I 01. I
𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔
❝ string of dreams ❞
SOULMATES HAD ALWAYS BEEN WELCOMED IN ARIADNE'S EYES. The idea of having a person fated to you, whether by a connection of friendship or romance, the idea was definitely plausible. Connected by a string of dreams, a tiny part of her wished that was her reality. But of course, why would the gods choose her? A curly-haired sword fanatic who was named after her step-mom that lived on Olympus, she was just another child of Dionysus. The hope still laid there, lying in her heart, waiting for the day she lives a purpose.
Ariadne sat at the dock's edge, her eyes watching as a group of campers floated out on the water, paddling a canoe towards shore. Her eyes glanced down, becoming transfixed with the crystal clear waters below her feet. The tips of her shoes created slight movement, fish swimming below as they lived their lives peacefully, a part of her was jealous about that trait.
Some part of her was drawn towards the water, even though she couldn't swim for the life of her. Water had always been terrifying for her, deciding to stick to land was the best choice for her. She could fight, her powers had more of an effect, land was her safe space. Water was... well－it was unpredictable. Earth was strategic, only one plan of action.
Ariadne curled a strand of curly hair around her index finger, letting it spring back into place once she stretched it out. Bored as to why Annabeth asked her to meet the girl there when she hadn't shown up for the past twenty minutes, the brunette almost convinced herself to head back to cabin twelve, but she stayed a bit longer to watch the water.
The girl stood up, deciding it was best she head back so it didn't look like she was contemplating drowning herself. The wooden planks creaked under her weight, but that didn't worry the girl, the deck had faced far worse in the years she had been at the camp. Her legs carried her in the direction of the cabins, body aching for the soft mattress that was calling her name. It was hard being the best swordsman at the camp－or swords-woman in her case.
She waved at the campers passing by, happiness radiating off of her as she watched the bustle of her home. During the summer was the busiest, with the weekly Capture the Flag games and rock climbing classes, and the sword championships that always ended with Ariadne defeating anyone who dared go against her. It was all good fun, but the over-looming reality was that most of the campers were learning to protect themselves if they chose to enter the real world once more, protecting themselves against the monsters that threatened their lives.
This did nothing to waver her smile in the slightest, she had been accustomed to this reality. Yes, it was a shock when she finally understood at the age of six, but it was still a shock to everyone new that entered. Ariadne was so close to her cabin before a familiar voice callout to her, "Ari!" The girl looked over her shoulder, a smirk twisting onto her face once she saw the familiar blond locks of Luke Castellan, "Hey! I've been looking everywhere for you."
"I like to stay hidden, especially from my over obsessive fans like yourself." The boy placed his hand over her heart, feigning the act of being hurt by the comment.
"You hurt me, Ari. I thought we were close?"
Ariadne let out a laugh, "You thought wrong, Lukey." He groaned at the nickname before perking up, a grin that would make anyone swoon across his face. The boy gripped her arm tightly, dragging her away from the comfort of the purple cabin she so desperately wanted to enter.
Luke stopped outside of the sword arena, causing the girl to raise an eyebrow at his back while following behind him. "That last time we were here I kicked your butt, are you sure you want to bruise your ego even more?"
The blond turned around, hands on hips, "Ha, ha, ha. And no, I will not be bruising my ego even more, because I'm going to beat you this time."
The brunette couldn't hold her laughter in, holding her stomach as giggles escaped her grinning mouth. She only stopped laughing once she noticed the serious look placed upon the teen's face, her eyebrows raised at the expression. "Well, that would be the, what?" She counted on her fingers, "Hundredth time you've said that, and you have proven that statement true..."
Charles Beckendorf, who had been passing by, called out, "Zero times!" The girl nodded, Luke narrowing his eyes at the boy while the other two laughed.
"Exactly!" But her eyes softened once she noticed his determined gaze, "Alright. Five minutes." Luke gave her a child-like grin, scurrying off as to not waste his preparation time. She chuckled at the boy who she considered her brother, happy to see him smiling.
The girl made her way to the armory, placing on the armor before tightening it. She threw her curly hair into a ponytail, despite her head telling her not to, knowing that her night would be spent brushing out the dreadful knots that her raven locks would create. The girl tightened her converses, they weren't the most appropriate shoes for a spar but it was last notice.
Once she made it back in the arena a crowd had formed, Luke must have spread the word that they were sparring. she shook her head at his antics, good. More people to see him fail. Ariadne gave the bystanders a grin, Luke staring at her with a cocky smirk, sword in hand.
Ariadne raised an eyebrow, clicking her tongue before twisting the ring around her right index finger. The gold band with vine engravings transformed into a large gold sword, her fingers gripping the weapon perfectly, as it was made specifically for her. Etched along the hilt were vines, leaves creating an ethereal feeling. The plant wrapping around the blade in a spiral of flowers, finally ending at the tip of the blade. Lettering was along the hilt as well, 'Lunacy' it read. A message to herself, one she had never truly explained.
The girl readied herself, adrenaline already pumping through her veins. The boy moved swiftly, taking at a swing at her which she easily blocked. She parried the move, sending one of her own as the tip of her blade grazed his face, causing the boy to lean back to escape the injury awaiting to happen.
Campers cheered the two on, half rooting for Luke and half rooting for Ariadne. The girl moved quick, using her small height to her advantage. The older boy nearly missed a swing towards his arm, blocking it as he watched the girl's face form a smug smirk. Luke grew annoyed, putting more aggression behind his attacks, pushing the girl back as far as he could before her strength pushed against his own.
She swiped his legs out from under him, but the boy hopped over her own. Shock enveloped her features, Luke happy he at least surprised her at some point. He had been practicing, happy it finally payed off. Ariadne let a scowl spread across her face, game on. She jumped high, kicking the boy's hand as he cried out. Luke dropped his weapon instantly, the girl kicking his stomach as she grabbed his sword in one hand, holding hers tightly in the other.
With one leg pressing down on his, a sword pointed at his neck, the other pointed at his stomach, he had no choice but to surrender. Luke took his sword back, a frown evident across his features. Ariadne slapped a hand on his shoulder, a soft smile on her face, "Don't worry, you surprised me." This caused his head to perk up, excitement on his face.
"Really?"
She nodded, "Yeah. You've been practicing, I'm glad I got to fight against you." The blond gave a grin, throwing an arm rounder shoulder, which made his shrink down a considerable amount since she was much shorter than teen boy.
As they celebrated, campers talking with them the booming voice of Chiron alerted everyone, "Ariadne, we need you down at the Big House." The girl nodded, punching Luke in the shoulder before running back towards the armory and storing her armor. She sprinted towards the wooden home she spent a lot of her time in, mostly playing the game of pinochle with Chiron and her father.
Once the brunette made it onto the porch she grinned at the sight of Annabeth, "You left on the dock." The blonde's mass of curls flew everywhere, panic on her features as she recalled that they were supposed to meet up.
"Sorry, I was nursing our new camper back to health." Ariadne let her brain think for a moment, remembering the scrawny boy Grover had delivered, apparently, he had killed a Minotaur. The bull creatures were not her favorite, knowing the stories of her father's wife and the women she was named after, the monster was not one she was itching to meet.
The brunette gave her friend a soft smile, "It's alright. I got to look at the fish, you know I love doing that." Annabeth chuckled, she always got giddy talking about sea life, despite the idea she hated water and people insisting she learned to swim.
A hum was voiced behind her, "Fish. Sounds delicious. Wine sounds quite nice as well." The girl grinned at the sight of her father, despite the known knowledge that he hated heroes because of Theseus, she was his favorite－along with Caster and Pollux of course. Dionysus was a man who got irritable easily, but when it came to his daughter, the girl could make him smile more in a minute than he had fifty years prior to her birth. He would't consider her a weak spot, she was strong and harnessed her powers well. He was proud, but obviously he didn't show the emotions often.
Chiron, who was sat at the table with her father, surveyed the cards he held in his hands, "Now, now, Dionysus, you know that rules."
The god grumbled, a sour look passing over his face, "Rules." His daughter giggled, biting her lip as she shared an amused look with Annabeth. The two leaned against the railing, wind blowing their hair slightly as the brunette glanced over at the blonde.
She whispered, "Did he say anything about the solstice?" The girl shook her head, an annoyed look on her face.
"No. Nothing, how do we know he is the one who is supposed to help us?"
Ariadne shook her head, remaining calm, "We don't." Annabeth glared at her, "I'm just saying, he may be the key, he may not. But we have to be patient." The blonde huffed, leaning her head against her palm as they sat in silence for another few minutes.
Annabeth smirked, "You know, he's going to get on your nerves."
"Why?"
"Something about him tells me that."
The brunette raised an eyebrow, "How do you know that?"
"Instincts." Ariadne huffed, watching as all the campers were walking around and talking, something she could be doing if she didn't have to wait for this boy to wake up. The girl was growing annoyed, despite what she said earlier about patience, she had none. Annabeth was probably right about her not liking the boy, if she had to wait around for him like this all the time then she would lose her mind.
Annabeth noticed her friend getting antsy, she smirked slightly, her instincts were always correct. "Screw patience!" Ariadne yelled, "Where is this kid? If he doesn't get here in the next five seconds I will teach him how to sword fight without a proper demo. I can't sit here any longer!" The blonde chuckled at her friend before straightening up, she cleared her throat as the brunette was still ranting. "You are right, Annabeth, I already don't like him."
"Ah, good, Percy." Chiron's voice cut through, Ariadne froze up. She slowly turned, cringing slightly as she saw the black-haired boy staring at her with a slightly dazed expression. Her eyes glare at him, annoyance coating her face as she taps her foot impatiently. "Now we have four for pinochle."
The boy was offered the chair next to her father, allowing the girl to get a good look at him. Scrawny, black hair, eyes that looked like the were housing an ocean in them, a confused look that seemed to be permanently attached to his face.
"Annabeth." Chiron called her forwards, the blonde stepped up confidently, "Annabeth, this is Percy Jackson. She is the one who nursed you back to health. And this," he beckoned Ariadne towards them, "is Ariadne."
The boy raised looked towards her, "Like the thread lady? The one in the maze?" The girl shared a bored look with her father, who rolled his eyes as the boy mentioned his wife as a 'thread lady.'
Chiron cut in, "Ariadne, Annabeth, why don't you two go check on Percy's bunk. We will be putting him in cabin eleven now." The brunette was already making her way towards the stairs, but Annabeth stayed, turning towards the new camper.
"You drool when you sleep." The blonde left it at that, running down the stairs as she dragged her friend away. Ariadne tripped over her own feet before matching the girl's speed, she almost ran into her brothers, Pollux and Caster, but they dodged the girl, throwing some cuss words at her. The two girls stopped in front of cabin eleven; Hermes cabin.
Hermes cabin was nothing like she was used to, it had regular wooden walls, paint chipping, her father would never have them live in a cabin like that. Ariadne never minded it, but her eyes had always been used to waking up in a purple frenzy, the smell of grapes always in the air.
Annabeth pulled out her book causing her friend to groan. No, she didn't hate books. But she preferred to spend her time fighting or hanging with the other campers. She let her body fly onto the ground, spread out like a starfish as she watched the clouds pass by, wandering what it would feel like to fly. But of course, she loved land, so just because she wondered didn't mean she actually wanted to do so.
The girl closed her eyes, impatiently waiting for Percy and Chiron. Her eyes opened again, gliding over her fingers before seeing her ring catch the light, causing sun rays to beam across her face. The girl stood up, not knowing what to do. Maybe it was her ADHD, maybe it was just from the lack of patience, but she paced around Annabeth, creating tracks in the grass.
Unluckily for her, raising her right hand to run it through her hair was a mistake. The gold band directing sunlight into her eye, blinding the girl as she tripped over a body, both falling to the ground as she heard a grunt below her. Ariadne blinked a couple times, gaining her sight back, gasping as she saw the sea-green eyes staring back into her purple ones.
She quickly stood up, tripping again as their legs were entangled. The two scramble up on their feet, moving away from each other while Chiron and Annabeth laugh. Ariadne glares at her friend, hitting the back of the blonde's head before she feels a sharp sting in her side, Annabeth smirking as she cringes.
Chiron settles down, a flustered Percy standing next to him, "Girls, I have masters' archery at noon. Would you take Percy from here?" Ariadne nodded, archery had never been her forte, close combat was more her style. But nevertheless, she always found it fun watching the class.
The centaur glances down at Percy, who was hesitant on the man leaving. "Cabin eleven. Make yourself at home." The boy stared at the outside of the cabin, taking in the exterior as the two girls waited. Annabeth quickly opened the door, allowing him to se the packed cabin full of demigods.
Cabin eleven was always packed full with demigods, some claimed by Hermes, and other's who had never been claimed. She always felt bad for those who had never been claimed, leaving them to wonder who their parent is. Ariadne was lucky, her mother dropped the girl off outside of the camp, she was a mortal who could see through the Mist, but she had never asked for a demigod daughter. So her father claimed the girl right when she came to camp, knowing the purple eyes that stared back at his was his daughter. The brunette always pictured how funny it must have looked, campers bowing down to a five year old girl who stood there trying to catch glowing purple thyrsus that rose above her head.
Chiron gave the boy a nod, "Well then, good luck Percy. I'll see you at dinner."
Percy continued to stand in the doorway as the centaur galloped in the other direction, Ariadne rolled her eyes at the raven-haired boy. "Well," she jerked her head in the direction of the cabin, "go on."
The sea-green eyed boy didn't move, raising a shaky foot which prompted the brunette to shove him slightly, "Let's go, Drool boy." He glared at her slightly, she glared back. The girl shoved him once again but this time, she added a lot more force. Percy was sent tumbling, the cabin members laughing as she rolled her eyes. Annabeth shook her head while sighing, sharing a glance with Ariadne.
"Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson." Ariadne held her hands out, "Percy Jackson, cabin eleven."
A boy spoke up, "Regular or undetermined?"
Annabeth sighed, "Undetermined." A chorus of groans ran throughout the cabin, the two curly-haired girls grimaced. Luke seeped forward, the familiar blond hair causing Annabeth too blush. Which Ariadne found quite weird, Luke himself was nineteen and they were twelve, wasn't exactly legal.
"No, now campers." His eyes searching everyone in the cabin, "Welcome, Percy. You can have the spot on the floor, right over there." He motioned towards the empty spot on the floor, dust circled around the room.
"That's Luke." Annabeth spoke while in a trance, her crush on Luke taking over.
Ariadne gave Percy a hard look, "He's your counsellor for now."
"For now?" Percy questioned, once again, confusion becoming his main emotion.
Luckily, Luke had more patience than Ariadne and Annabeth had. "You're undetermined. They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here." Percy glanced at the purple-eyed girl who raised an eyebrow back, "Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."
The boy scanned the room, "How long will I be here?"
"Good question. Until you're determined."
"How long will that take?"
Ariadne closed her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose while the cabin chuckled. Percy was clueless, but she had to cut him some slack, this wasn't exactly a realistic-type situation for him.
"Come on," Annabeth spoke up, trying to save him from embarrassing himself even more, "Ariadne and I'll show you the volleyball court."
Percy was oblivious, "I've already seen it."
Ariadne grabbed his arm, pulling him out the door as Annabeth quickly followed."Let's go." The brunette grits her teeth, pulling him far enough from the cabin. Her purple eyes glared daggers into his head, sea-green full of confusion stared back.
She shook her head, "You've got to do better than that, Jackson."
Percy became eve more confused, what does she mean? "What."
The curly-haired girl sighed heavily, rubbing her forehead as she resisted the urge to throw him into the lake. Annabeth was right, he did annoy her to know end, and she had only known him for an hour. "This is the guy that's supposed to help us?" She whispered harshly towards Annabeth, the blonde only glared at Percy.
The boy was getting annoyed with the two girls, especially by Ariadne. She had been insulting him since she met him, "What's your problem?" All I know is I killed some bull guy--"
Ariadne let her left hand reach her right, ready to twist her ring to create the sword she so desperately wanted to hold at that moment. But it was stopped by Annabeth's fingers, which latched onto her wrist. "Don't talk like that!" She started, the brunette let her hands drop, letting her eyes look anywhere but his. "Do you know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?"
"To get killed?" Ariadne snorts at him, Percy giving her the side-eye as she gave him a 'what' look.
"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?"
"Look," he started, Ariadne raised her eyebrow, "if the thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories..." The two girls gave him looks to ask you, "Then there's only one." Ariadne rolls her eyes, "And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So..."
At the mention of Theseus the brunette froze, never finding much attraction towards the hero because of what he did to her step-mother. Even after she saved his life, he left her on an island. The girl had promised herself that if she ever fell In love, it would never be with a boy like Theseus. She would not fall prey like the woman she's named after did.
"Monsters don't die, Percy." Sea-green eyes met her purple ones, and Ariadne couldn't help but see waves crashing in his eyes. "They can be killed, but they can't die."
He rolls his eyes, "Oh, thanks. That clears it up." She almost lunges at him, but Annabeth kicks her shin causing the girl to hiss, earning a weird look from Percy.
She continues, "They don't have souls like you and me, you can dispel them for a while, maybe even a whole lifetime if you're lucky."
"But they are primal forces." Annabeth speaks up, "Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually, they reform."
"You mean if I killed one," he nods, seeming like he was slowly getting it. "Accidentally, with a sword--"
"The Fur..." Annabeth drags off, eyes closed tightly as she almost slipped up. Ariadne keeps her fingers on her ring, looking around quickly with wide eyes. "I mean, you're math teacher. Yeah, she's still out there. You just made her ver, very mad."
The boy frowns, a question already on his tongue. "How did you know about Miss Dodds?"
"You talk in your sleep." She replied, Ariadne raises her eyebrows at the interaction noting to ask Annabeth what else he said, so she was in the loop.
Percy glanced between the two, "You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?" Ariadne felt faint, Annabeth pale as they both glance around, waiting for the ground to split and hell to break loose.
Ariadne steps closer, Percy stood tall, staring her down as she glared. "You shouldn't call them by name, even here." Her body shook slightly, she didn't know If it was the fear or anger, or maybe both. "We call them the Kindly Ones id we hav eco speak of them at all."
Her teeth grit once again as he whined, "Look. Is there anything we can say without it thundering?" She rolled her eyes, Annabeth on the verge of snapping. "Why do I have to stay at cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together?" He gestured towards a few cabins, "There are plenty of empty bunks over there."
Annabeth snapped, "You don't choose a cabin, Percy." Her face was drained of all color, "It depends on who your parents are. Or... your parent."
Ariadne looked down at the mention of having multiple parents, she had only known her father, and that's all who she wanted to know. Her mother abandoned her at the border of the camp when she was five, calling herself a lunatic as she did so, that's all she really remembered.
"My mom is Sally Jackson." He said firmly, "She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to." His eyes were sad, the oceans in his eyes dying down. Ariadne almost hugged him. Almost.
Annabeth voiced her thoughts, "We're sorry, Percy. We are. But we meant your dad, not your mom."
"He's dead. I never knew him."
Ariadne tugged at her curly locks, this boy would be the death of her. "You're father's not dead, Percy."
This set him off, "How can you sat that? Do you know him?"
The purple-eyed girl blinked a couple of times, "Uh, do I look like an adult? And a god." She mumbled the last part.
"Then how can you say--"
"Because you wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."
The boy's eyes narrowed, story seas rising in his eyes. "You don't know anything about me."
Annabeth crossed her arms, "I bet you moved from school to school constantly, probably because you were kicked out of a lot of them."
Percy looked shocked, but both girls knew they had hit the jackpot. "How--"
"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD as well." The brunette spoke up, playing with her curly hair as she spared him a single glance.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Taken together, it's almost a sure sign." She explained, Annabeth nodding along. "The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your mind is hardwired for Ancient Greek. Like mine, like Annabeth's," she gestured to the entire camp, "like everyone else here."
"The ADHD-- you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom." Annabeth explained, "That's your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, and if you learn to use them properly, they will keep you alive."
"Attention problems? Well, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortals. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are."
"Y-you sound like... you guys went through the same thing?"
"Majority of us did." Ariadne let a soft smile fall on her face, hand almost reaching out to touch his shoulder. But she didn't. "If you weren't like us, you couldn't've survived the Minotaur, not t mention the Ambrosia and Nectar."
His lips parted, "Ambrosia and Nectar?"
"The food and drink you we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would have killed a normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead." Charming way to put it. "Face it. You're a half-blood."
Ariadne reached her fingers out hesitantly, placing them on his shoulder. The action surprising herself and Percy, who's sea-green eyes became calm as they looked into her purple ones. She gripped his shoulder slightly, letting him know it was okay as he processed everything.
"Thanks." He whispered, the girl nodded before letting go. Clearing her throat as she ignored the questioning look from her blonde friend. The two girls opened their mouths, about to say something else.
"Well, a newbie!" Ariadne rolled her eyes, an aggravated look crossing her face almost instantly. Clarisse La Rue was a daughter of Ares, the known bully of Camp Half-Blood. The daughter of Dionysus and Ares had never gotten along, ever since the Ares girl had shown up.
It started when Clarisse thought she could battle it out with Ariadne, who immediately took to the challenge. The Dionysus girl put her on her ass, igniting the fire of hatred Clarisse would have for her years on.
She was followed by her posse of sisters, other daughters of Ares themselves. Camp jackets dawned along with a angry fire in all of their eyes, ready to create the chaos they feed off of.
Ariadne took a step forward, slightly pushing Percy behind her. "Why are you bothering us, Clarisse? Ready to get your butt kicked like last time?"
Clarisse growled, a smirk rising on Ariadne's face. "If anything your butt would get kicked, Grape Girl. I'm taking both you and Miss Princess down on Friday night."
Annabeth curse at her, "Erette es korakas." It translates too, "Go to the crows." "You don't stand a chance."
"We'll pulverize you." Ariadne glared with the might of a thousand swords, her eyes darkening as they pierced through the Ares girls. If the girl wanted, she could spring vines from the ground and smother her, leaving Clarisse to die with the scent of grape vines. She could cause hallucinations, but those powers weren't quite up to the task. The brunette pushed those thoughts away, deciding to use words rather than violence. Although, she was willing to if it came to that.
The Ares girl moved her attention towards Percy, "Who's this little runt?"
Annabeth did not want to continue the conversation, but she did it for the sake of stalling. "Percy Jackson, meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares."
"Like... the war God?" Ariadne rolled her eyes so hard that they almost rolled towards the back of her head. This boy, she thought, I am ready to strangle him.
"You have a problem with that?" Clarisse shot back, the brunette held her breath. Whatever he said next would set Clarisse off or give a the trio a way out of the coming argument.
But Percy didn't look like he was giving up, being the stupid boy that he was. "No. It explains the bad smell."
"We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy."
"Percy."
Clarisse shrugged his comment off, "Whatever. Come on, I'll show you." Ariadne paled slightly, glancing at Annabeth who looked the same as she did.
The Dionysus girl leaned towards Percys, whispering slightly In his ear. "Don't do anything stupid." But she saw the look in his eye, holding back a groan of annoyance at what the boy was thinking. "Percy. Don't. Percy."
"Clarisse--" Annabeth started, but the Ares daughter would not listen.
Stay out of it, Wise Girl." She growled, causing Ariadne's eyes to darken once again, ready to battle it out with the demigod.
She stepped forward, extremely close to Clarisse. "Back off, Clarisse. Or I'll swing my sword by your head like last time, and I won't just leave a scar." The camo dawning girl flinched slightly, her hand flying towards her left cheek, where a long scar laid. Her sisters scowled, hands inching slightly towards their weapons.
Ariadne smirked at the slight fear in the girl's eyes, stepping back to stay in front of the boy. "He's not worth the fight."
Percy pushed past her, shoulder colliding with hers as a shocked look crossed her face. "I can do this myself." The girl held back her hurt, Fine. I won't help you the next time.
Annabeth tightly held the Minotaur horn that Percy handed her, watching with her brunette friend as Clarisse dragged Percy towards the bathroom with an arm locked around his neck.
He struggled against her hold, but it was no use, Clarisse was too strong for him. The girls follow behind, pale faces as they watched the boy thrash as Clarisse pulled him into the girl's bathroom.
"Like he's 'Big Three' material." Ariadne gulped at the mention of him being a child of one of the Big Three, her mind still whirring over the idea that he would be the one to help her and Annabeth get the quest they have been longing for. "Yeah, right. The Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he's so stupid-looking."
Ariadne pursed her lips, the urge to look away was strong, but the worry she had was stronger. Yes, the boy was annoying, but she couldn't let him be bullied on his first day, she would be a terrible person if she did.
Percy was sent to his knees, head over a toilet bowl as Clarisse attempted to push his head in. Ariadne bit her lip, silently screaming at how disgusting the restrooms were.
But the ground rumbled slightly, pipes screeching as the demigods looked around. Water spouted from the toilet in an explosive fashion, a volcano of cool hit the girls, causing them to be soaked.
Clarisse and her sisters cried out, Ariadne screaming slightly as her curls matted together, obscuring her view as water covered the floor. Annabeth covered her face as the rest of the toilets and showers sprayed, splashing water over their bodies like a waterfall.
Ariadne felt her body being shoved onto the floor, Clarisse punching her shoulder harshly as her sisters and her made their way out. Drenched in toilet water, screaming out while they continued to run from the bathroom.
Water stopped flowing, dying down into drops falling onto the floor, creating a loud sound in the tense silence. Ariadne spit water out of her mouth, sticking her tongue out as she knew it escaped from the toilet. A disgusted look crossed her face, the girl tearing the ponytail out of her hair, scalp sore from the tight hairstyle.
Annabeth hit her shoulder harshly, the girl glaring at her before seeing the dry spot surrounding Percy. His clothes and hair dry, compared to the soaking girls that stared at him like he was a fish out of water.
The boy stood up, shaking slightly. Ariadne blinked rapidly, amazed by the boy who stood there with an amazed expression on his face. His eyes trailed to the girl sitting against the wall, hair matted in her face as she was covered in water.
Percy quickly scurried over, grabbing her arms in his before pulling her to her feet. She gave him a nod of thanks running her hands through her hair, curls springing back up as water dripped from them. "What just happened?"
"I don't know." Percy replied, staring into her purple eyes as he made sure she was okay. Annabeth stood in the corner, thinking while holding the Minotaur horn.
The trio made their way outside, Ariadne burst into a fit of laughter at the sight of the Daughters of Ares facedown into a pile of mud. Percy grinned at the girl, taking amusement out of their misfortune.
Clarisse slid around, trying to gain her footing in the sludge. Campers giggled at her failed attempts, the girl spoke loudly as her eyes held hatred for the boy. "You re dead, new boy. You are totally dead."
Percy, who was confident after the whole ordeal, spoke with a smirk. "You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth."
She was dragged towards cabin five by her siblings, thrashing about in their hold, trying to land blows onto the boy. Ariadne placed her hands on her hips, sending a grin towards her brothers, Caster and Pollux.
The confidence in Percy still rested there, but a sense of cluelessness was thrown upon him as he watched Annabeth think. The brunette glanced every so often at Percy, a small smile resting on her face despite being drenched.
Percy sent her a smirk, somewhat proud that she wasn't annoyed with him. "What?" He asked Annabeth, attention on the girl as her grey eyes were stoic with thought. "What are you thinking?"
Annabeth slowly looked at him, "I'm thinking, that I want you on my team for capture the flag."
Ariadne grinned, patting Percy's shoulder before throwing her arm over it. "That's an honor, Jackson."
He raised an eyebrow, "Okay?"
"Don't mess it up." Her face with no emotion, she backed up, the boy watching as she ran in the opposite direction.
Maybe Percy Jackson wasn't so bad.