Vis-à-vis
Face To Face:
Katie Garnder's constant companion is the mirror. Face to face with herself in the mirror, Katie had to wonder: what it was on her face that made her mother hate her? It isn't necessarily true that her mother, Demeter the goddess of agriculture hates her but it was just something Katie automatically assume when, by her third year in Camp Half-Blood (age thirteen) that her mother didn't claim her—while the other demigods around her age were usually claimed; Olympian deity or not.
Everyone knew when they saw her control the vines around the grapes that she is a daughter of Demeter. She couldn't move in with her half-siblings because Demeter didn't claim her.
Katie had always wondered as she gaze into the mirror what Travis saw in someone like her. The son of Hermes never said it out loud, but she always had the feeling. A daughter of Aphrodite—Drew Tanaka—was the first to caught on and the older demigod laughed at Katie; the message is clear: Someone would like her?
So face to face with herself it was. Katie always stare at the mirror—her friend jokingly says that she must be a child of Aphrodite with that attitude of staring at the mirror—trying to see what is so unworthy of her.
Years passes, Travis still picks on her and Miranda Gardner—a daughter of Demeter as well and Katie's best friend—says it is his way of showing his love for her.
Katie merely smiles when this statement is made. It is her mask, a mask that only falls when she is face to face with herself in the mirror. But now, as the Titan War draws closer—Percy is the hero, he is in the Labyrinth trying to save Camp and Katie is being useless, letting the younger demigods deal with their enemies—she has to wonder again.
Percy intrigues her and Katie has to admit that she is falling for him more and more every time he smiles her way, talks to her or simply pats her shoulder as he passes in greeting.
But she knows he'd never love her because he has Annabeth. A daughter of Athena and much more capable than Katie.
During the siege on Camp Half-Blood, Katie wonders again, what is she doing?
Defending Camp, your home, of course, her mind answers her because she doesn't voice the question and even if she did, no one will be able to hear her through the chaos. Home? She echoes suspiciously. Her memory of home isn't one of strawberries, pegasus and mythological beings but of a man with a stern but kindly face. Home burned down along with her father years ago.
"K—Katie...why?"
The daughter of Demeter pulls her sword out of the gut of a Camper and turns to face Silena Beauregard.
"I know you," Katie says simply, coldly. "you're the spy for Kronos. I saw the mark of Kronos but never said anything."
"Why?" Silena whispers.
"Because I'm changing sides."
PxK
The Second Titan War is on them before they know it.
Katie is in the army, constantly fighting and killing. Even on her old allies and companions and family, she doesn't show any mercy, slaughtering mindlessly among the demigods.
Her resolve to tear Olympus brick by brick as Luke promises, wavers a little when she sees Percy, the son of Poseidon whirling through their ranks, killing the monsters and injuring the demigods. But never killing.
Katie studies him and later, much later, she finds herself knocking out demigods too.
She doesn't kill them.
PxK
Katie hasn't look into a mirror for a long, long time now.
She doesn't need a mirror however, to look into her reflection. She stars at the puddle that had been left behind by the rain. In her hand is a picture frame: of a boy with windswept black hair and sea-green eyes and beside him is a taller and older girl with hair of the paddy fields and eyes of the earth. Both are smiling happily.
And when people look into the picture, they will see Percy Jackson with another girl. That girl is Katie Gardner but no one is able to tell with the current holder a girl with hardened eyes as dark as nightmares and lips that has lost the ability to smile.
PxK
The demigods are losing and Percy is hurting.
Seeing his face, Katie finds herself going back to Camp. Peleus, the dragon that guards Thalia's tree bristles when he sees her. finding her and enemy he breathes fire. Katie rolls out of the way, vines lash out, trapping the dragon against the tree.
Katie doesn't want to meet Argus so she sneaks carefully around. She finds the Ares Cabin, hears their grumbles and knows she is now doing them a favor. She waits and waits patiently for Clarisse and her boyfriend to leave on patrol before she dons Clarisse's armor, successfully covering her face from Clarisse's siblings.
She lets out a battle cry as she charges the drakon futilely, knowing only a child of Ares will be able to kill it.
It is a loosing battle but it is worth it.
The shocked looks as they gaze at her fallen, mutilated form. A pair of eyes like the sea hovers above her, blinking tears away from those crystal eyes but the owner doesn't do anything and she knows and he knows it too: no amount of ambrosia or nectar will save.
"I love you..." Katie draws in a deep breath before she releases it, feeling the numb and cold sensation eating away at her.
And up, up her head comes Percy's answer as to is the Olympians thinking or watching their children. Green dots above Katie's head connects with one another, forming a cornucopia: the sign of Demeter.
Katie smiles.
This is happiness; her mother has finally acknowledge her and the boy she loves is here.
The two whispers are unheard as they return her feelings.
PxK