Author's Note: HAPPY TENTH CHAPTER! I FINALLY UPDATED THIS AFTER TWO MONTHS! This is my first story that has gotten to the tenth chapter and the result of me not updating in a long time is a chapter that is 8200 words and has many EPIC moments!
I feel so HIGH because exams are over a few weeks ago and THIS IS THE TENTH CHAPTER! EEP!
Okay, um, I usually reply to reviews but I got so many and I don't want to answer all the anon reviews in the A/N. So, first, I don't plan to have OCs in this story. Second, I'm too young to get married and I love being single too much. Third, I WILL reply the reviews to this chapter!
I would like to dedicate this to everyone who has ever reviewed, read, favorited, or alerted this story! With your help, this story has 196 reviews, 104 favorites, over 83 alerts, added to 3 communities, and has 24,610 views!
Disclaimer: The Mark of Athena is out and I am very sure I didn't write it!
"…go audition for The Voice and sing the song 'Barbie Girl' three times higher than the normal key!" Piper said gleefully.
"DEAL!" Octavian said happily.
Jason and Reyna exchanged a horrified look before screaming out in unison, "IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"
And then they started to impersonate fountains with their arms around each other.
Frank spewed his (normal and un-Kool Aid-ified) water on Dakota, "WHAT?! You might as well have him sing Night Queen!"
"FRANK! HOW DARE YOU RUIN MY NEW ARMANI SILK SHIRT?!" Dakota screamed furiously.
Percy frowned, exchanging an incredulous glance with his girlfriend, "You realize that it's actually just a T-shirt, right?"
Dakota glared at Percy like a cross crocodile.
Percy held up his hands, shaking his head, "Okay, okay, my bad."
Dakota grinned evilly and said with a wild glint in his eyes, "Now you have to bow down to me…and the Holy Coconut of Awesomeness!"
Percy's eye twitched a bit as he muttered nervously to Annabeth, "I thought they were over that…"
Annabeth grimaced, "Apparently not."
As if on cue, Dakota, Thalia, Reyna, Leo, Jason, and Octavian immediately chorused, "Oh, Holy Coconut, smite those who dare question thine unmatched awesomeness!"
Piper smacked her hand into her face, "I'm killing Dakota later for this."
"Oooh! Was that a face palm?" Dakota asked with incredible interest.
Gwen slapped the back of Dakota's head, "It was, you idiot!"
"Why is it called face palm?" Octavian asked with an expression of wonder…like a child who just encountered dinosaurs and have trouble believing they're extinct.
"Is it a face made of palms?" Jason asked innocently.
"Or is it a palm made of faces?" Reyna finished with the same wondrous wide eyes.
"You mean like buttersock is a sock full of butter?" Leo replied with shining eyes.
"But isn't it a butter made of socks?" Dakota frowned slightly.
"But doesn't that make a coconut a nut made of coco?" Octavian frowned.
"It's a coco made of nut!" Thalia snapped, looking up from fantasizing about Nico.
"What's a coco, anyway?" Nico responded with a shrug.
"A coco is a coconut. Duh. Even I know that!" Percy rolled his eyes.
"Is that something to be proud of?" Frank asked with raised eyebrows.
Percy shrugged, nervously watching a now very Cheshire Cat-like Thalia watching Nico quietly with an uncommonly quiet and thoughtful air.
Which could only mean something is going to happen of course.
Piper noticed Annabeth noticing Percy noticing Thalia watching Nico watching My Little Ponies Limited Super Gay Edition. (Which was weird and kind of freaky but the other channels seemed to cause Octavian to attack him and threaten to curse him an eternal life of a Barbie Doll. As weird as it sounded, Nico really wanted to avoid an eternal life of a Barbie Doll at all costs.)
Gwen said dully, "If Octavia isn't going to Truth or Dare someone, I'm leaving before I catch any of this madness."
Dakota threw his arms around Gwen tightly, dramatically sinking to his knees with doleful eyes and a very comical sob, "Please, please, please, please don't leave me here… I…I love you."
Gwen stopped immediately with a horrified expression, "What?"
"More like how…" Annabeth trailed off with a bewildered glance.
The rest of the crazy drunken people stopped worshipping the Holy Coconut to watch with eyes bigger than an owl's.
Percy is trying to decide whether he should laugh or not. For we all know how evil Gwen is…
"Why?" Gwen asked, completely flabbergasted and half-disgusted.
"What made me love thee? Let that persuade thee
there's something extraordinary in thee. I cannot: but I love thee; none but thee; and thou deservest it." Dakota recited with a look of adoration worthy of Romeo.
"That- That can't be true…" Gwen stammered, breaking away from Dakota and backing up with a terrified gulp.
"Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love." Dakota said seriously, looking like Nate from Gossip Girl, which is only one of his favorite TV shows EVER. Not that he'd say that when he's sober of course…which means everyone knows!
Gwen sighed impatiently, "Have you been watching Gossip Girl again?"
"He probably watched Romeo and Juliet or Shakespeare in Love!" Percy supplied helpfully.
Annabeth coughed, "You actually know any of these films?"
"No…" Percy said shiftily.
Gwen shook her head disbelieving me, "Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold up. You," she pointed at a suddenly lovestruck Dakota who has Gwen in his eyes, "are actually saying that you love me?"
Dakota nodded vigorously, "Hear my soul speak:
The very instant that I saw you, did
My heart fly to your service."
Gwen looked offended all the same, "Dakota, we've known each other for EIGHT WHOLE YEARS."
"Awkward." Nico sang with a grin that made Hazel frown and Thalia swoon.
"I don't think that actually matters." Hazel said resolutely, with a skeptical glance at Reyna humming her approval with a beaming smile. "I just think it's cute that it took both of you so long to realize."
"My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite." Dakota quoted earnestly at Gwen with what were raw, true feelings in his eyes.
"I think…he really means it." Annabeth said with a pointed look at Gwen.
Piper nodded as well, "I agree as well. I'm a daughter of Aphrodite so I would know…"
Gwen shook her head. "He's drunk. On Kool Aid. Like he always is."
"He's trying to quit, you know…I mean, he told me it was for you!" Frank burst out, looking embarrassed.
"All days are nights to see till I see thee,
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me." Dakota recited suddenly, taking Gwen's hand in his.
"I…I…" Gwen didn't pull away. She didn't know why. She just couldn't.
The sane spectators gasped and held their breaths as Dakota moved closer to Gwen…
BUT… "HEY! We found NARNIA!" Thalia screamed happily, a reluctant Nico following from the door.
"NARNIA? WHERE?!" Dakota dropped Gwen's hands like hot coal and looked around widely with a madman's grin.
"Wait, when did you leave?" Frank asked with a confused look.
Reyna didn't hesitate to jump in quickly, "Actually, ever since Dakota started to go all Romeo and the Holy Coconut of Awesomeness demanded us to go on a quest for the Holy Grape of Camels' Lot or something. It told us to go to the Cullen Fairies for help ("It was HORRIBLE!" Thalia seconded with a shudder.) And they told us to go to Narnia first and so we sent out Thalia because she said Nico knew where it was! ("I did NOT!" Nico protested in vain, no one was listening.) Then Jason and Leo started to-"
"That's enough, thanks!" Annabeth interrupted, rounding on Nico and Thalia, "WHERE is Narnia exactly, Nico?"
"In an imaginary world…" Nico gulped, looking terrified.
"Then where exactly did you take Thalia?" Piper asked menacingly with honey sweet charmspeak.
"To Narnia, of course!" Nico spilled out automatically before slapping himself for saying it.
"Argh! This is hopeless! Nico, if you don't tell us, I'm telling Dad to disown you!" Hazel crossed her arms and glared at Nico, who responded by shaking his head with somewhat of a smirk.
"Technically, your dad is Pluto, not Hades. So how exactly do you plan on disowning me?"
Hazel opened her mouth then closed with an annoyed look, "Okay, I don't know how but I WILL find a way and there is nothing you can do about it! MWAHAHAHAHA!"
"Nine for the evil persistence and ten out of ten for the evil laugh!" Gwen high-fived Hazel and grinned, "Spoken like a true evil female of Fifth Cohort."
Frank gulped, "Please don't tell me that it's an organization."
"It's an organization!" Leo said all too brightly.
"The POINT is, what is this 'Narnia' they speak of?" Annabeth empathized with a pointed glare at an innocently whistling Nico.
"There were fairy lights! And nymphs dancing! And there were talking mice! And then Leo's bro gave me a coupon!" Thalia grinned widely, holding up a shiny piece of paper that oddly looked like a train ticket…
"Wait, NO!" Nico made a grab for it the same time Annabeth lunged at the piece of paper.
Reyna and Jason were perfectly content munching on chocolate-flavored popcorn as they watched the scene as if it was in slow motion like in a movie.
Annabeth tossed the paper to Piper ("TOUCHDOWN! WHOOO!") and shoved Nico out of the way, safely into Thalia's arms.
"Hey…why does it say Platform 9 3/4?" Piper looked up, stifling a laugh while completely serious.
"We're going to Hogwarts, right?" Leo jumped up with a grin that is so wide, it's practically humanly impossible.
"WHAT?!"
Nico has never looked so red in his life.
Except for maybe when Thalia had to give him an 'auntie kiss'.
"HEY! How did you know how to go to Hogwarts AND Narnia without even telling us?! It's so not FAIR!" Jason protested tearfully, clutching what he thought to be the bag of popcorns. (Really, it was Reyna's hand. But Reyna, being the drunk crazy Reyna, doesn't have clear enough a head to judo throw Jason all the way to the planet Pluto.)
"There, there, Cindy. Your prince will come someday." Reyna comforted, trying to wriggle out her other hand (the one that wasn't patting Jason on the back soothingly) out of Jason's clutches.
"But- But I don't want a prince to come! I want my letter for Hogwarts!" Jason then proceeded to sob tragically into Reyna's shoulder.
Gwen, being the head of EGO (Evil Girls' Organization), snapped a few discreet pictures before Dakota came around and it was her cue to peace out ninja demigod style (PONDS).
"Hey! I know one way you can go to Hogwarts…" The glint in Leo's eyes made Piper rightfully worried.
"What?" Jason looked up hopefully, still holding onto Reyna for dear life.
"You can get Piper to kiss me! THEN I'll tell you!" Leo grinned, very much satisfied with himself.
"If you DARE di that…I will make sure you get into Slytherin!" Piper scowled menacingly, at both Leo and Jason.
"But I don't wanna be in Slytherin!" Jason whined pitifully.
"If you don't make Piper kiss me than you're DESTINED to be in Slytherin!" Leo shouted with narrowed eyes at Piper.
"NOOOOOOO!" Jason wailed and fled towards the Emo Corner.
"Spill, Nico. What is Narnia?"
"A place."
"Let's try this again. Where is Narnia?"
"In the Chronicles of Narnia, duh!"
"Don't get smart with me, Death Breath. I'm THE daughter of Athena."
"Which one?"
"Uh, Nico? Bad move."
"Sorry."
"WILL SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS NARNIA?!" Annabeth finally exploded, causing Percy to cringe a bit and remind himself to prepare doing fireman duties in case something (or someone) explodes.
"Um…because you're my brother and Bianca will NOT be happy if you died, I'm going to spill. Narnia…is a secret party place in a closet. It's like paradise in New Rome that is suitable for all ages. I'm guessing that Nico told Thalia about some time or another and she pestered him to take her," Hazel said in one breath, glaring at a sheepish Nico.
"Actually, I never told her about it. But she wanted to go to the REAL Narnia and I have no idea how to get her there…" Nico tried explaining, wincing from the harsh glares from the sober Romans. (Dakota and Octavian were in a How Long Can You Keep A Whole Orange In Your Mouth Competition and Reyna is trying to coax Jason out of the Emo Corner.)
"Hey! You could've just asked the Holy Coconut!" Octavian suggested helpfully.
"Hey…that's actually intelligent. HOW DID YOU THINK OF IT?!" Annabeth asked seriously, somewhat freaking out her boyfriend a little.
"Audries." Octavian replied easily.
"Huh?" Percy frowned curiously.
"Yeah." Octavian held up a destroyed sparkly blue plushy seahorse.
"Wait, WHY SUGARCAKE SEAHORSE?!" Percy wailed then exploded into a rant, "WHAT IS IT WITH PEOPLE AND ANIMAL CRUELTY TO SEA CREATURES ESPECIALLY?! AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HOW BOB'S FAMILY COPED WITH THE NEWS OF HIS DEATH! DO ANY OF YOU PEOPLE ACTUALLY KNOW THAT IF BOB WAS STILL ALLIVE, HE'D ALREADY BE A GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT GRANFATHER OF A GAZILLION BLACKFIN TUNA FISH WHO ARE SLAUGHTERED AND FRIED AND GRILLED AND COOKED AND STEAMED AND WHATEVER JUST WE CAN EAT? HOW FAIR IS THAT FOR THEM, HUH? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY FISH LOSE THEIR FISHY FAMILIES JUST SO YOU CAN FILL YOUR STUPID STOMACH WITH THEIR FISHY FLESH FILLETS?! AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE CALLED OR EVEN WHAT ARE THEIR-"
"OVERPOOLED!" Dakota yelled desperately, covering his ears.
"I think he means 'overruled'." Gwen translated reluctantly.
"I KNEW you two were meant to be!" Piper squealed girlishly then subdued when she saw the murderous expression on Gwen's face and added hastily, "…er, haha. Just kidding. I mean, like, you two are SO not meant to be."
Gwen narrowed her eyes, "Good."
"HEY! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO INTERRUPT! I AM PERSEUS JACKSON AND I SPEAK FOR THE FISH!" Percy protested indignantly with a fake blue Lorax mustache.
"Ooh! Then he must be the Dakotaceler!" Reyna's eyes glittered excitedly.
Jason looked up from the Emo Corner, "I thought it was supposed to be the Octaviancler. It has a nicer ring to it!"
"Dakotaceler is obviously better." Reyna stated, crossing her arms. Hmph. He should've at least acted a bit more grateful that she let him wet her shirt. Ungrateful idiot.
"Octaviancler is already universally acknowledged to be better." Jason refuted with narrowed eyes.
"Dakotaceler."
"Octaviancler."
"EVERYBODY WISH FOR FISH!" Dakota yelled at Percy, feeling defensive of his favorite dish. (Aside from Kool Aid and tons of sugar-filled snacks of course.)
"Dakotaceler."
"Octaviancler."
"I SPEAK FOR THE FISH!" Percy yelled back at Dakota with an extremely fierce expression, feeling annoyed how no one ever appreciates fish.
Leo whimpered at Percy's expression and suddenly wrapped his arms around Piper, "I'm scared. PROTECT ME FROM THE PERAX!"
"Dakotaceler."
"Octaviancler."
Piper's eyes bulged as she tried in vain to push Leo away as Gwen watched with a knowing smirk.
"Dakotaceler."
"Octaviancler."
Annabeth, however was trying to restrain Percy (and his big blue bushy mustache) from attacking 'the evil fish-eating Dakotaceler'.
"Dakotaceler."
"Octaviancler."
Octavian and Thalia were engaged in a game of Dancing With The Stars on Wii.
Thalia decided her dance partner should be Nico.
"Dakotaceler."
"Octaviancler."
And Octavian…well, he was very well suited with the mop, thank you very much).
"Dakotaceler."
"Octaviancler."
"I DON'T CARE BUT I WILL EAT FISH WHENEVER I LIKE!"
"No! I am the Perax who speaks for the fish, which you seem to be eating as fast as you please!"
"Dakotaceler."
"Octaviancler."
"SPARTA!"
With that, Reyna pinned Jason on the ground again, AGAIN.
"LET GO OF ME ALREADY!" Piper's desperate yell carried across the room.
"No! You're way too cuddly and cute. Like Pipsqueak in the Perax!" Leo grinned as he hugged Piper even more tightly.
Piper's eyes twitched, "Pipsqueak?"
"As in Pipsqueak the cute fluffy adorable marshmallow-eating barbaloot?" Percy choked on air, stifling a laugh at Piper being compared to the cutest character in all animation movies. (Unfortunately, he, too, is aware that he sounded somewhat like a girl in that last sentence.)
Leo nodded vigorously. Why should they doubt his word? He's perfectably trustable…
Nico chortled openly, "Pipsqueak Piper McLean sounds nice. Better yet, Pipsqueak Piper Valdez is an even nicer name."
Piper would love to give Nico a taste of the Underworld even though he is a son of Hades if she could…Which she couldn't with a misled koala bear who thinks that she is some eucalyptus tree for him to hang on all day. So she settled for a glare that should've fried him on spot. "Hazel, would you blame me if I killed your brother?"
Hazel contemplated while Nico arranged his face into a horrified expression as Hazel started to smile evilly, "Well, I don't know. There are quite a few people on the list. But, I'm sure we can work something out…"
Frank shook his head in an amused way, "You're positively evil."
Hazel's face broke into a smile, "You love me like that."
Frank laughed with a faint hinge of red in his cheeks as he wrapped his arms around her, "Oh, you know I do."
"EW!" Reyna and Jason paused their wrestling and made disgusted faces at the couple.
Frank and Hazel both blushed as Nico sniggered.
"HELP! PLEASE!" Piper plead to anyone she can, even if they were completely bonkers and high on Kool Aid.
Very much on cue, Reyna abandoned Jason on the floor and started to sing with Thalia (who triumphed over Octavian who is currently sucking that up in the Emo Corner),
"S-O-S, please someone help me
It's not healthy for me to feel this
Y-O-U are making this hard
I can't take it, see it don't feel right
S-O-S, please someone help me
It's not healthy for me to feel this
Y-O-U are making this hard
You got me tossing and turning can't sleep at night~"
Hazel, being the wonderfully nice (but inwardly evil) girl she is, walked over hesitantly, crouched down, and poked Leo. (He's really squishy, by the way.) Then she shook her head regretfully (if you can call it that with the evil smile playing on her lips), "Sorry, Pipsqueak. No can do."
Piper looked at Percy and Annabeth desperately.
"Nah, you're all on your own," Percy held up his hands casually with a wide grin, seemingly normal after the little 'Perax' business.
Annabeth raised her eyebrows, "Technically, it's not possible to pry him from you. I calculated and, well, the results screamed negative"
Piper sighed and looked at Frank.
"Uh…" Frank blushed and mumbled, "I doubt turning into an animal would help, sorry."
"Nico, if YOU don't try to help me…" Piper trailed off scarily.
Nico shrugged nonchalantly, "I'll take my chances, Pipsqueak."
"THALIA! NICO HAS A SECRET CRUSH ON YOU!" Piper somehow managed to yell the top of her lungs in Leo's tight, persistent hug for the whole universe to hear.
Thalia's head shot up immediately as she looked around wildly, meeting Nico's dumbfounded gaze.
"Say WHAT?!" Jason yelled with cool sunglasses, looking totally 'swag'.
"What?" Frank frowned at Percy.
"What?!" Percy frowned as well but he was frowning at Dakota.
"WHAT?!" Dakota yelled with a ridiculously happy smile.
"I like who better." Leo said randomly.
"Who?" Piper/Pipsqueak raised an eyebrow at the Koaleo.
"Like Morten and the Shoe?" Dakota asked with a goofy grin. (Yes, he meant Horten and the Who.)
Leo nodded enthusiastically.
"EXCUSE ME, I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF HYPERVENTILATING!" Thalia hollered as she stared at Nico (whom Percy has handcuffed to the pot plant) disbelievingly.
"Wait…is it your time of the month?" Percy asked with a gulp. The last time he saw Thalia at her 'time of the month'...well, it didn't go so well. He cringed as a long scar on his leg started acting up.
Annabeth stifled a slight chuckle at Percy's expression. She really shouldn't…But it was funny! Even though she had to mop up Percy in the infirmary afterwards.
"THALIA IS A WEREWOLF LIKE LEMUS RUPIN?!" Suddenly, Dakota looked very afraid. And when Dakota gets scared, he likes holding Gwen's hand.
Of course, Gwen does NOT like it when Dakota gets scared. Especially after he just confessed his love for her in Shakespeare style.
"Dakota meant Remus Lupin, right?" Hazel asked their Dakotranslator. (Yes, that meant Gwen.)
"Yep. You're getting good at this! Maybe then I wouldn't be called every time Dakota gets drunk…" Gwen smiled encouragingly, keeping a wary eye on Dakota, who was still clutching her hand as if it was the very last bottle of Kool Aid in the world.
"Oh MY GODS! MY SISTER IS A WEREWOLF!" Jason wailed despairingly.
"OH MY GODS! I WAS CURSED BY THE CULLEN FAIRIES SO THAT EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE LOVE OF MY LIFE EVEN THOUGH I'M A HUNTER, THINKS I'M A RAINBOW SPARKLY WEREWOLF THAT TURNS INTO A WOLF THAT LOVES PRINCESS DRESSES AND EATS CRISPY GLITTER WORMS FOR BREAKFAST!" Thalia wailed even louder.
Percy could see why they, as in Jason and Thalia Grace, were related…
"Glitter worms?" Frank raised an eyebrow, laughing nervously. He heard about Thalia's last 'time of the month'…
"They are the holy servants of the Holy Coconut of Awesomeness." Reyna said in a hush, mystic voice.
"Yeah, and eating them is considered blasphemberry." Jason seconded with wide eyes.
"WHICH MEANS I COMMIT BLASPHEMBERRY ONCE A MONTH!" Thalia wailed loudly, close to Nico's poor (almost) deaf ears.
Nico covered his ears with his hands and winced, "Ow, my ears."
"Leo's ears are huge. Like Dumbo's. Which means he can fly. LIKE ME!" Jason yelled randomly with a huge smile.
"Hey! Don't mention the ears. My ears are awesome." Leo pouted, still hugging Piper, who almost feels like giving up.
"Yeah, they're just like Elvis. ("She meant 'elves'," Gwen explained.) Do you work for Santa by any chance? We have unfinished business…" Reyna trailed off with a dark look in her eyes.
"You scare me, Reyna. Really." Percy said nervously.
"My ears aren't like Elvis! His ears are lame… My ears are more like Yoda's! Yes, my padawans. To me you shall listen to, for Yoda the Awesome Kickbutt Jedi Master I am." Leo grinned with a satisfied look.
"You mean Yoda the Awesome Kickbutt Shortie Jedi Master." Nico smirked widely.
"Hey! You don't insult Yoda but you can insult Leo!" Piper protested, trying to find a way to get out of Leo's arms.
"Ooh! If he's Yoda, then I'm Count Cookoo!" Dakota jumped up from his pile of fifty solved Rubik's Cube with an even wider grin.
"He meant Count Dukoo." Hazel explained when Frank looked at her for translation.
"Wait, did you just solve all of those Rubik's Cube?" Annabeth asked with incredulous eyes.
But Dakota (or you can say, Count Cookoo) was engaged in an epic lightsaber (Really, they're actually just glow sticks) battle with his former Master (which is ironic since HE was the one who first started this Kool Aid thing…) and most definitely does not have the time to answer any relevant questions.
"LEO! LET ME GO!" Piper was almost out of his grasp.
"Pipsqueak, Pipsqueak, how can you ever deny your own feelings? You know they'll catch up with you some time or another. Besides, I'm not even trying to deny that Nico and I are head over heels in love with each other," Thalia shook her head in an elderly fashion.
"Wait, we are?" Nico raised his eyebrows.
"Obviously, you have a crush on me. Duh!" Thalia rolled her eyes. Sometimes, Nico can be stupid. Most of the time, he's absolutely perfect… At least, that's what drunk-Thalia thinks.
"Wait! I just remembered, where is Octavian and wasn't he supposed to give the next dare?" Frank yelled loudly, causing everyone to stop whatever they were doing.
"Oh, gods. We're doomed," Annabeth stated after a long silence.
"You know what they say when an insane teddy bear serial killer is drunk and on the loose?" Leo grinned, seemingly normal as Piper struggled against him.
"What?" Percy asked suspiciously.
"Keep calm…AND WATCH THE MAGIC MIRROR THINGY IN FRONT OF THE COUCH!" Dakota yelled happily as he turned on the TV.
Like moths to a flame, (or Octavian to a stuffed animal), everyone gathered around the television as Reyna snatched the remote out of Dakota's hands (who sniffled and refrained from sobbing drastically by grabbing Gwen's hand again) and went through the channels.
Only one caught all of their undivided attention.
"Wait…is that Octavian wearing a PINK glittery storm trooper costume with hello kitty sunglasses who is auditioning NEXT?!" Nico exclaimed excitedly with a hint of horror.
"Oooh! Goody!" Leo squealed clapping his hands excitedly, accidentally letting Pipsqueak escape before he pulled her back to him again as she elbowed his stomach HARD in her frustration.
"No way… I thought he wouldn't do it. He…he can't. We'll be doomed." Gwen had wide, horrified eyes. For a good reason too unfortunately…
"Wait, what do you mean?" Annabeth asked with a very worried expression.
Hazel and Frank exchanged a look that can be interpreted as 'Oh, no. It means we're all going to die because Octavian will actually sing even though we aren't there. But should we tell them how bad it actually gets?'
"Shh! It's starting…" Dakota scolded as Jason and Reyna looked on enthusiastically, hands bumping as they fought for chocolate popcorn.
~Broadcasting Live All Over the World~
This is Octavian McJiggery, eighteen year old student from San Francisco with a love for music. As…interesting as his costume is, let's hear about his story.
"So…Octavian, what made you audition?"
"The Holy Coconut of Awesomeness demands it to be so." Octavian replied solemnly.
"Okay…"
Percy suddenly burst out, "Wait, Pipsqueak is the Holy Coconut?"
"NO!" All the other people, sane, insane, or secretly insane alike, yelled out together with Piper giving Percy an extra glare at the mention of her nickname.
"B- But didn't she dare Octavian to go audition for The Voice and sing the song 'Barbie Girl' three times higher than the normal key?" Percy argued.
"NO ONE can impersonate the Holy Coconut of Awesomeness. Like, EVER." Dakota said with a dead serious face.
"We are never ever ever getting back together!" Reyna sang on cue, causing Jason and Leo to make a face. (Point 1, they were ALMOST dating and the latter says they were engaged.)
"Shush!" Gwen glared at everyone.
So, what inspired you to, uh, wear what you are wearing?
"Oh, just my best Cullen Fairy friend, Bob. She loves glitter and pink." Octavian chatted with an abnormally big smile that probably freaks out the person who was interviewing him.
SO, are you nervous, AT ALL?
"Nope. Not really." Octavian just kept on smiling that smile.
Okay, then…
"Ten drachmas everyone else watching this around the world are freaked out." Percy whispered to Nico with a grin.
Nico scoffed cockily, "Oh, please. Ten thousand drachmas!"
Percy and Nico shook hands deviously, "Deal."
"I know I'm ready for this. I know I'm already so brilliant that not everyone can see how brilliant I am. But I don't know why everyone likes normal so much. I mean, it's so overrated!"
You know, this guy maybe, um, VERY insane. But we should reserve our judgment until we actually hear him sing. After all, this is what the Voice is all about. Singing, not looks or sanity.
And we'll be back right after this commercial!
"Argh….seriously?!" Leo screamed at the TV with a distraught face.
"Like, 'You have been warned' serious!" Jason grinned.
Frank and Hazel held hands as he started nervously, "Hazel and I are going to, uh-"
"Get married?" Reyna asked with gleaming eyes.
"NO! More like, run away or something." Hazel protested, shuddering at the thought of suffering something called Octavian's Singing.
"You mean you're going to elope together?" Thalia asked with excited wide eyes. But before Hazel or Frank could protest, she quickly squealed, "That sounds so romantic! Nico and I will elope if our dads don't agree to let us to get married." Thalia looked at Nico dreamily.
Nico had an expression similar to that of a poor innocent bunny rabbit locked in the same cage as a tiger, "We aren't going to get married! We aren't even dating!"
"Ah, but you have a crush on her." Piper stated with a smirk.
"Hey! Look!"
And so it begins again.
Octavian was shown on the stage, complete with his pink glittery Storm Trooper outfit and Prada high heels. The audiences were doing their best not to laugh out loud at the utter ludicrousness of a dude/girl in a his pink glittery Storm Trooper costume, Hello Kitty sunglasses, and Prada high heels to audition for The Voice.
But the smiles were wiped off of everyone's faces as the music started. It was five times higher than the normal key.
Nico had a bad feeling about this…
"I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation"
The speakers nearly exploded as Octavian sang twice as high as the highest note any world famous soprano could sing.
Immediately, all of their hands went to cover their ears.
Even being drunk on Kool Aid with ten times the normal sugar doesn't help.
Reyna was so alarmed that she dropped the remote control by accident and it landed on just the button to maximize the volume.
"Come on, Barbie, let's go party"
"ARGH, MAKE IT STOP!" Percy screamed, even though he knew it was unlikely anyone could hear him over the terrible…noise.
"HOW DO YOU SOP IT?!" Nico screamed back.
"I DON'T KNOW! USE THE REMOTE!" Piper yelled desperately.
"IT'S GONE!" Reyna wailed loudly under these circumstances.
"GONE?!"
"I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation"
Most of the audiences at the real show were running for the exit.
Only to find it, well, locked.
And the judges suddenly found out that their chairs had strapped them and there weren't any way of getting out. It was just like in those secret agent movies… Only, the torture was a gazillion times worse.
"I'm a blonde single girl in the fantasy world
Dress me up, take your time, I'm your dollie
You're my doll, rock and roll, feel the glamour and pain
Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky-panky"
"KILL ME NOW! KILL ME NOW!" Leo yowled, rolling on the floor in his pain.
"WHERE THE HADES IS THE REMOTE?!" Hazel yelled in her desperation and frustration.
"IT MUST BE THE REVENGE OF THE CULLEN FAIRIES!" Dakota hollered with a fearful look in his eyes.
"CULLEN FAIRIES, WHERE?!" Thalia whirled her head around with wild eyes.
"EVERYWHERE!" Dakota screeched just as the windows gave a loud crack.
"You can touch, you can play
You can say I'm always yours, oooh whoa"
Meanwhile, the image on the screens was also cracked. Annabeth had a distinct suspicion that the camera's lenses was breaking due to Octavian's singing.
"I never said this, but we're going to die anyway. I HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU, REYNA!" Jason yelled, considerable much more quietly than everyone else is. (Which means it is barely audible.)
Naturally, Reyna didn't hear and wouldn't have reacted normally to Jason's little confession.
"I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation"
"SOMEONE CALL THE COPS!" A judge screamed out in his seat, wishing he could tear his hair out.
"WE'RE ALL LOCKED IN, IDIOT!" A female judge screamed back a full octave higher.
That only prompted Octavian to sing, well, even higher.
"Come on, Barbie, let's go party, ha ha ha, yeah
Come on, Barbie, let's go party, oooh, oooh
Come on, Barbie, let's go party, ha ha ha, yeah
Come on, Barbie, let's go- HEY!"
To the relief of everyone who is watching TV, in the middle of destroying TV, or trying to kill themselves to end the pain, a SWAT team has broken down the door and put handcuffs on Octavian, who was struggling against the world that hates him more than ever.
"YOU WILL REGRET THIS! I WILL BE BACK!" He screamed as the SWAT team finally dragged him out.
"We are saved." Annabeth croaked hoarsely, her throat sore from screaming and panicking.
"And we're actually alive." Percy smiled sheepishly as he put an arm around his girlfriend.
"Actually, I just sensed over two thousand people have died during the period of time Octavian was singing. That was a new high." Nico grimaced sadly.
"I see…" Leo scratched his imaginary beard sagely.
"Now I get to dare someone!" Dakota yelled before anyone could protest. Anyone within three feet of him rubbed their ears. (Which are suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at the moment.) "YOU! Reyna!"
Reyna grinned gleefully, "Dare!"
"I tare you to announce to all of the Legion that we will be holding the 219th Annual Sparkle Games, every Cohort must offer up a chibrute, and when everyone is mervous…tell them you're just joking!" Dakota grinned, almost more gleefully than Reyna grinned.
Even Hazel was pretty skeptical of what this could mean.
Gwen sighed, "He said, 'I dare you to announce to all of the Legion that we will be holding the 219th Annual Sparkle Games, every Cohort must offer up a tribute, and when everyone is nervous…tell them you're just joking!'."
"OH…we all know you know Dakota the best, Gwen." Piper smirked in a knowing way that made Gwen want to use Plan H on her.
"LET'S TAKE THE PARTY OUTSIDE! WHOOOO!" Reyna led the way of their wacky crusade of drunk and retarded demigods out towards the Senate Building with an insane idea in mind.
"Okay, to make this work. Leo, get the microphone. ("She means megaphone." Hazel explained to Percy.) Jason, fly me up to the roof after Leo gives me the microphone, will you? And the rest go get everyone in New Rome." Reyna ordered confidently.
"But why do WE have to do all the work?!" Nico whined.
"Because I'm praetor." Reyna glared at him, cracking her knuckles casually.
~After a bit of confusion and quite a bit of running~
There was whole lot of chaos to put it bluntly.
You see, being called out to meet after hours is something as likely as Lupa curling her fur and shampooing it daily at a pet salon. Of course, there was a whole lot of talking as expected.
"Ateention, everyone! SHUT UP!" Reyna yelled at last with an utterly cross expression of a Fury on her 'time of the month'.
All the Legionnaires gasped then silenced when they saw their gorgeously dressed praetor glaring furiously from the top of the Senate Building with a megaphone in her hand.
Reyna started confidently with "Okay, so, many of you don't know what's happening but, well, I'm here to tell you. It is now time, for the 219th Annual Sparkle Games!" People gasped and started to murmur amongst themselves but silenced at the sight of Reyna watching them with an unimpressed expression as well as the Aurum and Argentum-imposter-Jason behind her. "Anyway, all the Cohorts will have to send up a tribute WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT. And make sure they're prepared. People have died because of over-sparkle. Oh, and-"
Suddenly, the praetor's sacred iPhone 7 started to blare:
Oh, losing him was blue like I'd never known
Missing him was dark grey all alone
Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you've never met
Cause loving him was red
Reyna scowled at the audacity of whoever dared to interrupt her speech with a call. She answered her phone immediately.
Once she did, everyone started talking again.
"Is she CRAZY?!"
"SHH! She can hear you!"
"Sparkle Games? WHAT THE FORTUNA IS THE SPARKLE GAMES?!"
And in the midst of them all, Dakota shouted out, "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!"
Just then, after chatting at a fast pace on her phone, Reyna turned to face everyone with the biggest grin possible.
Nico had a vague bad feeling in his stomach.
"Listen up, chumps! The staff from an asylum just called to tell me that…THEY LOCKED OCTAVIAN UP FOR ETERNAL OBSERVATION! SOMEONE GO GET THE XXX SPARKLE FIREWORKS! PARTY IN NEW ROME AND BEYOND!" Reyna screamed, extremely agitated.
There has never been such a feeling of euphoria ever before and ever since as you could practically hear the whole world rejoice at the fact Octavian (and his terrible singing) is locked away eternally.
Then the Legionnaires obeyed their praetor's orders without even questioning a word (even in their minds) for the first time recorded in Roman history.
"AND I'M JOKING ABOUT THE SPARKLE GAMES!" Reyna shouted after the rowdy crowd disappearing around the corner as the Vulcan kids rushed off to prepare a firework fiesta.
Obviously, they were too happy to hear or care.
Reyna made Jason give her a flying-piggy-back ride down as the Drunken Crusade moved back to their own party.
"Okay, now I get to dare someone!" Reyna grinned gleefully as they sat down in a magic mushroom fairy ring. "Who wants a go?"
"I VOLUENTEER AS TRIBUTE!" Dakota yelled for the second time of the day, jumping up with his hand high in the air.
"ME! ME!"
"NOT HIM, ME!"
"Dare me!"
"Bring it on!"
Reyna ignored everyone who volunteered and grinned at Nico with a completely Chesire Cat vibe.
Nico's gut was pulled back down to Tartarus as he paled nervously.
"I dare you to propose to Thalia with a ring in German!" Reyna commanded from the top of the couch heroically.
Percy suddenly started to cough loudly, hiding his face from Nico's glare as his Italian cousin protested, "I don't even know how to speak GERMAN!"
Thalia just had that stupid silly giddy grin in common romantic chick flicks slapped onto her face with a completely dreamy, could cuckoo-faraway look in her eyes.
"I am praetor. I command you to dare you to propose to Thalia with a ring in German. Therefore, you MUST do what I say or…SUFFER THE WRATH OF THE HOLY COCONUT OF AWESOMENESS." Reyna said simply.
"Reyna is awesome. Jason is awesome. Therefore, they should marry and have awesome children!" Dakota stated with a big smile as if he just usurped Einstein's (awesome dead dude with a super brain carved up and sent to all over the world as well as a totally EPIC hairstyle) gravity law. Or was it Edison's? Nah, he really didn't care.
Jason let out strangled chuckle, looking up from his precious nachos.
Reyna spewed her beer (it was apple juice with foam on it, really) all over Gwen's favorite shirt ("HEY! I'm going to make you PAY FOR THIS!") and screamed, "CINDERELLA HAS A PRINCE ALREADY! Oh, and Rico is going to have to propose to Tanya right now."
"It's Nico and Thalia." Hazel sighed sadly.
"I don't even have a ring! How am I supposed to propose?" Nico crossed his arm with a triumphant smile.
Leo shoved him a bag of junk food and said, "Here you go."
Nico resisted the urge to give himself an XXXXXL face palm and looked at Leo, "Seriously, onion rings?"
"That's brilliant! We can go watch the fireworks while Nico proposes alone. TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD!" Reyna screamed happily.
"Where do you think we're standing on?" Annabeth muttered with an amused smile as everyone followed her out, ignoring Nico's dying pleas of help.
~Outside~
With perfect timing, they went out just in time to see the fireworks start.
From speakers everywhere, music started blaring.
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?
The first firework went flying into the sky, a brightly shining bacon- I mean, beacon- in the dark.
There were ooh's and ah's heard all over as it exploded, revealing petals of gold and purple sparkles.
Annabeth allowed herself a smile as she discreetly cuddled closer into Percy's arms.
Percy broke into a full grin as he held her closer even when Reyna and Jason were pretending to barf up all they ate near them.
Do you ever feel already buried deep?
Six feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
'Cause there's a spark in you?
There were five streaks of bright neon blue across the night, lighting up everyone's eyes.
Frank whispered to Hazel, "You want to get a closer view?"
"No," Hazel whispered back, still gazing at the spectacular fireworks in awe, "the view here is good enough for me."
You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night-
"LIKE THE FOURTH OF JULY!" Leo scrang (scream plus sang equals scrang) loudly, belting out one of his favorite songs EVER.
Piper sighed sadly, "Can't you ever shut up?"
Leo shook his head with an mpish, almost normal (for him, anyway) half-grin, "Nope. Not ever, Pipsqueak."
'Cause baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh oh oh
As you shoot across the sky
Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh oh oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down
Dakota was running around Gwen like an excited puppy that was seeing snow for the first time.
"Dakota, you can stop now." Gwen said after he ran the 158th lap around her. To be honest, she was tired and dizzied and almost out of fuel after Dakota ignited her bomb with his Shakespearean confession of undying devotion.
Dakota just ignored her and kept on running. Oh, excuse me. I meant, skipping.
You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
Meanwhile, Reyna demanded Jason to take her to the best view in all of new Rome to watch the fireworks. Yes, on the very top of New Rome Tower.
So they sat on the rooftop, watching lights fizzle like fresh tenderloin steaks. (Well, it sounded like that, okay?) Anyway, they started to argue over which firework is the prettiest (SPARKLIEST) of all and we become better augurs than Octavian, predicting the outcome already.
Yes, Reyna pinned Jason to the surface of the roof (there's no ground this time) for the even-the-Holy-Coconut-doesn't-knows time of the day.
Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know
You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July
There was never such happiness among the universe, nor was there such a unity among Romans since a recent wars a few years ago.
The fireworks display outshone even the Camp Half Blood Fourth of July fireworks. There were animations that lasted more than a few seconds and it even seemed to be three dimensional. One of the highlights, so far, was when one piñata firework animation exploded and rained candy all over New Rome. (Cue for ooh's and ah's.) Yes, this is the taste of grand Roman festivity.
'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh oh oh
As you shoot across the sky
Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh oh oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down
Then, we don't know who did it but people started dancing!
Percy ignored Annabeth's protests as he pulled her close and started to dance, laughing.
To be honest with herself, Annabeth didn't really mind that much.
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through
"Do you know what people do when they are watching fireworks?" Leo suddenly asked Pipsqueak. I mean, Piper.
Piper raised her eyebrows at Leo curiously, "They watch fireworks?"
Leo grinned, "Nope! They do this."
And he leaned in and kissed the unsuspecting Piper under the blazing fireworks.
'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh oh oh
As you shoot across the sky
Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh oh oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down
Dakota slurred nervously, "Gwen, I know we just graduated universe but…"
"It's called university, Kota." Gwen sighed impatiently, trying to get back at watching the fireworks.
"Will you be my girlfiend?"
"Huh? You- you don't mean…girlfriend, did you?"
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
The fireworks continued for a long time. It was spectacular, amazing, more wonderful than everything you can imagine and a good deal sparklier. By the time the fireworks ended at last, it was so late that no one even noticed how their two praetors fell asleep together on the rooftop of the tallest building in New Rome.
~Trapped Inside the Building~
Nico was locked up in a building. And he has to propose to Thalia with an oninion ring in German. Not to mention he is miserable about it even though part of him admits if he had ever planned to propose to Thalia, it wouldn't be when she was as drunk as Dakota and he definitely wouldn't have used an onion ring.
Thalia felt annoyed with her Nico. If he wanted to propose, he should do it quick so she can finally kiss him and they will prance off into the sunset with rainbow unicorns and such. She coughed loudly, "Ahem."
"Oh, right." Nico said, awkwardly getting on one knee, looking at Thalia's incredibly intimidating happy grin. "Vil du gifte dig med mig?"
Thalia pulled away with a gasp, "YOU JUST SAID WHAT?!"
Nico gave himself a face palm, "Oh, I think that was Danish…"
"YOU WILL SUFFER THE WRATH OF THE HOLY COCOUNUT AND WE WILL NEVER HAVE WONDERFUL OFFSPRING!" Thalia wailed despairingly.
Nico shushed her and said, "Okay, okay! I'll try again."
Again, he got down on one knee and took Thalia's hand in his, "Wil je met me trouwen?"
Then Thalia eagerly pounced on him with a kiss. He definitely got his answer and he admits to liking Thalia's kiss. So, naturally, he kissed back with almost as much enthusiasm. It didn't matter that the ring was in the process of being crushed. It didn't matter that they are missing out on the fireworks. Nothing seemed to matter at the moment.
But…BAM!
A bright light filled the room and they were temporarily blinded.
"THALIA! HOW DARE YOU?! YOU ARE MY LIEUTENANT AND YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO FALL IN LOVE! MUCH LESS, GET ENGAGED!"
Standing in front of our newly engaged, star-crossed lovers was a furious Artemis who was trying her best not to blast the whole building.
Nico is now best buddies with Dread.
Thalia, being drunk and engaged, was quite defiant and crazy and said, "WE LOVE EACH OTHER AND THAT'S THAT!"
Nico gulped and tried explaining, "Um, my Lady, she is drunk-"
"I WILL HEAR NO EXPLANATIONS, BOY. YOU ARE LUCKY YOUR FATHER PLEAD FOR YOUR LIFE OR I WOULD'VE TURNED YOU INTO A JACKALOPE AND SKIN YOU ALIVE TO MAKE A PURSE!" Artemis roared with all her rightful fury.
"DON'T SPEAK TO HIM LIKE THAT." Thalia screamed in defense of her fiancé.
"I WON'T! YOU'RE FIRED!" With dramatic flourish, the whole building shook as there was a flash of silver before the furious goddess of the moon and Hunt left, taking after her father in dramatics.
~Outside Again~
The fireworks just ended and everyone was going in separate groups to celebrate some more.
Most of the people who were playing truth or dare earlier this evening were too tired, drunk, or drained to party on.
"I don't want to go!"
Most of them, anyway.
Piper was still blushing since Leo kissed her unexpectedly then ran off with Dakota in search of the Culen Fairies. "I don't care, Leo. Either you go or we lock you in an asylum."
"That's cruel, don't you think, Pipsqueak?" Percy teased with a knowing smirk.
"WHY THAT NICKNAME?!" Piper nearly exploded.
"Because you cuddly." Leo hugged his Pipsqueak tightly.
Piper pushed him off her forcefully, "Leave. NOW."
Leo grinned impishly, "With you? Nah, I'll just party some more."
Hazel and Frank escaped from all these mental hospital refugees without being noticed too much with Gwen tagging along to avoid Dakota, who was still hunting for Cullen Fairies.
Annabeth sighed to Percy, "I'm tired. I need sleep. And I don't feel like dealing with crazy people at the moment."
Percy grinned, putting his arm around her, "I can carry you back if you want…even though I kinda wanna stay and see what happens."
"I don't want to see them make out. I'm out of here!" Annabeth said dryly with a smile and a wink at Piper.
Percy chuckled and followed his girlfriend.
Leo remained glued to the ground, "I'm partying until tomorrow dawn and that's that!"
Piper took matters into her own hands and grabbed Leo by the ear, dragging him away. "No, you're leaving."
Leo, in his hopelessness, decided to make the parting easier by throwing a handful of glitter and screaming to the world, "GLITTER OUT!"
~The End~
(For now, at least.)
Author's Note: This ending was a little different from the former games. But I need your help before I start planning the next chapter of this story:
1. They go to Camp Half Blood and we put Travis and Katie into the mix.
2. They stay in Camp Jupiter and we STILL put Travis and Katie into the mix.
3. They suffer the hangover and we witness the aftermath of getting drunk on Kool Aid.
4. They got invited to Olympus for a serious anniversary of defeating Gaea but Leo ruins it by saying they MUST play truth or dare and now the gods play as well.
5. They get invited to Elysium so the dead plays Truth or Dare with them!
What do YOU want to happen during the next game? Vote on the poll in my profile or through reviews if you must!
Also, I'm debating whether to keep on writing Thalico in this story. So, Thalico, or no Thalico? (Also the poll on my profile.)
And what was the highlight of this chapter/story? Favorite quotes? Favorite scenes? TELL ME!
Okay, before I leave, I want to say…I LOVE YOU ALL FOR STAYING WITH ME THROUGH THIS!
PONDS! (Peace Out Ninja Demigod Style!)
Or…GLITTER OUT!