#Hera x Ventus

[thewidowsghost]

Seeing the Beauty (Piper McLean x Fem!Jackson!Reader) - Chapter 11

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They continue to fly west and Jason becomes lost in his thoughts – all of them bad. He isn't sure how much time passes before the dragon dives through a break in the clouds, and below them, glittering in the winter sun, is a sixty at the edge of a massive lake. A crescent of skyscrapers line the shore. Behind them, stretching out to the western horizon, is a vast grid of snow-covered neighborhoods and roads.

"Chicago," (Y/n) says.

Jason thinks about what Hera had said in his dream. His most mortal enemy is waiting here. If I'm to die, it will be by her hand.

"One problem down," Leo says. "We got here alive. Now, how do we find the storm spirits?"

Jason sees a flash of movement below them. At first, he thinks it's just a small plane, but it's too small, too dark, and too fast. The thing spirals towards the skyscrapers, weaving and changing shape – and, just for a moment, it becomes the smokey figure of a horse.

"How about we follow that one," Jason suggests, "and see where it goes?"

Jason is afraid they'd lose their target. The ventus moves like . . . well, like the wind. "Speed up!" he urges.

"Bro," Leo said, "if I get any closer, he'll spot us. Bronze dragon ain't exactly a stealth plane." (Y/n) laughs.

"Slowdown!" Piper yelps.

The storm spirit dives into the grid of downtown streets. Festus tries to follow, but his wingspan is way too wide. His left wing clips the edge of a building, slicing off a stone gargoyle before Leo pulls up.

"Get above the buildings," Jason suggests. "We'll track him from there."

"You want to drive this thing?" Leo grumbles, but he does what Jason asks.

After a few minutes, Jason spots the storm spirit again, zipping through the streets with no apparent purpose — blowing over pedestrians, ruffling flags, making cars swerve.

"Oh great," Piper says. "There're two."

She's right. A second ventus blasts around the corner of the Renaissance Hotel and links up with the first. They weave together in a chaotic dance, shooting to the top of a skyscraper, bending a radio tower, and diving back down towards the street.

"Those guys do not need any more caffeine," Leo says.

"You could say they had a large," (Y/n) grins stupidly at her joke.

"I guess Chicago's a good place to hang out," Piper said, glancing back at (Y/n) and rolling her eyes teasingly. "Nobody's going to question a couple more evil winds."

"More than a couple," Jason said. "Look."

The dragon circles over a wide avenue next to a lake-side park. Storm spirits are converging — at least a dozen of them, whirling around a big public art installation.

"Which one do you think is Dylan?" Leo asks. "I wanna throw something at him."

But Jason is focused on the art installation. The closer they get to it, the faster his heart beats. It's just a public fountain, but it is unpleasantly familiar. Two five-story monoliths rise from either end of a long granite reflecting pool. The monoliths seem to be built of video screens, flashing the combined image of a giant face that spews water into the pool.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but it looks like a high-tech, super-size version of that ruined reflecting pool Jason and (Y/n) has seen in their dreams, with the two dark masses jutting from either end. As Jason watches, the image on the screens changes to a woman's face with her eyes closed.

"Leo . . ." Jason says nervously.

"I see her," Leo replies. "I don't like her, but I see her."

Then the screens go dark. The venti swirl together into a single funnel cloud and skitter across the fountain, kicking up a waterspout almost as high as the monoliths. They get to its center, pop off a drain cover, and disappear underground.

"Did they just go down a drain?" Piper questions. "How are we supposed to follow them?"

"Maybe we shouldn't," Leo says. "That fountain thing is giving me seriously bad vibes. And aren't we supposed to, like, beware the earth?"

(Y/n) feels the same way, but they have to follow. It is their only way forward. They had to find Hera, and they now only have two days until the solstice.

"Put us down in that park," (Y/n) suggests. "We'll check it out on foot."

Festus lands in an open area between the lake and the skyline. The signs say Grant Park, and Jason imagines it would've been a nice place in the summer. The dragon's hot metal feet hiss as they touch down. Festus flaps his wings unhappily and shoots fire into the sky, but there was no one around to notice. The wind coming off the lake is bitter cold. Anyone with sense would be inside. Jason's eyes sting so badly, he can barely see.

They dismount , and Festus the dragon stomps his feet. One of his ruby eyes flickers, so it looks like he is blinking.

"Is that normal?" Jason asks.

Leo pulls a rubber mallet from his tool bag. He whacks the dragon's bad eye, and the light goes back to normal. "Yes," Leo says. "Festus can't hang around here, though, in the middle of the park. They'll arrest him for loitering. Maybe if I had a dog whistle . . ." He rummages in his tool belt, but comes up with nothing. "Too speciallized?" he guesses. "Okay, give me a safety whistle. They got that in lots of machine shops."

This time, Leo pulls out a big plastic orange whistle. "Coach Hedge would be jealous! Okay, Festus, listen." Leo blew the whistle. The shrill sound probably rolls all the way across Lake Michigan. "You hear that, come find me, okay? Until then, you fly wherever you want. Just try not to barbecue any pedestrians."

The dragon snorts — hopefully in agreement, (Y/n) thinks. Then he spreads his wings and launches into the air.

Piper took one step and winces. "Ah!"

"You're ankle?" Jason felt bad he'd forgotten about her injury back in the Cyclops factory. "That nectar we gave you might be wearing off."

"It's fine." Piper shivers; she took a few more steps with only a slight limp, but (Y/n) can tell she is trying not to grimace.

"Let's get out of the wind," (Y/n) suggests gently.

"Down a drain?" Piper shudders. "Sounds cozy."

They wrap themselves up as best as they can and head towards the fountain.

The four step into the center of the pool. The drain hole is easily big enough for a person, and a maintenance ladder leads down into the gloom.

(Y/n) goes first. As she climbs, she braces herself for horrible sewer smells, but it isn't that bad. The ladder drops into a brickwork tunnel running north to south. The air is warm and dry, with only a trickle of water on the floor.

Piper, Jason, and Leo climb down after her.

"Are all sewers this nice?" Piper wonders.

"No," Leo says. "Trust me."

Jason frowns. "How do you know —"

"Hey, man, I ran away six times. I've slept in some weird places, okay? Now, which way do we go?"

Jason tilts his head, listening, then points south. "That way."

"How can you be sure?" Piper asks.

"There's a draft blowing south," Jason says. "Maybe the venti went with the flow."

It isn't much of a lead, but nobody offers anything better.

As soon as they start walking, Piper stumbles, and (Y/n) catches her. "Stupid ankle," Piper curses.

"Let's rest," Jason decides. "We could all use it. We've been going nonstop for over a day. Leo, can you pull any food from that tool belt besides breath mints?"

"Thought you'd never ask. Chef Leo is on it!"

Piper, (Y/n), and Jason sit on a brick ledge while Leo shuffles through his pack.

"It's not your fault," Piper tells Jason.

He looks at her blankly. "What?"

"Getting jumped by the Cyclopes," she says. "It wasn't your fault."

He looks down at the coin in his palm. "I was stupid. I left you alone and walked into a trap. I should've known . . ." He doesn't finish.

"Hey." Piper nudged his arm. "Cut yourself some slack. Just because you're the son of Zeus doesn't mean you're a one-man army."

A few feet away, Leo lights a small cooking fire. He hummed as he pulled supplies out of his pack and his tool belt.

In the firelight, Piper's eyes seemed to dance. (Y/n) had been studying them for days now, and she still can't decide what color they were. She'd gone with kaleidoscope.

Jason glances between Piper and (Y/n), and then he gets to his feet, walking over to Leo.

"I'm sorry," (Y/n) turns to meet Piper's gaze.

"For what?" Piper looks bewildered.

"I know this must suck for you," (Y/n) replies. She sighs softly before she continues. "Not just the quest, I mean. The way I just appeared on that bus and the Mist messing with your mind." She pulls Tsunami out of her pocket, fiddling with the pen.

Piper drops her gaze. "Yeah, well. None of us asked for this. It's not your fault." She tugs at the little braids on each side of her head. With the makeup and the dress and the perfect hair, she'd looked beautiful with the blessing of Aphrodite. But, (Y/n) argues with herself, she looks more beautiful now.

Before (Y/n) can say anything, however, Leo announces, "And bingo!" He and Jason come over with four plates. (Y/n) has no idea where Leo had gotten all the food, or how he'd put it together so fast, but it looks amazing: pepper and beef tacos with chips and salsa.

"Leo," Piper says in amazement. "How did you —?"

"Chef Leo's Taco Garage is fixing you up!" he says proudly. "And by the way, it's tofu, not beef, beauty queen, so don't freak. Just dig in!"

. . .

After Piper eats, (Y/n) encourages her to get some sleep. Without another word, she curls up and puts her head in (Y/n)'s lap. In two seconds, she's snoring.

(Y/n) looks up at Jason and Leo, who are obviously trying not to laugh.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, drinking lemonade Leo had made from canteen water and powdered mix.

"Good, huh?" Leo grins.

"You should start a stand," Jason says. "Make some serious coin." But as he stares at the embers of the fire, something begins to bother him. "Leo . . . about this fire stuff you can do . . . is it true?"

Leo's smile falters. "Yeah, well..." He opens his hand. A small ball of flame bursts to life, dancing across his palm.

"That is so cool," Jason says. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Leo closes his hand and the fire went out. "Didn't want to look like a freak."

"I have lightning and wind powers," Jason reminded him. "Piper can turn beautiful and charm people into giving her BMWs. (Y/n) can talk to horses and survive landing in water from hundreds of feet in the air. You're no more a freak than we are. And, hey, maybe you can fly, too. Like jump off a building and yell, 'Flame on!"'

Leo snorts. "If I did that, you would see a flaming kid falling to his death, and I would be yelling something a little stronger than 'Flame on!' Trust me, Hephaestus cabin doesn't see fire powers as cool. Nyssa told me they're super rare. When a demigod like me comes around, bad things happen. Really bad."

"Maybe it's the other way around," (Y/n) offers, meeting Leo's gaze. "Maybe people with special gifts show up when bad things are happening because that's when they're needed most."

Leo clears out the plates. "Maybe. But I'm telling you . . . it's not always a gift."

(Y/n) and Jason fall silent. "You're talking about your mom, aren't you?" Jason asks. "The night that she died?"

Leo doesn't answer. He doesn't have to. The fact that he's quiet – not joking around, tells (Y/n) and Jason enough.

"Leo, her death wasn't your fault. Whatever happened that night — it wasn't because you could summon fire. This Dirt Woman, whoever she is, has been trying to ruin you for years, mess up your confidence, take away everything you care about. She's trying to make you feel like a failure. You're not. You're important."

"That's what she said." Leo looks up, his eyes full of pain. "She said I was meant to do something important — something that would make or break that big prophecy about the seven demigods. That's what scares me. I don't know if I'm up to it." Leo pokes at the remnants of his fire, turning over red-hot coals with his bare hand. "You ever wonder about the other three demigods? I mean . . . if we're four of the ones from the Great Prophecy, who are the others? Where are they?"

(Y/n) sighs, glancing down, seemingly just now noticing she'd been running her fingers subconsciously through Piper's hair. "I -" she pauses, looking back up to see Leo and Jason watching her closely. "I don't think I'm part of the main prophecy." Both Jason and Leo's eyebrows knit with concern. "Rachel mentioned another prophecy to me the night of the campfire – Child of the Sea will accompany the Seven. And drop into endless darkness."

"It can't be you though," Leo says. "They're might be another –" but then he falters, for there's no one else it could be.

And the only thing that either Jason or Leo thought 'dropping into endless darkness' could possibly mean, would be death.

(Y/n) had unconsciously stopped running her fingers through Piper's hair, and Piper had let out a sleepy murmur of annoyance, snuggling deeper into (Y/n)'s lap.

"You guys get some sleep," (Y/n) says. "I'll take first watch."

Jason and Leo exchange uncertain looks, neither wanting to let their friend stay up alone to think about her own fate, but they finally give in.

(Y/n) leans forward slightly, pulling off her jacket. She throws it over Piper's sleeping form before she allows her head to fall against one of the walls, falling deep into another surfacing memory.

Annabeth, (Y/n), and Percy stand at the top of Half-Blood Hill. They watch the buses and vans pull away, taking most of the campers back to the mortal world. A few old-timers would be staying behind – and a few of the newcomers – but (Y/n) and Percy were heading back to Goode High School for their sophomore year.

Then (Y/n)'s gaze falls on Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who was walking up the hill towards the trio. "Good-bye," Rachel says as she shoulders her bag. She looks nervous, but she's keeping her promise to her father and attending Clarion Academy in New Hampshire.

"You'll do great." Annabeth hugs her.

Rachel bites her lip. "I hope you're right. I'm a little worried. What if somebody asks what's on the next math test and I start spouting a prophecy in the middle of geometry class? The Pythagorean theorem shall be problem two. . . . Gods, that would be embarrassing."

Annabeth laughs, and to (Y/n)'s relief, it makes Rachel smile.

(Y/n) meets Rachel's gaze; Annabeth notices, taking Percy's hand and pulls the Son of Poseidon down the hill.

Both (Y/n) and Rachel sit down, and Rachel automatically starts drawing on (Y/n)'s arm with a pen.

"I'm going to miss you," Rachel says, focusing on her drawing.

"I - me too," (Y/n) replies, pulling Tsunami out of her pocket and fiddling with the pen with her free hand.

Rachel looks up from her drawing. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it before. The Oracle stuff."

"I was upset at first," (Y/n) admits. "But I also knew that it was something you had to do. There's nothing you have to apologize for."

Rachel smiles at (Y/n), "Friends?"

"Friends." (Y/n) replies, smiling in return.

Someone shaking her arm jostles (Y/n) out of the memory.

"Are you okay?" Piper blinks sleepily, looking up into (Y/n)'s face.

"I - yeah," (Y/n) replies.

Piper yawns, moving out of (Y/n)'s lap to sit beside her against the wall.

"Piper," (Y/n) begins, and the daughter of Aphrodite looks over at her. "Is your dad in some sort of trouble?"

Piper stares at her for a moment; she takes a shaky breath. "(Y/n) . . . I can't talk about it."

"We're your friends. Let us help."

This seems to make her feel worse. "I wish I could, but –" Jason and Leo had stirred awake, and Piper quickly stops talking.

(Y/n) keeps a careful watch on Piper as the four demigods break camp.

Piper is grateful for (Y/n)'s silent support on her left as they start down the tunnel. It twists and turns and seems to go on forever. Piper isn't sure what to expect at the end – a dungeon, a mad scientist's lab, or maybe a sewer reservoir where all Porta-Potty sludge ends up, forming an evil toilet face large enough to swallow the world.

Instead, they find polished steel elevator doors, each one engraved with a cursive letter M. Next to the elevator is a directory, like for a department store.

"M for Macy's?" Piper wonders aloud. "I think they have one in downtown Chicago."

"Or Monocle Motors still?" Leo says. "Guys, read the directory. It's messed up."

Parking, Kennels, Main Entrance: Sewer Level; Furnishings and Cafe M: 1; Women's Fashion and Magical Appliances: 2; Men's Wear and Weaponry: 3; Cosmetics, Potions, Poisons & Sundries: 4

"Kennels for what?" Piper says. "And what kind of department store has its entrance in a sewer?"

"Or sells poisons," Leo adds. "Man, what does sundries even mean? Is that like underwear."

(Y/n) grabs hold of her pen in her pocket.

Jason takes a deep breath. "When in doubt, start at the top."

. . .

The doors slide open on the fourth floor, and the scent of perfume waft into the elevator. (Y/n) and Jason step out first, swords ready.

"Guys," Jason says. "You've got to see this."

Piper joins them and catches her breath. "This is not Macy's."

The department store looks like the inside of a kaleidoscope. The entire ceiling is a stained glass mosaic with astrological signs around a giant sun. The daylight streaming through it washes everything in a thousand different colors. The upper floors make a ring of balconies around a huge central atrium, so they can see all the way down to the ground floor. Gold railings glitter so brightly, they are hard to look at.

Aside from the stained glass ceiling and the elevator, Jason can't see any other windows or doors, but two sets of glass escalators run between the levels. The carpeting is a riot of oriental patterns and colors, and the racks of merchandise are just as bizarre. There are too much to take it at once, but Jason sees normal stuff like shirt racks and shoe trees mixed in with armored manikins, beds of nails, and fur coats that seem to be moving.

Leo steps to the railing and looks down. "Check it out."

In the middle of the atrium a fountain sprays water twenty feet into the air, changing color from red to yellow to blue. The pool glitters with gold coins, and on either side of the fountain stands a gilded cage — like an oversized canary cage.

Inside one, a miniature hurricane swirls, and lightning flashes. Somebody had imprisoned the storm spirits, and the cage shudders as they try to get out. In the other, frozen like a statue, is a short, buff satyr, holding a tree-branch club.

"Coach Hedge!" Piper says. "We've got to get down there."

A voice replies, "May I help you find something?"

All four of them jump back.

A woman had just appeared in front of them. She is wearing an elegant black dress with diamond jewelry, and she looks like a retired fashion model — maybe fifty years old, though it is hard for Jason to judge. Her long dark hair sweeps over one shoulder, and her face is gorgeous in that surreal super-model way — thin and haughty and cold, not quite human. With their long red-painted nails, her fingers look more like talons.

She smiles. "I'm so happy to see new customers. How may I help you?"

(Y/n) glances at Jason like, All yours.

"Urn," Jason starts, "is this your store?"

The woman nods. "I found it abandoned, you know. I understand so many stores are, these days. I decided it would make the perfect place. I love collecting tasteful objects, helping people, and offering quality goods at a reasonable price. So this seemed a good . . . how do you say . . . first acquisition in this country."

She speaks with a pleasing accent, but Jason can't guess where from. Clearly she isn't hostile, though. Jason starts to relax. Her voice is rich and exotic. Jason wants to hear more, but glancing at (Y/n), Jason can tell that the daughter of Poseidon couldn't care less.

"So you're new to America?" he asks.

"I am . . . new," the woman agrees. "I am the Princess of Colchis. My friends call me Your Highness. Now, what are you looking for?"

Jason had heard of rich foreigners buying American department stores. Of course most of the time they didn't sell poisons, living fur coats, storm spirits, or satyrs, but still—with a nice voice like that, the Princess of Colchis can't be all bad.

Piper pokes him in the ribs. "Jason . . ."

"Urn, right. Actually Your Highness . . ." He points to the gilded cage on the first floor. "That's our friend down there, Gleeson Hedge. The satyr. Could we . . . have him back, please?"

"Of course!" the princess agrees immediately. "I would love to show you my inventory. First, may I know your names?"

Jason hesitates. It seems like a bad idea to give out their names. A memory tugs at the back of his mind — something Hera had warned him about, but it seems fuzzy. On the other hand, Her Highness is on the verge of cooperating. If we can get what we want without a fight, that would be better, right? Besides, this lady doesn't seem like an enemy.

Piper starts to say, "Jason, I wouldn't—"

"This is Piper McLean," he said. "This is Leo Valdez. (Y/n) Jackson. And I'm Jason."

The princess fixes her eyes on him and, just for a moment, her face literally glows, blazing with so much anger, Jason can see her skull beneath her skin. Jason's mind is getting blurrier, but he knows something doesn't seem right. Then the moment passes, and Her Highness looks like a normal elegant woman again, with a cordial smile and a soothing voice.

"Jason. What an interesting name," she says, her eyes as cold as the Chicago wind. "I think we'll have to make a special deal for you. Come children. Let's go shopping."

. . .

Piper wants to run for the elevator.

Her second choice: attack the weird princess now, because she is sure a fight is coming. The way the lady's face had glowed when she'd heard Jason's name had been bad enough. Now, Her Highness is smiling like nothing has happened, and Jason and Leo don't seem to think anything is wrong.

Piper is unsure what's going on with (Y/n), but she seems to be resisting whatever spell Her Highness had placed on Leo and Jason, though her forehead is beading with sweat.

The princess gestures towards the cosmetics counter. "Shall we start with the potions?"

And (Y/n)'s mental block shatters. "Cool," she says, following Jason and Leo.

"Guys," Piper interrupts, and (Y/n) stops in her tracks, "we're here to get the storm spirits and Coach Hedge. If this – princess – is really our friend –"

"Oh, I'm better than a friend, my dear," Her Highness says. "I'm a saleswoman." Her diamonds sparkle, and her eyes glitter like a snake's — cold and dark. "Don't worry. We'll work our way down to the first floor, eh?"

(Y/n) nods eagerly. "Sure, yeah! That sounds okay. Right, Piper?"

Piper does her best to stare daggers at her: No, it is not okay!

"Of course it's okay." Her Highness puts her hands on Leo's and Jason's shoulders and steer them towards the cosmetics. "Come along, boys."

Piper didn't have much choice except to follow, especially when (Y/n) glances eagerly back at Piper before she bounces after Leo, Jason, and the princess.

Piper hated department stores — mostly because she'd gotten caught stealing from several of them. Well, not exactly caught, and not exactly stealing. She'd talked salesmen into giving her computers, new boots, a gold ring, once even a lawn mower, though she had no idea why she wanted one. She never kept the stuff. She just did it to get her dad's attention. Usually she talked her neighborhood UPS guy into taking the stuff back. But of course the salesmen she duped always came to their senses and called the police, who eventually tracked her down.

Anyway, she isn't thrilled to be back in a department store — especially one run by a crazy princess who glows in the dark.

"And here," the princess says, "is the finest assortment of magical mixtures anywhere."

The counter is crammed with bubbling beakers and smoking vials on tripods. Lining the display shelves are crystal flasks — some shaped like swans or honey bear dispensers. The liquids inside are every color, from glowing white to polka-dotted. And the smells — ugh! Some are pleasant, like fresh-baked cookies or roses, but they are mixed with the scents of burning tires, skunk spray, and gym lockers.

The princess points to a blood red vial — a simple test tube with a cork stopper. "This one will heal any disease."

"Even cancer?" Leo asks. "Leprosy? Hangnails?"

"Any disease, sweet boy. And this vial" — she points to a swan-shaped container with blue liquid inside — "will kill you very painfully."

"Awesome," (Y/n) says, her voice sounds dazed and sleepy.

"(Y/n)," Piper said. "We've got a job to do. Remember?" She tries to put power into her words, to snap her out of her trance with charmspeak, but her voice sounds shaky, even to her. This princess scares her too much, making her confidence crumble, just the way she'd felt back in the Aphrodite cabin with Drew.

"Job to do," (Y/n) murmurs, meeting Piper's kaleidoscope gaze. "Sure. But shopping first, okay?"

The princess beams at her. "Then we have potions for resisting fire —"

"Got that covered," Leo said.

"Me too," (Y/n) replies. "One time I got exploded out of a volcano." And she simply moves closer to the potions counter.

Piper blinks, looking bewildered.

"Indeed?" The princess studies Leo's face more closely. "You don't appear to be wearing my trademark sunscreen . . . but no matter. We also have potions that cause blindness, insanity, sleep, or —"

"Wait." Piper is still staring at the red vial. "Could that potion cure lost memory?"

The princess narrows her eyes. "Possibly. Yes. Quite possibly. Why, my dear? Have you forgotten something important?"

Piper tries to keep her expression neutral, but if that vial can cure Jason's memory . . . Do I really want that? she wonders. If Jason finds out who she is, she might not even be her friend. Hera had taken away her memories for a reason. (Y/n) might come out of her amnesia and decide that she hated Piper. She might have a girlfriend back home.

It doesn't matter, Piper decided, which kind of surprised her. (Y/n) always looked so anguished when she tried to remember things. Piper hates seeing her that way. She wants to help her because she cares about (Y/n), even if that means losing her. And maybe it'll make this trip through Her Craziness's department store worthwhile.

"How much?" Piper asks.

The princess gets a faraway look in her eyes. "Well, now . . . The price is always tricky. I love helping people. Honestly, I do. And I always keep my bargains, but sometimes people try to cheat me." Her gaze drifts to Jason. "Once, for instance, I met a handsome young man who wanted a treasure from my father's kingdom. We made a bargain, and I promised to help him steal it."

"From your own dad?" Jason still looks half in a trance, but the idea seems to bother him.

"Oh, don't worry," the princess says. "I demanded a high price. The young man had to take me away with him. He was quite good-looking, dashing, strong . . ." She looks at Piper. "I'm sure, my dear, you understand how one might be attracted to such a hero, and want to help her," the princess glances at (Y/n), who is studying all the labels on the potion bottles.

Piper tries to control her emotions, but she probably blushes. She gets the creepiest feeling the princess can read her thoughts.

But Piper also finds the princess's story disturbingly familiar. Pieces of old myths she'd read with her dad start coming together, but this woman can't be the one she was thinking of.

"At any rate," Her Highness continues, "my hero had to do many impossible tasks, and I'm not bragging when I say he couldn't have done them without me. I betrayed my own family to win the hero his prize. And still he cheated me of my payment."

"Cheated?" (Y/n) frowns, as if trying to remember something important.

"That's messed up," Leo says.

Her Highness pats his cheek affectionately. "I'm sure you don't need to worry, Leo. You seem honest. You would always pay a fair price, wouldn't you?"

Leo nods. "What were we buying again? I'll take two."

Piper breaks in: "So, the vial, Your Highness — how much?"

The princess assesses Piper's clothes, her face, her posture, as if putting a price tag on one slightly used demigod.

"Would you give anything for it, my dear?" the princess asks. "I sense that you would."

The words wash over Piper as powerfully as a good surfing wave. The force of the suggestion nearly lifts her off her feet. She wants to pay any price. She wants to say yes.

Then her stomach twists. Piper realizes she is being charmspoken. She'd senses something like it before, when Drew spoke at the campfire, but this is a thousand times more potent. No wonder her friends are dazed. Is this what people felt when I use charmspeak? A feeling of guilt settles over her.

She summons all her willpower. "No, I won't pay any price. But a fair price, maybe. After that, we need to leave. Right, guys?"

Just for a moment, her words seem to have some effect. The boys look confused, and the glazed look leaves (Y/n)'s gaze.

"Leave?" Jason asks.

"You mean . . . after shopping?" Leo asked.

Piper wants to scream, but the princess tilts her head, examining Piper with newfound respect.

"Impressive," the princess says. "Not many people could resist my suggestions. Are you a child of Aphrodite, my dear? Ah, yes — I should have seen it. No matter. Perhaps we should shop a while longer before you decide what to buy, eh?"

"But the vial —"

"Now, children." She turns to Jason, (Y/n), and Leo. Her voice is so much more powerful than Piper's, so full of confidence, Piper doesn't stand a chance. "Would you like to see more?"

The film slides back over over (Y/n)'s brain, and she nods excitedly. 

"Sure," Jason says.

"Okay," Leo adds.

"Sounds fun," (Y/n) chirps.

"Excellent," the princess says. "You'll need all the help you can get if you're to make it to the Bay Area."

Piper's hand moves to her dagger. She thinks about her dream of the mountaintop — the scene Enceladus had shown her, a place she knew, where she was supposed to betray her friends in two days.

"The Bay Area?" Piper says. "Why the Bay Area?"

The princess smiles. "Well, that's where they'll die, isn't it?" Then she leads them towards the escalators, Jason, (Y/n), and Leo still looking excited to shop.

. . .

Piper corners the princess as Jason, (Y/n), and Leo go off to check out the living fur coats.

"You want them shopping for their deaths?" Piper demands, following (Y/n) out of the corner of her eye.

"Mmm." The princess blew dust off a display case of swords. "I'm a seer, my dear. I know your little secret. But we don't want to dwell on that, do we? They are having such fun."

Leo laughs as he tried on a hat that seems to be made from enchanted raccoon fur. Its ringed tail twitches, and its little legs wiggle frantically as Leo walks. Jason is ogling the men's sportswear. (Y/n) is studying a rack of shield, some of them looking as though they'd been burned with acid.

Piper glares at the princess. "Who are you?"

"I told you, my dear. I'm the Princess of Colchis."

"Where's Colchis?"

The princess's expression turns a little sad. "Where was Colchis, you mean. My father ruled the far shores of the Black Sea, as far to the east as a Greek ship could sail in those days. But Colchis is no more—lost eons ago."

"Eons?" Piper asks. The princess looks no more than fifty, but a bad feeling starts settling over Piper — something King Boreas had mentioned back in Quebec. "How old are you?"

The princess laughs. "A lady should avoid asking or answering that question. Let's just say the, ah, immigration process to enter your country took quite a while. My patron finally brought me through. She made all this possible." The princess sweeps her hand around the department store.

Piper's mouth tastes like metal. "Your patron –"

"Oh, yes. She doesn't bring just anyone through, mind you — only those who have special talents, such as me. And really, she insists on so little — a store entrance that must be underground so she can, ah, monitor my clientele; and a favor now and then. In exchange for a new life? Really, it was the best bargain I'd made in centuries."

Run, Piper thinks. We have to get out of here.

But before she can even turn her thoughts into words, Jason calls, "Hey, check it out!"

From a rack labeled distressed clothing, he holds up a purple T-shirt like the one he'd worn on the school field trip — except this shirt looks as if it had been clawed by tigers.

Jason frowns. "Why does this look so familiar?"

"Jason, it's like yours" Piper says. "Now we really have to leave." But she wasn't sure he could even hear her anymore through the princess's enchantment.

"Nonsense," the princess said. "The boys aren't done, are they? And yes, my dear. Those shirts are very popular—trade ins from previous customers. It suits you."

(Y/n), who had joined Jason at the rack, pulls out an orange Camp Half Blood t-shirt, shredded much like the one she'd been wearing on the Grand Canyon field trip.

She looks up at the princess, and the princess nods. "I'll throw that one in with the storm spirits and your satyr."

"Really?" (Y/n) looks more excited than Piper had ever seen her – a child-like excitement.

"Mhm," the princess smiles.

"Your Highness," Piper said, trying to control her nerves. "Why don't you tell the boys how you betrayed your family? I'm sure they'd like to hear that story."

Her words don't have any effect on the princess, but the boys turn, suddenly interested. The film slides back off (Y/n)'s brain, and Piper catches the momentary look of fury that had slid across (Y/n)'s face, but then it slips back into a dazed grin.

"More story?" Leo asks.

"I like more story!" Jason agrees.

The princess flashes Piper an irritated look. "Oh, one will do strange things for love, Piper. You should know that. I fell for that young hero, in fact, because your mother Aphrodite had me under a spell. If it wasn't for her — but I can't hold a grudge against a goddess, can I?" The princess's tone makes her meaning clear: I can take it out on you.

"But that hero took you with him when he fled Colchis," Piper remembers. "Didn't he, Your Highness? He married you just as he promised."

The look in the princess's eyes makes Piper want to apologize, but she doesn't back down.

"At first," Her Highness admits, "it seemed he would keep his word. But even after I helped him steal my father's treasure, he still needed my help. As we fled, my brother's fleet came after us. His warships overtook us. He would have destroyed us, but I convinced my brother to come aboard our ship first and talk under a flag of truce. He trusted me."

"And you killed your own brother," Piper says, the horrible story all coming back to her, along with a name — an infamous name that began with the letter M.

"What?" Jason stirs. For a moment he looks almost like himself. "Killed your own—"

"No," the princess snaps. "Those stories are lies. It was my new husband and his men who killed my brother, though they couldn't have done it without my deception. They threw his body into the sea, and the pursuing fleet had to stop and search for it so they could give my brother a proper burial. This gave us time to get away. All this, I did for my husband. And he forgot our bargain. He betrayed me in the end."

Jason still looks uncomfortable. "What did he do?"

The princess holds the sliced-up toga against Jason's chest, as if measuring him for an assassination. "Don't you know the story, my boy? You of all people should. You were named for him."

"Jason," Piper said. "The original Jason. But then you're — you should be dead!"

The princess smiles. "As I said, a new life in a new country. Certainly I made mistakes. I turned my back on my own people. I was called a traitor, a thief, a liar, a murderess. But I acted out of love." She turns to the boys and gives them a pitiful look, batting her eyelashes. Piper can feel the sorcery washing over them, taking control more firmly than ever. "Wouldn't you do the same for someone you loved, my dears?"

"Oh, sure," Jason says.

"Okay," Leo adds.

But (Y/n) doesn't reply, and she sneaks a glance at Piper.

"Guys!" Piper grinds her teeth in frustration. "Don't you see who she is? Don't you —"

"Let's continue, shall we?" the princess says breezily. "I believe you wanted to talk about a price for the storm spirits – and your satyr.

Leo gets distracted on the second floor with the appliances. "No way," he exclaims. "Is that an armored forge?"

Before Piper can stop him, he hops off the escalator and runs over to a big oval oven.

When they catch up with him, the princess says, "You have good taste. This is the H-2000, designed by Hephaestus himself. Hot enough to melt Celestial bronze or Imperial gold."

Jason flinches as if he recognizes that term. "Imperial gold?"

The princess nods. "Yes, my dear. Like that weapon so cleverly concealed in your pocket. To be properly forged, Imperial gold had to be consecrated in the Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill in Rome. Quite a powerful and rare metal, but like the Roman emperors, quite volatile. Be sure never to break that blade . . ." She smiles pleasantly. "Rome was after my time, of course, but I do hear stories. And now over here — this golden throne is one of my finest luxury items. Hephaestus made it as a punishment for his mother, Hera. Sit in it and you'll be immediately trapped."

Leo apparently takes this as an order. He begins walking towards it in a trance.

"Leo, don't!" Piper warns.

Leo blinks, "How much for both?"

"Oh, the seat I could let you have for five great deeds. The forge, seven years of servitude. And for only a bit of your strength —" She leads Leo into the appliance section, giving him prices on various items.

Piper doesn't want to leave Leo alone with her, but she has to try reasoning with (Y/n). She pulls her aside and raises an arm to slap her across the face to try and wake her from the spell.

(Y/n) however, flinches violently, and Piper's heart clenches. Her expression softens, and she simply rests her hand on (Y/n)'s arm. "Hey," her tone is gentle. "You gotta snap out of it," Piper puts as much force into her words as she can without raising her voice.

The film slides from behind the daughter of Poseidon's eyes, and she focuses on Piper.

"We gotta help the boys," (Y/n) says, following Leo and Jason with her eyes.

. . .

Ridiculous," Medea says, and Piper can hear the power charged in every syllable. "(Y/n), Jason — my price is so simple. Why don't you two fight? If you get injured, or even killed, no problem. We'll just throw you into the fountain and you'll be better than ever. You do want to fight, don't you? You resent each other!"

The sorcery washes over the two demigods.

"Zeus's kids are always the stars," (Y/n) snarls. "They always get the attention."

"You're annoying, (Y/n)," Jason replies. "You never take anything seriously."

"Stop!" Piper pleads, but both draw weapons – Jason his gold sword, and (Y/n) her bronze sword.

The ancient rivalry between Zeus and Poseidon was about to be finished by their children – first it had been Percy and Thalia, and now by (Y/n) and Jason.

"Let them go, Piper," Medea urges. "I'm doing you a favor. Let it happen now, and it will make your choice so much easier. Enceladus will be pleased. You could have your father back today!"

Medea's charmspeak doesn't work on her, but the sorceress still has a persuasive voice. Her father back today? Despite her best intentions, Piper wants that. She wants her father back so much, it hurt.

"You work for Enceladus," she says.

Medea laughs. "Serve a giant? No. But we all serve the same greater cause — a patron you cannot begin to challenge. Walk away, child of Aphrodite. This does not have to be your death, too. Save yourself, and your father can go free."

(Y/n) and Jason are still facing off, ready to fight, but they look unsteady and confused — waiting for another order. Part of them had to be resisting, Piper hoped. But fighting – especially children of Poseidon and Zeus – is in their nature.

"Listen to me, girl." Medea plucks a diamond off her bracelet and throws it into a spray of water from the fountain. As it passed through the multicolored light, Medea said, "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me the office of Tristan McLean."

The mist shimmers, and Piper sees her father's study. Sitting behind his desk, talking on the phone, is her dad's assistant, Jane, in her dark business suit, her hair swirled in a tight bun.

"Hello, Jane," Medea says.

Jane hangs up the phone calmly. "How can I help you, ma'am? Hello, Piper."

"You —" Piper is so angry she can hardly talk.

"Yes, child," Medea replies. "Your father's assistant. Quite easy to manipulate. An organized mind for a mortal, but incredibly weak."

"Thank you, ma'am," Jane says.

"Don't mention it," Medea replies. "I just wanted to congratulate you, Jane. Getting Mr. McLean to leave town so suddenly, take his jet to Oakland without alerting the press or the police — well done! No one seems to know where he's gone. And telling him his daughter's life was on the line — that was a nice touch to get his cooperation."

"Nfes," Jane agrees in a bland tone, as if she is sleepwalking. "He was quite cooperative when he believed Piper was in danger."

Piper looks down at her dagger. The blade trembles in her hand. She can't use it for a weapon any better than Helen of Troy could, but it is still a looking glass, and what she sees in it is a scared girl with no chance of winning.

"I may have new orders for you, Jane," Medea says. "If the girl cooperates, it may be time for Mr. McLean to come home. Would you arrange a suitable cover story for his absence, just in case? And I imagine the poor man will need some time in a psychiatric hospital."

"Yes, ma'am. I will stand by."

The image fades, and Medea turns to Piper. "There, you see?"

"You lured my dad into a trap," Piper said. "You helped the giant —''

"Oh, please, dear. You'll work yourself into a fit! I've been preparing for this war for years, even before I was brought back to life. I'm a seer, as I said. I can tell the future as well as your little oracle. Years ago, still suffering in the Fields of Punishment, I had a vision of the seven in your so-called Great Prophecy. I saw your friend Leo here, and saw that he would be an important enemy someday. I stirred the consciousness of my patron, gave her this information, and she managed to wake just a little — just enough to visit him."

"Leo's mother," Piper realizes. "Leo, listen to this! She helped get your mother killed!"

"Uh-huh," Leo mumbles, in a daze.

"So . . . I just attack Jason? That's okay?" (Y/n) interrupts, glaring daggers at the son of Zeus.

"Perfectly safe," Medea promises. "And Jason, strike him hard. Show me you are worthy of your namesake."

"No!" Piper orders. She knows this is her last chance. "Jason, (Y/n) — she's tricking you. Put down your weapons."

The sorceress rolls her eyes. "Please, girl. "You're no match for me. I trained with my aunt, the immortal Circe. I can drive men mad or heal them with my voice. What hope do these puny young heroes have against me? Now, kill each other!"

Piper doesn't even see (Y/n) move, but the bronze sword moves so fast that Jason just barely raises his sword to block the blow.

The two metal sword clang together, locking each other in a standstill,

"Jason, Leo, (Y/n), listen to me." Piper puts all of her emotion into her voice. For years she'd been trying to control herself and not show weakness, but now she pours everything into her words — her fear, her desperation, her anger. She knows she might be signing her dad's death warrant, but she cares too much about her friends to let them hurt each other. "Medea is charming you. It's part of her magic. You are best friends. Don't fight each other. Fight her!"

They hesitate, and Piper can feel the spell shatter.

Jason blinks. "(Y/n), was I just about to stab you?"

"Something about my mother . . . ?" Leo frowns, then turns towards Medea. "You . . . you're working for Dirt Woman. You sent her to the machine shop." He reaches into his toolbelt and pulls out a hammer. "Lady, I got a three-pound hammer with your name on it."

"Bah!" Medea sneers. "I'll simply collect payment another way."

She presses one of the mosaic tiles on the floor, and the building rumbles. Jason swings his sword at Medea, but she dissolves into smoke and reappears at the base of the escalator.

"You're slow, hero!" She laughed. "Take your frustration out on my pets!"

Before Jason can go after her, the giant bronze sundials at either end of the fountain swing open. Two snarling gold beasts — flesh-and-blood winged dragons — crawl out from the pits below. Each is the size of a camper van, maybe not large compared to Festus, but large enough.

"So that's what's in the kennels," Leo says meekly.

The dragons spread their wings and hiss. Piper can feel the heat coming off their glittering skin. One turned his angry orange eyes on her.

"Don't look them in the eye!" Jason warns. "They'll paralyze you."

"Indeed!" Medea is leisurely riding the escalator up, leaning against the handrail as she watches the fun. "These two dears have been with me a long time — sun dragons, you know, gifts from my grandfather Helios. They pulled my chariot when I left Corinth, and now they will be your destruction. Ta ta!"

The dragons lunge. Leo, (Y/n), and Jason charge to intercept. Piper is amazed how fearlessly they attack — working like a team who had trained together for years.

Medea is almost to the second floor, where she'd be able to choose from a wide assortment of deadly appliances.

"Oh, no, you don't," Piper growls, and took off after her.

When Medea spots Piper, she starts climbing in earnest. She is quick for a three-thousand-year-old lady. Piper climbs at top speed, taking the steps three at a time, and still she can't catch her. Medea doesn't stop at floor two. She hops the next escalator and continues to ascend.

The potions, Piper thought. Of course that's what she would go for. She was famous for potions.

Down below, Piper hears the battle raging. Leo is blowing his safety whistle, and Jason and (Y/n) are yelling to keep the dragons' attention. Piper doesn't dare look — not while she is running with a dagger in her hand. She can just see herself tripping and stabbing herself in the nose. That would be super heroic.

She grabs a shield from an armored manikin on floor three and continues to climb. She imagines Coach Hedge yelling in her mind, just like back in gym class at Wilderness School: Move it, McLean! You call that escalator-climbing?

She reaches the top floor, breathing hard, but she is too late. Medea had reached the potions counter.

The sorceress grabs a swan-shaped vial — the blue one that caused painful death — and Piper does the only thing that comes to mind. She throws her shield.

Medea turns triumphantly just in time to get hit in the chest by a fifty-pound metal Frisbee. She stumbles backward, crashing over the counter, breaking vials and knocking down shelves. When the sorceress stands from the wreckage, her dress is stained a dozen different colors. Many of the stains are smoldering and glowing. "Fool!" Medea wails. "Do you have any idea what so many potions will do when mixed?"

"Kill you?" Piper said hopefully.

The carpet begins to steam around Medea's feet. She coughs, and her face contorts in pain — or is she faking?

Below, Leo calls, "Jason, help!"

Piper risks a quick look, and almost sobs in despair. One of the dragons has Leo pinned to the floor. It is baring its fangs, ready to snap. Jason is all the way across the room battling the other dragon, much too far away to assist.

(Y/n) vaults over the dragon's back, and stabs it in the side, pulling it's attention off Leo.

Suddenly, a loud bark shatters the sounds, and a monstrous shape bowls over the other dragon and bites off a leg.

"Good dog!" (Y/n) exclaims. Ms. O'Leary lets out another earth shattering bark, and she attacks the dragon.

"You've doomed us all!" Medea screams at Piper. Smoke is rolling across the carpet as the stain spreads, throwing sparks and setting fires in the clothing racks. "You have only seconds before this concoction consumes everything and destroys the building. There's no time —"

CRASH! The stained glass ceiling splinters in a rain of multicolored shards, and Festus the bronze dragon drops into the department store.

He hurtles into the fray, snatching up a sun dragon in each claw. Only now does Piper appreciate just how big and strong their metal friend is.

"That's my boy!" Leo yells.

Festus flies halfway up the atrium, then hurls the sun dragons into the pits they'd come from. Leo races to the fountain and pressed the marble tile, closing the sundials. They shudder as the dragons bang against them, trying to get out, but for the moment they are contained.

(Y/n) leaps onto Ms. O'Leary's back, and the dog charges up the escalator. She vaults off the dog's back, sliding over to Piper.

Medea curses in some ancient language. The whole fourth floor is on fire now. The air fills with noxious gas. Even with the roof open, Piper can feel the heat intensifying. She backs up to the edge of the railing, keeping her dagger pointed toward Medea.

"I will not be abandoned again!" The sorceress kneels and snatches up the red healing potion, which had somehow survived the crash. "You want your girlfriend's memory restored? Take me with you!"

Piper glances behind her. Leo and Jason are on board Festus's back. The bronze dragon flaps his mighty wings, snatching the two cages with the satyr and the storm spirits in his claws, and begins to ascend.

The building rumbles. Fire and the smoke curls up the walls, melting the railings, turning the air to acid.

"Let's go!" (Y/n) grabs Piper's hand, and the two jump over the side.

They plummet only for seconds, when Leo and Jason grab (Y/n)'s arm, hauling them aboard the dragon.

"What about your dog?" Piper looks around to find that the massive, mountainous dog had vanished.

The dragon soars through the broken roof and over downtown Chicago. Then the department store explodes behind them.

Word Count: 8934 words

[your-1up-girl]

Once Upon A Dream (Hera x Ventus)

Uhhh....okay so this wasn't supposed to post until the 31st but I must have gotten the queue wrong soooooo. Have an early gift.! I dedicate this fic to the very lovely and absolutely gorgeous @sammilimyy! Why do you ask? Because it’s her birthday (I'm early sorry)!!! I was so inspired by your royal/fantasy AU with Hera and Ven that I just had to write a fanfic for it. Now this is basically inspired by a certain movie from a certain company that shall not be named out of fear they will take this down, but if you know the song then you know the movie. I hope you like it Sam (and I hope that I got it on time for your b-day) have a happy and wonderful birthday!

Word Count: 4339

Pairing: Hera (OC)/Ventus (Kingdom Heart)

Warnings: Nothing but pure fluff! I hope you have a good Dentist Sammi, cuz this thing is gonna give you cavities!!!

It was happening again. This dream she found herself in was coming to her with much more frequency now. Always in this dream, Hera would find herself wandering through a forest where the birds graced her ears with beautiful melodies and the way the light filtered through the trees was practically angelic. In this dream, she would always wear a tea-length dress so it would not drag against the soft grass and dirty the pristine fabric. Said dress was adorn in mute yellow skirt and bodice with pale pink trimming and a bow in the back. It flowed with grace as Hera continued barefoot down the unmade path. A path she has taken several times before.

At this point she would reach a clearing where the trees created a canopy of sorts and the brush and wildflowers bloomed and grew with no outside interference. Standing in the middle of this clearing was a figure. It always looked like the spirit of a young boy. Someone who Hera would guess was about her age but taller than her. He had spiky hair and clothes that looked different from that of what she had seen in the nearby villages of the kingdom. As he turned to face her, she could see the phantom of a smile on his face but never his actual features. Soft music would fill the air as they approached each other and they began to dance. The soft whips of his fingers held her waist as they twilered and glided across the grass. They could never speak to each other but they could laugh. And Hera thought his laugh was better than any orchestra in the world.

Despite never speaking to this boy and only sharing these dances, Hera had fallen for this mysterious stranger. It was a dream, but in her heart, it all felt completely real. This boy was out there. At this point, after they had their dance, the music would end and Hera would wake up to the knocks of her Lady in Waiting telling her to start the day; but this time was different. For just a brief moment, when Hera looked up and faced the spirit, she could see him. It was still in a ghost like form but his features were there and she took it all into memory. The bangs across his forehead, the goofy yet loving smile he wore, and most importantly the shadowy blue eyes that looked back at her. He had never appeared tangible to her once during these late night rendezvous but after seeing him in this apparariton form, Hera knew. She was completely in love.

Hera woke with a start in her bed. The sudden movement had scared her Meow Wow Polly and her friend Naminé who was drawing the curtains to let light enter the room.

“Your Grace, you’re awake.” The Lady in Waiting spoke once the initial shock faded. “I knocked on the door to wake you, but you didn’t respond. Then, when I came in, you had the most peaceful smile on your face that I didn’t want to wake you just yet.”

Hera held her heart as Naminé spoke, remembering the dream once more. “Did you have another dream about him?” Naminé sat on the bed next to the princess as Polly let out a small whine and cuddled back into her owner.

“Yes, I did. We danced like we always do. But this time,” Hera paused as her smile became more giddy, “This time I saw him, Naminé.”

Naminé wore a similar smile at this development, “Really! That’s wonderful Princess. What did he look like?” Hera adjusted herself on the bed so Naminé could begin taking her hair out of the braids she wore to bed.

“Well, he still looked like a ghost of sorts but his facial features were there and not just a blank face. He had the most beautiful blue eyes, Naminé.” A love-struck sigh left Hera’s lips, “It was like looking into the night sky itself.”

“You are absolutely smitten with this boy. Do you think he’s real?”

“Why else would he appear to me in this dream? And remember, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen him.” Hera got out of bed and walked out onto the balcony. She leaned on the stone railing and gazed out into the horizon; her nightdress flowing in the early morning breeze. A sigh of doubt escaped her, “Naminé?”

Her Lady approached, “Yes Princess?”

“Answer me honestly, please. Do you think that boy is out there? Am I foolish to think that he could exist?”

Naminé’s eyes softened at her friend's sudden realization that this could all just be a dream. She held Hera close and spoke, “I think that in a world where magic exists and mythical creatures are a prominent part of our lives, having recurring dreams about a mysterious boy is calm by comparison.” This made Hera laugh, “I think he’s out there my Princess. If this truly is love that you feel, then you will both find your way to one another.”

After that, the day continued on as normal. Naminé helped Hera get dressed for the morning. Hera went to her lessons with Eraqus, the king. His lessons involved looking after the kingdom when she eventually came to rule. She had Keyblade training with Young Master Riku, Naminé would always remain close by during these lessons as the Lady in Waiting was very smitten with the Keyblade Master. And on this particular day, she ended her training with Master Aqua. The sworn protector of the Princess, Aqua specialized in magic and was well versed in wielding a Keyblade. She would teach Hera about combining magic into her basic attacks. However, Aqua took notice that Hera was not as focused as usual.

“Is there something bothering you Hera?”

“Huh? No Master Aqua, what makes you say that?” Their keyblades dissipated into the air signalling that they were done for the evening.

“It’s just that you haven’t been as focused as you should be during your lessons. And it’s not just with me, the King has noticed you’ve been more aloof with your teachings. Merlin has taken notice as well and so has Riku.” Hera hung her head in shame, should she tell Aqua about the dreams and the young boy? No, surely she would think the Princess crazy for looking into something like dreams. And falling in love with an apparition whom you don’t even know the name of would get her a lecture from the King. Hera couldn’t come up with a response quick enough but Aqua took the silence as something different. “You seem so worn out. Maybe you haven’t been getting enough sleep?”

At that, Hera’s head shot up, “Yes! Yes Master Aqua, that’s exactly it!” The sudden change in demeanor startled the blue haired Master from her train of thought. “I’m just so tired as of late Master Aqua. I think it would be best if I went off to bed now even. I had my dinner sometime before training so I’m not hungry.” Aqua blinked a few times. Hera seemed...excited to go to bed? It was an odd development in her attitude for sure but it seemed to be an improvement to what it was before so Aqua let it slide for now.

“Of course Your Grace, I’ll send for Naminé to meet you in your chambers to assist you for the night. Sweet dreams Princess Hera.” It was hard for the young girl to contain her excitement and Aqua could have sworn she heard a whispered, They will be as Hera passed.

Naminé carefully brushed Hera’s hair in the large bed of the royal chambers. Both girls wore their nightgowns and were discussing the events of the day. Polly sat comfortably in Hera’s lap, listening just as intently as if she were to join the conversation at any moment.

“I couldn’t help but notice that you were paying extra attention to Master Riku’s lessons today.” Hera jested with her best friend; a smirk proudly displayed on her face.

“At least one of us was.”

“Hey! Naminé!” The Princess turned to push the blonde girl as they both laughed in the empty, fire lit room. “He likes you, you know.”

“Oh please, I’m just a maid, he wouldn't like me.”

Hera thought about this for a moment as Naminé worked an intricate updo into the Princess's hair for the night. She could tell her friend was discouraged by this separation of class so she tried to lighten the mood, “If he rejects you, I’ll have him beheaded.” Naminé nearly choked on her own saliva and snorted out a laugh. Having accomplished her mission in making her friend laugh, Hera joined as well.

“As kind as that is, please Hera, don’t kill anyone on my behalf.” Naminé was grateful for the joke and Hera enjoyed the lack of formalities with her best friend. The conversation continued in this matter but before Naminé got up for the night, Hera asked her a question.

“You want me to draw you a picture?”

“Yes, please, if it’s not too much to ask?” Naminé, not wanting to refuse her friend or the Princess, took a piece of parchment from the desk, some graphite, and a flat board to give her some stability and joined Hera back on the bed.

“Alright Hera, what is your request?”

“I want you to draw the boy from my dreams.” Big, pleading blue eyes met confused blue ones as Naminé took in what Hera asked.

“I-Your Grace-Hera, you know that I don’t know what he looks like, yes?”

“Oh, I know. That’s why, you’re going to sit next to me and I’m going to watch you draw as I describe him to you.” Hera grabbed the pillow next to her and made room for her friend and tapped the spot. A small smile adorned the Lady’s face as she made herself comfortable and ready for the long night ahead of her.

~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, in the outskirts of the Kingdom, some yards away from the borders, a young farm boy sat upon the roof of his home looking at the horizon as the sky changed from warm tones to cool blues and the stars greeted him for the night. He came to look out into the sky when he needed to clear his head. And after having a busy day of training, fram work, and running errands, Ventus was in need of a small break. Not to mention that this moment alone gave him some time to think about the spirit girl he saw in his dreams. At first, Ventus just blew it off. Strange dreams happen all the time, take ‘em with a grain of salt. But then, she kept coming back, the same girl, in the same forest, with the same dress, and the same beautiful smile. God that smile. It was barely noticeable with the form that she took in his dreams but Ven was in love with it nonetheless.

He chuckled to himself. There I go again, Terra would have a fit if he could hear me. Falling in love with a forest spirit just because she danced with you in a recurring dream was ridiculous. Right? Ventus sighed and ran a hand through his hair, groaning when he had to pick more sticks out from when he fell herding the animals earlier. That girl made sleeping more exciting yet also somewhat frightening. Why did he see her all the time? Was she some sort of nymph? Was she even real? Would she love him back? And, why did he feel such disappointment if the answer was no? He didn’t even know this girl, and yet? Ventus put his hand over where his heart would be and gripped that part of his shirt. This girl had his heart and he didn’t know what to do about it.

“Ven? Ventus? Where are you?” Terra stepped out of the house to call for the young boy. It made Ven laugh just a bit. No matter how many times Ventus escaped to this spot, Terra never thought to check there. “Come on Ven, you’ll never get to be a royal guard if you don’t get a good night’s sleep!”

“And you will never be a detective if you don’t think to check in the obvious spots for the suspect.” Terra turned to see that Ventus was in fact, on the roof. They both shared a laugh and Ven made his way down. “If you keep yelling then you’ll wake the Tama Sheep and the Electricorn.” They both made it back inside the house and Ventus sat with a warm tea Terra had made. The young blond sat and stared at the tea with a look that was both focused and unfocused all at once.

“Hey Terra, do you believe in love at first sight?”

The brunette sat across from the boy and pondered the question, “I think it’s possible. I think that if someone really is the one then you’ll just know.”

“Hmm.”

“You thinking about your dreams again?”

“Yeah. It’s always with the same girl. She comes to that forest, doesn’t say a single thing to me, just laughs, and we dance. They’re getting more frequent and-” Ventus paused a small smile creeping onto his face.

“And?” With raised eyebrows, Terra waited for a response.

“And...I saw her face.” Ven couldn’t hide the smile or blush at this point and Terra’s eyes widened, not expecting that to be his response. “It was all ghosty and weird like the rest of her but I could see her eyes and the way they had so much life to them. I saw her and I just fell for her, Terra. Even more than I already am in love with her.”

“Does she look like anyone you know? Maybe it’s someone from the marketplace?”

“No, her clothes look different from that of the marketplace or even from the nearby towns. I could be wrong but they kinda look like a type of nobility.”

“Wow, look at you; dreaming about a Duchess.” It never crossed either of their minds as they drank the tea that the mysterious girl could have been a princess. Terra listened more to Ven’s recounting of dreams as it got a bit later. An hour had passed and the tea was all gone and both boys sat at the table trying to figure out what to do about the spirit girl.

“I think you should go talk to a woman who goes by Fairy Godmother. No one knows her real name but she is really good at figuring out people’s dreams. She lives on the far side of Traverse Town near the kingdom borders.” Ven listened closely. “If anyone can help you out, it’s her.” It was discussed that Ventus would take one of the Yoggy Rams and travel there tomorrow morning.

By early morning light, Ventus did just that. It was a long ride but not too tedious. Around mid-afternoon Ventus arrived at Traverse Town and began asking for this Fairy Godmother. Some people lead him to the back of the town where, in the middle of a water well, there was a house that was similar to that of a doll’s but less childish. Ventus carefully walked over the rocks with his Yoggy Ram to the front door and gave it a pensive knock. He waited no more than a minute when a kind looking older woman answered the door. She smiled at him like she was his grandson and enveloped him into a hug.

“Oh hello young man, it’s good to see you. Please, please, come in. Let your Ram drink from the water around my house. I don’t mind. I just prepared some warm milk if you would like some.” Fairy Godmother brought him into the quaint living room and he lifted the milk to his lips taking a sip. It tasted faintly of vanilla and hazelnut; it made Ventus smile. “So,” Fairy Godmother sat across from him in her own plush chair, “How can I help you dear.”

“My friend told me that you could help me with my dreams?”

She lightly laughed and placed her tea cup down, “Yes, he is correct; dreams tend to be my specialty. Tell me everything my dear.” Ventus did just that. From the smiles, to the laughs, and all the joy he felt in between. When he finished, he sat anxiously for the answer. “Hmm, this sounds like a very special girl.”

“She is Fairy Godmother.”

“But you have never seen her before?”

He hung his head, “No I haven’t Fairy Godmother.”

“And yet you’re in love with her.” There was no malice in this question and she asked knowing exactly what his answer would be.

Ventus sighed, the milk long finished as he searched for his answer, “I-Fairy Godmother, I know it sounds crazy to love someone you have never met but, my heart tells me that she is someone who I want to spend the rest of my life with. I don’t have much to give. I am a stable boy who is training for a guard position and doesn't have much control of his Keyblade yet and I can be kinda naive but I love her. More than anything.”

The Fairy Godmother smiled at his answer; it had exceeded her expectations. “That’s even better than what I had expected you to say.” She stood up and went to a bookshelf and handed him a map. A map of the kingdom more specifically. “You see this area?” She pointed to an unnamed forest that was about halfway to the castle and his ranch. “There is no name on the map but people call it The Somnium Forest. It’s a magical forest where people go when they need help in their lives. They say that it feels like time stops when you enter and no one leaves the forest unsatisfied. The inside of the forest, they say, never looks the same for one person.” She held Ventus’ hands in hers, “Tomorrow young man, I want you to go to the Somnium and walk around for a bit. I’m sure it will help you with your dreams.”

Ventus wasn’t sure how a forest would help, but he was willing to try. He gave the Fairy Godmother one last hug and left with his Yoggy Ram.

Returning to the castle once more. Hera walked around the grounds with more disdain than usual. Why? She didn’t dream about the boy. His picture was carefully placed in her tea-length dress pocket (courtesy of a very late drawing session with Naminé) but having the paper wasn’t the same as seeing him in her dreams. It had only been a day and yet it was enough to put her in an upsetting mood. It was to the point that she didn’t want to hang around the castle anymore. That was how she found her way to the library asking Merlin for his map of the kingdom.

“Any place you want to go, in particular Young Hera?” He asked with his usual chipper tone.

“No, just want to explore, get out for a bit.” Hera held her head in her left hand as her right hand grazed over the different locations of the map, pointer finger out. She could go to the castle town? No, that was far too close to home. She could go to the outskirts and explore the hills that acted as the land border on the west side? No, if she was gone for too long Aqua would have a fit. Her eyes noticed a forest and that peaked her interest. “Merlin, what’s this place?”

He adjusted his glasses, “Ah! You mean The Somnium Forest? It’s a place where dreams come true as they say.” He takes a sip of his tea, “People go in there and not one person leaves upset. Forest is magical.”

“A magical forest?” Hera could use some more magic in her life. And even if it wasn’t, having the comfort of a forest setting could give her some semblance of her dream. “Thank you for your help Merlin, could I trouble you to watch Polly while I’m gone?”

“Oh it would be no trouble at all Princess! I love the little thing after all. Come along Polly, let’s see what potions I can make to help Aerith in the garden.” The Meow Wow and the Wizard walked in tandem as Hera packed the map and made her way to the stables. As much as she wanted to leave with no one’s notice, the brunette unfortunately ran into Aqua.

“Oh Princess Hera, why are you heading to the stables?”

“I just wanted to take my Pegaslick and explore for a bit. I’m not sure when I will be back so can you tell Naminé that she has the rest of the day off? Maybe tell her to have some sweets with Master Riku.”

“Princess, by yourself? Are you sure you don’t want me to join you? I could quickly-”

“No, Master Aqua, I’m fine.” Hera didn’t feel good about brushing her Master and protector off but she needed to go to this forest. It was calling her the same way her dreams did.

She got to the stables and had the royal stable boy Prompto helped ready her Pegaslick. “The reins are all good, Your Grace, enjoy your ride.”

Hera took off after a quick thank you and without a second thought. It was difficult to ride while holding the map but after an hour, Somnium Forest greeted her. She got off the Pegaslick and decided to walk the remainder, her companion close to her side.

Upon entering, the Princess did feel different. There was a strong happiness that washed over her. The fresh smell filled her nose and the grass seemed so soft that she took off her riding boots, hanging them on the saddle and continued barefoot. Eventually, Hera found herself walking deeper into the trees but she couldn’t find it in herself to worry about getting lost. A part of her knew that she wasn’t. In fact, the way the trees and flowers created a path. And the light through the trees. Her dress flowing in the soft breeze and the birds. It all made her stop to pinch herself.

“This has to be a dream.” A whisper that she barely heard left her lips but the muzzle of her Pegaslick acted as a reasurace that this was all real. With a new found fervor, Hera kept going.

On the other hand, Ventus was having the same feeling of d��jà vu; only he bounded into the forest with reckless abandon. All these trees, flowers, and rocks he rode past were familiar to him. And as he approached a clearing, he knew this was the moment of truth.

They stared at each other on either side of the clearing. Both shook with excitement but neither moved out of fear of breaking this perfect scene. Ventus had to get off his Yoggy Ram but his eyes never once left hers. Carefully, they approached and once they met in the middle?

“You-are you-?” Hera couldn’t speak. So overwhelmed with joy that he stood before her as a flesh and blood person and not just some apparition. Rather she took out her drawing from the dress pocket and held it up. “It is you.”

Ventus held her face and she leaned into his touch. He wiped a tear that fell from her eye and nodded his head. “The boy from the dreams? Yes, that’s me.” Hera dropped the picture and hugged him. Her arms around his middle and his holding her head into his chest.

“I thought you weren’t real. I thought the universe was playing a horrible trick on me.”

“I promise I’m real. My name is Ventus, and I have wanted this moment ever since that first dream we had.” The dropped drawing was retrieved and put back into her pocket.

“Ventus,” What a beautiful name, “I am Hera. Your voice is so wonderful! I’m so glad to finally hear it!”

“The Princess? I’m so stupid for not recognizing you sooner. I must say Hera,” Ven brushed her hair behind her ears, “The dreams don’t do you justice. I didn’t think there could be a blue more clear than the sky, yet your eyes puts it to shame.” Hera blushed and smiled, wiping some tears from her cheeks. “There is just one thing missing to make our dream a reality.” Hera tilted her head. What more could they want? “There may not be music but, may I have this dance?”

He was right, no music played in this forest, but Hera happily accepted his hand as they moved across the grass. The laughter sounded even better than any of the nights they shared.

Off behind the trees, Aqua watched with the purest expression. Against her better judgement, she followed the young Princess to see if she was alright. Once she saw Hera with this young boy she knew everything was fine.

“So, you followed her I’m assuming?” Aqua looked and saw Terra approach as he went to the spot next to her.

“Yes, and I take it that he is yours?”

“Yeah, less ‘mine’. I’m more of his friend slash guardian.” They watched the kids dance and laugh and converse in the clearing. Terra broke their silence again, “Ventus, he’s training to be a royal guard.”

“Is he now?” Aqua smiled as she knew where this conversation was headed.

“Yes, I’m just a stable boy like him but I did undergo some training as well. I teach him everything and he is a very fast learner. I don’t want to overstep my boundaries but, perhaps the Princess could use another personal guard?”

Aqua laughed and didn't take her eyes off of the lovely couple as, "Yes, I'm sure Her Majesty would love that."

[sammilimyy]

We are LACKING in Ventus fanfics. Do you know any good ones?

WE REALLY LACKING OKAY!! I guess it's not really a Ventus fic but my favourite duology is "Chasing Destiny" and "Cheating Destiny" by dreamer1024 on AO3 I've read their fics like crazy amount of times XD Cheating Destiny is the one where Ven becomes a relationship option but damn both stories ARE SO GOOD and just in general the writer's other works are so well written!

Another one I love is by @/lucky0stars their Blind Date quiz (I always somehow get Ven as my result) the Ven date! It's really cute and wholesome and hehe I love putting my kh oc Hera into the picture~ honestly anything they write is really good go check em out!

And ofc how could I not leave out my personal favourite written by the lovely @your-1up-girl I shamelessly submitted a prompt and she wrote me a Ven x Hera (my kh oc) fic and I basically died right there and then and it's super cute!!

[thewidowsghost]

Seeing the Beauty (Piper McLean x Fem!Jackson!Reader) - Chapter 11

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

They continue to fly west and Jason becomes lost in his thoughts – all of them bad. He isn't sure how much time passes before the dragon dives through a break in the clouds, and below them, glittering in the winter sun, is a sixty at the edge of a massive lake. A crescent of skyscrapers line the shore. Behind them, stretching out to the western horizon, is a vast grid of snow-covered neighborhoods and roads.

"Chicago," (Y/n) says.

Jason thinks about what Hera had said in his dream. His most mortal enemy is waiting here. If I'm to die, it will be by her hand.

"One problem down," Leo says. "We got here alive. Now, how do we find the storm spirits?"

Jason sees a flash of movement below them. At first, he thinks it's just a small plane, but it's too small, too dark, and too fast. The thing spirals towards the skyscrapers, weaving and changing shape – and, just for a moment, it becomes the smokey figure of a horse.

"How about we follow that one," Jason suggests, "and see where it goes?"

Jason is afraid they'd lose their target. The ventus moves like . . . well, like the wind. "Speed up!" he urges.

"Bro," Leo said, "if I get any closer, he'll spot us. Bronze dragon ain't exactly a stealth plane." (Y/n) laughs.

"Slowdown!" Piper yelps.

The storm spirit dives into the grid of downtown streets. Festus tries to follow, but his wingspan is way too wide. His left wing clips the edge of a building, slicing off a stone gargoyle before Leo pulls up.

"Get above the buildings," Jason suggests. "We'll track him from there."

"You want to drive this thing?" Leo grumbles, but he does what Jason asks.

After a few minutes, Jason spots the storm spirit again, zipping through the streets with no apparent purpose — blowing over pedestrians, ruffling flags, making cars swerve.

"Oh great," Piper says. "There're two."

She's right. A second ventus blasts around the corner of the Renaissance Hotel and links up with the first. They weave together in a chaotic dance, shooting to the top of a skyscraper, bending a radio tower, and diving back down towards the street.

"Those guys do not need any more caffeine," Leo says.

"You could say they had a large," (Y/n) grins stupidly at her joke.

"I guess Chicago's a good place to hang out," Piper said, glancing back at (Y/n) and rolling her eyes teasingly. "Nobody's going to question a couple more evil winds."

"More than a couple," Jason said. "Look."

The dragon circles over a wide avenue next to a lake-side park. Storm spirits are converging — at least a dozen of them, whirling around a big public art installation.

"Which one do you think is Dylan?" Leo asks. "I wanna throw something at him."

But Jason is focused on the art installation. The closer they get to it, the faster his heart beats. It's just a public fountain, but it is unpleasantly familiar. Two five-story monoliths rise from either end of a long granite reflecting pool. The monoliths seem to be built of video screens, flashing the combined image of a giant face that spews water into the pool.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but it looks like a high-tech, super-size version of that ruined reflecting pool Jason and (Y/n) has seen in their dreams, with the two dark masses jutting from either end. As Jason watches, the image on the screens changes to a woman's face with her eyes closed.

"Leo . . ." Jason says nervously.

"I see her," Leo replies. "I don't like her, but I see her."

Then the screens go dark. The venti swirl together into a single funnel cloud and skitter across the fountain, kicking up a waterspout almost as high as the monoliths. They get to its center, pop off a drain cover, and disappear underground.

"Did they just go down a drain?" Piper questions. "How are we supposed to follow them?"

"Maybe we shouldn't," Leo says. "That fountain thing is giving me seriously bad vibes. And aren't we supposed to, like, beware the earth?"

(Y/n) feels the same way, but they have to follow. It is their only way forward. They had to find Hera, and they now only have two days until the solstice.

"Put us down in that park," (Y/n) suggests. "We'll check it out on foot."

Festus lands in an open area between the lake and the skyline. The signs say Grant Park, and Jason imagines it would've been a nice place in the summer. The dragon's hot metal feet hiss as they touch down. Festus flaps his wings unhappily and shoots fire into the sky, but there was no one around to notice. The wind coming off the lake is bitter cold. Anyone with sense would be inside. Jason's eyes sting so badly, he can barely see.

They dismount , and Festus the dragon stomps his feet. One of his ruby eyes flickers, so it looks like he is blinking.

"Is that normal?" Jason asks.

Leo pulls a rubber mallet from his tool bag. He whacks the dragon's bad eye, and the light goes back to normal. "Yes," Leo says. "Festus can't hang around here, though, in the middle of the park. They'll arrest him for loitering. Maybe if I had a dog whistle . . ." He rummages in his tool belt, but comes up with nothing. "Too speciallized?" he guesses. "Okay, give me a safety whistle. They got that in lots of machine shops."

This time, Leo pulls out a big plastic orange whistle. "Coach Hedge would be jealous! Okay, Festus, listen." Leo blew the whistle. The shrill sound probably rolls all the way across Lake Michigan. "You hear that, come find me, okay? Until then, you fly wherever you want. Just try not to barbecue any pedestrians."

The dragon snorts — hopefully in agreement, (Y/n) thinks. Then he spreads his wings and launches into the air.

Piper took one step and winces. "Ah!"

"You're ankle?" Jason felt bad he'd forgotten about her injury back in the Cyclops factory. "That nectar we gave you might be wearing off."

"It's fine." Piper shivers; she took a few more steps with only a slight limp, but (Y/n) can tell she is trying not to grimace.

"Let's get out of the wind," (Y/n) suggests gently.

"Down a drain?" Piper shudders. "Sounds cozy."

They wrap themselves up as best as they can and head towards the fountain.

The four step into the center of the pool. The drain hole is easily big enough for a person, and a maintenance ladder leads down into the gloom.

(Y/n) goes first. As she climbs, she braces herself for horrible sewer smells, but it isn't that bad. The ladder drops into a brickwork tunnel running north to south. The air is warm and dry, with only a trickle of water on the floor.

Piper, Jason, and Leo climb down after her.

"Are all sewers this nice?" Piper wonders.

"No," Leo says. "Trust me."

Jason frowns. "How do you know —"

"Hey, man, I ran away six times. I've slept in some weird places, okay? Now, which way do we go?"

Jason tilts his head, listening, then points south. "That way."

"How can you be sure?" Piper asks.

"There's a draft blowing south," Jason says. "Maybe the venti went with the flow."

It isn't much of a lead, but nobody offers anything better.

As soon as they start walking, Piper stumbles, and (Y/n) catches her. "Stupid ankle," Piper curses.

"Let's rest," Jason decides. "We could all use it. We've been going nonstop for over a day. Leo, can you pull any food from that tool belt besides breath mints?"

"Thought you'd never ask. Chef Leo is on it!"

Piper, (Y/n), and Jason sit on a brick ledge while Leo shuffles through his pack.

"It's not your fault," Piper tells Jason.

He looks at her blankly. "What?"

"Getting jumped by the Cyclopes," she says. "It wasn't your fault."

He looks down at the coin in his palm. "I was stupid. I left you alone and walked into a trap. I should've known . . ." He doesn't finish.

"Hey." Piper nudged his arm. "Cut yourself some slack. Just because you're the son of Zeus doesn't mean you're a one-man army."

A few feet away, Leo lights a small cooking fire. He hummed as he pulled supplies out of his pack and his tool belt.

In the firelight, Piper's eyes seemed to dance. (Y/n) had been studying them for days now, and she still can't decide what color they were. She'd gone with kaleidoscope.

Jason glances between Piper and (Y/n), and then he gets to his feet, walking over to Leo.

"I'm sorry," (Y/n) turns to meet Piper's gaze.

"For what?" Piper looks bewildered.

"I know this must suck for you," (Y/n) replies. She sighs softly before she continues. "Not just the quest, I mean. The way I just appeared on that bus and the Mist messing with your mind." She pulls Tsunami out of her pocket, fiddling with the pen.

Piper drops her gaze. "Yeah, well. None of us asked for this. It's not your fault." She tugs at the little braids on each side of her head. With the makeup and the dress and the perfect hair, she'd looked beautiful with the blessing of Aphrodite. But, (Y/n) argues with herself, she looks more beautiful now.

Before (Y/n) can say anything, however, Leo announces, "And bingo!" He and Jason come over with four plates. (Y/n) has no idea where Leo had gotten all the food, or how he'd put it together so fast, but it looks amazing: pepper and beef tacos with chips and salsa.

"Leo," Piper says in amazement. "How did you —?"

"Chef Leo's Taco Garage is fixing you up!" he says proudly. "And by the way, it's tofu, not beef, beauty queen, so don't freak. Just dig in!"

. . .

After Piper eats, (Y/n) encourages her to get some sleep. Without another word, she curls up and puts her head in (Y/n)'s lap. In two seconds, she's snoring.

(Y/n) looks up at Jason and Leo, who are obviously trying not to laugh.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, drinking lemonade Leo had made from canteen water and powdered mix.

"Good, huh?" Leo grins.

"You should start a stand," Jason says. "Make some serious coin." But as he stares at the embers of the fire, something begins to bother him. "Leo . . . about this fire stuff you can do . . . is it true?"

Leo's smile falters. "Yeah, well..." He opens his hand. A small ball of flame bursts to life, dancing across his palm.

"That is so cool," Jason says. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Leo closes his hand and the fire went out. "Didn't want to look like a freak."

"I have lightning and wind powers," Jason reminded him. "Piper can turn beautiful and charm people into giving her BMWs. (Y/n) can talk to horses and survive landing in water from hundreds of feet in the air. You're no more a freak than we are. And, hey, maybe you can fly, too. Like jump off a building and yell, 'Flame on!"'

Leo snorts. "If I did that, you would see a flaming kid falling to his death, and I would be yelling something a little stronger than 'Flame on!' Trust me, Hephaestus cabin doesn't see fire powers as cool. Nyssa told me they're super rare. When a demigod like me comes around, bad things happen. Really bad."

"Maybe it's the other way around," (Y/n) offers, meeting Leo's gaze. "Maybe people with special gifts show up when bad things are happening because that's when they're needed most."

Leo clears out the plates. "Maybe. But I'm telling you . . . it's not always a gift."

(Y/n) and Jason fall silent. "You're talking about your mom, aren't you?" Jason asks. "The night that she died?"

Leo doesn't answer. He doesn't have to. The fact that he's quiet – not joking around, tells (Y/n) and Jason enough.

"Leo, her death wasn't your fault. Whatever happened that night — it wasn't because you could summon fire. This Dirt Woman, whoever she is, has been trying to ruin you for years, mess up your confidence, take away everything you care about. She's trying to make you feel like a failure. You're not. You're important."

"That's what she said." Leo looks up, his eyes full of pain. "She said I was meant to do something important — something that would make or break that big prophecy about the seven demigods. That's what scares me. I don't know if I'm up to it." Leo pokes at the remnants of his fire, turning over red-hot coals with his bare hand. "You ever wonder about the other three demigods? I mean . . . if we're four of the ones from the Great Prophecy, who are the others? Where are they?"

(Y/n) sighs, glancing down, seemingly just now noticing she'd been running her fingers subconsciously through Piper's hair. "I -" she pauses, looking back up to see Leo and Jason watching her closely. "I don't think I'm part of the main prophecy." Both Jason and Leo's eyebrows knit with concern. "Rachel mentioned another prophecy to me the night of the campfire – Child of the Sea will accompany the Seven. And drop into endless darkness."

"It can't be you though," Leo says. "They're might be another –" but then he falters, for there's no one else it could be.

And the only thing that either Jason or Leo thought 'dropping into endless darkness' could possibly mean, would be death.

(Y/n) had unconsciously stopped running her fingers through Piper's hair, and Piper had let out a sleepy murmur of annoyance, snuggling deeper into (Y/n)'s lap.

"You guys get some sleep," (Y/n) says. "I'll take first watch."

Jason and Leo exchange uncertain looks, neither wanting to let their friend stay up alone to think about her own fate, but they finally give in.

(Y/n) leans forward slightly, pulling off her jacket. She throws it over Piper's sleeping form before she allows her head to fall against one of the walls, falling deep into another surfacing memory.

Annabeth, (Y/n), and Percy stand at the top of Half-Blood Hill. They watch the buses and vans pull away, taking most of the campers back to the mortal world. A few old-timers would be staying behind – and a few of the newcomers – but (Y/n) and Percy were heading back to Goode High School for their sophomore year.

Then (Y/n)'s gaze falls on Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who was walking up the hill towards the trio. "Good-bye," Rachel says as she shoulders her bag. She looks nervous, but she's keeping her promise to her father and attending Clarion Academy in New Hampshire.

"You'll do great." Annabeth hugs her.

Rachel bites her lip. "I hope you're right. I'm a little worried. What if somebody asks what's on the next math test and I start spouting a prophecy in the middle of geometry class? The Pythagorean theorem shall be problem two. . . . Gods, that would be embarrassing."

Annabeth laughs, and to (Y/n)'s relief, it makes Rachel smile.

(Y/n) meets Rachel's gaze; Annabeth notices, taking Percy's hand and pulls the Son of Poseidon down the hill.

Both (Y/n) and Rachel sit down, and Rachel automatically starts drawing on (Y/n)'s arm with a pen.

"I'm going to miss you," Rachel says, focusing on her drawing.

"I - me too," (Y/n) replies, pulling Tsunami out of her pocket and fiddling with the pen with her free hand.

Rachel looks up from her drawing. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it before. The Oracle stuff."

"I was upset at first," (Y/n) admits. "But I also knew that it was something you had to do. There's nothing you have to apologize for."

Rachel smiles at (Y/n), "Friends?"

"Friends." (Y/n) replies, smiling in return.

Someone shaking her arm jostles (Y/n) out of the memory.

"Are you okay?" Piper blinks sleepily, looking up into (Y/n)'s face.

"I - yeah," (Y/n) replies.

Piper yawns, moving out of (Y/n)'s lap to sit beside her against the wall.

"Piper," (Y/n) begins, and the daughter of Aphrodite looks over at her. "Is your dad in some sort of trouble?"

Piper stares at her for a moment; she takes a shaky breath. "(Y/n) . . . I can't talk about it."

"We're your friends. Let us help."

This seems to make her feel worse. "I wish I could, but –" Jason and Leo had stirred awake, and Piper quickly stops talking.

(Y/n) keeps a careful watch on Piper as the four demigods break camp.

Piper is grateful for (Y/n)'s silent support on her left as they start down the tunnel. It twists and turns and seems to go on forever. Piper isn't sure what to expect at the end – a dungeon, a mad scientist's lab, or maybe a sewer reservoir where all Porta-Potty sludge ends up, forming an evil toilet face large enough to swallow the world.

Instead, they find polished steel elevator doors, each one engraved with a cursive letter M. Next to the elevator is a directory, like for a department store.

"M for Macy's?" Piper wonders aloud. "I think they have one in downtown Chicago."

"Or Monocle Motors still?" Leo says. "Guys, read the directory. It's messed up."

Parking, Kennels, Main Entrance: Sewer Level; Furnishings and Cafe M: 1; Women's Fashion and Magical Appliances: 2; Men's Wear and Weaponry: 3; Cosmetics, Potions, Poisons & Sundries: 4

"Kennels for what?" Piper says. "And what kind of department store has its entrance in a sewer?"

"Or sells poisons," Leo adds. "Man, what does sundries even mean? Is that like underwear."

(Y/n) grabs hold of her pen in her pocket.

Jason takes a deep breath. "When in doubt, start at the top."

. . .

The doors slide open on the fourth floor, and the scent of perfume waft into the elevator. (Y/n) and Jason step out first, swords ready.

"Guys," Jason says. "You've got to see this."

Piper joins them and catches her breath. "This is not Macy's."

The department store looks like the inside of a kaleidoscope. The entire ceiling is a stained glass mosaic with astrological signs around a giant sun. The daylight streaming through it washes everything in a thousand different colors. The upper floors make a ring of balconies around a huge central atrium, so they can see all the way down to the ground floor. Gold railings glitter so brightly, they are hard to look at.

Aside from the stained glass ceiling and the elevator, Jason can't see any other windows or doors, but two sets of glass escalators run between the levels. The carpeting is a riot of oriental patterns and colors, and the racks of merchandise are just as bizarre. There are too much to take it at once, but Jason sees normal stuff like shirt racks and shoe trees mixed in with armored manikins, beds of nails, and fur coats that seem to be moving.

Leo steps to the railing and looks down. "Check it out."

In the middle of the atrium a fountain sprays water twenty feet into the air, changing color from red to yellow to blue. The pool glitters with gold coins, and on either side of the fountain stands a gilded cage — like an oversized canary cage.

Inside one, a miniature hurricane swirls, and lightning flashes. Somebody had imprisoned the storm spirits, and the cage shudders as they try to get out. In the other, frozen like a statue, is a short, buff satyr, holding a tree-branch club.

"Coach Hedge!" Piper says. "We've got to get down there."

A voice replies, "May I help you find something?"

All four of them jump back.

A woman had just appeared in front of them. She is wearing an elegant black dress with diamond jewelry, and she looks like a retired fashion model — maybe fifty years old, though it is hard for Jason to judge. Her long dark hair sweeps over one shoulder, and her face is gorgeous in that surreal super-model way — thin and haughty and cold, not quite human. With their long red-painted nails, her fingers look more like talons.

She smiles. "I'm so happy to see new customers. How may I help you?"

(Y/n) glances at Jason like, All yours.

"Urn," Jason starts, "is this your store?"

The woman nods. "I found it abandoned, you know. I understand so many stores are, these days. I decided it would make the perfect place. I love collecting tasteful objects, helping people, and offering quality goods at a reasonable price. So this seemed a good . . . how do you say . . . first acquisition in this country."

She speaks with a pleasing accent, but Jason can't guess where from. Clearly she isn't hostile, though. Jason starts to relax. Her voice is rich and exotic. Jason wants to hear more, but glancing at (Y/n), Jason can tell that the daughter of Poseidon couldn't care less.

"So you're new to America?" he asks.

"I am . . . new," the woman agrees. "I am the Princess of Colchis. My friends call me Your Highness. Now, what are you looking for?"

Jason had heard of rich foreigners buying American department stores. Of course most of the time they didn't sell poisons, living fur coats, storm spirits, or satyrs, but still—with a nice voice like that, the Princess of Colchis can't be all bad.

Piper pokes him in the ribs. "Jason . . ."

"Urn, right. Actually Your Highness . . ." He points to the gilded cage on the first floor. "That's our friend down there, Gleeson Hedge. The satyr. Could we . . . have him back, please?"

"Of course!" the princess agrees immediately. "I would love to show you my inventory. First, may I know your names?"

Jason hesitates. It seems like a bad idea to give out their names. A memory tugs at the back of his mind — something Hera had warned him about, but it seems fuzzy. On the other hand, Her Highness is on the verge of cooperating. If we can get what we want without a fight, that would be better, right? Besides, this lady doesn't seem like an enemy.

Piper starts to say, "Jason, I wouldn't—"

"This is Piper McLean," he said. "This is Leo Valdez. (Y/n) Jackson. And I'm Jason."

The princess fixes her eyes on him and, just for a moment, her face literally glows, blazing with so much anger, Jason can see her skull beneath her skin. Jason's mind is getting blurrier, but he knows something doesn't seem right. Then the moment passes, and Her Highness looks like a normal elegant woman again, with a cordial smile and a soothing voice.

"Jason. What an interesting name," she says, her eyes as cold as the Chicago wind. "I think we'll have to make a special deal for you. Come children. Let's go shopping."

. . .

Piper wants to run for the elevator.

Her second choice: attack the weird princess now, because she is sure a fight is coming. The way the lady's face had glowed when she'd heard Jason's name had been bad enough. Now, Her Highness is smiling like nothing has happened, and Jason and Leo don't seem to think anything is wrong.

Piper is unsure what's going on with (Y/n), but she seems to be resisting whatever spell Her Highness had placed on Leo and Jason, though her forehead is beading with sweat.

The princess gestures towards the cosmetics counter. "Shall we start with the potions?"

And (Y/n)'s mental block shatters. "Cool," she says, following Jason and Leo.

"Guys," Piper interrupts, and (Y/n) stops in her tracks, "we're here to get the storm spirits and Coach Hedge. If this – princess – is really our friend –"

"Oh, I'm better than a friend, my dear," Her Highness says. "I'm a saleswoman." Her diamonds sparkle, and her eyes glitter like a snake's — cold and dark. "Don't worry. We'll work our way down to the first floor, eh?"

(Y/n) nods eagerly. "Sure, yeah! That sounds okay. Right, Piper?"

Piper does her best to stare daggers at her: No, it is not okay!

"Of course it's okay." Her Highness puts her hands on Leo's and Jason's shoulders and steer them towards the cosmetics. "Come along, boys."

Piper didn't have much choice except to follow, especially when (Y/n) glances eagerly back at Piper before she bounces after Leo, Jason, and the princess.

Piper hated department stores — mostly because she'd gotten caught stealing from several of them. Well, not exactly caught, and not exactly stealing. She'd talked salesmen into giving her computers, new boots, a gold ring, once even a lawn mower, though she had no idea why she wanted one. She never kept the stuff. She just did it to get her dad's attention. Usually she talked her neighborhood UPS guy into taking the stuff back. But of course the salesmen she duped always came to their senses and called the police, who eventually tracked her down.

Anyway, she isn't thrilled to be back in a department store — especially one run by a crazy princess who glows in the dark.

"And here," the princess says, "is the finest assortment of magical mixtures anywhere."

The counter is crammed with bubbling beakers and smoking vials on tripods. Lining the display shelves are crystal flasks — some shaped like swans or honey bear dispensers. The liquids inside are every color, from glowing white to polka-dotted. And the smells — ugh! Some are pleasant, like fresh-baked cookies or roses, but they are mixed with the scents of burning tires, skunk spray, and gym lockers.

The princess points to a blood red vial — a simple test tube with a cork stopper. "This one will heal any disease."

"Even cancer?" Leo asks. "Leprosy? Hangnails?"

"Any disease, sweet boy. And this vial" — she points to a swan-shaped container with blue liquid inside — "will kill you very painfully."

"Awesome," (Y/n) says, her voice sounds dazed and sleepy.

"(Y/n)," Piper said. "We've got a job to do. Remember?" She tries to put power into her words, to snap her out of her trance with charmspeak, but her voice sounds shaky, even to her. This princess scares her too much, making her confidence crumble, just the way she'd felt back in the Aphrodite cabin with Drew.

"Job to do," (Y/n) murmurs, meeting Piper's kaleidoscope gaze. "Sure. But shopping first, okay?"

The princess beams at her. "Then we have potions for resisting fire —"

"Got that covered," Leo said.

"Me too," (Y/n) replies. "One time I got exploded out of a volcano." And she simply moves closer to the potions counter.

Piper blinks, looking bewildered.

"Indeed?" The princess studies Leo's face more closely. "You don't appear to be wearing my trademark sunscreen . . . but no matter. We also have potions that cause blindness, insanity, sleep, or —"

"Wait." Piper is still staring at the red vial. "Could that potion cure lost memory?"

The princess narrows her eyes. "Possibly. Yes. Quite possibly. Why, my dear? Have you forgotten something important?"

Piper tries to keep her expression neutral, but if that vial can cure Jason's memory . . . Do I really want that? she wonders. If Jason finds out who she is, she might not even be her friend. Hera had taken away her memories for a reason. (Y/n) might come out of her amnesia and decide that she hated Piper. She might have a girlfriend back home.

It doesn't matter, Piper decided, which kind of surprised her. (Y/n) always looked so anguished when she tried to remember things. Piper hates seeing her that way. She wants to help her because she cares about (Y/n), even if that means losing her. And maybe it'll make this trip through Her Craziness's department store worthwhile.

"How much?" Piper asks.

The princess gets a faraway look in her eyes. "Well, now . . . The price is always tricky. I love helping people. Honestly, I do. And I always keep my bargains, but sometimes people try to cheat me." Her gaze drifts to Jason. "Once, for instance, I met a handsome young man who wanted a treasure from my father's kingdom. We made a bargain, and I promised to help him steal it."

"From your own dad?" Jason still looks half in a trance, but the idea seems to bother him.

"Oh, don't worry," the princess says. "I demanded a high price. The young man had to take me away with him. He was quite good-looking, dashing, strong . . ." She looks at Piper. "I'm sure, my dear, you understand how one might be attracted to such a hero, and want to help her," the princess glances at (Y/n), who is studying all the labels on the potion bottles.

Piper tries to control her emotions, but she probably blushes. She gets the creepiest feeling the princess can read her thoughts.

But Piper also finds the princess's story disturbingly familiar. Pieces of old myths she'd read with her dad start coming together, but this woman can't be the one she was thinking of.

"At any rate," Her Highness continues, "my hero had to do many impossible tasks, and I'm not bragging when I say he couldn't have done them without me. I betrayed my own family to win the hero his prize. And still he cheated me of my payment."

"Cheated?" (Y/n) frowns, as if trying to remember something important.

"That's messed up," Leo says.

Her Highness pats his cheek affectionately. "I'm sure you don't need to worry, Leo. You seem honest. You would always pay a fair price, wouldn't you?"

Leo nods. "What were we buying again? I'll take two."

Piper breaks in: "So, the vial, Your Highness — how much?"

The princess assesses Piper's clothes, her face, her posture, as if putting a price tag on one slightly used demigod.

"Would you give anything for it, my dear?" the princess asks. "I sense that you would."

The words wash over Piper as powerfully as a good surfing wave. The force of the suggestion nearly lifts her off her feet. She wants to pay any price. She wants to say yes.

Then her stomach twists. Piper realizes she is being charmspoken. She'd senses something like it before, when Drew spoke at the campfire, but this is a thousand times more potent. No wonder her friends are dazed. Is this what people felt when I use charmspeak? A feeling of guilt settles over her.

She summons all her willpower. "No, I won't pay any price. But a fair price, maybe. After that, we need to leave. Right, guys?"

Just for a moment, her words seem to have some effect. The boys look confused, and the glazed look leaves (Y/n)'s gaze.

"Leave?" Jason asks.

"You mean . . . after shopping?" Leo asked.

Piper wants to scream, but the princess tilts her head, examining Piper with newfound respect.

"Impressive," the princess says. "Not many people could resist my suggestions. Are you a child of Aphrodite, my dear? Ah, yes — I should have seen it. No matter. Perhaps we should shop a while longer before you decide what to buy, eh?"

"But the vial —"

"Now, children." She turns to Jason, (Y/n), and Leo. Her voice is so much more powerful than Piper's, so full of confidence, Piper doesn't stand a chance. "Would you like to see more?"

The film slides back over over (Y/n)'s brain, and she nods excitedly. 

"Sure," Jason says.

"Okay," Leo adds.

"Sounds fun," (Y/n) chirps.

"Excellent," the princess says. "You'll need all the help you can get if you're to make it to the Bay Area."

Piper's hand moves to her dagger. She thinks about her dream of the mountaintop — the scene Enceladus had shown her, a place she knew, where she was supposed to betray her friends in two days.

"The Bay Area?" Piper says. "Why the Bay Area?"

The princess smiles. "Well, that's where they'll die, isn't it?" Then she leads them towards the escalators, Jason, (Y/n), and Leo still looking excited to shop.

. . .

Piper corners the princess as Jason, (Y/n), and Leo go off to check out the living fur coats.

"You want them shopping for their deaths?" Piper demands, following (Y/n) out of the corner of her eye.

"Mmm." The princess blew dust off a display case of swords. "I'm a seer, my dear. I know your little secret. But we don't want to dwell on that, do we? They are having such fun."

Leo laughs as he tried on a hat that seems to be made from enchanted raccoon fur. Its ringed tail twitches, and its little legs wiggle frantically as Leo walks. Jason is ogling the men's sportswear. (Y/n) is studying a rack of shield, some of them looking as though they'd been burned with acid.

Piper glares at the princess. "Who are you?"

"I told you, my dear. I'm the Princess of Colchis."

"Where's Colchis?"

The princess's expression turns a little sad. "Where was Colchis, you mean. My father ruled the far shores of the Black Sea, as far to the east as a Greek ship could sail in those days. But Colchis is no more—lost eons ago."

"Eons?" Piper asks. The princess looks no more than fifty, but a bad feeling starts settling over Piper — something King Boreas had mentioned back in Quebec. "How old are you?"

The princess laughs. "A lady should avoid asking or answering that question. Let's just say the, ah, immigration process to enter your country took quite a while. My patron finally brought me through. She made all this possible." The princess sweeps her hand around the department store.

Piper's mouth tastes like metal. "Your patron –"

"Oh, yes. She doesn't bring just anyone through, mind you — only those who have special talents, such as me. And really, she insists on so little — a store entrance that must be underground so she can, ah, monitor my clientele; and a favor now and then. In exchange for a new life? Really, it was the best bargain I'd made in centuries."

Run, Piper thinks. We have to get out of here.

But before she can even turn her thoughts into words, Jason calls, "Hey, check it out!"

From a rack labeled distressed clothing, he holds up a purple T-shirt like the one he'd worn on the school field trip — except this shirt looks as if it had been clawed by tigers.

Jason frowns. "Why does this look so familiar?"

"Jason, it's like yours" Piper says. "Now we really have to leave." But she wasn't sure he could even hear her anymore through the princess's enchantment.

"Nonsense," the princess said. "The boys aren't done, are they? And yes, my dear. Those shirts are very popular—trade ins from previous customers. It suits you."

(Y/n), who had joined Jason at the rack, pulls out an orange Camp Half Blood t-shirt, shredded much like the one she'd been wearing on the Grand Canyon field trip.

She looks up at the princess, and the princess nods. "I'll throw that one in with the storm spirits and your satyr."

"Really?" (Y/n) looks more excited than Piper had ever seen her – a child-like excitement.

"Mhm," the princess smiles.

"Your Highness," Piper said, trying to control her nerves. "Why don't you tell the boys how you betrayed your family? I'm sure they'd like to hear that story."

Her words don't have any effect on the princess, but the boys turn, suddenly interested. The film slides back off (Y/n)'s brain, and Piper catches the momentary look of fury that had slid across (Y/n)'s face, but then it slips back into a dazed grin.

"More story?" Leo asks.

"I like more story!" Jason agrees.

The princess flashes Piper an irritated look. "Oh, one will do strange things for love, Piper. You should know that. I fell for that young hero, in fact, because your mother Aphrodite had me under a spell. If it wasn't for her — but I can't hold a grudge against a goddess, can I?" The princess's tone makes her meaning clear: I can take it out on you.

"But that hero took you with him when he fled Colchis," Piper remembers. "Didn't he, Your Highness? He married you just as he promised."

The look in the princess's eyes makes Piper want to apologize, but she doesn't back down.

"At first," Her Highness admits, "it seemed he would keep his word. But even after I helped him steal my father's treasure, he still needed my help. As we fled, my brother's fleet came after us. His warships overtook us. He would have destroyed us, but I convinced my brother to come aboard our ship first and talk under a flag of truce. He trusted me."

"And you killed your own brother," Piper says, the horrible story all coming back to her, along with a name — an infamous name that began with the letter M.

"What?" Jason stirs. For a moment he looks almost like himself. "Killed your own—"

"No," the princess snaps. "Those stories are lies. It was my new husband and his men who killed my brother, though they couldn't have done it without my deception. They threw his body into the sea, and the pursuing fleet had to stop and search for it so they could give my brother a proper burial. This gave us time to get away. All this, I did for my husband. And he forgot our bargain. He betrayed me in the end."

Jason still looks uncomfortable. "What did he do?"

The princess holds the sliced-up toga against Jason's chest, as if measuring him for an assassination. "Don't you know the story, my boy? You of all people should. You were named for him."

"Jason," Piper said. "The original Jason. But then you're — you should be dead!"

The princess smiles. "As I said, a new life in a new country. Certainly I made mistakes. I turned my back on my own people. I was called a traitor, a thief, a liar, a murderess. But I acted out of love." She turns to the boys and gives them a pitiful look, batting her eyelashes. Piper can feel the sorcery washing over them, taking control more firmly than ever. "Wouldn't you do the same for someone you loved, my dears?"

"Oh, sure," Jason says.

"Okay," Leo adds.

But (Y/n) doesn't reply, and she sneaks a glance at Piper.

"Guys!" Piper grinds her teeth in frustration. "Don't you see who she is? Don't you —"

"Let's continue, shall we?" the princess says breezily. "I believe you wanted to talk about a price for the storm spirits – and your satyr.

Leo gets distracted on the second floor with the appliances. "No way," he exclaims. "Is that an armored forge?"

Before Piper can stop him, he hops off the escalator and runs over to a big oval oven.

When they catch up with him, the princess says, "You have good taste. This is the H-2000, designed by Hephaestus himself. Hot enough to melt Celestial bronze or Imperial gold."

Jason flinches as if he recognizes that term. "Imperial gold?"

The princess nods. "Yes, my dear. Like that weapon so cleverly concealed in your pocket. To be properly forged, Imperial gold had to be consecrated in the Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill in Rome. Quite a powerful and rare metal, but like the Roman emperors, quite volatile. Be sure never to break that blade . . ." She smiles pleasantly. "Rome was after my time, of course, but I do hear stories. And now over here — this golden throne is one of my finest luxury items. Hephaestus made it as a punishment for his mother, Hera. Sit in it and you'll be immediately trapped."

Leo apparently takes this as an order. He begins walking towards it in a trance.

"Leo, don't!" Piper warns.

Leo blinks, "How much for both?"

"Oh, the seat I could let you have for five great deeds. The forge, seven years of servitude. And for only a bit of your strength —" She leads Leo into the appliance section, giving him prices on various items.

Piper doesn't want to leave Leo alone with her, but she has to try reasoning with (Y/n). She pulls her aside and raises an arm to slap her across the face to try and wake her from the spell.

(Y/n) however, flinches violently, and Piper's heart clenches. Her expression softens, and she simply rests her hand on (Y/n)'s arm. "Hey," her tone is gentle. "You gotta snap out of it," Piper puts as much force into her words as she can without raising her voice.

The film slides from behind the daughter of Poseidon's eyes, and she focuses on Piper.

"We gotta help the boys," (Y/n) says, following Leo and Jason with her eyes.

. . .

Ridiculous," Medea says, and Piper can hear the power charged in every syllable. "(Y/n), Jason — my price is so simple. Why don't you two fight? If you get injured, or even killed, no problem. We'll just throw you into the fountain and you'll be better than ever. You do want to fight, don't you? You resent each other!"

The sorcery washes over the two demigods.

"Zeus's kids are always the stars," (Y/n) snarls. "They always get the attention."

"You're annoying, (Y/n)," Jason replies. "You never take anything seriously."

"Stop!" Piper pleads, but both draw weapons – Jason his gold sword, and (Y/n) her bronze sword.

The ancient rivalry between Zeus and Poseidon was about to be finished by their children – first it had been Percy and Thalia, and now by (Y/n) and Jason.

"Let them go, Piper," Medea urges. "I'm doing you a favor. Let it happen now, and it will make your choice so much easier. Enceladus will be pleased. You could have your father back today!"

Medea's charmspeak doesn't work on her, but the sorceress still has a persuasive voice. Her father back today? Despite her best intentions, Piper wants that. She wants her father back so much, it hurt.

"You work for Enceladus," she says.

Medea laughs. "Serve a giant? No. But we all serve the same greater cause — a patron you cannot begin to challenge. Walk away, child of Aphrodite. This does not have to be your death, too. Save yourself, and your father can go free."

(Y/n) and Jason are still facing off, ready to fight, but they look unsteady and confused — waiting for another order. Part of them had to be resisting, Piper hoped. But fighting – especially children of Poseidon and Zeus – is in their nature.

"Listen to me, girl." Medea plucks a diamond off her bracelet and throws it into a spray of water from the fountain. As it passed through the multicolored light, Medea said, "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me the office of Tristan McLean."

The mist shimmers, and Piper sees her father's study. Sitting behind his desk, talking on the phone, is her dad's assistant, Jane, in her dark business suit, her hair swirled in a tight bun.

"Hello, Jane," Medea says.

Jane hangs up the phone calmly. "How can I help you, ma'am? Hello, Piper."

"You —" Piper is so angry she can hardly talk.

"Yes, child," Medea replies. "Your father's assistant. Quite easy to manipulate. An organized mind for a mortal, but incredibly weak."

"Thank you, ma'am," Jane says.

"Don't mention it," Medea replies. "I just wanted to congratulate you, Jane. Getting Mr. McLean to leave town so suddenly, take his jet to Oakland without alerting the press or the police — well done! No one seems to know where he's gone. And telling him his daughter's life was on the line — that was a nice touch to get his cooperation."

"Nfes," Jane agrees in a bland tone, as if she is sleepwalking. "He was quite cooperative when he believed Piper was in danger."

Piper looks down at her dagger. The blade trembles in her hand. She can't use it for a weapon any better than Helen of Troy could, but it is still a looking glass, and what she sees in it is a scared girl with no chance of winning.

"I may have new orders for you, Jane," Medea says. "If the girl cooperates, it may be time for Mr. McLean to come home. Would you arrange a suitable cover story for his absence, just in case? And I imagine the poor man will need some time in a psychiatric hospital."

"Yes, ma'am. I will stand by."

The image fades, and Medea turns to Piper. "There, you see?"

"You lured my dad into a trap," Piper said. "You helped the giant —''

"Oh, please, dear. You'll work yourself into a fit! I've been preparing for this war for years, even before I was brought back to life. I'm a seer, as I said. I can tell the future as well as your little oracle. Years ago, still suffering in the Fields of Punishment, I had a vision of the seven in your so-called Great Prophecy. I saw your friend Leo here, and saw that he would be an important enemy someday. I stirred the consciousness of my patron, gave her this information, and she managed to wake just a little — just enough to visit him."

"Leo's mother," Piper realizes. "Leo, listen to this! She helped get your mother killed!"

"Uh-huh," Leo mumbles, in a daze.

"So . . . I just attack Jason? That's okay?" (Y/n) interrupts, glaring daggers at the son of Zeus.

"Perfectly safe," Medea promises. "And Jason, strike him hard. Show me you are worthy of your namesake."

"No!" Piper orders. She knows this is her last chance. "Jason, (Y/n) — she's tricking you. Put down your weapons."

The sorceress rolls her eyes. "Please, girl. "You're no match for me. I trained with my aunt, the immortal Circe. I can drive men mad or heal them with my voice. What hope do these puny young heroes have against me? Now, kill each other!"

Piper doesn't even see (Y/n) move, but the bronze sword moves so fast that Jason just barely raises his sword to block the blow.

The two metal sword clang together, locking each other in a standstill,

"Jason, Leo, (Y/n), listen to me." Piper puts all of her emotion into her voice. For years she'd been trying to control herself and not show weakness, but now she pours everything into her words — her fear, her desperation, her anger. She knows she might be signing her dad's death warrant, but she cares too much about her friends to let them hurt each other. "Medea is charming you. It's part of her magic. You are best friends. Don't fight each other. Fight her!"

They hesitate, and Piper can feel the spell shatter.

Jason blinks. "(Y/n), was I just about to stab you?"

"Something about my mother . . . ?" Leo frowns, then turns towards Medea. "You . . . you're working for Dirt Woman. You sent her to the machine shop." He reaches into his toolbelt and pulls out a hammer. "Lady, I got a three-pound hammer with your name on it."

"Bah!" Medea sneers. "I'll simply collect payment another way."

She presses one of the mosaic tiles on the floor, and the building rumbles. Jason swings his sword at Medea, but she dissolves into smoke and reappears at the base of the escalator.

"You're slow, hero!" She laughed. "Take your frustration out on my pets!"

Before Jason can go after her, the giant bronze sundials at either end of the fountain swing open. Two snarling gold beasts — flesh-and-blood winged dragons — crawl out from the pits below. Each is the size of a camper van, maybe not large compared to Festus, but large enough.

"So that's what's in the kennels," Leo says meekly.

The dragons spread their wings and hiss. Piper can feel the heat coming off their glittering skin. One turned his angry orange eyes on her.

"Don't look them in the eye!" Jason warns. "They'll paralyze you."

"Indeed!" Medea is leisurely riding the escalator up, leaning against the handrail as she watches the fun. "These two dears have been with me a long time — sun dragons, you know, gifts from my grandfather Helios. They pulled my chariot when I left Corinth, and now they will be your destruction. Ta ta!"

The dragons lunge. Leo, (Y/n), and Jason charge to intercept. Piper is amazed how fearlessly they attack — working like a team who had trained together for years.

Medea is almost to the second floor, where she'd be able to choose from a wide assortment of deadly appliances.

"Oh, no, you don't," Piper growls, and took off after her.

When Medea spots Piper, she starts climbing in earnest. She is quick for a three-thousand-year-old lady. Piper climbs at top speed, taking the steps three at a time, and still she can't catch her. Medea doesn't stop at floor two. She hops the next escalator and continues to ascend.

The potions, Piper thought. Of course that's what she would go for. She was famous for potions.

Down below, Piper hears the battle raging. Leo is blowing his safety whistle, and Jason and (Y/n) are yelling to keep the dragons' attention. Piper doesn't dare look — not while she is running with a dagger in her hand. She can just see herself tripping and stabbing herself in the nose. That would be super heroic.

She grabs a shield from an armored manikin on floor three and continues to climb. She imagines Coach Hedge yelling in her mind, just like back in gym class at Wilderness School: Move it, McLean! You call that escalator-climbing?

She reaches the top floor, breathing hard, but she is too late. Medea had reached the potions counter.

The sorceress grabs a swan-shaped vial — the blue one that caused painful death — and Piper does the only thing that comes to mind. She throws her shield.

Medea turns triumphantly just in time to get hit in the chest by a fifty-pound metal Frisbee. She stumbles backward, crashing over the counter, breaking vials and knocking down shelves. When the sorceress stands from the wreckage, her dress is stained a dozen different colors. Many of the stains are smoldering and glowing. "Fool!" Medea wails. "Do you have any idea what so many potions will do when mixed?"

"Kill you?" Piper said hopefully.

The carpet begins to steam around Medea's feet. She coughs, and her face contorts in pain — or is she faking?

Below, Leo calls, "Jason, help!"

Piper risks a quick look, and almost sobs in despair. One of the dragons has Leo pinned to the floor. It is baring its fangs, ready to snap. Jason is all the way across the room battling the other dragon, much too far away to assist.

(Y/n) vaults over the dragon's back, and stabs it in the side, pulling it's attention off Leo.

Suddenly, a loud bark shatters the sounds, and a monstrous shape bowls over the other dragon and bites off a leg.

"Good dog!" (Y/n) exclaims. Ms. O'Leary lets out another earth shattering bark, and she attacks the dragon.

"You've doomed us all!" Medea screams at Piper. Smoke is rolling across the carpet as the stain spreads, throwing sparks and setting fires in the clothing racks. "You have only seconds before this concoction consumes everything and destroys the building. There's no time —"

CRASH! The stained glass ceiling splinters in a rain of multicolored shards, and Festus the bronze dragon drops into the department store.

He hurtles into the fray, snatching up a sun dragon in each claw. Only now does Piper appreciate just how big and strong their metal friend is.

"That's my boy!" Leo yells.

Festus flies halfway up the atrium, then hurls the sun dragons into the pits they'd come from. Leo races to the fountain and pressed the marble tile, closing the sundials. They shudder as the dragons bang against them, trying to get out, but for the moment they are contained.

(Y/n) leaps onto Ms. O'Leary's back, and the dog charges up the escalator. She vaults off the dog's back, sliding over to Piper.

Medea curses in some ancient language. The whole fourth floor is on fire now. The air fills with noxious gas. Even with the roof open, Piper can feel the heat intensifying. She backs up to the edge of the railing, keeping her dagger pointed toward Medea.

"I will not be abandoned again!" The sorceress kneels and snatches up the red healing potion, which had somehow survived the crash. "You want your girlfriend's memory restored? Take me with you!"

Piper glances behind her. Leo and Jason are on board Festus's back. The bronze dragon flaps his mighty wings, snatching the two cages with the satyr and the storm spirits in his claws, and begins to ascend.

The building rumbles. Fire and the smoke curls up the walls, melting the railings, turning the air to acid.

"Let's go!" (Y/n) grabs Piper's hand, and the two jump over the side.

They plummet only for seconds, when Leo and Jason grab (Y/n)'s arm, hauling them aboard the dragon.

"What about your dog?" Piper looks around to find that the massive, mountainous dog had vanished.

The dragon soars through the broken roof and over downtown Chicago. Then the department store explodes behind them.

Word Count: 8934 words

Taglist: @camaddison​ ​​@steinfellds ​​@p-taryn-dactyl​ ​​@oculusalien​ ​​@pink-widows​ @unlikelysublimekryptonite@decadentrebelkitten@eevil-empress@anteroz​ @mag-mfm@26randomness@cair-paravel-narniaia​ @hayhaythegaygay

[your-1up-girl]

CHRIS IDK WETHER IF IM ALLOWED TO ASK THIS BUT Hera and Ven with number 12 I'd die but if it's not possible then Tifa and Aerith with 42 I FEEL SO EMBARRASSED (๑////๑)

Sammi, because I love you, I'm gonna do both. Bear with me however, as I don't know exactly how you want Hera to act and I also haven't played BBS yet so I'm going off of the little bit that Ven is in KH3 and what I see from fans and stuff. Also, I'm going to do Tifa's and Aerith's in a separate post c: Okay, more below the cut ;)

Prompt 12: Pushing a strand of hair behind their ear

On the warm yet cool beach of Destiny Islands, Hera sat with Ventus near the water's edge so the ebbing and flowing of the waves barely brushed against their feet. There was a large and long celebration where everyone gathered at the Islands to finally take the time to appreciate a moment to breath. There was a small emotional reunion when Hera was once again restored after being in Sora's heart for so long. As one of the last people he was able to save, Aqua and Terra were more than grateful to finally have her back. Ventus however was the most excited to have Hera again. After seeing her blue eyes lifeless for so long due to not having a heart, getting to once more have that vivid color return made him thankful he got to have a second chance with her.

So now, back at the beach. The others have long returned to the main island taking the boats to stay the night in this tropical paradise. Hera and Ven stayed to enjoy the sunset with only the waves filling the silence.

"You know, it's really good to have you back." Ventus wasn't one to be so nervous but Hera was just so important to her, he didn't want to mess anything up.

"Oh? Where did I go Ven?" She jested back to him and poked his side.

"You know what I mean. When we were inside Sora's heart, you didn't...you weren't yourself." Ven dug his fingers slightly in the sand. He didn't want to remember the void that Hera once was but he couldn't help it. "You didn't smile, your eyes were gray. It's like I was talking to someone who had your face but it wasn't really you. I just felt that I couldn't do anything to help you."

Hera thought about his for a moment. She scooted closer to him so that their shoulders touched and said, "I remember it all you know."

"What?"

"Everything you said to me. All the things we did. I couldn't respond or move on my own very well but the memories, they're all there." Ventus hung his head somewhat in embarrassment and somewhat in shock. "I remember how you would always take care of me and how you would take me to the dock to watch the sunset, and I remember you apologizing for what happened to me." When Hera saw Ventus still had his head low, she sighed with furrowed brows and gently bumped his shoulder to get his attention. "I never blamed you Ventus. I lost my heart yes but, it was never your fault."

"But I-"

"Hey," She said in a much cheerier voice to hopefully lighten the mood. His bangs somehow thought this was the best opportunity to block him from her view. So, she gently tucked some of his hair out of his face and let some of it catch behind his ear. Her hand didn't leave his cheek after the action was finished and to ensure that the warmth would stay, Ventus placed his own hand on hers. His eyes closed and he leaned further into her touch.

Hera continued, "You didn't leave me, not once. That's more than I could have asked for." Ventus smiled and let out a sigh that he didn't know he was holding. The two sat there for the rest of the afternoon. Even after Hera's hand left his cheek, it still remained intertwined in his. An entire picture perfect view of the ocean and warm colored sunset but they didn't care about the location. They had each other.

And that's all that mattered.