Finally, the plot is getting confusing and darker. Pearl is more than meets the eye.
One of my favorite chapter, tons of fun writting it. You need to read "Half of a Perfect Storm" to get a lot of it.
Disclaimer: HoO and PJO is not mine. I wished but not.
14 - Putting Pieces Together
We were on the table having lunch. Grover and I talked about the camp while Pearl was deep in thought. Suddenly, she snapped out of it and said excited pulling my t-shirt: "Percy, I want my sword"
"Sure, let's go to the armory to get you one" I said.
"No, it's not in the armory. It's in our cabin" said Pearl moving my t-shirt harder.
"You don't have a sword yet" I said frowning in thought.
"Yes, I have. I dreamed about it last night. I couldn't remember until now. It's the sword I touched this morning. Let's go" said Pearl and stood up.
"What sword?" asked Grover at me.
"Hers" I said deep in thought.
"Hers? That hers?" asked Grover clearly scared.
"It's not hers. It's mine. I know… Let's go. We need to find the other one too" said Pearl annoyed. I looked in shock at Pearl.
"How do you know that?" I asked clearly surprised. There was no way Pearl would know about the other sword.
"Because I dreamed about it" said Pearl annoyed at me as she pulled my t-shirt.
"Wait. Pearl, what did you exactly dream?" I asked to Pearl clearly preoccupied.
"Well, I was in a Greek beach with my mom. I had one sword in my hand and I was drawing with it in the sand. My mom took a swim and returned with the other in her hand. She gave it to me and I don't remember what else" said Pearl staring at me. I could see she was saying the truth.
"The other sword is gone. I lost it in the sea five years ago. Sorry" I said to Pearl. Her eyes watered.
"You lost it? Can we ask dad to look for it? He is the King of the Sea" said Pearl wiping her tears.
"I guess we can try. We can go to the cabin and make an IM" I said shrugging my shoulders.
"IM?" asked Pearl.
"Iris Message. That's our way to communicate. It's like a videocall… Pearl, you must never use the telephone. It attracts monsters. OK?" said Grover. Pearl nodded at him. We went to the cabin and Grover went somewhere else mumbling something about Juniper.
In our cabin, Pearl ran and picked up the sword from the floor. She was swinging happily and said almost singing: "See, it's mine. It's perfect in my hand"
"Ok, if you say so. I can't find drachmas. Could you check Annabeth's purse?" I said after moving stuff around.
"OK" said Pearl and took Annabeth's purse in her hand. She dropped her sword in the floor, sat on her bunk and took out things from the purse and an half of Drachma fell on the covers.
"My lucky charm" said Pearl. I approached at her who was examining her coin.
"It won't work, we need a complete one" I said looking at the stuff in the bed. I found one under a bubblegum wrapper and took it.
Suddenly, she gasped in surprise. She jumped in the bed happily and yelled: "I found it. I found it"
"What did you find?" I asked in surprise.
"My other sword" said Pearl giggling.
"How? What? When?" I asked in complete surprise. Pearl looked at me and showed me her lucky charm.
"Pearl, that's just a broken coin. Come on, let's call dad" I said and walked to the fountain (which Annabeth repaired after I destroyed it a couple of years ago) in the middle of the cabin. Behind me, I heard a flipping metallic sound then a loud metallic thump. I turned around and saw the other sword.
"How?" I asked walking to Pearl.
"Told you. I found it. It was with me all the time" said Pearl grinning.
"Wait. What did you do exactly?" I asked still pretty much surprised.
"Well, I flipped my lucky charm and it became my sword. See, now I have both of them" said Pearl pointing to the floor where both swords laid.
"How did you know to do that?" I asked talking Pearl's shoulder with my hands. I probably shook her a bit. I was really surprised. Sasha's lost sword was under my nose for over a week.
"I just knew" said Pearl shrugging.
"It's the other half… Wait here. I need to talk to Chiron. Don't go anywhere. The game is about to start and things get dangerous" I said. Pearl nodded at me.
I ran at full speed at the big house. Chiron was in the porch. Grover saw me running and met me there at the stairway.
"Chiron, something weird just happened" I said sweating still in shock.
"What happened?" asked Grover.
"I don't know where to start… Pearl had a dream and she says that Sasha's twin swords are hers. I had one in our cabin and she just happened to have the other half, the one that disappeared with Sasha. Her mom found her as a drachma in the beach when she was younger and gave it to Pearl. It's Pearl's lucky charm" I said. I heard myself and I sounded crazy.
"Percy, some weapons choose their masters like yours and Piper's. I must say it's a big coincidence that her own mother gave her weapon. A blessed weapon is rare and pretty lucky too" said Chiron casually resting importance to the situation.
"But something is odd. How is it possible?" I said in confusion.
"Syndesinerou (Water link) is an ancient weapon used for children of Poseidon each generation. It's deathly but a bit temperamental. Only a strong warrior can bend it to his/her will" explained Chiron.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" I demanded.
"Well, you were in great distraught after the war and you never asked… Before Sasha, that weapon belonged to Ferdinand Magellan, a sea explorer. It was lost in the last expedition of Magellan in 1822. Sasha found her in Spain during a quest a century later" said Chiron.
"Oh" I said as I hit realization that Riptide chose me many years ago. I was freaking out for nothing.
"Percy, the game is about to begin you should get ready" said Grover putting his hand on my shoulder.
"Sure. Could you take care of Pearl? She must only watch" I said and Grover nodded.
We walked to my cabin. Pearl was sitting on her bunk. She was watching in concentration at her drachma moving around like memorizing it.
"We are back" I said grinning at Pearl
"Ok" said Pearl looking at us and put her drachma in her pocket.
"Grover will take care you while I fight. You just watch. Understood?" I said. She nodded. I put armor and we left to the forest.
The game was about to start. I couldn't find Annabeth anywhere before starting the game. I talked to the cabins leaders' minutes before the game for the strategy which basically was: I get the flag, the rest covers me.
I waved at Grover and Pearl who were over a big trunk next to Chiron as spectators. I could hear Pearl cheering me up and I couldn't understand the actual words. I heard the signal and ran to Zeus' Fist.
Knowing Ares cabin, I would find the flag there. I ran and fought my way through. Once there, I found the flag highly guarded by Ares and Apollo campers. It took me a while but I immobilized all of them. I was about to grab the sword when I heard a pulling sound and I flew. It was a trap. I was upside down without sword.
From the shadows, a person emerged. I saw Annabeth smirking at me. Of course, it was her plan all along. She walked right below me.
"Having fun, wise girl?" I said loud.
"A bit, seaweed brain. Pearl?" said Annabeth with a wide smile in her face.
"With Grover and Chiron. We need to talk. Let me go" I said
"Do you think I am going to believe that?" snorted Annabeth.
"We found the other twin sword" I said and I heard Annabeth gasped loudly. All of sudden, I fell hard on the ground.
"Ouch. Annabeth be more careful next time" I said standing up.
"Where?" said Annabeth excited as she walked to me.
"Pearl's lucky charm. It has been in your purse all week" I said dusting off.
"Oh, no wonder it looked weird to me when I saw it" said Annabeth softly deep in concentration.
"I love you, and thank you" I said kissing Annabeth quickly and ran to the flag. I took it and ran to the creek. Annabeth ran after me and she was mad at no measure. I have just fooled: something difficult to do to her siblings or her.
I was almost at the creek, Annabeth wasn't far behind but she won't get me in time. I reached the clearing before the creek. I turned my eyes to Pearl who was cheering loud and beaming in pride. I stopped to wave at her when Annabeth knocked me down. It was a rookie's mistake.
Annabeth got up and took the flag from the ground. She was about to run to Zeus' fist when a big scorpion appeared from the forest. I took out my sword ready to strike and protect Annabeth. It's been years since I fought one of those. Annabeth dropped the flag and took out her sword.
Suddenly, we were in the air in a net. We just fell in a trap. My sword was on the ground. Annabeth tried to torn the net with her sword but she taking too long and the scorpion had his claw ready for us.
"Hurry up" I said to Annabeth.
"I am trying. You do something" spatted Annabeth.
Water in the creek moved creating a water barrier between the scorpion and us. The water surrounded the scorpion and froze immobilizing it. I was in shock since it wasn't me doing it.
"Well thought, seaweed brain" said Annabeth and broke the net and we fell down.
"It wasn't me" I said petrified almost whispering. I looked at Pearl who was in Grover's arms unconscious. I ran to them. The game was over for me. Annabeth ran behind me.
"What happened?" I asked to Grover. Annabeth took Pearl in her arms checking her status.
"Well. You were in danger. I was going to help you, so I tell Pearl to stay here… but she was like in trance. She raised the hand, the water moved and froze the scorpion… and… and she just passed out" said Grover.
Chiron approached to us. He checked her vitals and said: "Take her to rest. She is just exhausted"
"Ok. I will take her. We can talk about this later" I said and took Pearl in arms. Annabeth and Grover were next to me. Behind me, I listened some campers cheering. Someone of the blue team took the flag over the creek and we won.