War Mantle (Dancing with Death part 3)

"What Happened Down There, Should Stay Down There."

The next couple days were... difficult. Everyone wanted to know what had happened in the Dream Realm and neither Ali nor Tyler were ready to talk about it. What had happened down there, with Epialtes, it was... beyond description. No one should have to go through it. Reliving every fear, every regret, every mistake of your life is a fate worse than death.

Ali and Tyler sat alone at the unmarked table during breakfast. Chiron has managed to disperse the crowds, but they would quickly reform after he left.

Annabeth walked over from the hearth and sat down across from them. Percy did the same.

"How are you guys holding up?" Percy asked, stabbing a piece of sausage with his fork. "I know it's a lot."

Ali took a deep breath. "It's not the campers. They don't bother me. They never have."

Tyler reached for her hand under the table and gave it a quick squeeze. "What happened down there," he drew a long breath, tightening his grip on Ali. "Should stay down there."

Annabeth reached across the table and placed her hand on Ali's shaking fist. "We get it." She glanced back at Percy. "Some things are just too horrible to share."

Ali nodded. "True, but... you were willing to at least tell us something, so... you deserve the same." She looked at Tyler for confirmation.

He gave a quick almost imperceptible nod.

Ali took a shaking breath and faced Annabeth and Percy. "When we were down there," she tightened her grip on Tyler's hand. "we faced Epialtes - the spirit of Nightmares."

Tyler stared intently at the tabletop. "Words can't describe some of the things we saw."

Percy nodded. "We understand that too." His eyes flashed with fear and pain as he recalled his time in Tartarus.

Annabeth grabbed his hand and locked eyes with her boyfriend.

Ali's chest tightened. "Well, if I need someone to talk to, I'll know where to go." She stood from her seat.

Tyler still held her hand. "Where are you going?" There was a hint of panic in his eyes, as if he feared, if he let her out of his sight, he'd never see her again.

She pulled her hand out of his. "I just need some air." She stepped over the bench and walked out of the pavilion, the other campers watching her leave.
* * *
Ali followed a colorful shimmer of light through the trees to where she found Owen standing in a tiny clearing, hands poised in front of him, swirling colorful mist curling around his fingers.

"Owen?" Her voice broke his concentration and the colors faded. "I thought you were at breakfast."

He turned to face her, blushing from embarrassment. "I... wasn't all that hungry." He twisted the ball of his foot in the loose dirt. "I was worried about you. The way you rushed to your cabin the first night you got back..."

Ali stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder. "I was just in shock. I didn't expect to appear in the middle of supper, literally."

He met her gaze. "But there's still something wrong, isn't there."

Ali sighed. "Isn't there always." She hung her head. "Owen... I haven't told anyone else this so..."

"I can keep a secret." He assured her.

She exhaled heavily. "I... I think I have to leave again."

"Ali!" He pulled away. "Have you already forgotten what I told you?! You belong here!"

"I know." She grabbed his shoulders. "I didn't forget. And you're right. I will always have a home here." She couldn't hold his gaze. "But I'll never belong anywhere. I'm a hunter. I can't stay in one place for long."

"So that's it?" He fought back angry tears. "You're just gonna drop everything and leave... again?"

"I'm sorry." She released him. "I promise I'll come back, but there's things out there for me - answers I need to find." She crossed her arms, hugging herself. "I can't stay."

He took a step away from her. "You just got back. What about your sisters? Your friends? I thought we were your family."

Ali rushed forward and hugged him. "You are. You always will be." She pulled back and stared into his brown-black eyes. "I will always come back to this place - to you. You won't lose me. I swear on the River Styx. I'll always come back."

He met her gaze, tears threatening to spill over. "But you won't stay."

She shook her head. "Call it a curse. I can't settle down."

He lurched forward and wrapped her in a tight hug, squeezing the air out of her lungs. "I'm gonna miss you."

Ali returned the embrace, holding him just as tightly. "I'll miss you too. So much." She pulled back and wiped the tears from her face. "Now I just gotta tell Tyler and the others."

Owen chuckled, blinking back his own tears. "Yeah. Good luck with that."
* * *
"No!" Meg dropped from her top bunk over Ali's bed. "You're not leaving us again."

"Meg, I have to." Ali tried.

"No! You don't!" The 12-year-old Daughter of Artemis crossed her arms and glared at her sister. "You can stay. You can be content." She turned away as if she didn't want Ali to see her tears. "What you can't do is leave me here alone."

Ali approached her sister. "I'm not." She knelt to be on eye level with Meg. "You'll have Lydia and Lyra, Aubrey and Thomas, Annabeth and Percy, and Owen." She squeezed her sister's shoulders. "You have so many people here who care about you. Don't push them away, or someday you won't be able to see they're there."

Meg finally met Ali's gaze, tears stinging her eyes. "But I don't want all of them. I want my sister - I want you."

Ali pulled her into a hug. "I know. Trust me I don't want to leave you," She pulled away. "but I don't want to drag you into this either." She brushed stray hairs behind her sisters ear. "You deserve a break; you deserve some peace; you deserve a home."

Meg bit her bottom lip as she held Ali's gaze, tears still threatening to spill over.

Ali sighed. Meg had been forced to grow up so fast. She'd never gotten a real childhood. She'd never learned to be vulnerable - never had the chance to be a kid. She opened her arms, inviting Meg into her arms.

Meg crumpled into her sister's embrace, finally relinquishing her tears. When she'd calmed down enough to speak, Meg pulled away and met Ali's gaze with puffy eyes. "It's okay. You can go."

A/N
Yay! Another chapter!
We're getting SO close to the end. I can't. I'm gonna cry. 🥺
*takes deep breath*
Okay. I'm okay now.
Hope you guys enjoyed it.
-Cheshire