As soon as Wanda's tattoo had appeared, Mayfly, Silene, Thalia, and Astelle dragged her over to the Magic tent.
Wanda could see that each tent was different.
While the Magic tent was purple, the Blade tent was silver.
Wanda could also see that while the Blade tent had practice arenas, with walls of bladed weapons, Magic had practice arenas with walls of...what looked like wands, each a different color.
Wanda nudged Mayfly, asking "What are those?"
Mayfly looked over. "Oh those are the wands. Remember how I told you each person's magic has a unique color? Well, when someone is sorted into Magic, they get a wand that matches the color of their magic."
"Why do you need a wand?" Wanda asked.
"You don't. Everyone is able to use their magic without a wand, but for Newbies, who aren't as in control of their powers, the wands help. Once they are promoted to member, they don't use the wands anymore, but they still keep them, since in friendly challenges against another group, Magic has to use the wands to make it fair. No wandless magic allowed from us, since we're more powerful than the other groups. So in the challenges, the wands limit our power, since if we lose them, we can't use Magic anymore."
Wanda nodded in understanding.
"How do you get a wand?" She asked.
"You create them using magic. We have lots of them in the storage area, but they are all a dull gray. Once a Magic-User picks up a wand. they form a connection with it, and it turns from gray into the color of the users magic. You'll be getting a wand. I know you don't need one, you're far more trained than the other newbies, but, as I said, if you want to participate in friendly challenges you have to use a wand."
"Okay." Wanda said.
The four girls walked through the entrance of the purple tent.
Wanda gasped.
It.
Was.
AMAZING!
Bunkbeds lined two of the walls, with a group of girls sitting on one side, and clusters of boys on the other.
In the center of the area was a fireplace, with green flames.
Wanda could see that on each bunk bed there was a holder that had a wand in it.
All different colors, pink, yellow, green, orange, blue...
Along the wall farthest from the entrance was a bookshelf, with hundreds of books. Wanda guessed around twenty beanbag chairs were placed in a half-circle around the bookshelf, with a split in the middle to allow people to walk through.
Wanda watched in wonder as books levitated from the physically un-reachable top of the bookshelf down to the girls and boys standing at the bottom of the shelf.
They happily grabbed the books from mid-air, and jumped onto a chair.
Wanda could see that all the books were in that language she didn't recognize, but somehow knew how to read...Oh!
Wanda cursed her stupidity, of course it was Greek! Mayfly told her all demigods knew how to read Greek, despite never learning it. Wanda's mother was a Greek Goddess, of course wanda could read the language.
Wait, Wanda's mother was a Greek Goddess.
Oh God.
Wanda never truly processed what that meant.
Mommy. Mommy, who told her stories, who laughed with her and sung to her.
Who climbed into bed with her when she had a nightmare so she wouldn't be afraid, giving the comfort that even her twin couldn't.
She was alive. Not dead, as Wanda believed for years.
Wanda sunk to her knees.
She faintly heard a voice she didn't recognize say
"Oh dear. She's realized."
And could faintly see everyone crowded around her in a circle.
"Well, mother did always pretend to die."
"Shut up! Close your mouth just this once!"
"You going to make me?"
"Next time I take your nose I just might not give it back."
"Ooooh, scary Lou.
"Oliver, if you don't shut up I swear I will get Lady Artemis to come over here and turn you into a jackalope. I will then let my wolf EAT YOU! Or if you prefer, she can just eat you in human form. So for the last time. Shut. Up."
That was Thalia, Wanda realized.
Mayfly knelt in front of Wanda, and Wanda calmed down.
"Wanda?"She asked. "Are you alright?"
Wanda nodded. She needed to wait until she was alone to think things over.
"Well then." Mayfly stood, and Wanda followed shortly after.
"Meet the Family."