Anastasia

After an odd series of events, everything seemed to more or less go back to normal, which felt pretty weird to say, considering we hadn't even managed to make it one day without getting quite episodic. I felt as though our team's chemistry were that of vinegar and baking soda; no matter how you try to combine it, or plug up the hole, eventually the pressure will reach a point where the whole thing erupts. I just genuinely didn't expect that day to be our first freakin day together. On top of that, I was trying desperately to adopt a leadership mentality, so that I could live up to Annabeth's expectations. My mind couldn't help but drift back to our one on one training time that morning, replaying everything Annabeth had told me in my head.

Earlier that Morning

I had literally never felt more nervous about anything in my entire life. I mean, for me, deciding not to sit at the very end of the Athena table during breakfast was a miracle. Learning how to lead Olympus' new Heroes? That fell more along the lines of boarder line insanity. Add that to the fact that I was supposed to try and learn from none other than Annabeth Chase herself; yeah my stomach was pretty much the Gordian knot. Look, I know that everyone knows Percy Jackson, and for good reason; but in the Athena cabin, Annabeth Chase IS the Percy Jackson. She is the idol of all children of Athena; when we daydream about what kind of heroes we would want to be, we pretty much all see something just like Annabeth. Well, at least I do. So to have her standing there, trying to gauge my best skills and biggest weaknesses, my knees felt like they were made of Jell-o. Earlier this morning, I had completely committed to becoming the leader this team needed, deciding to go by my real name to cement this decision. Shy, quiet Mary was gone; it was Anastasia's time. Obviously, thinking this was one thing; but putting it into action was a totally different animal.

"Anastasia, what makes a person the very best leader?" Annabeth asked as we put some distance between us and the others, startling me out of my thoughts. I quickly compiled a list of what I felt the most important attributes a leader could have. But before I could respond, Annabeth answered her own question.

"Strength to push through when others can't; Determination to do what others won't; Courage to face what others run from. Resolve to do what must be done, no matter the cost; Confidence to lead even when you may not see where you're going; Assertiveness to lead even when others don't feel they need to be led." She stated, about blowing my mind with the pure wisdom of her words. I suddenly realized that as she spoke, she was quite literally embodying these very traits. I hadn't noticed until now, but Percy followed Annabeth's suggestions like it were second nature; even the powerful twice-savior of Olympus didn't hesitate to follow her lead. As I thought back, Percy didn't follow her lead just because they were friends or because they were dating, it was more than that. He followed her because he knew she had his best interest in mind, and because she had the will to do what must be done, no matter what others thought. She rarely ever second guessed herself, much less third or fourth guessed, like I was prone to doing. She had a plan, and was absolute in her conviction and convincing her peers to follow her lead. Her self-confidence and surety coupled with her amazing intellect and planning skills made it the natural choice for even mighty warriors like Percy Jackson to turn to her in their time of need. A wave of disappointment hit me when I realized that I didn't really have any of those attributes that were so central to being a leader. Annabeth and I couldn't be less alike if we tried; I mean, physically if you looked at us, you could totally tell that we're sisters. It's one of the few things I've taken pride in about myself since I met her. We both shared the same curly blonde hair, although my hair is a slightly darker shade. We both have fairly tan skin, and our eyes are both a stormy grey. But beyond surface similarities, we really were as different as two people could be, which made it difficult to understand how she expected me to be like she was. But I had made a promise to myself that I would try with everything I had to become the leader this team needed; it was my mission. I forced myself to swallow down my doubts, steeling my nerves and looking up at her expectantly. A smile toyed at the corner of her mouth as we continued walking. I hadn't realized it, but we had made our way to a little picnic table, set right along the path underneath a pine tree. From there, I could see the rest of the campers going about their normal day. Set up on the table was an antique-looking chess set, each of the wooden pieces set neatly in its space.

"Of course, you're familiar with the game." Annabeth stated.

"Yeah; its kind of a right of passage in the Athena cabin." I replied. She nodded in agreement, taking a seat at one of the spots, my stomach dropping through my shoes. One of the many, many things that Annabeth Chase was famous for in the Athena cabin was being the reigning champion of the Cabin 6 Annual Chess Tournament, usually just called the Annuals. Most campers outside of Cabin 6 don't know about the tournament, but to the children of Athena, it's like our version of the Super Bowl. Everyone in 6 participates, playing single-game elimination matches. The final eight are entered into the actual tournament, where they square off to see who is the ultimate strategist in the Athens cabin. There's even a trophy, crafted by the Hephaestus cabin Annabeth Chase, among her many other accolades, just so happens to hold the second best record for most consecutive Championship victories, second only to Jose Raul Capablanca, who started the Annuals during his tenure at Camp back in the early 1900s. In fact, rumor is that Annabeth only needed one more Capablanca Cup to tie Jose's record, but that's just speculation. Regardless, she is one of the best players the Athena cabin had ever seen, and she was sitting across the table, waiting for me to take a seat.

"Oh, wow. I mean, I think we both know I don't stand a chance." I chuckled, trying to make light of the situation, but Annabeth merely cocked an eyebrow at me curiously.

"If you believe you can't, you won't. But if you believe you can, then you at the very least still have hope." She said, yet again taking me by surprise with just how wise she was. I silently took a seat across from her, and the match began.

"So, Anastasia," She began, moving a pawn. "What do you feel are your greatest leadership qualities?" She asked. I honestly had been asking myself the exact same question from the moment Annabeth told me I was going to lead the team. The problem was I didn't feel like I really had any true leadership qualities. Annabeth must have seen my turmoil, moving a piece before looking up at me.

"You showed strength when you pushed through your own personal fear and joined the team; you had the courage to put aside the old you and take up a challenge you weren't sure you were ready for. You showed resolve when, rather than backing down and stepping aside, you stepped forwards into a role that may make you a bit uncomfortable." She explained. My hand hovered over a piece as I thought about what she said, sparks of hope rising in my heart. She was right; I hadn't even realized it but in my own little way, I had been a bit strong, courageous, and resolute. I know it sounded crazy, but maybe... maybe I really could lead this team. Maybe I really had a shot at becoming a child of Athena who is just like Annabeth. Still, I knew I didn't have a chance at winning this game as I placed my knight down, instantly regretting it as her queen moved in for a checkmate.

"You already have the gifts to be a leader; you're tactically aware, have incredible battle instincts, and have all of the necessarily mental skills a true leader needs; what we need to work on are your emotional skills; confidence and assertiveness. You need to be able to make your voice heard, and you need to make the team feel at ease when following your lead." She explained, handing me her queen off of the board.

"Think of this as a reminder of what you need to do. When you know you can beat me, challenge me again." She suggested. A curious thought; there's never really a sure way to know for certain if you'll beat someone, but Annabeth wasn't one to mince words; she meant what she said. I tucked the piece into my sweater pocket, Annabeth setting a laptop onto the picnic table.

"Alright, I've set up a special training program designed to test your ability to make correct decisions mid-battle, and help increase your reaction time." She explained, showing me which buttons to press before taking the silver flash drive out of the side, handing it to me.

"I take it you have a laptop?" She questioned.

"Well, I did; some of the kids from the Aphrodite cabin messed it up pretty badly." I admitted. Annabeth stood up, motioning for me to follow her as we walked back down the path towards the cabin.

"After breakfast we're going to be visiting a friend of mine; trust me, he can hook you up with just about anything tech-wise that you need. He'll get you a new laptop." She assured. I glanced at my watch, shocked to see that it was already 7:00; Annabeth and I had spent a full hour together and it felt like 10 minutes. I thought she was going to say something, but cut off when she saw Damien storming off into our cabin in the distance.

Present

I had quite a morning with Annabeth, and a whole lot to mull over as we tromped onwards to the beach. As soon as we got there, Annabeth had us all talk off our shoes, and before we knew it we were attempting to jog back and forth along the beach in the slipping, sliding sand. More than a few campers stopped for a second to witness the 'great and powerful New Heroes' in action, which only succeeded in making me feel even more self conscious than usual.

"Hey Mary, how's it shakin'?" JB suddenly asked, jogging right next to me. I couldn't help but smile a little bit at him; always so chipper and he seemed to have this way of calming everything down with his laid back persona.

"Um, good thanks. " I said quietly. After mulling it over for a few seconds, I decided to take a first step.

"You know, I haven't really told anyone... but Mary's not my actual name. I whispered. JB couldn't look any more curious if he tried, tilting his head a little bit like a curious, nosey puppy, which was honestly quite a feat while jogging in the sand.

"Seriously? You know you've gotta tell me now, right?" He asked. The shy smile plastered on my face grew a little bit at his antics.

"Anastasia. My given name is actually Anastasia Marie. I used the name Mary because... well because I was hoping I would just be able to blend in and not get caught up in the spotlight." I admitted, but I don't think JB really heard the last part.

"Anastasia... wow, that's a really pretty name." He said quietly. I couldn't tell if he was talking to himself or to me, but either way I could see his cheeks turning a bit red at his own words, making me feel flustered.

"T-thanks." I stuttered. A long silence fell between us, broken only by the rhythmic sound of feet grinding through the dry sand.

"So, how'd it go with Annabeth?" He asked, boomeranging my thoughts right back to my morning. I attempted a shrug, but honestly by then I was getting so tired and hungry that it probably looked more like a noodle arm flopping around.

"I have a lot to work on before I can even try to be a leader for this team. Honestly, I'm lacking just about every emotional tool necessary to be a good leader." I admitted defeatedly, but JB was already shaking his head.

"That's just not true, Ma- Anastasia." He corrected with a tiny smirk. I looked over at him curiously. Annabeth blew her whistle, and we collapsed into the sand, heaving and trying to catch our breath. As soon as we did, JB sat up, glancing over at me.

"Have you seriously forgotten how you stepped up to Damien and put his butt in the dirt when we first met?" He asked, his face hardening as he looked out into the distance and held out his arm.

"That's how I bring glory to my mother. Who's pathetic now?" He copied me before dropping his arm and flopping back into the sand. He looked over at me with a smile, but I was too busy trying not to die of embarrassment. Had I really said that?!

"When you did that; stood up after being knocked down by Percy AND Damien, I could tell that something had changed. You got this... look in your eyes, and for those brief moments, it was like all your own doubts were gone. You looked so calm and confident and determined... you looked like Annabeth to be real." He admitted. Even if it wasn't his intention, JB had no idea what saying that meant to me. He couldn't have known that what he was saying literally gave me the only shred of hope I had felt since I began training to be the team leader. I thought back on every detail of that fight, and a sudden realization hit me; in that moment, I had given up all thoughts of myself. I didn't have time to think about how there was no way I could beat Damien, because I was to busy finding a way to beat him. I had put my mind to a mission, and I was going to see it through, no matter what. I didn't try and think of a couple of ways to take Damien down; I planned out every possible route to success and took the best one. I became a calculating machine because for those few moments, what people thought of me didn't matter. Before I could even doubt myself, I had already... already won. I felt a surge of confidence course through me as Annabeth blew her whistle again.

"Alright, everyone; back to the cabins. Go get cleaned up and head to the Mess Hall for breakfast. Oh, and you'll be eating together from now on. The team gets its own table." She explained, turning on her heels and walking briskly towards he cabins. When I looked up, JB was standing over me, holding out his hand with a kind and gentle smile. I reached out and took it, JB helping me to my feet. I suddenly grabbed him in a genuine, friendly hug, JB instantly hugging back. After a few seconds I stepped back, still smiling brightly.

"Thanks for reminding me that I've got what it takes." I whispered. I don't know if I've ever seen a smile as big as JB's was in that moment, the two of us turning and walking towards the cabins.

"Hey, it's not really that hard to tell the truth; but you're welcome." He replied. It didn't take us long to get back to the cabins, all of us taking showers and getting cleaned up for the morning. As soon as we were all dressed, we walked together to the Mess Hall. I couldn't stop Annabeth's words from swirling through my head; strength, determination, courage, resolve, confidence, assertiveness. The moment it all started feeling insurmountable, my brain shifted to JB's smiling face.

'You looked so calm and confident and determined... you looked like Annabeth for real.' His words echoed, smashing my doubts into a million pieces. Was it going to be an uphill battle? Definitely. But now, I was ready to fight. I was ready to give my all to become a leader, and now I felt as though I had the final, key ingredient I had been lacking; the true confidence that I actually had the stuff leaders are made of. The sun was just peaking up over the trees, and other campers were flowing towards the Hall as the four of us emerged from the woods. I knew I had a long way to go, but with both Annabeth and JB in my corner, for the first time I knew that I had what it takes. I was going to lead this team to victory; just like Annabeth.