Gruniper

"RICHARD! Come back here in this instant or I'm gonna kill you!" I hear my counterpart yelling at me across the streets of New Athens. I was running always ahead, glancing back once in a while. And whenever I saw a mop of blonde hair, I was again in my way.

I should stop thirty seconds to introduce myself. Hi, my name is Richard Edward Dawson, and yes, my initials does spell RED. I know, I know. I heard it billions of times. I'm a son of Apollo with the gift of prophecy. Not all the kids of Apollo are granted this honor and being chosen between all his children and legacies is a big deal. You should had seen the looks on my Cohort's partners. Was like they envy me. Sometimes, I wish I could just be that normal guy who had a crush in the amazing daughter of Nep- I mean, Poseidon. Instead, I have to be lock inside half my time and gut teddy bears. I don't like it. It's not funny. Everyone thinks you're cold hearted. But sometimes, it helps you to prank people. Like right now.

"RICHARD!" There goes Olivia again, yelling my name. I swear, if that girl wouldn't hate me that much, I'd say she can't get enough of me "Richard, give me back Augustus!" she demanded. I looked down at the teddy I was running away with. It was a teddy with the shape of a raccoon, white, black and grey, totally fixed up and old with a little blue necklace and a tag that says 'AUGUSTUS'.

Why is Olivia making so much fuzz about a teddy bear? Well, she thinks I'm gonna cut it open to see her past (I can do that, is how we accept people in the Legion). I wanted really bad to do it, but she would never let me, saying Augustus was the only thing that belonged to her parents before they drop her at the entrance of Camp Half-Blood.

Yep, you guessed it. Olivia is plain mortal, which means she was raised as the new Oracle of Delphi, aka my counterpart. I always like to joke on how people that work together, get together. But everytime I mention it, she huffs, turns red (which I found pretty cute) and starts yelling at me that I have no heart and that she'll never be with me, because she's the Oracle (that's why I tease her) and because she'd never be with someone who is connected to the gods by blood.

That's right. The girl hates everyone who is a children of the gods or their legacies (which basically is every single living people in Camp Half-Blood, Camp Jupiter, New Athens and New Rome). She only talks to me because she has to, not by choice. I really want her to be my friend, but looks impossible so far.

"C'mon, Livia!" I called her using the nickname she can't stand "I just wanted to talk but you ignored me! What was I suppose to do?!" I questioned her.

"How about let me be and go chase that Chain girl, uh?!" OK, I swear I detected jealousy when she said Annie's last name. I shook my head from the incoming images and hid myself in a building. I didn't even stop to look at it. I heard her steps getting further and further, making me sigh in relief. I turned around and saw that I was inside a temple. But it was different from the temples I usually work in.

It was tall, with columns covered in mud, flowers and grass. The roof was made entirely of tree branches with leafs. Different plants were decorating the walls and a poison ivy was surrounding a mirror in the wall in front of me. I looked at my reflection: my red curly hair was sweaty and sticky from the run, a little longer than usual. My green eyes were tired, exhausted from having nightmares and vision for three days straights. I was paler than normal and my clothes start to get a little loose. Then, I noticed I wasn't the only one in the mirror.

I also so a woman with red hair, but her face were more stylish, more elfish. Her ears were pointy and her skin was light green. She was wearing a green summer dress with no shoes and a flower crown. I immediately turned around

"I'm sorry" I blurted out when looked at her "I shouldn't be here, I was running from a friend, and I hid here-" I started to rant, but she held her hand up and I shut up.

"You have nothing to worry about" she comforted me "It's been a while since a human stepped in this temple"

"Why- why would anyone would avoid this place?" I asked, frowning. I'm not much of an outdoor person, but that doesn't mean I despise places like this.

"This is a temple for the Lord of the Wild" she explained to me "Satyrs and nymphs usually come here"

"Um, I'm sorry, who are you?" I interrogated her like a fool. I blushed instantly.

"It's OK, I'm Juniper Underwood, Lady of the Wild" she introduced herself. I bowed at her in respect, connecting the dots.

"So, this temple belongs to the Lord of the Wild?" I looked around, marveled "How can I never been here?"

"Why would you be here?" she fired back, still smiling.

"I'm the Augur of Camp Jupiter" She gave me a bigger smile.

"You'd always be welcome in our temple, Augur" While she was talking, I was getting an idea.

"Um, Mrs. Underwood? I have a friend, who doesn't like people much... would it be a bother if I bring her here?" I wasn't sure if my plan would work.

"Of course she'd be welcome" she agreed.

"RICHARD!" I heard a piss-off Olivia.

"That's my cue to leave" I announced, bowing again "I hope I can see you soon!" I said goodbye, leaving the temple.

"C'mon, Liv" I begged her.

"No! Leave me alone!" she repeated, again.

"Olivia, I'm not gonna leave you alone until you come with me" I admitted, sighing. She sighed and got up from her desk and looked at me.

"Just an hour?" she checked with me.

"Just an hour" I promised her. She groaned.

"This better be good" she complained, walking out the temple. Yes! I did it! So far, so great!

"Are we there yet?!" Olivia complained for the third time after five minutes.

"Quit complaining. You sound like those Venus' girls..." I teased her. I heard her growling behind me. I winced "OK, I'm sorry... That was low..." I apologized.

"Better" she said, curtly, when we arrived to the temple.

"Why do you treat everyone like that?" I asked her, curious. She stopped walking and I had to turn to face her.

"You really want to know?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't" I reasoned with her. She nodded.

"I treat everyone like that because everyone treats me different" I frowned at her explanation.

"I don't treat you differently" I pointed out.

"But everyone else, yes!" she snapped at me. I took a better look at her, she had tears in her eyes and was trembling in fear "Just because I'm-"

"-mortal" I completed for her, understanding. Olivia started to sob and cry, hiding her face in her hands. I quickly wrapped her in a hug "Next time someone treats you like that, let me know. I'll deal with them" I promised. She shook her head "No? Why not?"

"Cause no one's afraid of you..."

"Wait until I start throwing hairbrushes..." I joked, making her chuckle.

"Did you say, 'hairbrush'?" a deep, mysterious voice behind me said. I turned around and Olivia hid in my back. In front of us was an old satyr. And I don't mean 'old' like 'gods old'. I mean 'old' as 'grown up not older than the gods'. His horns were curly and long, similar to the wild goats. His hair (or fur) was also reddish and curly, but in a more deep color. He was wearing a green tunic and had his hand over Mrs. Underwood.

"Yes, I did, Mr. Underwood" I recognized, bowing a little. Olivia was a little scare and slipped her hand in mine.

"How do you know my name? It's been centuries since someone knew it" he interrogated me, curious. I shrugged.

"I met your wife yesterday" I admitted. Mrs. Underwood gave his husband a smile, like explanation.

"You're the first humans who step into this temple in centuries..." he acknowledged "Who are you, kids?" he questioned us.

"Oh! I'm Richard Edward Dawson, son of Apollo and Augur of Camp Jupiter" I introduced myself "And she's Olivia, the Oracle of Camp Half-Blood" Mr. Underwood looked at us, shocked.

"That explains..." he started, looking at his wife.

"You're right... They look like them..." his wife agreed.

"Um, look like who?" Olivia squeaked from behind me. As a reply, the Lord of the Wild pulled out his hands, waiting us to grab them. I shared a look with Olivia, who nodded, gripping my hand in hers a little tighter. Together, we held onto his hands and we had a vision:

Mr. Underwood looked young and less experienced. He looked like a regular teenager. He was wearing half an armour, while riding an elevator. I recognized it as the one that goes to Olympus. At his side, a girl with pale freckled skin, frizzy red hair, clothes full of paint and big green eyes. She was tapping a plastic blue hairbrush in her thigh, nervous.

Once they arrived to Olympus, they walked to the Council's Room, where no gods were around. Instead, a group of teens were waiting for them. All of them were wearing roman clothes and armours. One girl was wearing a purple cloack, signaling she was the Praetor. By her side, a boy was standing. He was tall, skinny and pale. Scrawny would be the word. He was wearing a toga over a purple T-shirt and some camo pants. In his waist, a belt with a knife and a teddy bear with the shape of a raccoon...

I was pulled back to reality. I was again inside the temple. Mr. Underwood smiled at us, while I tried to process what I saw.

"That- that girl... It looks exactly like you, Ricky!" Olivia pointed out, surprised.

"And the blonde boy... It had Augustus hanging from his belt..." I noticed, looking at her "Actually, you look a lot like him!" I finished.

"Who were those people? And who was the satyr?!"

"The satyr was myself when I was a just starting as Lord of the Wild" Mr. Underwood remembered, nostalgic "The redheaded girl was the Oracle of the time... The blonde boy, he was the Augur"

"They were us!" Olivia yelped "Us, we're their-"

"-reincarnations" I finished for her, between excited and scared "How...?"

"Hope you have time, because it's a long story..."

Hey! Happy Thanksgiving Weekend! Here's the long waited Gruniper chapter! Comment, reviews, critics (try to be subtle about it, please...)

P.S. You're probably wondering why I'm posting on Saturday instead of the usual Sunday, uh? Well, the answer is simple... Right now (as in the moment I'm posting this), I have no wifi, Internet or home phone whatsoever... I'm in a cafe with my group study (don't ask), so since my phone company won't fix it till Monday, I'm in a free-wifi-weekend... Which would be great if I have to do stuff without wifi... So, I'll try to post next chapter next Sunday (not tomorrow, the next week). Honestly, I preferred this over another A/N... Thanks for understanding! xoxoxo

P.P.S. Got the idea when Leonidas_son_of_Nike (a Wattpad user) said I should do a book about it... Also, thank you to Hugs6 to let me use her character, Augustus the teddy bear raccoon :) Thanks you all!

P.P.P.S. I was planning one were Gruniper is in a environmental protest, but I decided to post it on Earth Day (that if I remember correctly, it's in April). Besides, I have no idea how is Thanksgiving celebrated, cause I don't celebrate it (I just remember when it is because of the fall of Wall Street in the '30s). Anything I could write about that holiday would be fake, so... I rather not.

P.P.P.P.S. I was thinking about doing one, in this style (genderbent/reincarnations PJO), for Chiron... What do you think? Also, anyone can tell me when's the Chinese New Year? I had an idea for another Frazel :)