Hello! this is the one-shot requested by meadow-music. She wanted it to be about either Octavian or Alabaster, no romances, family adventure, stuff like that.

I didn't want to choose between the characters, so I did both. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Alabaster, who belongs to Haley Riordan, or Octavian who belongs to Rick Riordan.

Alabaster was cold, he was hungry, but he was also very happy. Lou Ellen was showing him what Hecate had taught her that night, and all he could think was how she seemed to brighten the night around her.

They might be surrounded by hundreds of monsters, but Lou Ellen's eyes were sparkling.

So despite the fact that he was injured, and his mother wasn't allowed to speak with him lest they plan a rebellion against Kronos, he was happy, because his sister was happy.

Octavian smiled at Jason, but the son of Jupiter wasn't looking at him. Instead he was chatting animatedly to Gwen, who laughed and ruffled his hair.

Octavian's smile faded and died as he realized that no one cared that he and Jason had been partners in the project. Jason must have done more work, Jason must have made the project so wonderful.

The Centurions only cared about Jason.

Octavian shrunk in his seat, and decided not to say anything. At least he would get an A.

Alabaster carried Mia's cold body towards the long line of the dead. It had been a horrible day. The fighting had gotten so bad that he'd finally pulled everyone out of it.

Sure he would pay for it later, but if it kept his siblings alive longer, he didn't care.

Octavian helped Emily down the stairs, smiling at her. His little sister was still recovering from her latest seizure, and it was the first time she'd been outside in a week and a half.

"The sun is so pretty Tavi, and the sky is blue! I'm glad Zeus didn't choose today to be rainy like he did yesterday." Emily said cheerfully, using the nickname that only she knew about.

Looking at her pale face and shaking hands, so opposed to the big smile on his sister's face, Octavian wished he could be glad too.

Alabaster glanced around furtively, and snuck past the sleepy looking Hyperborean giant who was supposed to be guarding the camp. He'd snuck out to get some food and water for the younger Hecate kids, as well as visiting his Dad's grave. It wasn't very often that Kronos brought his army near Alabaster's hometown, so he had to take whatever chance he got.

As he and Lou Ellen passed out the food and water bottles, Alabaster couldn't help but feel relieved that he hadn't been caught.

The last kid who'd been caught sneaking back into camp had been given to the Cyclopes after being accused of spying for the other side.

Octavian stood next to his weeping mother, staring into the distance as the small casket was lowered into the ground. Emily was gone.

Octavian had missed three days of school, but no one noticed, not even the teachers. Apparently there was a new girl, who'd wandered into camp the day Emily died, so no one cared that a Legacy had died, no one cared the Octavian was hurt.

And when Octavian saw the new girl, he couldn't blame them. They had just started weapons training, and this girl was already the best of them. She looked sad and angry, and even when Jason Grace tried to talk to her, compliment her, she snapped at him.

But still everyone cared more for her than they did for Octavian, or for Emily.

Alabaster couldn't help the tears streaming down his face. Four children of Hecate dead. And for a useless battle. They didn't need those ships! Little Sara had been nine years old, and Kronos till didn't mind sending her into battle!

Did the gods know that Alabaster and his siblings were only fighting them because their mother visited them every night, and they felt loyal to her?

Did they know that Alabaster would give anything for his mother to be on their side, to be honored, so that he wouldn't have to fight on the losing side?

If they did know, they obviously didn't care.

Octavian cursed as he read the signs. Reyna and Jason were going to have to go on a quest. That wouldn't help his standing at all, especially if they didn't survive. Then of course someone would accuse him of having sent them to their deaths.

His last few prophecies had been horrible, the first predicting the death of a Praetor, then one saying that the camp would be under attack, followed by the prediction that someone was a traitor.

So, needless to say his non existent popularity had dropped even more. Octavian glanced over the signs again and sighed. Here it goes again.

"Thank you for talking to them." Alabaster said quietly, looking at his mother. She looked worn and exhausted, and her magical aura seemed to be flickering.

"They are my children," Hecate said, slightly defensive. "Kronos is not going to stop me from talking to them as they die. They should know that someone in this world loves them."

Alabaster nodded, looking at the long row of bodies, covered in shrouds. Seven years. It had been seven years since he and a much younger Lou Ellen staggered into the camp, leading a bunch of ragged children of Hecate. That was before Kronos had risen, before Luke had left Camp Half-blood for good. So much had changed since then, and none of it was for the better.

Octavian sighed as he entered his tent. He was no longer the Augur, and it was doubtful that he would be allowed to remain in Camp Jupiter when they got back, but for now he was allowed peace.

He wasn't sure when he had started to hate Jason, or Reyna, or anyone, all he knew was that he wouldn't have hated them if they hadn't hated him for all his life. The Greek's arrival had only made it worse, Hazel and Frank murmuring in the demigod's ear, telling him, for sure, that Octavian was cruel, and heartless.

And maybe they were right. It had been almost six years since Emily's death. Six years without a heart. He had gotten news from New Rome that his mother had died peacefully in her sleep. His father had died long ago in a monster attack.

Octavian had no one.

Alabaster followed Claymore through the forest. "Are you positive the 'wonderful campsite' is this way?" He asked, cursing as he stumbled once again over a protruding root.

"Pretty sure." Claymore said, drifting along in front, and silently thanking the gods that he wasn't the one who needed to walk. "It was this way the last time I checked."

"And when was that?" Alabaster asked suspiciously.

Claymore thought for a minute. "About four years I think. It was before I died for sure." Alabaster groaned, but since he didn't have a better idea he kept walking. They'd managed to stay away from monsters for the last few months only because of Claymore's campsites, so he wasn't going to argue.

Suddenly he caught sight of firelight, and turned to glare at the ghost. "Is that your campsite?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Claymore nodded, a faint frown on his face. "No one uses it anymore as far as I knew." He closed his eyes, and then his expression cleared. "It's a demigod, or something similar."

"Something similar?" Alabaster muttered, but he crept forward, interest pulling him onward. He knew he was hoping to see Lou Ellen, or another of his siblings, no matter how unrealistic that was. Hopefully they were all safe at camp.

What he saw instead surprised him. A thin, blonde haired guy was siting by the campfire, eating something. He looked tired and sad, and his eyes seemed to reflect how Alabaster felt.

This was a guy who had been cast out, thrown away.

Alabaster stepped out of the shadows. "Do you mind if I sit down here. I was planning on making this my camp, but you were here first." He said calmly, ignoring how quickly a knife appeared in the guy's hand.

Blue eyes examined him suspiciously, before the guy gradually relaxed. "It's almost like looking in a mirror." He said quietly. "I'm Octavian, former Augur for Camp Jupiter."

"Ah." Alabaster nodded. During his time with the army of Kronos, he'd heard about Camp Jupiter, but never seen any Roman campers. He'd heard that the ones on Kronos' side were fighting their camp from within. "I am Alabaster, son of Hecate, former warrior in the army of the Titan Kronos, and outcast of the camps."

Octavian relaxed fully. "I see. Then we are both outcasts."

"Yes."

Alabaster and Octavian talked late into the night, telling each other all of the reasons they'd both done what they did, and realizing that the more they thought of it, the more it was true. They were looking through a two way mirror . . .

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