One of my favorite chapters written... I hope you enjoy it. I did writing it, all parts feel within character and within the power limits of the character.
The sun was sinking behind the mountains by the time we found the water park. Judging from the sign, it once had been called WATERLAND, but now some of the letters were smashed out, so it read WAT R A D. The main gate was padlocked and topped with barbed wire. Inside, huge dry waterslides and tubes and pipes curled everywhere, leading to empty pools. Old tickets and advertisements fluttered around the asphalt. With night coming on, the place looked sad and creepy. Aaron loved it instantly and wanted to come back here again, there was just something epic about the old ghosts that this place had to have. Memories of better times, happy thoughts and so much more.
"If Ares brings his girlfriend here for a date," Percy said, staring up at the barbed wire, "I'd hate to see what she looks like."
"Percy," Annabeth warned. "Be more respectful."
"Why? I thought you hated Ares."
Punching his brother hard, he glared at Percy with a rare rage that left the boy almost quivering. "Aphrodite is his girl friend, be careful and be respectful." His words were cold, hating that someone so smart as Percy could constantly be doing something so potentially wrath inducing. Looking skyward, he smiled and waved. " Sorry, Lady Aphrodite, he didn't know and would never insult you like that. I promise he knows better. Say sorry, Percy."
Frowning, Percy rubbed his arm but did in fact nod and look skyward. "I really am sorry... but I thought she was married to somebody else, " I said. "Hephaestus."
"Gods and fidelity are not exactly linked Percy, besides they are immortal so I imagine sex and love is more fluid for them." Shrugging, Aaron thought about it. " Besides, I can't blame her for cheating. She was literally sold off like an animal the day she was born, she never decided to marry anyone. I get it hurts her husband but I can't see her having any fault in it.
"Oh. So how do we get in?"
"Maia!" Grover's shoes sprouted wings.
He flew over the fence, did an unintended somersault in midair, then stumbled to a landing on the opposite side. He dusted off his jeans, as if he'd planned the whole thing. "You guys coming?"
Annabeth, Aaron and Percy had to climb the old-fashioned way, holding down the barbed wire for each other as each crawled over the top.
The shadows grew long as we walked through the park, checking out the attractions. There was Ankle Biter Island, Head Over Wedgie, and Dude, Where's My Swimsuit?
No monsters came to get the questers. Nothing made the slightest noise.
It was a wonderful surprise to find a souvier shop, something that made Aaron smile with sheer happiness. Merchandise still lined the shelves: snow globes, pencils, postcards, and racks of-
"Clothes," Annabeth said. "Fresh clothes."
"Yeah," Percy, the pinnacle of honor apparently, said. "But you can't just-"
"Watch me, besides Aaron pick pocketed." She snatched an entire row of stuff of the racks and disappeared into the changing room. A few minutes later she came out in Waterland flower-print shorts, a big red Waterland T-shirt, and commemorative Waterland surf shoes. A Waterland backpack was slung over her shoulder, obviously stuffed with more goodies.
"What the heck." Grover shrugged.
Soon, all three of the Questers were decked out like walking advertisements for the defunct theme park.
Aaron hugged Annabeth close. "I am so proud of you, evading your morals for being smart. So proud." They shared a laugh while she hugged him back, and in that moment he liked her and realized that they had become friends. "What else did you grab, I found some pencils and a notebook of all things. I want to write down some notes that I want to share with you."
Her smirk was beautiful. "Oh you'll see, lots of great things."
""""
They continued searching for the Tunnel of Love but while they did, Percy felt the need to chat. "So Ares and Aphrodite," Percy said. "They have a thing going?"
"That's old gossip, Percy," Annabeth told me. "Three-thousand-year-old gossip."
"What about Aphrodite's husband? What does Hephaestus think about the whole thing."
"Well, you know," she said. "He was crippled when he was a baby, thrown off Mount Olympus by Zeus. So he isn't exactly handsome. Clever with his hands, and all, but Aphrodite isn't into brains and talent, you know?"
"She likes bikers."
"More like passion." Aaron shrugged. "You felt what he could make you feel with a few minutes of being around him, for a literal incarnation of love and passion I cannot see her being able to resist that. Plus she's also a goddess of beauty, so maybe she is drawn to his good looks. He was very handsome."
Percy looked horrified. " Your attracted to him?"
"Sure, why wouldn't I be. I mean not his personality but hey a pretty face is a pretty face. Why ignore that?"
Percy shuddered. " Your weird."
"You love me anyway."
Annabeth actually started laughing. "He's got a point Percy, Ares was very handsome, but I think we're here." She pointed forward, and they all saw the source of her words.
In front of us was an empty pool that would've been awesome for skateboarding. It was at least fifty yards across and shaped like a bowl.
Around the rim, a dozen bronze statues of Cupid stood guard with wings spread and bows ready to fire. On the opposite side, a tunnel opened up, probably where the water flowed into when the pool was full. The sign above it read, THRILL RIDE O' LOVE: THIS IS NOT YOUR PARENTS' TUNNEL OF LOVE!
Grover crept toward the edge. "Guys, look."
Marooned at the bottom of the pool was a pink-and-white two-seater boat with a canopy over the top and little hearts painted all over it. In the left seat, glinting in the fading light, was Ares's shield, a polished circle of bronze.
"This is too easy," I said. "So we just walk down there and get it?"
Annabeth ran her fingers along the base of the nearest Cupid statue.
"There's a Greek letter carved here," she said. "Eta. I wonder ..."
Aaron froze. "Isn't that the sign of Hephaestus?" He pulled out his book, moving the pages until he saw the chapter on the Gods, focusing on the page of Hephaestus. " Look, it says that his is his symbol, it is used to invoke the powers of his domain."
"Your right, I was right... oh wonderful, this is a trap." Groaning, Annabeth turned to the group. " This is a trap, like with the Golden net millennia ago. After that Hephestus has been catching Ares and Aphrodite together, so they met in out of the way places. Still, we don't have time to waste, we need the ride to the west."
Percy turned to Grover. "Grover," He said, "you smell any monsters?"
He sniffed the wind. "Nothing."
"Okay, I'm going down there."
"I'll go with you." Grover spoke up, leaning down to tighten his magical shoes.
"No," Percy told him. "I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes. You're the Red Baron, a flying ace, remember? I'll be counting on you for backup, in case something goes wrong."
Grover puffed up his chest a little. "Sure, but be careful, if this really is a trap.
"I know. Aaron, your the best at a range, keep your bow at the ready and shot anything that attacks us. Annabeth, come with me-"
"Are you kidding?" She looked at me as if he just dropped from the moon. Her cheeks were bright red.
"What's the problem now?" I demanded.
"Me, go with you to the ... the 'Thrill Ride of Love'? How embarrassing is that? What if somebody saw me?"
"Who's going to see you?" Percy's face reddened in the most adorable way. "Fine," He told her. "I'll do it myself." But when he started down the side of the pool, she followed behind, muttering about how boys always messed things up.
As Percy reached the boat, he picked up the scarf. It shimmered pink, and was about to rub the scarf against his cheek when Annabeth ripped it out of his hand and stuffed it in her pocket. "Oh, no you don't. Stay away from that love magic."
Aaron's focus shifted, turning to look at the shimmering, beautiful scarf.
"What?"
"Just get the shield, Seaweed Brain, and let's get out of here. I'd rather not get caught or killed in a trap."
Eyes widen, Aaron sent a prayer to Aphrodite. 'Please, we will get you back your scarf but please protect them...' A realization overtook him, knocking Aaron almost flat on his back, a solution that could save their lives. Gathering his breathe, he yelled out, desperate for them to stop so they could at least pray to Hephaestus so he might disarm the trap. " Stop!" He was too late.
Then they touched the shield and everything went to hell. Percy recoiled, eyes wide and Riptide in hand immediately. Noise erupted all around, of a million gears grinding, as if the whole pool were turning into one giant machine.
Grover yelled, "Guys!"
Up on the rim, the Cupid statues were drawing their bows into firing position. Before anyone could suggest taking cover, they shot, but not at them. They fired at each other, across the rim of the pool. Silky cables trailed from the arrows, arcing over the pool and anchoring where they landed to form a huge golden asterisk. Then smaller metallic threads started weaving together magically between the main strands, making a net.
Just like the webbings that held down Ares and Aphrodite eons ago
"We have to get out," Percy screamed.
"Duh!" Annabeth said.
He rabbed the shield and we ran, but going up the slope of the pool was not as easy as going down.
"Come on!" Grover shouted.
Aaron and Grover were trying to hold open a section of the net for Percy and Annabeth to get out , but wherever they touched it, the golden threads started to wrap around their hands as if it was alive. Aaron shivered, feeling waves of very specific magic rushing through the strings. It was hot and potent, like pure magma and inspiration shivering through the metal. This was the power of a God stronger then Ares, by a considerable margin.
The Cupids' heads popped open. Out came video cam-eras. Spotlights rose up all around the pool, blinding us with illumination, and a loudspeaker voice boomed: "Live to Olympus in one minute ... Fiftynine seconds, fifty-eight ..."
"Damn it, even if prepared we set off the trap. Now we're going to be broadcast live to Olympus and look like absolute fools!"
Percy and Annabeth ran, almost making it to the edge of the boat before a row of mirrors opened like hatches and thousands of tiny metallic ... things poured out.
Annabeth screamed.
It was an army of wind-up creepy-crawlies: bronze-gear bodies, spindly legs, little pincer mouths, all scuttling toward us in a wave of clacking, whirring metal.
"Spiders!" Annabeth said. "Sp-sp-aaaah!" Aaron watched in horror and confusion as She fell backward in terror and almost got overwhelmed by the spider robots before Percy pulled her up and dragged her back toward the boat.
The things were coming out from all around the rim now, millions of them, flooding the center of the dry pool. Making their way to attack, bind or do who knew what to Percy and Annabeth.
Aaron's knees shook and his heart pounded in his chest, utterly terrified. "This is a Big problem, this was meant for God level beings, not two barely trained mortal kids. This could get bloody... they could die. No, no... not Percy, please, I'll do anything.' Aaron started to panic, tearing through his book as he sought for a spell to break them free. Tears prickled at his eyes as he heard Annabeth's screams, too afraid to look down and see her injured or worse.
"Come on, come on... please, some spell... um... weapon making spell, no... hemlock murder spell... disruption spell... maybe... okay,... Uh... Grover, I need your blood!" Turning he held out his hand to Grover, the funny goat looking at him in shock but before he could react, Aaron grabbed his hand and pulled it close, using his other hand to grab an arrow from his back and tear it across his palm.
"What in Hades!" He bleated out as Aaron threw the pooling blood at the spiders and metal.
"No time! INCANTE: Distractis potestatem natura sanguinis est. Habe in virtute et motu non desines, etsi tibi iubes!" Doubling over, black dots danced across Aaron's vision as every trace of magic was ripped from his talisman, knocking him to his knees. He couldn't breathe or see or do much be endure the ringing in his ears. The pressure in his chest, the dull beat of blood was too much... and he passed out.
'''
"Foolish boy!"
Aaron opened his eyes, startled to see the beautiful unfamiliar beauty of Hecate staring at him. She looked different then before, taking on a childish appearance not too much older then he was, with skin fairer then white. Her lips were the deepest red, her eyes the darkest green and her body was covered in a blue dress the color of midnight.
She was gorgeous and utterly pissed.
A growl escaped her lips and she reached down and pulled him up. " Look around us, what do you see!" It was not a question, but an order.
One he obeyed, realizing he saw... " Nothing...what, where am I?"
"Nowhere, you are in the space between space, where magic and souls gather to be collected by death!"
He stepped back. "I'm dead... "
She shook her head. "No, barely though. You strained your soul, casting such advanced magic. You tried to disrupt a god's spell, born out of sheer panic and deepest love and your willingness to suffer it worked, barely... but at great cost." She reached down, pulling his talisman, showing him the horror. "You cracked this... and your soul is damaged. Your very mind could have been next, you are very lucky."
And so it was, the talisman was cracked down the middle, spreading it out. "You expended so much of it's power, the spell upon it is weakened. Should it fail early our deal will still hold."
"Why am I here?" He looked up, shaking. " I thought you said I wasn't dead?"
Her eyes tightend with disgust. "Your soul wandered for a moment, I caught it before it went back. The backlash banished it for a moment, a risk of overdoing it." Then she sighed, turning away. " You must be more careful, too much rests on your shoulders. I will not intervene again. Should you fail, your soul will drift endless until I choose to collect it. Am I understood?"
"Yes ma'am..."
"Good, now return, your friends need you to waken." With cold fingers she flicked his forehead and everything went black again.
"""
Pain, sharp and explosive, danced across his face shaking off the Darkness, leaving him with eyes wide open and shiver. He was freezing, hungry and everything ached. Percy was soaked, looking at him in shock along side a very concerned Grover and Annabeth.
" What was that?" Percy all but screamed. " Everything started sizzling then the spiders collapsed."
Shivering, Aaron tried to stand. "Disruption spell. I needed to help you, that was a god level trap... I..." A pained coughing spell sent waves of pain throughout his body, leaving him in agony. "Damn, that hurts... I over did it though."
Grover sniffled as they helped him to stand. "Why my blood?"
"Nature magic disrupts electronics, I figured it counted since your technically a spirit of Nature... I almost died." And so he explained his dream, his vision of Hecate and asked them how they survived. Turns out that after his passed out, Percy managed to cut through the now disrupted wires and they just walked out, with a flying Grover helping pull them safely out, only to find him unconscious. Percy used his powers to flood the river afterwards, just to make sure the spiders didn't make a comeback. "Good, your alright... that... sucked."
Percy socked him in the arm this time, eyes very red and tight. "You almost died, that's not okay."
Sighing, he nodded. "I know... but at least we made it... I just can't cast any more spells for a bit, not at least until the talisman refills. I tapped it and my soul out..."
"Your lucky." Grover actually growled. "Time passes differently in the in-between, you could have spent lifetimes in there and it would have felt like an infinite amount of time. Your soul could have become a Mania or worse."
Nodding, he accepted the criticisms. " I panicked... but your right. I'm sorry. I didn't realize it would cost me so much... but I know now..." Sighing, he managed to stand on his own, stepping away from the others. " We need to go... Once we are alone, we have a lot to talk about. I think I figured out the truth about this quest."
Chapter over, tell me what you think in the reviews.
One of my favorite chapters to write. You are going to love the next couple of chapters...
Disruption of power, by nature's blood. I hold your power and command you cease motion
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.