SANITY; heroes of olympus

06.1

[act six; chapter 1     -     guide me in the dark]

Just as Hades had promised, Andromeda Storm appeared in the infirmary of Camp Half-Blood twelve hours later. Injuries and memories intact, she was covered in bruises and deep cuts and wounds that would take weeks, maybe months to heal. And some that never would.

The crew of the Argo II were all there waiting for her, waiting for the moment she came back to them. To their surprise, her return was not exactly as they thought. She had not just simply appeared or been brought back by one of Hades' people.

No, she had been brought back by Death himself.

Thanatos set her down carefully on one of the beds, his hand smoothing her hair back. She was covered in blood and dirt, mud and sweat, and her hair was hardly its natural colour. It was as if her body had been preserved. The god leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead and said, "To a long, fulfilled life, Aristos Achaion. When it is truly your time, you will be welcomed back to Elysium with the honour and pride of a god."

And then Death turned—turned and smiled at Adonis Storm, a strange look in his eye, as if he knew something he didn't, and walked away into a wall of shadow.

Together, Annabeth, Eden, Jason, Zara, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Donnie, and Percy waited, anxious for the moment that her amethyst eyes greeted them.

It would be hours later, just as the sun breached the sky, that her eyes did open. Her head fell to the side on her pillow and a smile graced her face. She looked between her friends—family—and muttered, "Why do you all look like you saw a ghost?"

Donnie couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. As wild laughter fell from his lips, he clutched his stomach, a snort falling from him. It surged fits of laughter from all of them, even little choked ones from Andromeda. She grinned at them all, and when their laughter died down a minute later, she whispered, "It's so quiet."