Chapter 37: Don't Be Afraid
"And why can't we use the pegasi?" August asked as she and Ariadne made their way through the dense jungle like area of the island back towards the volcano.
"Because that's a moving yet in plain sight target." Ariadne answered, sometimes darting off ahead of August in a small blitz of super speed, only to dart back to her side seconds later.
"Why would he kill you if you're the thing he wants?" August asked, still irked.
"August, think for a second." Ariadne said, pausing to look at her. "Who's to say that this isn't just some elaborate scheme to get me and you up there at the same time so he can kill us both?"
August nodded, realizing that Ariadne was probably right, yet again. "Alright, I get your point." They continued their trek up the mountain. "Are you sure Ed and the other satyrs have made camp up here?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I'm the one that sent them up here in the first place." Ariadne answered, walking about a yard in front of August.
August wasn't done asking questions though. In fact, she had started once they had started hiking up the mountain about a half hour ago, and hadn't stopped. Her nerves had acted up again, and she wanted to know every little detail she possible could before facing Hyperion, yet again. "What about-"
"August! Enough questions!" Ariadne snapped, turning around to face August with a look of genuine anger.
"I just wanted to know if-"
"August, you've done nothing but ask questions since we left base camp, and honestly the answer to anything else you have to ask is 'I don't know!'" She explained exasperatedly. Ariadne huffed and continued her march back up the side of the mountain in silence.
August also shut up, not expecting Ariadne to snap at her like that. Every day at camp when she would tutor August, she always answered her questions and was patient with her, even when August had thousands of questions. This wasn't like Ariadne at all.
Then, the realization hit August like a truck. "You're scared." She said, realizing exactly what was going on. The only other time she had seen Ariadne snap was after their bout with Hades.
"No I'm not." Ariadne answered quickly and without emotion.
"Yes you are." August argued.
"No I'm really not. Now shut up and keep walking." Ariadne demanded, still a good few feet away from August.
August knew she had to do something before they jumped into battle. Now wasn't the time for either of them to start breaking under pressure, so August did the only thing she could do. She ran up behind Ariadne, turned her around, and pulled her in for a hug.
"August get off me!" Ariadne snapped again, struggling against August's hold.
"No." August responded coolly.
"August now is not the time for romantic gestures!" Ariadne half whined, half growled, still struggling to get out of August's arms.
"That's a shame." August deadpanned, still not easing up.
"I hate you!" Ariadne growled, also not easing up on her struggling.
"No you don't." August said, still keeping calm.
"Why can't you take anything seriously?" Ariadne berated.
"Why can't you just surrender for five seconds?" August finally asked, still not letting go. Ariadne finally gave up and leaned into August, shaking violently. They stayed silent for a few seconds, August enjoying a moment of peace.
"You can't let anything hurt me, you promised!" Ariadne finally stammered out into August's shoulder.
"I won't. I don't break promises." August said, still not letting go any time soon.
"You can't tell anyone this happened." Ariadne whispered.
"That what happened?" August asked.
"That I had a panic attack mid battle." She answered.
"It's ok to be scared. I am." August said, moving Ariadne to meet her eyes.
"For you, sure." Ariadne answered, breaking away and continuing to walk, facing away from August while talking. "But it's different when your mother is who mine is."
"How so?" August asked, confused.
Ariadne gave a slight chuckle before answering. "You don't get it do you? The way Half-Blood works."
August remained silent, waiting for an explanation.
"The Romans, they've got it right I think. They split their leadership between people who've earned it and understand how to run an army. They pick their cohorts in battle wisely and plan accordingly based on the strengths of the individuals. People look up to these leaders because they've proved themselves to be leaders." Ariadne paused for a second, collecting her thoughts.
Once again, August said nothing.
"But in Half-Blood, we don't really have that. I mean sure, people look up the Annabeth and Percy as our leaders because they've indeed proven themselves, but they have no official right or rank. Instead, Half-Blood follows the Athena cabin in what they have to say, and their plans." Ariadne explained.
"Why?" August finally asked.
Ariadne looked back at August with a look that made it seem like the answer was obvious. "The goddess of battle strategy and wisdom's cabin is the leader of Half-Blood because of that very reason." She answered. "It is expected that our cabin be the best because, even since the camps history can remember, we've been the best. Sure, Ares cabin has campers who know their way around a war, and yeah there have been a handful of Big Three campers who have made their mark, but Ares's kids are as fickle in their maturity as he is, and after World War Two, the Big Three haven't exactly been pumping out kids on a regular basis."
"So that leaves you guys in charge." August concluded.
"Bingo. And that means I can't be anything less than perfect." Ariadne said, sternly.
"Well I think you're perfect." August complimented, jogging up next to Ariadne.
Ariadne rolled her eyes in response. "Not that kind of perfect you hopeless romantic."
August smiled at the compliment, but once again remained silent, waiting for an explanation.
"I'm supposed to be brilliant and creative, wise and reserved, battle prepared and always ready for the fight when it arrives." Ariadne continued.
"You're all of those." August reminded her.
"Yes, but I'm flawed where I'm not supposed to be flawed." Ariande answered, looking down. "When I came to Half-Blood, the thought of learning how to fight and battle terrified me. I wanted no part in anything violent or life threatening. Meanwhile, all of my siblings were just itching for a chance to prove their strengths."
"Why is that bad?" August asked, not seeing a problem.
"Hello, earth to Augustine! I'm Ariadne DeLonge, daughter of THE battle Goddess. And I hate fighting. Where does that seem like a good match?" Ariadne asked, almost mad again.
August shrugged.
"It's not that I don't like Greek heroes or the history, because I do and love them, and I actually do admire people like Percy and Jason who can battle and be relatively ok. But I'm not like that. I'm afraid of every monster in the book, I had chronic nightmares for years after learning that they were even in existence, and I can't even kill the smallest spider in my room." Ariadne rambled, not looking up.
"You said that last one was genetic." August reminded her.
"Even Annabeth can kill small spiders out of blind rage." Ariadne grumbled. "I'm an artist, not a warrior. All I ever wanted to do was paint and draw cool pictures of Greek Gods and myths, not live them."
"That's ok, I don't want to fight either." August said, still not seeing a problem.
"But you can be that way. I'm supposed to have a genetic predisposition to love the art of war, and here I am, a coward." Ariadne finished.
"I don't find you a coward at all. You're one of the most brave people I've ever met. And you fight skilled and valiantly all the time." August said, not sure what Ariadne was talking about.
"For Christ sake August, I chicken out ever time I'm supposed to step up!" Ariadne answered, giving August another 'you're crazy' look.
"When, Ariadne? I've never seen you not step up to the plate when needed." August responded, still not buying a word of anything Ariadne was saying.
"Well let's count, shall we?" Ariadne said bitterly. "Wolfman, I could have easily fought on after breaking a rib, but instead I stayed behind because I was scared; the canyon, I could have taken down tons more of those griffons and harpies, but instead I panicked and stayed close to you the whole time; the fury at Jupiter, I should have been fighting right beside you, but I couldn't bring myself to do anything; and the reason you had to waste your arrow in order to save me in the underworld was because I panicked and faltered during battle, not to mention I didn't say shit to Hades when you two were arguing! I couldn't even work up the courage to tell you I love you, and instead waited for you to make the first move! I'm the worst Athenian ever, and there is no reason to think other wise!" Ariadne whined.
August shook her head disbelievingly. "If you weren't brave, you wouldn't have even come with me in the first place." August argued, stepping in front of Ariadne before she could continue walking. "You wouldn't even be here, right now, hiking up this mountain on the way to face a Titan if you weren't brave. You wouldn't have come with me on this quest, gone into the caves, gone into the underworld, fought monsters, and come out standing if you weren't brave. You wouldn't have kissed me if you weren't brave. Yeah, ok sure you might be afraid of a lot of things, but bravery isn't what you're not afraid of. It's about standing up against things you are." August said, looking Ariadne dead in the eyes, meaning what she just said.
"I wish my siblings thought the way you did." Ariadne said quietly, once again leaning into August.
"They don't?" August found that hard to believe.
Ariadne shook her head. "No, I was always the odd man out. I'm not close with any of my siblings, except for Malcolm and Annabeth. I think Malcolm took me in because he felt a little protective of me, and I think that Annabeth considers me something of a challenge for her to conquer. Not that I mind really; her training has done wonders for me." Ariadne explained. "Other than that, any older siblings gave up on trying to train me and all moved on until Annabeth became head councilor, and any younger siblings don't look up to me like they do Annabeth or Malcolm."
"That's…" August trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"Sucky?" Ariadne finished, breaking away and continuing to walk. "You don't know the half of it." She gave a small, weak chuckle. "The worst part is figuring out your mother gives you special treatment because she pities you."
"She doesn't pity you." August said, refusing to believe that could be anywhere near true. "She sees your potential."
"I just don't know anymore." Ariadne responded, distraught. "Why can't people see me the way you do?"
"ARRY! AUGUST! IS THAT YOU?" A familiar voice sounded through the jungle like landscape, cutting off the conversation. August held still, listening again. "August!" The voice called, followed by the owner, Ed.
"Ed! Just the man I was looking for!" August called out to him as she met him halfway.
"You were? What for?" He asked, stopping a few feet in front of her.
"Ariadne and I understand how we're going to take this guy down, and we need the pendant." August explained.
"You do? I thought you said you could do it without." Ed reminded her.
"We've got a plan. You see, August can seal Hyperion into the volcano, but we need the pendant to stifle his power in order to make sure that he can't just escape again once sealed." Ariadne explained. "So, can we have the pendant?"
"Well I left it at the camp see…" Ed trailed off, looking back up the mountain, towards the satyr camp.
"Why on earth would you do that?" Ariadne asked, annoyed.
"Well I didn't think you'd umm… need it?" Ed said, sounding unsure of himself.
"Where's the pendant, Ed?" August asked, now annoyed also.
"Look, I'll get it for you. Just follow me." He gestured back up the mountain.
"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM! DON'T EVEN TOUCH HIM! HE'S A FAKE!" Another voice screamed. To August's surprise, another Ed came barreling down the mountain towards the party.
August was too stunned to respond properly. "Ed? What the-"
"Fake! You think I'm the fake?" The first Ed responded as the second Ed stopped next to his doppelganger.
"I know you're the fake! You almost tore apart our camp!" The second Ed challenged. "August, you have to believe me!"
"Don't listen to him! He's probably one of Hyperion's minions!" The first Ed defended.
"Everyone just hang on!" August demanded, thoroughly confused. She drew Helios, preparing for any sudden changes.
"Whoa whoa whoa! August hang on!" The second Ed said, backing away from the dagger.
"I'm sure we can work this out without having to use THAT." The first one agreed.
"Relax. If you are who you say you are, I should have no reason to resort to violence in the first place." August said, looking between both redheaded satyrs. "I'm merely getting ready for one we do find out who's who."
"Oh for the love of…" The second Ed face palmed, looking like he had had it. "Augustine, I'm the real Ed. Your middle name is Donner, your favorite guilty pleasure band is Owl City, your birthday is in September but you were named August because you were born a week late past your original due date in August, you have a birthmark behind your right ear, you dyed your hair bright pink in seventh grade, and if I wasn't the real Ed, you wouldn't have given me this!" He finished, pulling out the midnight black pendant from under his shirt, still hanging around his neck.
"Yep, you're Ed." August concluded, jumping at the first satyr without hesitation. She barely missed as the fake Ed moved like a ghost out of her path.
August looked back to see the fake Ed's eyes glowing red, a set of impossibly sharp teeth forming in his mouth. He chuckled darkly, "Wrong answer."
August wasted no time jumping back into battle.
This day can't possibly get any worse… or weirder. She thought to herself as the imposter changed and shifted before her eyes. He was faster than the woman at the beach, and was completely changed in seconds. What stood before August, Ed, and Ariadne was no longer a satyr, or anything they had ever seen for that matter. I stand corrected. Was all that came to mind as August looked at her new opponent.
What? Could it be that someone besides August gets *gasp* character development? Yes, yes it's true! Now we get to see why Ariadne is so manic sometimes. It's because she's a scaredy-cat. Also, Ed is back! Yay!