AN: A reader pointed out that Chris is driven mad by King Minos in the book which is very true but I didn't really want to write about that so, as with Ethan, I took some liberties. I came across Achlys and thought she was pretty fascinating and not very well known so I used her instead. I have no problems with Minos; I just couldn't imagine a scene with him very well. I hope no one's opinion was too affected by my changes!

It has been a hard day for Clarisse. Mr. D is still out of touch and Chris is showing no signs of improvement. The last time she'd visited him, he'd been conscious but had been mumbling about Mary. Again. Now, to top it all off, Percy Jackson has returned to Camp.

It wasn't that the boy isn't a good hero. It is exactly the opposite. His natural skill at fighting, his likability and leadership skills are things she envies. As the daughter of Ares, these things are supposed to come to her naturally, too. But somehow, no matter how hard she tried, no one seemed to recognise her for them.

Now, Jackson was mouthing off about going into the Labyrinth for answers. There had been a meeting for the councillors about it and everyone had seemed surprised when Clarisse hadn't jumped at the chance of going in there; one of the Stoll kids hadn't even hesitated to call her a coward. But they didn't know what it was like down there, what it could do to you. Those memories could haunt you forever – the living proof of it was lying, insane, in the Big House. No, she doesn't care if it makes her look like a coward. There is no way she'd ever go back there.

Still angry from the snarky comments from the meeting, Clarisse stomps up the steps of the Big House. Being inside it makes her feel a little more at home. The Ares cabin is usually a mess of weapons and at any given time, someone's involved in a fight. But the Big House feels like a home even though none of the campers live there. It calms her a little as she takes a tray of food up the stairs up to Chris's room.

When she enters, she sees that he's awake. One look at his clouded eyes and she knows nothing's changed. She braces herself for what is about to come.

"Mary?"

With every time he says that name, Clarisse feels her heart sink. No matter how many times she assures him she's not his dead girlfriend from the labyrinth, he forgets in a matter of seconds.

"It's me, Chris," she says gently, "Clarisse. I'm not Mary."

She looks away so she doesn't have to look at the confused on his face which she knows will only hurt her. She sets down the tray of food next to him and picks up the bowl of tomato and ambrosia soup that Chiron said to feed him. Despite the celestial ingredients, it doesn't seem to be doing him much good.

"Mary," he says desperately as she spoons the soup into his mouth. He's too weak to take it himself."It wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault, right? Mary?"

Clarisse tries to blink away tears when she speaks but her words stick in her throat and come out sounding thick and emotional. "I'm not Mary, Chris," she repeats.

She swears she hears some movement behind her on the stairs but when she turns around, there's no one there. She whirls around back to Chris when he suddenly yells, "The son of Poseidon!"

"No, there's no one here, Chris, please," Clarisse begs.

"A thousand skulls...the earth keeps healing him..."

Clarisse has no idea what he's talking about. It must be another bad memory from the labyrinth but he's in no state to tell her, coherently, what happened. She soothes him, wishing someone was there to do the same for her.

Mr. D can't return soon enough, she thinks.