𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍° ! percy jackson

𝐢.𝐱𝐱𝐢𝐢 - 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩 (𝐚)

What do you do when the quest is over? What do you do when the battle seems to be won? Aurora had so many questions left unanswered, so many things still left undone.

All those weeks ago, she woke up on June 30th, ready for a normal day. A normal summer. Her normal life. She heard there was a new kid, but it was just another new kid to her. He wasn't anything special. Looking back, Aurora would've laughed at the irony.

Little did she know.

It wasn't an ordinary summer. It was the summer of Percy Jackson, the summer where everything turned south.

Returning to Half Blood Hill was a feat not many demigods achieved since Luke. Aurora had never felt so loved before in her entire life, Gracie practically glued to her side since her return. The sisters' reunion was full of tears and kept promises and tight hugs, and Aurora loved nothing more than to see Gracie's face again and kiss her cheek.

"You came home." There was nothing but relief in Gracie Warner's voice. Aurora buried her face into the daughter of Demeter's auburn braids with a smile that was only shown towards her sister.

"I promised, didn't I?" The two teenage girls looked at each other, an unspoken oath and an unparalleled connection bonding the two sisters together. "Neither of us is leaving each other."

"That's not a hard promise to keep at all." Gracie giggled, her sky blue eyes sparkling as the weeks of sunlight reflected off her cheeks, which were freckled and a dusty red. Her nose scrunched, the peeling and burnt skin blessed by Apollo creating wrinkles on her nose bridge. After all, Demeter children didn't like to get involved with violence. 

Aurora finally learned the story of Percy and Ares' great battle, where the son of Poseidon actually wounded the god of war. She didn't believe it until she saw Annabeth's no-nonsense expression and Percy's shy but proud expression without a hint of boastfulness. She tried not to act impressed, but a short and simple embrace was warranted for his victory.

Like, what? Immature, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson caused Ares, the immortal god of brutality and murder, to draw blood in a hand-to-hand personal combat battle? Aurora couldn't believe it. She was, despite herself, in awe. Percy was much more powerful than anyone would've expected, especially not Aurora.

Even Dionysus graced them with their presence, adding to the torment Percy was facing due to the Incident. Clarisse gave him hell for that, but the two girls still exchanged flirty banter despite Percy's increased annoyance.

The Fourth of July quickly approached, the holiday celebrated as normally as Aurora imagined. She spent it with her arm linked with Connor's, playfully throwing firecrackers at each other. She couldn't feel the cold glare from the son of Poseidon as Aurora was carried on the son of Hermes' back.

Grover bid them farewell, finally allowed to search for the great god Pan. Tears sparked her eyes as she doted on Grover like an "old mama goat," as he liked to complain teasingly about, despite his secret appreciation. That goodbye was one of the hardest Aurora would have to do. Well, for now. Aurora tried to push off the thought of the fact that summer was ending and her friends were leaving.

July passed, and the summer came to an end. It wasn't like anything about Aurora's life would change, because she was staying there, well, forever. She didn't remember the last time she had left camp for longer than a day. She always relished in the simple stability of her home at Camp Half Blood. She loved that nothing changed.

That was, until it did.

Although she didn't want to admit it, the new bead on Aurora's necklace was one of her favorites: pitch black with her favorite color painting a trident shimmering in the center. It symbolized the son of Poseidon's arrival at camp, making history. But it was also a melancholy feeling, the summer session ending. Most people left for the school year, to live with their families and see their friends and be safe. And most importantly, Percy was leaving. He said he hadn't decided, but Aurora knew. Aurora knew him.