Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter
The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: Symphony of Tempering
Chapter Twelve: Reconnecting with Ghosts from the Past
Beta: ShadowofAxios
"Rhode is that really you?" Thalia said as she looked at the raven haired beauty that was sitting at her bedside.
She looked like a grown up version of her adopted little sister, but Thalia couldn't even start to fathom how the heck this Sports Illustrated model was the same girl. When she'd imagined Rhode as a grown up, she'd seen her as a punk or goth or at the very least a rebel, but this girl was none of that. She wasn't a girly girl, sure, but dressed in an orange tee emblazoned with the words Camp Half-Blood and a pair of shorts, she still fit the girlish mold as a sporty girl. The mannerisms were off too. Where was the defiance and standoffishness that Thalia expected?
This can't be Rhode surely. Thalia couldn't help but think.
"Hey Thals. Yeah, it's me." Her smile came so easily and she radiated an aura of sweet relief from her eyes that made her seem like some kind older sister or something.
It was like being wrapped up in some kind of protective aura as the girl she knew so well sat across from her as a mystery now.
Nothing was making sense in Thalia's world at the moment. Right was left, up was down and the sky was green. At least that was how Thalia was viewing it.
"That's Rhode alright." The Su girl, who had introduced herself as a daughter of Demeter, said, backing the girl claiming to be Rhode up.
"Yeah, sorry, but your saying so is not really helpful." Thalia told the Chinese girl with a shrug. "You being her friend and all."
"Su, Thalia's still got a street half-blood mentality. We don't trust so easily, so I'm not blaming her for being cautious." The apparent Rhode lamented with a sad smile as she turned to the Chinese girl. "Su, could you give us some space? I want to tell Thalia something private."
The girl shook her head, "I'm sorry, Rhode, but no. You could say something wrong and she could lash out. I am not leaving you alone with a possibly volatile half-blood."
The stern way she said that made Thalia bristle. Volatile? She wondered how chill she'd be after being a tree for however long! Thalia was being as zen as a monk here!
"Su, please." Rhode pouted. Well, that was mostly the same baby seal look she remembered.
"No, Rhode. Think of something else."
Rhode just sighing and admitting defeat was not however, causing Thalia to frown and her doubts to resurface.
"There's really only one big secret that I think can convince Thalia but it's super private but since you won't leave-"
"I'm staying." The Chinese girl insisted despite Rhode's pleading look.
"Then," Rhode continued with another sigh. "I'll whisper it to Thalia. Don't try to eavesdrop, okay?"
"That's acceptable," the Su girl said as a couple of tentacles started to poke out of her shirt along the hem and collar.
What the Hades!? Thalia thought, eyeing the things warily.
"Stop trying to look all mean with Helel, Su. Even that freaks me out."
"I'm not," Su insisted. "I'm just preparing in case she tries something."
"No, you're just tense." Rhode shot back with a roll of her eyes, before turning away from the other girl.
Rhode stood and leaned in close, lips near her ear as she whispered so softly that Thalia barely heard her. "I still celebrate Jason's birthday for you, Thalia."
That felt like a punch to the gut. Only Rhode knew about Jason. She had told no one else, this… this was Rhode.
Gods, how much have I missed? Thalia thought as her eyes stung as she looked at the once little girl she knew and who was now almost like nothing she remembered, feeling utterly lost. She felt like she was drowning, trying to understand what was going on.
She was still stuck in this mire of confusion when someone else entered the infirmary.
"Thalia!" A blonde girl with grey eyes cried out joyfully as she raced into the room.
Thalia turned to the new arrival and recognised Annabeth immediately. Unlike Rhode she had grown up pretty much how the daughter of Zeus had expected, so there was no trouble accepting that the pretty, confident blonde was the little daughter of Athena she remembered.
"Hey Annabeth," Thalia said with a smile, only for the blonde to throw herself at her and pull her into a tight hug.
"Rhode, you sure you don't want to talk to Thalia more?" Su asked, shooting her a worried look.
"Let's give Bethy some time with her," Rhode said as they walked away from the infirmary. "In the meantime…"
"You want to see Jack." Su finished for her as she trailed off.
"Yeah," Rhode said with a hesitant nod. "I want to make sure he's okay. Chiron dragged him off to get examined pretty fast. I'm worried."
It was only natural, at least in Rhode's mind. He had been injured because of her after all.
"I'm coming with you. You and that boy being alone lead to things, Rhode." Her bestie affirmed with a glint in her soil black eyes. "Often bad things."
"Fine, let's just go."
The walk to Chiron's office where the centaur had dragged Jack over to, bed and all, so he could examine him was tense but companionable all at once. As much as Rhode was leery of having Su shadowing her in this meeting, she appreciated it too. She needed the backup.
"Chiron, can we see Jack?" Rhode asked as they reached the Trainer of Heroes' office door and she knocked on it lightly.
"Yes, please come in Rhode." Chiron said kindly as he swung the door open. "I was just about to push Jack's bed back to the infirmary. I could use your help. Yours as well Su."
"I don't need to head back to the sickhouse, Chiron." Jack hissed defiantly from his bed, shooting the immortal a glare.
"You were in a coma for a year, Jack." Chiron reminded him as he let the glare wash off him like water off a duck's back and he moved to stand behind the bed. "Even with ambrosia, your muscles have atrophied somewhat. You are not well. And will not be for some time. Or did you forget your attempt earlier to walk?"
Jack blushed and looked away. Clearly said attempt must've been plenty embarrassing.
Chiron smiled at that and began to push the bed towards the door, Su and Rhode rushing to either side of it to help him as they maneuvered it out his office door and through the halls of the Big House back towards the infirmary.
"Hey Jack," Rhode greeted, catching the snow haired boy's attention. The look from his icy blue eyes still made her stomach do flip flops like some hormonal tween. Damn his handsomeness.
"Hi Rhode," he said in that sexy cool guy voice she knew he'd been practising before his coma. "Miss me?"
"A little," Rhode confessed, playing it cool herself.
"Ahem," Su cut in before she could say more. "Rhode, remember your promise to Amphitrite?"
"Oh right." Rhode said, blanching at how with Jack back she almost fell back into her old routine.
"What does a promise to your stepmother have to do anything?" Jack asked, sounding confused.
"Mum," Rhode corrected, causing Jack's eyes to go wide in disbelief. "Made me promise to not be in any relationships for a while. Not until my counsellors cleared it. I'm not ready for it. Not after my recent screwups."
"That's malarkey! I'm your boyfriend!" Jack demanded, harshly grabbing Rhode's hands on the sides of his bed.
"Not anymore," Rhode said, forcibly pulling the boy's weakened hands off her own. "Jack, I need time to get my head on straight."
"As her counsellor, I agree." Chiron said, adding his own pint of oil to the fire Rhode already saw smoldering.
"You?" Jack said, shooting Chiron a dark look. "This- This is- Rhode! We need to talk now. Alone! Please!"
"No." Su crossed her arms, looking defiant and her shirt wrinkled as her plants writhed under the cotton fabric.
"You still need medical supervision," Chiron told him firmly as well. "And to be honest, in my capacity as her counsellor, you and Rhode being alone is something I would strongly discourage."
Rhode could only look away, feeling scummy about all this.
"Fine, whatever." Jack said, the room dropped a few degrees in response to his anger. The bitterness in his voice made her heart ache.
"You can throw a tantrum all you want Jack," Chiron said sternly. "And be in denial as well. But your relationship with Rhode, at least in recent times, has been toxic. You've been emotionally manipulative-"
"I have not!"
"You have," Su cut in, Helel waving its tendrils threateningly. "Don't deny it."
"Oh please, we all know you've been pining for her for years." Jack retorted sharply.
"That does not make what Su said any less true," Chiron cut in. "You were emotionally abusive to Rhode, or close to it. And Rhode, for whatever reason-"
Damn meddling gods. Rhode thought with a frown.
"-Is especially susceptible to it. As such, as your mutual guardian, it is my opinion that as far it is possible, neither of you should be allowed to be alone together."
"...Fine." Jack answered in a low whisper that carried like a chilling breeze. It sounded hurt and broken and it honestly took Rhode a lot of effort not to want to just… fix it. Her resolve to stand back though was helped along by the stern looks that both Su and Chiron shot her.
"Ah Rhode!" Bethy said excitedly as they arrived back in the infirmary, though Rhode didn't miss the quick, dark glance she shot Jack. "Thalia was saying she wants to have a tour of Camp-"
"I did?" Thalia asked, blinking in confusion.
"Yes, you did." Bethy said, nudging her shoulder and nodding towards Jack, "Remember?"
Thalia looked a little lost but nevertheless nodded. "Uh, yeah. That sounds cool."
"Yes, it does." Chiron agreed, also shooting a look between Jack and Rhode. "And according to my examination earlier, your transmutation from tree back to human has not caused your muscles any harm. As such-"
"Lucky you," Jack hissed angrily but everyone ignored him. Even Rhode, though she did so with great difficulty.
"I think some exercise will do you good." Chiron continued, offering Thalia a smile. "Rhode, why don't you accompany them. I'm sure that Thalia will appreciate the company. As for you Su-"
"I'll go to the potions lab," Su said with a shrug. "I'm betting Jack will be needing some potions to help his recovery. I'll go brew some up for him."
"Thank you, Su." Chiron said with a smile as the daughter of Demeter just shrugged and with a wave to everyone turned and left.
"Right then, let's start that tour!" Bethy said with excessive enthusiasm as she all but dragged Thalia to her feet and hooked an arm around Rhode's.
"Bye Jack," Rhode said as she was tugged out of the infirmary. "See you later."
"See ya."
"Come on, we so have to show you the Lava Wall." Bethy said.
"Sure thing, Annie. Just slow down." Thalia said as the two daughters of the Big Three were led away.
"Okay, Percy's got Rhode all distracted over at the canoeing lake with their powers practice." Annabeth said with a nod as she looked around the circle of friends that she'd gathered for this discussion.
Thalia was there, as was Su. Lee, Grover, Emily and Gaige too. The former through wizarding firecall channeled through a lit brazier that Lady Hestia had helpfully provided when Annabeth had asked her earlier whilst the satyr and the couple were connecting via old fashioned Iris Message.
"Still can't believe Poseidon broke the Oath, again." Thalia murmured, not looking pleased.
"Now's not the time, Thalia." Annabeth chided the daughter of Zeus firmly.
"Alright, can someone tell me what's so bad about this Jack guy and Rhode? He's an ex or something right?" Thalia asked with a grumpy look on her face.
"Yes, he's an ex." Su said with a frown. "Same as me."
"Wait!" Thalia said, shooting the Head Counselor of Demeter Cabin a shocked look. "You and Rhode dated?"
"Yeah, for the better part of a year."
"Rhode's into girls? That's-"
"Not the point right now," Emily cut in firmly, shooting Thalia a glare. "Stop getting distracted and dragging this meeting off on tangents."
"Um, right, sorry." Thalia said, relenting under the glares of varying intensities that everyone was shooting her. "So, um, what's the meeting about?"
"Jack," Grover said. "And how he's a bad influence on Rhode."
"He's worse than that," Lee countered. "Did you see them together in the last few months of their relationship? He was constantly manipulating her emotions to get her to do what he wanted. That's abuse, plain and simple."
"Hindsight is twenty twenty, huh?" Gaige said with a scoff. "Unlike us girls, didn't see you doing anything about it back then. At least we tried an intervention that one time."
Lee and Grover both looked away shamefaced.
Thalia looked ready to say something but stopped herself at the last minute.
"I read up more about his mother, Lady Khione. She's a good manipulator but not supernaturally so." Annabeth sighed at the weak points in her research. Minor gods really only had blurbs about them here or there, even here at Camp.
"She's a goddess," Grover said with a shake of his head. "That makes everything she does supernatural. She might not have outright Charmspeak, but she's still inhumanly good at manipulating people."
"And Jack seems to have inherited it." Lee observed.
"It doesn't help that Rhode is super susceptible to it thanks to the mess of curses and blessings that she got hit with thanks to Amphitrite's attempt to help her with her Fatal Flaw." Annabeth said with a tired sigh.
"What did she do?" Thalia asked, her eyes narrowed in anger.
"Rhode's Mum," Annabeth replied, emphasizing the relationship Rhode had chosen to have with her father's wife so that Thalia would get the picture. "Used one of Rhode's screw ups to get Nemesis to bless her with something to moderate her Fatal Flaw, but that just created an opening for other gods to mess with her too. At least that's what Rhode told me her parents let her overhear whilst she was in Atlantis."
Thalia mouthed the word "Atlantis" soundlessly for a moment as she probably tried to wrap her head around Rhode having visited her father's divine home. Annabeth herself still had trouble accepting it so she wasn't surprised, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
"It's the root of Rhode's problem with Jack." Lee said with a sigh. "Or at least some of it is that the mess of blessings and curses has made her very susceptible to his manipulations."
"Which is why we must try and make sure he doesn't get a chance to use them." Emily insisted.
"And that's why we must do everything we can to keep them apart." Gaige added. "Up to speed, daughter of Zeus?"
"Yeah," Thalia said with a slow nod. "Is it that bad, though?"
"Is it that-Yes!" Gaige threw her hands in the air.
"Guys, Thalia just got out of a tree. She has the mentality of a twelve year old. I think." Annabeth tried to at least defend the confused Thalia. "She's never dated before if I remember."
Thalia however flushed with embarrassment and gave her another grumpy look. It honestly looked odd on her face. Thalia had the body of a fifteen year old if what Chiron said was right, but had the mind of a twelve year old. The oddly childish expression on her teenage face just cemented her odd situation.
"Think of it this way Thalia," Emily said, sounding both kind and stern all at once. "The Rhode you remember never takes any bullcrap from anyone, right?"
Thalia nodded.
"Well, Rhode still doesn't." Emily continued. "She's less likely to jump to conclusions and is more open to let people convince her to do things but she's still no pushover, but when it comes to Jack and his manipulations-"
"If he asks her to jump, she goes 'how high'." Gaige said with a frown.
"T-That bad?" A pale faced Thalia asked, looking at Grover and Annabeth for confirmation.
"At its worst, yeah." Grover said with a pained nod.
"I'm afraid so," Annabeth said with a sigh.
"So we keep them apart?" Thalia asked, looking uncertain. "Is that going to be enough?"
"That'll be the first step." Annabeth said as everyone nodded. "But that's why we're meeting now. To brainstorm what else to do."
"Just tell me what I can do to help. If he's bad news for her, I don't want him near her." Thalia frowned, some static dancing around her hands as she clenched them tight.
"If only we could exile him somewhere," Lady Hestia said as she materialized out of nowhere in between Annabeth and Thalia inside the little clearing they were using. "The two of them really could do with more time apart. Alas there is nowhere that we can send Jack. If there was, I would have sent him there already."
"W-Who are you?" Thalia said, shooting the goddess a shocked and wary look.
"Hello Thalia, welcome back. I am your auntie Hestia." Her small hand took Thalia's and gave it a warm shake. "And you children better disperse. Rhode just had the brilliant idea to invite Thalia to join her training with Percy, she's liable to find you all shortly."
"Training nut Rhode at it again?" Lee grimaced through the flames.
"I fear she's taught young Percy how to solidify water to create barriers and wants to test them against Thalia's electricity. Now Lee, shoo. I have a fire to tend to." The goddess said as she nudged his face within the brazier's flame with her poker, causing it to waver.
"Yes ma'am!" The wizard said as his image faded.
"Bye guys," Gaige said.
"Yes bye," Emily said distractedly. "We'll contact you with our ideas on how to handle the Jack problem. Either you, Annabeth, or Su, whichever is free."
"I've got nothing to do after this," Su said as she stood. "I'll go to my Cabin and we can continue talking there. Annabeth-"
"Thalia and I will distract Rhode." Annabeth affirmed as the couple's IM faded away.
"And I'll be their excuse for why they're together." Grover offered.
"Good, good. Very quick thinking everyone." Lady Hestia said with a smile for all of them. "I love when a secret cabal comes together. It's so exciting!"
With that the goddess vanished, taking the brazier with her.
"Is Lady Hestia, you know, always like that?" Thalia whispered nervously to Annabeth.
"Friendly and helpful?" Su said over her shoulder as she walked off. "Pretty much."
"Oh." Thalia surmised, looking unsure what to think.
Annabeth was going to have to give her a crash course over which gods actually do want to help them. Or how gods in general weren't really quite as bad as they thought they had been when on the road. Rhode's stories about Atlantis and its court had been enlightening as to how gods really operated.
"So, um, Thalia, how was it like being a tree?" Grover said lamely as he nodded behind them just as there was rustling in the opposite direction of where Su had vanished into the woods.
"Uh, quiet? I don't really remember much. Just the battle, haziness and bam I was out."
"So that's where you two are!" Rhode said happily as she burst out of the treeline behind them. "I was looking for you Thalia. Oh and hey Grover!"
Like the trainer from Hades her older sister strode forward with a battered, but still standing Percy walking behind her.
"Grover, dude." Percy smiled and waved at the satyr's IM image.
"Hey Rhode, Percy," Grover greeted with a wide smile. "So I was just catching up with Thalia after all these years, ya know?"
"I can see that," Rhode said, sinking onto the log that Su had been sitting on earlier. "Huh? Nice smell. Bethy, you used a new perfume? It smells heavenly."
"Uh, ya?" Annabeth said lamely, caught off guard by Rhode's question and more importantly the possible implications of her liking Su's natural fragrance. Then again… They had dated, so why then did she not recognise it? The curses? Something to think about...
Seriously, Rhode's love life was going to give Annabeth a headache soon. Still, as her little sister, it was her job to help her as best she could.
"So Rhode, since you're here too. Why don't all four of us catch up?"
"That's a great idea Thalia." Rhode agreed. "Hey Percy, sorry, but could we cut our session short?"
"Sure," Percy said, with a sigh of relief. "I'll, uh, go, um, hang out with Blackjack."
"Thanks bro." Rhode said, ruffling his hair with a cheeky grin. "Tell the stable I said hey and remind them that we've got flying lessons with the newbies later today before dinner. BJ's been working on his aerial loops and I want to test them with you."
Percy looked like he just lost the lottery and Annabeth fought hard against a smile. The look he had was priceless!
"Uh, okay." Percy said with a stilted nod. "Catch you guys later."
"Bye Percy~!" Everyone chroused.
"So, what's what?" Rhode said, turning to her friends as their small family began catching up.
"Rhode, why do I have to worry about this?" Thalia asked as she adjusted the way the jeans that Rhode had got her to wear sat on her hips and looked over the outfit her sister had picked for her. It consisted of the aforementioned jeans, a Camp Half-Blood tee and her old jacket which Rhode had returned her.
It had apparently become a treasured possession of her sister's. Something she kept as a memorial of her. It boggled Thalia's mind a little - At least in comparison to everything else! - that she'd do that for a simple jacket. Sure she really liked it and it was a precious piece of clothing for a street kid which might have trouble replacing it, but they weren't living on the streets anymore and so it was really just a simple article of clothing. Yet Rhode had treated it with reverence and so Thalia had hid her confusion and accepted it back whilst reciprocating the emotion as much as possible.
Had Rhode really clung onto anything that was hers just to remember her better or something?
"If you want to get the boys to look back at you like I saw you look at them then yes," Rhode told her from where she was rummaging through the whole wardrobe worth of stuff Aphrodite Cabin had loaned them for their little makeover.
"B-boys!?" Thalia squeaked. "I'm not in-interested in boys!"
"So I didn't see you checking Beckendorf out yesterday when we visited the forge to get you some new training gear?" Rhode asked teasingly, an airy laugh in her tone. "Or when you were admiring Michael Yew's arm muscles at the archery range the day before that?"
Blushing terribly, Thalia hid her face behind her hands.
"Hey, no need to be embarrassed Thalia." Rhode said, coming over and pulling her into a hug. "It's perfectly natural for a teenage girl into guys to appreciate the male form."
"But, but I didn't do it before!" Thalia whined, pushing away from Rhode and waving her arms around. "But now I can't help it! I see a halfway decent looking guy and my eyes just lock onto them without any input from me."
"Yeah, that's gotta suck." Rhode said with a shrug.
"But it can't be helped, Thalia. Your body jumped in age while your mind hasn't. You're just reacting to it all, nothing is wrong about that." Rhode said so firmly that Thalia felt her self-esteem bolstered from her confident assurance alone. "It's basically the same thing that happened to your breasts just you know with your awareness of the opposite sex."
At the mention of her boobs, Thalia cupped them and looked down at them with a frown. Before she'd woken up, they had barely even been bumps on her chest and a simple training bra had been enough for her but now? While they weren't huge by any stretch of the imagination. Rhode's and even Annabeth's were bigger. They were certainly something! If her sisters hadn't helped her through the process of getting properly fitted for a set of new bras, the daughter of Zeus didn't know how she'd handled having them.
That and getting used to how having two things growing out of her chest now changed her balance. It had made walking that first day tough, but thankfully she'd gotten used to it quickly enough.
"Though," Rhode continued, unaware of the tangent Thalia's thoughts had taken. "I'm probably not the best person to talk to about relationships. If you have questions on that front, I recommend going to Chiron but if he's not available then someone from Aphrodite Cabin."
"Uh, yeah. Sure." Thalia nodded, trying not to get into that whole can of worms. "You sure you can't help?"
It had been a slip of the tongue. Thalia knew not to get Rhode involved in any romantic relationships, or talk thereof, if she could help it.
Rhode just nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure. Unless you want to just do the opposite of what I do. At the rate I'm going, I might as well be celibate. I'm sure Dad would love that."
The laugh she gave hurt the daughter of Zeus at how self-deprecating it was.
"Okay," Thalia said, trying to change the topic. "So this outfit works. Any other suggestions?"
"How about this dress?" Rhode suggested lifting up a retro skater dress for her to have a look at. "I think it would work with your jacket. A bit of clashing styles can really make things work sometimes."
"Um, not really?" Thalia said instinctively, recoiling from the idea of wearing a dress. "I don't think I'm a dress kinda girl."
"Hm, it never hurts to have it in the closet, but if you're sure?"
At her nod, Rhode shot her a knowing smile that had Thalia feeling clueless. Then again there were plenty of things Rhode knew that Thalia didn't. Just one look at her gorgeous sister could tell her that. Dressed in a cream silk blouse and a suede skirt, she looked amazing!
Thalia was honestly shocked that Rhode didn't do modelling or something. So she trusted her sister's fashion sense. It was better than hers anyways.
She was better than her in a lot of ways. Her figure for example. Where Thalia was lanky and a little underdeveloped, Rhode had the figure or a surfer or supermodel. She was honestly every man's wet dream! Heck, loads of guys just stared as she walked by them in Camp and a competitive part of Thalia felt annoyed by that. Thankfully it was largely silenced by the part of her that reminded her that Rhode was her sister, that she herself was still growing into her figure and that Rhode had promised to help her end up looking as good as she did.
"Try this instead then," Rhode said lifting a denim skirt. "It's basically the skirt version of your jeans. You have nice legs, you should show them off. Flaunt it if you got it, I say."
Thalia was hesitant, but the eager look in Rhode's eyes had her caving.
"Sure," she agreed hesitantly as she unzipped her jeans and began shimmying out of it to continue being Rhode's dress up doll.
"Rhode, this is a bad idea." Annabeth told the daughter of Poseidon as they watched the Campers trickle into the Sword Fighting Arena from the VIP section usually reserved for the trainers for the day or Camp's leadership if they ever chose to make an appearance.
"Yeah, you mentioned it when I proposed it at the last Counselors' meeting too." Rhode replied tiredly. "But we all agreed-"
"Over my objections."
"Which were noted." Rhode continued with a sigh. "But we all agreed we need to have more whole Camp training to work on our teamwork with the brewing war."
"Yes," Bethy said with a nod. "But jumping from the occasional paired Cabin training straight to a whole Camp session just isn't wise. Especially when there's been tensions between Cabins lately."
And isn't that an understatement. Rhode thought with a tired sigh. She didn't really know why but tensions between Thalia, Percy and Clarisse were bloody high lately. And the less said about how everyone was being leery of Jack, the better. Add that to the perennial tensions that existed between the Cabins of rival godly parents and Camp was very much a powder keg right now.
"The whole point of this training is to ease those tensions."
"And I'm telling you it's not going to work out like you expect."
"Well, you were outvoted." Rhode reminded her. "We agreed to at least give it a try."
"I know," Bethy said with a sigh. "Just wanted to remind you what I thought before this blows up in our faces."
"Duly noted, Bethy." Rhode said with a roll of her eyes. "Looks like everyone's here. It's game time."
"Okay, everyone!" Rhode said as she stepped forward and raised her voice to address the assembled crowd. "Thanks for coming for our first Camp-wide joint training session. We're going to keep things simple today and just practice the small unit tactics that we used to keep Camp safe when the wards were failing this summer. It'll be a refresher for most of us but it'll be new to some of you so those of you who know what you're doing please help the newbies out, alright?"
This was met with a chorus of agreement and Rhode smiled.
Maybe this won't be the bloodbath Bethy keeps saying it'll be after all.
"Is that how I do this, Rhode?" Thalia asked as Percy watched her adjust how she held her doru spear and hoplon shield under his sister's watchful eye.
"Mostly," Rhode said as she eyed her stance critically. "Your stance could be tighter though. Try tucking your shoulders in a bit more and see if you're comfortable. The smaller you make yourself, the better you can fit behind your shield and into the phalanx. But comfort is more important. You'll need to hold the pose for hours at a time in the worst case scenario, so if you're uncomfortable then it's a no go."
"Right," Thalia said as Percy watched her adjust her posture, tightening it at Rhode's suggestion. "This is just…"
"Odd?" Rhode said with a chuckle. "I get it. Just remember this isn't solo or paired fighting anymore. Combat in a phalanx is all about maintaining cohesion. Lose it and the formation's strength is lost."
"Right, yeah, I got it." Thalia nodded jerkily, face scrunched in concentration as she continued her practice.
"Disgusting, isn't it?" Clarisse asked as she collapsed into an ungainly sitting position next to where Percy was taking a break on the ground next to a water cooler.
"Well, she's a rookie here." Percy said, trying to play it off. "Can't help it if she gets more detailed training."
"Oh, don't try to act coy Jackson." Clarisse said with a snort. "You know what I'm talking about."
Percy did. He would have to be blind to not see how Thalia had done her best to monopolize his sister's time lately. Sure, like he said she was a newbie. But the amount of attention that she was demanding from Rhode was excessive. It was tough just getting his sister to spend time with him nowadays. The only alone time they got since the daughter of Zeus escaped being a tree was when they were alone in Cabin Three and most of that time was spent sleeping. Almost every other waking moment, Thalia was there being Rhode's constant shadow.
"Yeah, I do." Percy admitted, pissing him off that he had to do so. He felt like an ass for it, but still felt justified in his bubbling annoyance.
"Percy, are you being all jealous of Thalia again?" Annabeth said as she walked over to join him and Clarisse, flashing him a teasing smile as she did. "You're looking like a sad puppy that didn't get his scritches."
Argh! Did she have to tease me again!? Percy thought, shooting Annabeth a pout that had the blond smirking at him. And why do I find her both irritating and cute when she does it?
"He's got plenty of right to be, doesn't he?" Clarisse shot back, surprising him.
Wow! Not only is she backing me up but she's also ignoring the bit about me being a puppy? Percy thought, shooting the daughter of Ares a disbelieving look. Truly the world is coming to end.
"It's been a long time since the two were together. There isn't a problem for them to want to hang out." Annabeth shook her head at the two.
"Maybe," Clarisse said with an uncaring shrug. "But that's no reason for Rhode to baby her so much."
"Rhode isn't babying me!" The aforementioned daughter of Zeus said suddenly, causing the three other half-bloods to turn to see her pause a short distance from them and sparking slightly at the insult. "She's just-"
"Helping you with the stuff you're new with." Percy offered helpfully, shooting Clarisse a warning look.
As much as he disliked how Thalia was being super clingy with Rhode, he knew that getting into a fight with the daughter of Zeus would just upset his sister. And she had enough things on her plate with Jack back in the picture to have to deal with her siblings fighting each other.
"She's helping you a lot more than she ever helped any other newbie." Clarisse spat, standing up and shooting Thalia a glare.
"She's got you there Thalia." Annabeth said with a shrug.
"Well, I need the help." Thalia admitted, shooting the blonde a betrayed look.
"And others don't?" Clarisse shot back, a snide grin on her face. "Back me up here Jackson?"
"Huh?" Percy asked, looking away from where Rhode was helping Jack with his stance with a duro and hoplon like she'd Thalia earlier. Thankfully, Su was there too to keep an eye on the situation. If she wasn't…
"We were saying Sparkle Princess here is getting extra attention from Rhode. You think so too, right?"
"Yeah, I guess." Percy agreed instinctively, still too distracted with thoughts about Rhode and Jack to remember he wasn't supposed to inflame the situation further.
And by the way the sparks that Thalia gave off intensified and she gripped her doru so tight that her knuckles turned white, that's exactly the effect his words had.
"So what? It's a crime to get some help or something?"
"When you're shadowing her like a baby duckling, maybe." The daughter of war said with an angry grunt.
"Guys, come on. This is about training together with the other Cabins. No need for fighting." Annabeth said with a subtle edge in her tone.
"Yeah, what Annabeth said." Percy said, stepping in between the two furious girls.
"Oh no! I'm not letting this warmonger insult me and just walk away." Thalia said, pushing Percy aside.
"So you want a fight?" Clarisse said, an eager gleam in her eyes. "Bring it!"
"Glad-"
"Enough!" Percy said in a low, hissing whisper. "Do you two want Rhode to get on our cases for fighting and defeating the whole purpose of this training session?"
Whether it was his tone or his words, this finally seemed to have an impact on both girls and they paused.
He was hoping for rationality to win out, but they were half-bloods, their parents' egoes were pretty much embedded in them. So of course, they decided that the fight totally still needed to happen.
"Fine," Thalia said with a frown. "Tonight after Singalong?"
"I'm good. Here in the Arena?"
"Fine with me." Thalia agreed with a nod. "Annabeth, mind being our referee? I'd ask you Percy but if we're gonna keep this from Rhode…"
Considering he slept in the same Cabin with her… Yeah, him sneaking out to play referee to them brawling wouldn't work.
"We could always get Rhode to watch, like some trophy princess of old." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Make this silly thing traditional."
"Nah, this isn't about Rhode anymore." Clarisse said with a shake of her head. "Is it Sparkle Princess?"
"No, it's about me wanting to use you like a lightning rod. Try not to roast."
"Big talk, Sparkle Princess." Clarisse said with a snort as she turned to walk off, waving at her Cabin to form up as she did. "Let's see if you can live up to it."
Percy just exchanged a look with Annabeth who just sighed and shook her head. Silently communicating that there would be no talking these two crazies out of this.
I'm so gonna tattle on them to Rhode about this.
"So we're really not going to stop them?" Percy asked Rhode for the third time as she led her brother down to the Sword Fighting Arena after her evening counselling session with Chiron. "I mean, aren't they breaking curfew at least?"
"All three of them are counselors," Rhode reminded him. "Technically, curfew doesn't apply to them. And a physical fight to settle differences is pretty much the norm for us half-bloods. We usually reserve it for spars, but a duel isn't unheard of either."
"We're not that violent are we?" Percy asked with a frown.
"We are training to fight monsters," Rhode told him with an amused grin. "A little predisposition to violence is a good thing."
A bright flash of lightning caught their attention, putting a stop to their conversation as they both hurried to see what exactly caused it.
They found Thalia collapsed on her knees, her body emitting feeble sparks and breathing heavily as she glared at a smirking Clarisse. Said daughter of war was standing in the middle of a circle of swords that from the electricity arcing between them had just grounded the powerful lightning bolt they'd seen earlier. Worse for the daughter of Zeus was the fact that Thalia's copy of Aegis was lying inside Clarisse's circle and judging by the bruised and scratched up arm she was sporting, had been forcefully ripped off by her opponent.
For all her roughness, Clarisse can be stupidly clever when she wants to be. Rhode assessed with an approving hum, impressed with what the younger girl had managed.
"H-How?" Percy gasped, shocked by the scene.
"Children of Ares have Telumkinesis. We control water, Clarisse controls weapons. In a duel, Ares kids are bullshit." Rhode snorted because she remembered all the times Fergus would pull that on her and then used his superior CQC skills to win.
Though Clarisse is holding out on me if she's gotten strong enough with her Telumkinesis to use it to disarm her opponents.
"Still wanna keep going Sparkle Princess?" Clarisse asked her opponent tauntingly even as a dozen swords shot out of the Arena's storage shed to hover around her.
"Thalia?" Annabeth asked, shooting the daughter of Zeus a look of concern.
"I-I can keep going," the ravenette with electric blue eyes said as she staggered back to her feet.
"Yeah, sure. Don't embarrass yourself more. I've got better things to do."
"See if this is an embarrassment!" Thalia shouted as she unleashed a blast of electricity at Clarisse.
The daughter of Ares just snorted and safe in her circle of impromptu lightning rods, launched her hovering swords at the daughter of Zeus.
To Thalia's credit, she didn't seem to intend for her attack to hit but merely intended for it to be a screening action as she appeared unfazed by its ineffectiveness. She had not, however, accounted for the accuracy of Clarisse's flying swords.
The first hit her at the right hip and she grimaced. The second cut deeply into her left shin. A third hit her along her right ankle as she stumbled from the first two. These injuries caused her to trip and fall, and the remaining flying swords landed around her in a perfect silhouette of her body. A not so subtle show of how Clarisse had deliberately missed and held back from ending her life.
"The match goes to Clarisse!" Annabeth shouted as Thalia pushed herself back up, presumably to continue her futile defiance.
"N-Not-"
"Oh, shut up." Clarisse said with an exasperated sigh as she had one of the swords shoot out of the ground and press itself into the side of Thalia's neck. "This match is over, Sparkle Princess. Accept it!"
Thalia eyed the blade at her throat with fearful shock and gulping nervously finally conceded.
"I-I yield," she said reluctantly.
"And now let's get you healed up." Rhode said, announcing her presence even as she began pulling water from the water cooler as she made her way to Thalia. Her sister looked at her, shame shining in those electric blue eyes as she turned away.
"I'll get some ambrosia, Rhode. No need to act like my nurse." The daughter of Zeus said. Her voice tinged with rage and embarrassment.
Rhode froze with the water hovering her hands. "You sure?"
"Yes," Thalia said firmly as she caught her Aegis as Clarisse tossed it back to her.
"Good fight," the daughter of Zeus said as she turned away from Rhode to address Clarisse. "And like we agreed I'll try to be less clingy from now onwards."
"Nah. That's not the problem." Clarisse said as she tilted her head towards the Arena shed, causing the swords she'd used in the fight to fly back into it. "Just be more aware of what you're doing. I totally get why you need the help, but be conscious of the privilege you're getting. Got it?"
"I will," Thalia promised.
"Do I want to know?" Rhode asked, slightly confused about what was going on.
"They were fi-"
"Nothing, Rhode." Annabeth said as she put a hand over Percy's mouth, shutting him up. "Nothing you need to worry about."
Rhode shot her and the other girls skeptical looks but they all just nodded back.
"Alright, if you just want to keep it a secret then I won't pry." Rhode said with a tired sigh and allowed the water she'd pulled from her canteen to flow back into the container.
Why did all her friends love their little secrets so much?
Done and done! Thanks to Nameless and Axios as always!
And so begins Rhode interactions with her ghosts of not-x-mas past! Thalia and Jack are back, and things are ready to get awkward! Or sweet, it depends on how you look at it. Thalia is showing that she's trying to get used to the new Rhode and attempting to cling to what little she has of her old life before treedom. While Jack and Rhode start to fall to old patterns but Rhode attempts to fix it with the power of a support network that won't let it happen.
Nameless: Some might be wondering why we had Thalia be so accepting of everything. The answer is meta but simple. We had Thalia reject her situation once already in TETW, so for variety's sake we tried a different approach here. That said, the fact that TUFS!Thalia has more incentive to actually adapt to things (i.e. getting to know her little sisters Rhode and Annabeth) justifies this as well. Add that to Rhode's efforts to help and Thalia's going her best to accept that (versus her reluctance towards Andi's efforts in TETW) and we have TUFS!Thalia truly integrating into Camp with all the butterflies that'll cause. ;)
And seriously, children of Ares are bullshit in a fight against human opponents. Seriously wish we got more screen time on all the cool abilities other demigods have, but Rick mainly focused on the bigger ones in the series with a sprinkle of the rest. Sad, but we hope to show them off a bit more.
Nameless: There's a little less Jack in this chapter than I'd have liked but the focus on Thalia now makes sense in the long-run. Jack will get plenty of attention soon enough. Besides, with every one of Rhode's friends actively working to keep them apart, he's not likely to have much interaction with her for the moment. It'll take a while for him to figure out a way around them.
And just a small shoutout to Nameless2210 and his new completed story; The Council of Thirteen. It's a good read that blends a lot of different things together in a medley of fun times. Give it a gander!
You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!