Piper thought that if you were to say that the crew was in shock of what had happened, it would be a little bit of an understatement… of epic proportions. Percy and Annabeth had fallen into Tartarus. Tartarus. Hell. The infinite black hole straight into the most dark and sunken place in the world, mortal and immortal. To think that after being separated for six months, that they would have fallen into Tartarus together seemed like the ending of some Greek tragedy.
And maybe it was. But desperately Piper hoped it wasn't. They didn't deserve that. They obviously had been through more than any person ever should be in their lives. Piper decided that she was going to only let herself believe that they would be okay. After all, they had been through a lot of things. They could make it out of Tartarus. Right?
Piper had been sitting in the mess hall on the Argo II, half-sitting half-laying on a bench, whilst staring out at one of the charmed windows that showed real-time footage of Camp Half-Blood. She was dreading the moment they would have to face the campers. Although Camp Half-Blood already felt like a second home to her, she knew that it had been Percy and Annabeth's actual home for years. They knew practically everyone at camp, and they were kind of the ones everyone looked up to. They were the leaders.
And they were in Tartarus.
She didn't really know what to expect when they got to camp. How would the campers react? Obviously, they had already gotten wind of what had happened, but how would they react to the others returning without the camp's beloved leaders? And not that the rest of the crew was to be shunned or something like that; Piper was more afraid that the other campers, would indirectly blame them for what had happened, although she knew it wasn't. But she couldn't have helped feeling guilty. She could've done something, anything. But it was too late now.
Piper vaguely saw Leo in her peripheral vision. He leaned against the door frame, and was twiddling something around in his hands. He cleared his throat.
"We're going to be landing soon." He said. "Just giving you a heads up."
"Thanks", Piper sighed. She pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. "Are you feeling as crappy as I am?" She asked Leo.
Leo heaved a long sigh. "Pretty much. I can't help feeling like this is all my fault." He said, taking a seat next to Piper. "I could have dropped down a rope, or even a net, or a hook or something.." He muttered, looking at the ceiling.
"You aren't the only one." Piper murmured, looking at her feet. "What if they hate us when we get there?"
"They aren't going to hate you." Someone said, in an unusually unobnoxious voice. Piper and Leo turned around and saw Coach Hedge walking into the mess hall. "You're demigods. You fight for what's right. And sometimes you lose people in the process. I've seen lots of great warriors fall." He sighed, a melancholy tone to his voice, as if he was recalling old memories. "But enough of that sissy business. Get ready to land this ship, cupcakes." He said, swiftly turning on his heel, and karate chopping the air as he walked off.
"Yeah, I should probably get on that." Leo said, getting up. Piper stood up with him, and they both walked out of the door, but walked in different directions. Piper decided she was going to look for Jason, and Leo headed to the bow of the ship to continue the landing process.
Piper found Jason, Frank, Nico and Hazel all resting their elbows on the side of the ship, watching the landscapes swiftly pass them as they neared their destination.
Hazel turned around, "Hey Piper." She said quietly.
"Hey." Piper said equally soft. Half-blood Hill was starting to become visible now; she could almost see the Golden Fleece hanging on Thalia's tree. None of them really said anything; they all just stood quietly in each other's presence.
They could all feel the air underneath the boat become a little rough and they felt the boat shake as they landed on the top of Half-Blood Hill. A couple of campers streamed out over the hill and met them. Chiron was in horse form, standing among them.
Leo lowered a ladder for them to exit the Argo II. One by one they hopped off and faced the now crowd of campers standing in front of them.
"We're glad you all have arrived safely." Chiron spoke up, a twinge of sadness in his voice.
The silence among everyone was enough to give Piper goose bumps. She could feel her throat closing up as she tried to speak. "I'm so sorry." Is all that she could manage as she looked at the campers.
A guy with brown hair and a face that screamed trouble maker looked up. Piper thought he was one of the Stoll brothers. "You guys, it's Percy and Annabeth. If anybody could make it out of Tartarus, we all know it's them. Percy once fought Kronos in hand to hand combat, and kicked his ass! That dude was the baddest thing to ever make it out of Tartarus! And Percy gave it to him!"
"Yeah, he's right. They're going to be fine. Well, at least Annabeth will be fine, and she'll keep that kelp brain in line." Said a buff looking girl with stringy brown-blonde hair, Clarisse La Rue.
Multiple campers interjected similar comments, how Percy and Annabeth were amazing fighters and knew how to work together and get out of a mess because they'd already done it so many times, or how that even if they got in trouble, Annabeth had the brains to get them out of it.
"Annabeth's a strategist, and honestly the quickest thinking Athena camper this camp has ever seen. If she was able to find the Mark of Athena, a task that no other child of Athena was ever been able to do, she'll make it out." A guy from the Athena cabin, Malcolm, said. "She tricked Arachnea. You all do realize that the term arachnophobia was basically created for the children of Athena, right?" He said.
Chiron cleared his voice, loud enough to get everyone's attention. "I think that it is clear that Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase are more than competent enough to figure a way out of the exceedingly dangerous fate that has been brought upon them." He said. "I am, however, obliged to ask all campers to proceed to their cabins for lights out." Chiron announced. "Except for you six. I would like to speak with all of you in the big house." He said, a sorrow in his eyes.
