Hi guys! Gosh, it's been forever since I've updated anything, hasn't it? Anyways, I started this Reyna thing a while ago, when I was thinking about getting a fanfiction account and actually writing some, and here's what I have so far. Hope you like it!
Reyna sat on the roof, feet dangling over the edge. Despite what most people thought, she did have a rebellious streak. Most demigods did. Even the ones who happened to be praetors. She tipped her chin up and drank in the stars. She took a deep breath and the scent of wood burning made a small smile curve her lips. It was bonfire night, a tradition the Greeks had brought over. But it was generally an activity for couples. Reyna didn't belong.
Her heart ached as she recalled the goddess's words. You will not find love where you wish or hope. No demigod shall heal your heart. But the wound was old now. Like a slap at first, now leaving an ugly bruise. It didn't seem to be going away.
Reyna remembered Piper's words, too. But they were no longer so soothing. It was a dull pain. Just there. Existing. Piper had tried, but she had found love with Jason, and no matter how kind her intentions were, it was Reyna's problem, not hers.
Reyna shook her head slightly, squeezing her eyes shut. She hopped off the roof, landing soundlessly. She was supposed to be cheering up. She briskly walked down the path, unconsciously taking turns, twisting through the city and beyond it, until she found herself in a small secluded meadow, hidden by tall grasses and reeds.
It had been her sanctuary. Her place. When she had first come to Camp Jupiter, when she had struggled to belong, to function without Hylla, this was where she escaped. She stretched out on the grass, tucking her arms beneath her head, and soon she fell asleep.
Reyna stood in a department store, gazing at endless aisles of dresses. There was a rustling behind her, and she twisted backwards, sword at the ready. "Who's there?" she called, voice echoing off the high ceiling and tall walls.
A beautiful woman stepped out from between the racks. "Why, darling, it's me. Aphrodite." Her voice was musical. Her appearance shifted, each face more breathtaking than the last. Reyna had to fight the urge to strangle her.
"Aphrodite," she growled. "You tell me what—exactly—what you meant. Now!" Her voice rang.
Aphrodite merely laughed. "Such spirit! Yes, well, no point in waiting, I suppose. You'll never find love with a demigod, but rather, someone else…Actually…Hmm. Yes, good. Good! Well, dear, must be off." And she disappeared in a shower of confetti, some of which landed in Reyna's hair.
"Aughh!" Reyna was so mad, she could just kill that goddess! But suddenly, she had the sensation of being pulled away. The mall disappeared and Reyna woke up.
But she wasn't in her meadow. It was early morning. Reyna was lying on the hard, cold, and quite uncomfortable sidewalk. Scrambling to her feet, she scanned the landscape for any noticeable landmarks. All she found was a dusty sign that read: Timbuktu, Kansas, pop. 63. Home to the world's largest lint ball!
"Malediceret vobis, Venus! Now I'm stuck here in Timbuktu. What do I do?" Reyna realized she had just said a rhyme and continued cursing. "Gratias multus, dea amoris! Insanitis!"
*Translation to Reyna's cursing: "Curse you, Venus! Now I'm stuck here in Timbuktu. What do I do?" "Thanks a lot, goddess of love! You are crazy!"
Reyna didn't actually care that she probably shouldn't call a goddess crazy. It was her own fault, for dumping her here; leaving her—Her ranting was interrupted by a voice.
"Hey," it said. 'It' being the voice of a bemused-looking guy. He wore scruffy jeans and a T-shirt that read, Keep Calm and Drink Some Coffee. Then in smaller print, it said, House of Coffee, Manhattan, New York. His dark hair was swept over his kind-looking brown eyes. "Are you okay?"
Reyna was shocked. "Wait, you're asking me if I am okay. Didn't I just appear out of nowhere and start cursing in a foreign language? Why haven't you put your psychiatrist on speed dial?"
He laughed. "Dude, things like this have been happening to me my whole life. Once I saw this teenager jump off the Saint Louis Arch after fighting some sort of flaming, spear-throwing, gigantic Chihuahua, then walk out of the water perfectly dry. Trust me. I've had worse. And as for the foreign language thing, I also can speak Latin fluently. I still don't get why you happened to be cursing the goddess of love, though. You should be thanking her, meeting a guy like me, right?" He struck a ridiculous pose, and despite herself, Reyna laughed.
Then her brain caught up with her. "Wait—guy—Saint Louis—giant Chihuahua—perfectly dry—hey, Annabeth told me something like—oh, it must have been Percy. And Latin—" she looked the guy up and down "well, you must be a mortal who can see through the Mist. And as for Venus, of course I'm cursing her. I mean, not because of you, it's just, I'm praetor. I can't randomly disappear like that, people will wonder what happened."
"You know the guy who jumped off the Arch?" He seemed impressed.
"Yeah, he's a demigod son of Poseidon," she said, then clamped her hands over her mouth. "Oh— Eímai énas i̱líthios! Ti i̱líthio láthos! Tó̱ra xérei, den boró̱ Na páo̱ píso̱ kai Na tous po̱! Eímai praítora, den páo̱ gýro̱ kánei ta prágmata ópo̱s af̱tó! Eímai énas i̱líthios! Katára stóma mou! Aughh, Afrodíti̱! Vrízeis! Vrízeis! Pó̱s bóreses? Katastrépsei ti̱ zo̱í̱ mou , tóte , kai na katastrépsei ti̱n kariéra mou, enó̱ eíste se af̱tó . Dýo pouliá me mia pétra, skeftí̱kate! Loipón, egó̱ den tha thései ypopsi̱fióti̱ta gia af̱tó! O̱, # $ %! kai eíste akóma edó̱ ! Ti káneis? Eímai san kápoio eídos tou freak show sas? Vrízeis! AUGH! Cheiróteri̱. I̱méra. Apó. Mou. Zo̱í̱. Oh—" Here she broke off, apparently remembering that the man was still standing there. He was taking the whole ordeal very calmly.
"No," he said.
"No what?" Reyna asked, caught off guard.
"No, I don't think you're some sort of freak show."
"How did you know what I was—oh wait, let me guess, you can speak Greek too?"
"Yep."
Reyna groaned.
*Translation to Reyna's Greek: I am such an idiot! What a stupid mistake! Now he knows, I can't go back and tell them! I'm praetor; I don't go around doing things like this! I am such an idiot! Curse my mouth! Aughh, Venus! Curse you! Curse you! How could you? Ruin my life, then, and ruin my career while you're at it. Two birds with one stone, you thought! Well, I won't stand for it! Oh, # $%! And you're still here! What are you doing? Am I like some sort of freak show to you? Curse you! AUGH! Worst. Day. Of. My. Life. Oh—
"Oh," the guy said. He seemed mildly surprised. "My name is Kinley Yelnik. Please do not ask if Holes was inspired by me. I've never been near any green lakes. And Sweet Feet Clyde what's-his-name is not a real person."
"What?" Reyna asked. That was the single most confusing sentence she had ever heard in her life. I've never been near any green lakes. It was worse than A teenage guy jumped off the Saint Louis Arch while fighting a giant, flaming, spear-throwing Chihuahua.
"Do you know who Louis Sachar is?" Kinley asked curiously.
"Louis Cracker? Who names their kid after a snack food?"
Kinley burst out laughing. He laughed so hard tears leaked from his eyes. Nobody stared, because nobody was there to stare.
Reyna rolled her eyes. "Okay," she muttered to herself, feeling suddenly resentful. "I'll just go find someone who can help me, then."
Kinley stopped laughing and gasped for breath, wiping his eyes. "No-wait, hold on...I can-I can..." he gasped and huffed some more. "I can help!"
Cool! This is actually really long, for me. Hope you liked it!