"So, what the hell happened to you?" Aurora snorted, taking a second to stare at Percy appreciatively. Percy felt warmth fill his heart and pulse through his veins as Aurora's hazel eyes flickered up and down. It didn't help that she looked incredible.

"Um," he murmured, swallowing dryly. Holy Persephone, she was unreal. Like, she actually didn't exist. Why was he even noticing that? But he noticed every little thing about her, every change, everything that stayed consistent. Her strawberry blonde hair was wavier than normal—he wondered if she had finally listened to Silena Beauregard, the Aphrodite head counselor,'s curly hair routine suggestion (don't ask him how he knows that Silena had talked to Aurora about one, he just did)—and pulled back into two intricate braids, champagne colored silk ribbons tied into bows to top off the hairstyle. Her brown eyes glistened with a golden string tying her gaze to his, and her grin took over her entire face. She had looked so happy to see him, and that made him want to scream into his pillow with joy. "I, uh—"

"You are pretty." Tyson's deep voice made Percy jump. He had forgotten his old friend was there, and a hint of annoyance tugged at his stomach as Aurora beamed at the compliment. She didn't seem surprised at all, or even confused as to why Tyson, a cyclops, was at camp. She simply looked at him and smiled acceptingly, brushing past any confusion and ignoring wandering inquiries.

"I was going to say that." He grumbled instinctively, so quietly that no one could hear him. No one batted an eye, which he secretly thanked the gods for.

"Hello, sweetheart! Who might you be?" Aurora asked Tyson with an overabundance of friendliness and a bright smile—which was so unlike her. As he remembered, when Percy had met her, she almost killed him and cursed him out multiple times. (Not to say that he didn't deserve it, but still.) She was definitely not this kind, and it took him a full summer to get her to even consider him a friend. But instead of giving him the cold shoulder like Percy had received, she looked at Tyson warmly, like she was about to give him a hug.

"This is Tyson." Percy answered for him as the said cyclops continued to gape at his friend. He reached forward with a big hand to gently touch her plaited hair, and she smiled as she showed him the ribbon.

"He's a Cyclops." Aurora noted nonchalantly, finally bringing it up. The way she formed her words, she didn't sound threatened or angry or off-put. She was simply stating her observation. "Cute baby Cyclops."

Percy cracked a smirk at her off handed and casual comment. "So I've noticed."

"That's a literal lie. I told him. He didn't even see through the Mist, like an absolute idiot. What a Percy." Annabeth's bossy voice cut through the intimate environment Percy and Aurora had created through their touch, and Aurora let out an excited and delighted shriek of elation, which Percy—again—wanted to make clear that he did not receive that type of welcome.

Percy didn't think being himself should be considered an insult, but it gained a laugh out of Aurora.

"Annie!" Aurora's smile stretched wider than Percy would've thought possible, and her face lit up, like she hadn't truly started living until Annabeth Chase showed up. She hugged the blonde with more vigor than she had hugged Percy—who was standing awkwardly to the side with Tyson, bitter that she seemed to take a liking to the daughter of Athena over him (which was illogical, but Percy didn't care). She jumped into Annabeth's arms, the taller girl lifting the daughter of Persephone off the ground and spinning her around. (On a side note, Percy was slightly shorter than Aurora, and he was terrified of Annabeth's strength.)

"Don't call me that!" Annabeth matched Aurora's enthusiasm, although her words betrayed the sentiment. She set Aurora back on the ground, her gray eyes glassy and threatening tears—though she would never dare with Percy around. (Why did all the girls in his life hate him?) She placed a quick kiss against Aurora's forehead and grinned brighter than he had ever seen the daughter of Athena smile before.

"Of course you figured it out before Shark Boy, genius." Aurora giggled, then paused. "Wait. How? You guys... did you guys see each other before coming here?" Unbeknownst to Percy, there was suspicion and a hint of jealousy to her words. Of course, the black haired boy didn't know that, because he was stupid. (It's okay, he could admit it.)

"No. I mean, like, kinda? Dude, just 'cause Wise Girl is a fucking stalker. She shows up at my fucking school and—"

"Woah, Perce, language." Percy frowned at Aurora, completely bewildered as to why the girl, who, at twelve years old, cursed more than any adults he knew, was reprimanding him for his vulgarity. She shrugged with a wink. "Connor and I are having a bet to see how long we'll last without cursing. Whoever wins gets a prize from Charlie, which we forced him to give us. Neither of us actually want it, but what's life without a little competition, you know? Been winning all summer, don't provoke me."

Connor Stoll was undeniably Aurora's best friend, guy or girl. Yes, she absolutely adored Gracie Warner and Annabeth like they were sisters, but—annoyingly—she and Connor got along to an otherworldly extent. She was hopelessly devoted to him (platonically) and would probably give him her right arm per request. It only irked Percy for selfish reasons, and it didn't really bother him. Just sort of a small tug at his chest, as if a thread was caught in a sharp edge. Maybe Percy wanted to be her best friend, or of some sort of value in her life. Honestly, he just wanted her to consider him a close friend, like Connor was. He felt as though he'd worked so hard to get to a point of understanding with Aurora, and then Connor came and took his place as designated dude. And while Percy didn't love the fact that the hilarious bet that Aurora was totally going to lose had to do with the mischievous son of Hermes, something else stood out more, more than Percy's own personal tiffs.

Perce. She called him Perce. He didn't think he'd ever been addressed by that word. If anyone else had called him that—sounding more like purse than a nickname for Percy—he would've detested it. But it sounded halfway decent coming out of Aurora's mouth. It flowed so nicely, so normal. Percy wanted to bring it up, because the simple name made him feel fidgety inside in a way that he had no idea how to describe, but Aurora had already turned away and started talking to Annabeth animatedly with more vigor than he'd ever seen.

"You're so losing, Ro." Percy taunted, causing an eye roll from Aurora before she linked arms with Annabeth, skipping towards the Big House, completely ignoring him. He didn't expect anything less than a dramatic exit from the girl. Percy turned to Tyson, who was still staring, awestruck by Aurora. "Hey, big guy. Why don't we follow them, right?"

Tyson nodded, and the two boys trotted after the happy girls. Percy had a sneaking suspicion the elation Aurora was feeling would be gone pretty soon—they just had bad luck like that, and Percy wasn't exactly sure if her happiness was because she loved camp so much and life was just oh so great, or if it was because of their arrival—and he was saddened.

As soon as they entered the Big House, they found Chiron in his apartment, listening to his favorite 1960s lounge music while he packed his saddlebags. Percy could hear Aurora groan, grumbling a thousand complaints that probably all went back to Luke.

As soon as Tyson saw him, he froze. "Pony!" he cried in total rapture.

Chiron turned, looking offended as Aurora walked over to the man she considered a father, resting against his chest with a deep frown. "I beg your pardon?"

Annabeth quickly ran and joined their hug. "Chiron, what's happening? You're not... leaving?" Her voice was shaky.

"He better not be." Aurora snapped, looking at the centaur for approval. "I've already started a petition. All of the nymphs agree, plus the satyrs. No one likes—"

"Rory, not now. Annabeth, hello, we've missed you. And Percy, my goodness. You've grown over the year!" Chiron ruffled her hair and gave her a kindly smile.

Percy would've appreciated the compliment if he wasn't having a hard time swallowing. "Clarisse said you were... you were..."

"Fired." Chiron's eyes glinted with dark humor. "Ah, well, someone had to take the blame. Lord Zeus was most upset. The tree he'd created from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned! Mr. D had to punish someone."

"Besides himself, you mean." Percy growled.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aurora nodded. "Who told him to create a tree of Thalia anyway?" She pushed, throwing her hands in the air. "That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard."

"This is crazy!" Annabeth cried. "Chiron, you couldn't have had anything to do with poisoning Thalia's tree!"

"Nevertheless," Chiron sighed, "some in Olympus do not trust me now, under the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" Percy asked. Unfortunately for him, no one else had the same question, because they all knew. He didn't, of course. Clueless, as always.

Chiron's face darkened as he stuffed a Latin-English dictionary into his saddlebag while the Frank Sinatra's "Something's Gotta Give" oozed jollily from his boom box.

Meanwhile, Tyson was still staring at Chiron in amazement. He whimpered like he wanted to pat Chiron's flank but was afraid to come closer. "Pony?"

Chiron sniffed indignantly. "My dear young Cyclops! I am a centaur."

"Chiron," Percy said. "What about the tree? What happened?"

He shook his head sadly. "The poison used on Thalia's pine is something from the Underworld, Percy. Some venom even I have never seen. It must have come from a monster quite deep in the pits of Tartarus."

Aurora was strangely quiet. Percy's frown deepened. "Then we know who's responsible. Kro—"

"Do not invoke the titan lord's name, Percy. Especially not here, now."

"This is such bull!" Aurora's outburst wasn't unexpected, but the distraught anger in her voice made Percy be taken aback. He knew how much Luke meant to her, and the traitor quite literally stabbed her in the gut last year. Percy knew how badly his betrayal had hurt her, and it wounded her relationship with others too, especially with Annabeth still heavily in denial. "Last summer he literally tried to cause a civil war in Olympus! There's no question, this is his idea. And Luke would do it, that traitor."

"Perhaps," Chiron said absently. "But I fear I am being held responsible because I did not prevent it and I cannot cure it. The tree has only a few weeks of life left unless..."

"Unless what?" Annabeth asked. Hope laced her voice. Percy knew how much Thalia meant to her, it was the last fragment of family the blonde had left.

"No," Chiron said. "A foolish thought. The whole valley is feeling the shock of the poison. The magical borders are deteriorating. The camp itself is dying. Only one source of magic would be strong enough to reverse the poison, and it was lost centuries ago."

"What is it?" Percy asked, insistent. Aurora nodded vigorously. "We'll go find it!"

Chiron closed his saddlebag. He pressed the stop button on his boom box. Then he turned and rested his hand on my shoulder, looking me straight in the eyes. "Percy, you must promise me that you will not act rashly. I told your mother I did not want you to come here at all this summer. It's much too dangerous. But now that you are here, stay here. Train hard. Learn to fight. But do not leave."

"Why?" Percy argued. He felt like a child, crossing his arms and pouting, but he didn't understand. "I want to do something! I can't just let the borders fail. The whole camp will be—"

"Overrun by monsters," Chiron finished for him. "Yes, I fear so. But you must not let yourself be baited into hasty action! This could be a trap of the titan lord. Remember last summer! He almost took your life."

Percy didn't want to admit it, but it was true. But still, he wanted to help so badly. And he wanted to make Kronos pay. You'd think the titan lord would've learned his lesson eons ago when he was overthrown by the gods. You'd think getting chopped into a million pieces and cast into the darkest part of the Underworld would give him a subtle clue that nobody wanted him around. But no. Because he was immortal, he was still alive down there in Tartarus—suffering in eternal pain, hungering to return and take revenge on Olympus. He couldn't act on his own, but he was great at twisting the minds of mortals and even gods to do his dirty work.

The poisoning had to be his doing. Who else would be so low as to attack Thalia's tree, the only thing left of a hero who'd given her life to save her friends?

Plus, Kronos had hurt Aurora. Badly. He had used demigods—innocent demigods, with friends and family and lives—and forced them to go against everyone they loved. Percy didn't remember much from last summer, when Luke had poisoned him with a scorpion, leaving him high and dry, ready to die. But he remembered the gaping wound in Aurora's side, her pale face, their endless talks and her choking cries as they lay side by side in the infirmary.

Annabeth was trying hard not to cry. Chiron brushed a tear from her cheek. Aurora's face was the opposite, hardened with unsaid anger. "Stay with Percy, my children," he told her. "Keep him safe. The prophecy—remember it!"

"W-we will." Annabeth's voice was wobbly as Aurora nodded firmly.

"Um..." Percy interjected awkwardly. He didn't want to break the mood or anything, but it was about him. He kind of needed to know. "Would this be the super-dangerous prophecy that has me in it, but the gods have forbidden you to tell me about?"

Nobody answered.

"Right," He muttered. "Just checking."

"Chiron..." Annabeth said. "You told me the gods made you immortal only so long as you were needed to train heroes. If they dismiss you from camp—"

"Swear you will do your best to keep Percy from danger," Chiron insisted. "Swear upon the River Styx." He turned to Aurora, who wasn't making eye contact with the centaur. Her lips were pursed and the happiness that she had radiated earlier was completely gone. "My dear Rory." His eyes stared imploringly into the side of her head until the strawberry blonde finally met his gaze. "Please."

"You really don't have to—" Percy started guiltily, hurriedly tripping over his words, interrupting himself. "I mean, I can take care of myself—" He so desperately wanted Aurora to not worry about him, to not tie her life to his. He was stupid, he was bound to get himself killed or in danger. He didn't want his blood to be on her conscience.

But Percy knew Aurora. He knew that she would do anything to prove herself useful. He knew that she would say yes to Chiron's request, because the centaur loved her like a daughter. And Percy also knew that Aurora was a stubborn, and whatever he said, she would automatically want to go against it. When will she learn that I'm not her enemy? Luke is! Aurora knew the second part, but the first? Percy wasn't too sure.

Aurora's hazel eyes were red and watery. She cleared her throat, her lips spread into a bitter straight line. Percy wanted to kick himself. "I swear it upon the River Styx." Her voice was heavy and firm, without an ounce of hesitation or regret. Thunder rumbled outside.

"Very well," Chiron said. He seemed to relax just a little. "Perhaps my name will be cleared and I shall return. Until then, I go to visit my wild kinsmen in the Everglades. It's possible they know of some cure for the poisoned tree that I have forgotten. In any event, I will stay in exile until this matter is resolved... one way or another."

Annabeth stifled a sob. Chiron patted her shoulder awkwardly. "There, now, child. I must entrust your safety to Mr. D and the new activities director. We must hope... well, perhaps they won't destroy the camp quite as quickly as I fear."

"Who is this Tantalus guy, anyway?" Percy demanded. "Where does he get off taking your job?"

A conch horn blew across the valley. They hadn't realized how late it was. It was time for the campers to assemble for dinner.

"Go," Chiron said. It was heartbreaking to hear the anguish the teacher had tried so hard to disguise as neutrality. "You will meet him at the pavilion. I will contact your mother, Percy, and let her know you're safe. No doubt she'll be worried by now. Just remember my warning! You are in grave danger. Do not think for a moment that the titan lord has forgotten you!"

With that positive note, he clopped out of the apartment and down the hall, Tyson calling after him, "Pony! Don't go!"

Annabeth, through her sobs, murmured about a prophecy into Aurora's arms, who's eyes glazed over and her jaw tightened. Percy recognized her attempt at disassociating, and he felt a sense of culpability as to why she was escaping her emotions. He really, really wished Chiron hadn't made her swear on the River Styx. He wasn't her responsibility, and he really didn't want to be a burden on her already full plate.

"We have to do something." Percy concluded with determination. "Can someone just tell me what the prophecy says? Maybe it'll help bring Chiron back or something." When no one answered, Percy groaned. "Why am I useless again? Aren't we past this?" He couldn't just stay there, doing absolutely nothing while everyone fought wars. While the best teacher he'd ever had was gone, maybe for good.

"Oh, Shark Boy, it'll be alright." Aurora smirked, a futile attempt at lightening the mood. It didn't help that her hazel eyes pooled with golden liquid, distraught tears threatening to spill over and reveal her carefully hidden—from everyone except Percy, that is—sadness. Her voice was quieter than before, and strained with a hint of disequilibrium. She wanted to sound sarcastic and careless, but her sniffling nose and bit tongue to prevent a cascade of tears betrayed her illusion. "Just sit there and look pretty, okay? I've got you."

Percy wanted to trust her. But he couldn't bring himself to, not for this. He wanted to do the opposite of sit there and look pretty. He wanted to argue with everyone, refuse to become a weight that dragged everyone down, incoherent and ignorant. But he knew that wasn't what Aurora needed at that moment. She needed a distraction, a getaway from the turmoil of emotions and depression surrounding her.

With an easy smirk, a clever deflection of the timid fear he felt at his own oblivion and the absence of what was a great mentor, he nudged Aurora softly. "You think I'm pretty?" Even Annabeth had to let out a watery, disbelieving laugh at that, as if to say, are you serious?

When Aurora groaned with annoyance and rolled her eyes dramatically in her very Ro manner, muttering rejections and hurling insults at the son of Poseidon, Percy thought for a second that things might be okay. He was terrified to accept how wrong he was about to be.

ೀ⋆｡🌷 the mother of perora speaks ...

word count: 3333

date published: april 26, 2024

thoughts: hot take but i think som percy is the worst percy in the percyverse... but i still love him. i love percy so much and i hope i'm doing his character justice bc hes so funny. also i never really understood why chiron made a thirteen year old girl