Summary: One of earth, one of mirth, one of sharp-minded girth. Good grief, these prophecies keep getting better and better.
Rating: T for swearing and light blood
Pairing: OC/Malcolm
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson characters. I do own Alianna Marshall and Ava Collins. I do not own Laura Connors, I have the author's permission to use her. I do own this plot.
Travel to the Hesperides
And stay by Arethusa's side
Beware the sword and eye
Be not 'fraid, be not shy
...
"You're bonkers Ava, like a satyr after one of the Hunters." Ava stuck her tongue out, her blonde hair slicked back against her scalp as she and she alone swam like an absolute idiot in the lake, and I watched nice and dry from the sidelines. We weren't the only ones there though, it was Sunday so we all had a mini day off, but Ava was the only one weird enough to go for a swim in fall.
"Hey Ava, Ali! What's…oh sweet baby jesus." Pollux, son of Dionysus, palmed his face while Ava's brother Mitchell struggled to say something. I rolled my eyes and stood up, dusting off the back of my jeans.
"Not my fault, I told her she's an idiot." I said, quickly clearing myself of any responsibility. Pollux just shook his head and whistled loudly.
"Ava, you wanna come in now sweetheart? Or you gonna freeze?" I sniggered as Ava stuck her middle finger up at him before lazily making her way back to shore.
"Dude, you are so lucky she can't Charmspeak or you'd be dead for calling her that." I muttered before handing Ava her towel as she emerged, dripping and shivering, out of the lake.
"You're a dick. You know that right?" Directed at Pollux of course. The grape grower just smirked and tipped his Coke-holding hand at the daughter of Aphrodite, saluting her.
"Forever at your service." He replied. "Come on, dinner's nearly ready." He slung his arm over Mitchell's shoulder and started off, whistling jauntily. Ava scowled at his back and doubled over, flicking me with water from her hair.
"Cold water! Cold water!" I squealed and she laughed before starting to towel her hair dry.
"It generally is cold in this season Ali." Ava said, standing back up straight. I slugged her shoulder and she yelped, jumping back.
"You could have been in Ares with your punch." She pouted, rubbing her shoulder. "Come on, I wanna get changed and eat. Last day of freedom and all. Camp's gonna be so full tomorrow with the newbies and the summer kids." Ava kept chattering but I'd learnt to tune her out by now.
"Athena Cabin! Let's go!" I looked up ahead and hid a smile as Annabeth trudged out, a small line of kids following her. As usual with Athena Cabin, your eyes were drawn straight to two people. Annabeth with her bright blonde hair and knife, then Malcolm with his height.
"Hey do you reckon it's like, in an Athenian kid's genes to be tall?" Ava asked, winking at a passing Apollo kid. He tripped and turned bright red before nearly running into the dining pavilion. I snickered and shrugged, nodding at Annabeth as she passed. "I mean look at Annabeth, she's like, nearly three inches taller than Percy. And Malcolm towers over everyone 'cept Becks and Jakey." I raised an eyebrow at the name and snorted.
"Jakey? This is Jake Mason?" Ava flushed and I hooted with laughter before clapping the Aphrodite girl on the shoulder. "I'll see you at dinner Ave's. I gotta see Jakey boy." Ava groaned but made her way towards the bright pink cabin and I loped over to the pavilion. Considering the only campers here were the year round ones, and it was the last day of metaphorical freedom, Chiron let us sit anywhere. So, as per usual, I made my way straight to the Demeter table to drop a kiss off Dylan's head before taking a seat at the sparse Aphrodite one.
"Hey Ali, I heard Ava went for a swim?" Silena shivered, shaking her head, and I nodded. "I swear, sometimes I think mom was feeling a bit weird when she hooked up with Mister Collins. No offence mom, I'm saying this with love." She glanced up and smiled before turning back to the rest of the table. I chuckled and accepted a plate of roast beef and mashed potato from a dryad. Opposite me, Mitchell crinkled his nose at the meat and I stuck my tongue out at him.
"You're getting into a bad habit with that." He warned before tugging at my hair. "You're gonna wake up one day and be Ava's total twin sister." I ignored it and poked my tongue out again before shoving some mashed potatoes inside my mouth. The Aphrodite campers cringed and Silena rubbed her temples.
"Why do we put up with you again?" She asked before smirking. "Oh right, you're the only one who curbs Ava's slight…uniqueness."
"Speak of the devil." Mitchell muttered and the soft scent of oranges floated around. I swear I just heard someone from the Hephaestus table sigh, but before I could turn around, Ava's blonde hair and blue eyes popped up.
"Hey gorgeous, what did I miss?" She asked before thanking the dryad who handed her a plate. "Ooh, cheeseburger, salad and pimentos?" I blinked and Mitchell groaned as Ava sprinkled liberal amounts of red pimentos all over her burger.
"Ava, your obsession with spices, and I say this as your best friend, concerns the whole camp...and my dad." I said casually, leaning away from the table to avoid her would-be smack to my face. I continued as though nothing had happened. "And in all honesty, would it really hurt to have normal food for once?" Ava shrugged and resumed inhaling her burger whilst the pavilion fell into silence, the only sound being knives and forks clinking against plates, or cups being lowered onto the tables. Soon enough, dinner was finished, and Chiron stood up.
"If you would." He cleared his throat and we all stopped. "We have had a recent prophecy delivered to one of the campers and he is needing to take two others along with him. Malcolm, if you would?" The tall form of Malcolm Kennedy unfolded itself from the Athena table and he moved up to Chiron, who muttered something at him. Malcolm nodded and glanced back out at us, unrolling a small piece of paper.
"One with earth,
One with mirth,
Led by sharp-minded girth.
Travel to the Hesperides,
And stay by Arethusa's side.
Beware the sword and eye
Be not afraid, by not shy.
Trust the earth and keep,
By the mind at all time,
Else Arethusa will not be fine." Malcolm's voice wavered a bit towards the end before breaking off completely and he rolled the paper back up. Chiron nodded gravely and moved forward.
"As Malcolm was given the prophecy, we believe he is the sharp-minded girth. However, we still need one with earth," His eyes flicked to myself and Katie. "And one with mirth." The brown irises danced between the Hermes and Apollo table. "It's up to Malcolm to choose, but choose wisely boy. Stick to the prophecy." Malcolm nodded and Chiron clapped his shoulder before trotting off to the Big House.