After we get him and Ciaran settled in, we will talk to your parents together, Lux." He gestured to the dark-haired boy, who jerked when he heard his name. "This is Percy Jackson, our newest camper—well, I suppose that title goes to Ciaran now. Percy, this is Lux Rhodes. She joined us a year ago. She's also in cabin Eleven."
"Looks like I'll be your cabinmate from now on." Lux offered a smile. "Undetermined?"
He blinked, looking unsure of what to say.
"Undetermined," Chiron answered for him.
Perhaps she shouldn't be surprised by now, but she held in a sigh anyway.
"Wait, what does that mean?"
"All will be explained in due time, child."
As if to find something to change the subject, Lux's eyes then fell to the shoe box in his hold, shocked that she didn't catch what was inside sooner.
"Is that what I think it is?" she blurted out.
His mouth twisted into a sardonic mile. "My first bounty, apparently."
She looked to Chiron for answers, who only shook his head in response. "It's a long story, perhaps we will fill you in on the way."
Meanwhile, Ciaran, who had felt a pestering sense of deja vu as soon as he saw Percy, was finally able to feel a light bulb turn on in his mind. "You're that kid from the Met!"
Everyone whipped their heads around, Percy in particular having the most confused expression on his face. "Huh? Have we met?"
"Not really..." Ciaran stammered. "But I saw you, a few weeks ago. You were...fighting with a teacher, I think. I thought I saw you holding a sword, and the teacher...I swear I saw wings from her back. B-but I don't know, it's been a while."
"Oh my gods." Lux's eyes widened. "He's the one you mentioned. So you've been able to see through the Mist since then."
"What a curious coincidence," Chiron said it in a way that seemed to imply chance might have played less a hand. "Well, now that we're all acquainted, shall we go meet the other campers?"
Chiron moved to get up from his wheelchair, an action that had doubt flashing through Percy. But this quickly shifted into disbelief when his lower body seemed to extend beyond the confines of his wheelchair, rising out of it until he stood taller than any of them, his tail swishing from his snow-white hind.
Lux couldn't help but break out a grin when she saw Percy's and Ciaran's reactions. It never does get old.
─── ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽☼☾.* :☆ﾟ｡ ───
Lux would never get used to hearing about other demigods' encounters with the mythical and often deadly creatures that emerged straight from the pages of old, hungry for divine blood. Especially when there were those who got hurt in the process.
She listened to Chiron talk briefly about Percy's battle with the Minotaur right in front of the camp's entrance, the subject himself offering no additional commentary. Instead, he kept his attention on anything in his sight. Lux had nothing against it, he owed nothing to a stranger like her.
Finally, his eyes seemed to settle on something in the Big House.
"What's up there?" He pointed at the attic, and Lux felt herself taking a deep breath at the same time Chiron's smile slipped from his face.
"Just the attic."
"Somebody lives there?"
"No," he said it in a way that indicated he was done with the subject. "Not a single living thing."
Lux knew better, but she wasn't about to say anything when Chiron was present. Even then, she wasn't keen on thinking about what was actually in the attic. He was right about it not being a living thing. What was left of a legacy was now nothing but a dried husk.
They continued on with the tour, Chiron pointing out the strawberry fields and explaining how the camp used them to pay for their expenses. Lux went on her tiptoes, trying to see if she could spot her friend Quinn in the greenery. When he needed a respite from the rowdiness of cabin Eleven (which was quite often), he would go be in the company of satyrs and nymphs for some peace and quiet, something that tends to suit his gentle personality more. When she saw no sign of him, she went back to walking in pace with the others.
Percy and Chiron have shifted to talking about Grover, and sensing that the conversation was turning out to be more on the personal side, Lux began tuning out their voices, but not before she caught something about Percy's mother. But from the way Chiron said it, and from the way Percy's face seemed to darken immediately after...she knew better than to pry.
"Hey, who's Grover?" Ciaran whispered to her, also not intending to interrupt their conversation.
"He's a satyr," she whispered back. "One of those people that would help bring us back safely to camp. He's really nice. He can be nervous at times, but he tries to stay upbeat."
She didn't mention what happened a few years ago. It wasn't her story to tell.
They passed by the armory, the archery range, the lake, the stables, and a slew of other places before getting to the cabins. One could take a look and easily guess that Cabin One and Cabin Two were more than likely dedicated to the most important gods, their marble surface gleaming blinding white under the sun.
When they walked past Cabin Three, Percy stopped to glance into the open doorway. Lux couldn't fault him for being curious, gods know she herself tried to go into Zeus' Cabin before she was stopped by the other campers.
She caught a whiff of the salty sea, instantly making her want to take a stroll down by the shore and sink her feet into the sand. Just as Chiron placed a hand on his shoulder to pull him back, she saw how he was fixated on the bare bunk beds, a sense of forlorn pulling the corner of his lips downward. She wondered what could've brought it on from simply looking at an empty cabin. It was as though he was searching for something that wasn't there.
It took no time for them to arrive at Cabin Eleven, and Lux instantly felt better when she saw the familiar sight. Hermes' Cabin might not be as grand or well-kept as the others, and some would even say that it was too worn down to have a god's name associated with it, but to her, it felt as right as snuggling into a well-loved blanket on a rainy night.
Her eyes widened when she spotted a familiar blonde reading a book in front of the doorway.
"Annie," she called out. "What are you doing here?"
Annabeth looked up from her book, the surprise only displayed on her face for a second. "Because I live at camp?" The teasing ghost of a smile was gone as soon as it came. "Who's behind you?"
Lux stepped aside. "This is Ciaran, my brother."
Her gray eyes trailed over to him, who shrunk slightly under her calculating gaze. It was clear her mind was running a mile a minute, and it didn't take long for her to get a hold of the situation.
"Oh. Oh, Styx."
"Annabeth," Chiron addressed. "I have to talk with Lux's parents, and I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy and Ciaran from here?"
"Yes, sir."
Annabeth went to open the door, and one glance inside was enough to understand why this cabin was the way it was. The floor was practically concealed by sleeping bags, and any space not occupied by them was littered with tiny pieces of personal possessions that one would have to maneuver around like an obstacle course. Lux instantly saw her sleeping space, relieved when her yellow roses still remained blooming and intact.
Lux waved at her cabinmates among cheerful calls of her name, exchanging "hi"s and "hello"s, rolling her eyes when Connor and Travis asked if she brought any cookies.
"Annabeth can take it from here, Lux." Chiron laid a warm hand on her shoulder. "We shouldn't keep your parents waiting."
She let go of her brother's hand then, but not before drawing a smiley face on it to cheer him up. She then nudged him over to Annabeth's side while turning over to look at her. "Look after him for me."
"I will."
"Good luck Percy, Ciaran. I'll see you at dinner." Chiron jogged ahead a few paces.
Just as she was about to join him, Lux gave Percy an encouraging smile. "Good luck."
"Thanks."
As they trekked all the way back up Half-Blood Hill, she spared a backward glance at the cabins, where the boys would be introduced to the other inhabitants of Cabin Eleven, where they would once again have to find a way to devise some space in that finite place, her heart in her throat as she had a distinct feeling that everything had changed.
─── ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽☼☾.* :☆ﾟ｡ ───
Though she might have experienced it once before, breaking the news to her parents did not become any easier. Her mother had stopped crying, but the trails of her tears lingered on her cheeks, her nose red from all of the sniffing. They were both trying to put on a brave face, but Lux had done this dance with them before. There was no mistaking how crestfallen their face was when she told them about Ciaran's decision.
Chiron did what he did best and gave them comforting words, promising them as he did a year ago that their son would be taken care of, and that no harm would come to him as long as he remained at camp. Lux echoed these sentiments, assuring them that she would take care of him and make sure that he gets settled in.
Lux gathered all her stuff from the trunk, stopping before the border to give her parents a hug. They embraced her tightly, breaking away for a blink before pulling her back for another one. "For your brother," they whispered.
After saying that they would be back soon with Ciaran's things, she watched as their car became nothing but a tiny speck, and only then did she walk back through.
She hadn't been gone that long, but clearly something had transpired during that time. Most of the campers were murmuring among each other, like they just stumbled on the hottest piece of gossip for the summer. Her confusion grew even more when she passed by the girl's bathroom that was leaking water and sewage, looking as if all of the pipes just exploded simultaneously. She winced at the smell, praying that nothing actually exploded and the toilets were simply clogged.
She arrived back at Cabin Eleven, where everything was more abuzz than usual as everyone chattered animatedly amongst themselves.
"Lux!" Lou Ellen called out and bounced over to her. "You just missed the best thing ever!"
"I can tell. What happened?"
"You'll never believe this. That new guy Percy? Somehow, he blew up the bathroom when Clarisse tried to stuff his head into the toilet. You should've seen Clarisse's face. She looked like a wet rat ready to blow a fuse. Best thing I've ever seen," Lou cackled.
Lux couldn't believe that she forgot about Clarisse's dumb initiation ritual. Though she had to suppress a laugh at the thought of the daughter of Ares and her lackeys dripping wet with gods know what kind of liquid, she was worried about her brother, who must have undoubtedly been caught in the fray.
"What about Ciaran? Is he okay?"
"Oh, your brother? He and Annabeth pretty much got splashed by the water, too. Last I heard they were continuing with the tour or something."
Of course, Annabeth wouldn't let something as minor as a little water stop her from doing what she was supposed to do. Lux gathered the towels in her bag and said bye to Lou to go out in search of them. She asked the other campers along the way, finally pinpointing them to the canoeing lake.
She practically rushed down to the pier, her footsteps making them stop their conversation and look in her direction.
"For gods' sake, you guys are trailing water everywhere." She threw a towel at Ciaran's face and draped one over Annabeth's head. "At least dry up before you catch a cold." Lux stopped in her tracks just as she turned to Percy. "How are you still dry? I heard the entire girl's bathroom was flooded."
Percy looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Err, luck...I guess?"
She squinted her eyes at him, clearly unconvinced, but decided to drop the subject. "Sorry, I should've warned you about Clarisse."
"That's okay, I knew there was bound to be someone mean like her at camp," Ciaran said. "At least Percy made a valiant effort stopping her though, it was worth it seeing her face afterward." The boys shared a look that could only be understood between two people who went through the same thing.
Percy shrugged. "I've seen too many people like her."
Barbecue smoke flew to them from the dining pavilion, signaling that dinner would be ready any minute now. Enticed by the smell, both of the boys' stomachs grumbled in response.
"I have training later," Annabeth said to Lux. "Can you take them back to camp?"
"Will do. Give me back my towel whenever, okay?"
"Yes, mother hen."
They left her on the pier to follow the trail back to the cabin. On the way, Lux couldn't help but notice Ciaran looking more comfortable, as if he and Percy had somehow bonded over their shared experiences in the bathroom.
"So, is your dad Hermes?" Percy asked Lux.
She shook her head. "Nope. Undetermined, just like you."
"How many are also undetermined in that cabin?"
"Quite a lot, actually." She sighed. "But if someone's claimed by a minor god, they're still out of luck. As you can see, there are only 12 cabins for the 12 Olympians here."
"Why?"
"There's a reason why most call them 'minor', Percy."
He frowned, but he shook it off quickly. It must be too much for him, all this talk about gods and monsters that were supposed to be nothing but man-made myths. "And you have no idea who your, um, godly parent is?"
"That's the beauty of it," Ciaran spoke up. "Both of us are adopted, so we have no clue at all."
"Yup, we were dropped off at the same children's home when we were babies. Stuck together since day one."
"Not the best deal, if you ask me." Ciaran let out a tiny yelp when Lux punched him in the arm. "See what I mean?"
It was the first time Lux heard Percy chuckle, and she was glad that his mood had improved somewhat, even if it didn't seem to last long.
It took them no time to get back to Cabin Eleven, and it seemed like everyone had moved on from the bathroom incident. Two spots side-by-side have been delegated to the boys, and while Percy sat down on his spot and talked with Luke, Lux and Ciaran rushed over to the border when a camper came with a message that their parents were there.
By the time all of the tearful hugs and final goodbyes were exchanged and Ciaran had all the belongings he needed in hand, the sun was coming down under the horizon, and with it, Lux's wakefulness.
She couldn't count the number of times she yawned from when the conch was first blown to when they all marched to the mess hall. On the way to their table, Lux spared a glance at Ares' table, slightly disappointed when she saw Clarisse was back to being her boisterous self, no remnant of any toilet water in sight.
They all sat down on the bench, a rather impressive feat considering that there were at least 20 of them all crowded at the same table. Once everyone settled in, Chiron pounded his hoof on the floor and raised a glass to the sky.
"To the gods!"
Lux sleepily echoed these words along with everyone else, her eyes nearly closing shut as she said thank you to the wood nymph who placed a plate of food down in front of her. She murmured "lemonade" to the glass in front of her, idly hearing Ciaran say "Dr. Pepper" next to her. She nearly nodded off when she felt her brother jabbing her side.
"Hey Lux, where's everyone going with their plates?"
"Oh, right. We have to burn some of our food for the gods before we eat." She stood up and led him over to the burning hearth at the center of the pavilion. "Kinda like saying grace but more sacrificial."
She threw a piece of cheese into the fire, the tantalizing smoke that smelled like all of the good things in the world rolled into one did little to wake her up. Back at the table, she did her best to stave the sleepiness away, but even as she tried to focus on eating, her brain was gradually shutting down. And since she was hanging on the edge of the bench, Ciaran had to loop his arm around hers to prevent her from falling flat onto the ground.
"Uh, is she okay?" Percy asked.
"Don't worry, she's like this whenever the sun goes down. Can't even wake her up once she's asleep," Luke said. "But somehow she's always the first one up in the morning."
"Don't ask how," Ciaran added. "It's truly one of the world's unsolvable mysteries."
Lux didn't even have the strength to say anything, and simply nodded along. Once everyone was finished eating, Chiron thumped his hooves again to get their attention. Hearing the signal, Mr. D got up with a huge sigh, telling them all they needed to know about his thoughts on being here.
"Yes, I suppose I better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello," he said blandly. "Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture of the flag is Friday. Cabin Five presently holds the laurels."
Cheers and war-like cries erupted from the Ares table.
Mr. D dismissed their noises. "Personally, I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have two new campers today. Peter Johnson and Clarence Road."
Chiron murmured something into his ear, reminding Lux of how he also botched her name when she first arrived. She believed he hadn't gotten anyone's name at camp right.
"Err, Percy Jackson and Ciaran Rhodes. That's right. Hurrah, and all that," he corrected unenthusiastically. "Now run along to your silly campfire."
While everyone hollered and ran down towards the amphitheater, Lux felt that she was close to her limit. She sang along to parts of the camp songs whenever she could, and managed to introduce Ciaran to both Lou Ellen and Quinn, letting them talk amongst themselves. But the moment the stars became bright spots against the night sky and the bonfire was spurting sparks and embers, Lux nestled her head into the crook of her brother's neck and peacefully dozed off to slumber.