Chapter 10
MEG POV
(A/N Sorry, another short chapter. Dream sequences are surprisingly hard to write btw. You know the drill- if you know it, it's Rick's.)
After the Capture-the-Flag game, Meg (using her Demeter powers) teleported from a tree in the woods back to her cabin. Soon after, she saw the familiar flash of green and her siblings followed suit. Meg, being the head counsellor, had to do her duties. "Alright, get ready for bed in ten, lights out in twenty. Your own fault if you're not ready." Lying back in her bed, she felt the adrenaline that came from combat leave her body, and she quietly drifted off.
Dreams. The bane of any demigods existence. Meg's had been fairly quiet as of recently, so she supposed it was time she had some. Meg was in a small fishing boat, rocking up and down on the stormy waves, as a monstrous head rose up from the sea. It was a huge draconic thing, it's midnight blue skin camouflaging it against the dark grey clouds. The monster roared, and came crashing down onto the boat. Meg's dream changed, and she found herself in a cave, confronting a giant man, who had his back turned to her. Meg readied her weapons and ran forward, knowing somehow this was a terrible threat. Before she could get to him, the man turned around and Meg's breath caught in her throat. It was a Cyclops, 15 feet of muscle, fat and bad breath, capped off with a horrible milky-white eye with cataracts, scars around the eyelid and an iris so marred you couldn't tell what colour it had once been. The Cyclops spoke in the voice of Meg's father, making her feel like a four year old girl again.
"Come to me, and let me FEAST!" The dream changed again. Meg found herself back in her childhood home, actually four years old, before Caligula had burned it down. She was looking around for her father. He was hiding somewhere. Meg looked into the conservatory.
"Daddy?" Something moved among the plants For a second she thought she saw a humanoid shape, but faded away as soon as Meg looked at it head on. The four year old turned around and saw her father. "Daddy!" She cried joyfully and ran to him.
"Hey, peanut." (A/N I have a mental image of Paul Rudd when I picture Philip McCaffrey. I don't know why, but imagine this scene in the same way the Scott/Cassie scenes are portrayed in Ant-Man.) His warm brown eyes crinkled, and he knuckled his daughters forehead. Meg's perspective changed, and she was sixteen again, watching her younger self play with her father. She smiled ruefully, knowing what the four year old would have to go through.
"Ah, Philip." Meg turned to see an older woman, with long brown hair, wearing a green dress. "He was a good man."
"Mother?" Although she had never met her mother before, she knew this was Demeter. "Where have you been for sixteen years? I went through so much, and you were never there." Her surprise rapidly changed to anger, which faded to sadness. "Where were you.." Meg's words died away and she sank into the ground. Demeter came over, drew her up and wrapped her arms around Meg.
"I am sorry, my daughter, but I could not meddle in your fate. Even when Aeithales burned down, all I could do was provide your father with the intuition to get out. But I have helped you, my dear. I gave you control over the Karpoi, not an ability I expend lightly. And you have grown into such a wonderful young woman. I am proud of you, Margaret." At hearing her full name, Meg stiffened and extricated herself from her mothers embrace.
"So why now then?" Meg's voice still held a hint of bitterness. "What do you need me to do?"
Demeter smiled gently. "I need you to go on this quest. The daughter of War and the son of Youth are powerful, but they will need your help on the journey. You are the 'daughter of the forest masterer.' You will be instrumental to their sucess." Thunder rumbled, and Meg looked through the conservatory's wide windows to see a rainstorm take place. Demeter's smile faded. "I have to leave now. Zeus calls me back. Remember my words, dear. I love you." Demeter tapped Meg on the forehead, and her eyes closed.
(A/N Friendly reminder to the future, this is being written before the general public have access to The Tower of Nero, so we don't know what happens in that book. Meg could die or join the hunters, Apollo could choose to remain mortal. We don't know. I'll try to keep details vague to keep from having to mark this as Semi-AU, but as none of us are our favourite Pythia, Rachel Elizabeth Truth or Dare, we don't know the future.)
Vaya con Queso,
DamaSENDhimafriend
