Aria

Aria never liked shopping.

Unlike the rest of her friends who were more 'girly-girls', Aria didn't care much for the latest fads in fashion and having the most glamorous outfits. When your father moves as much as her did with the orchestra, you pack light. Her money was spent more on books, school stuff, and most importantly, her violin.

With her father being a conductor, it was mandatory that she learned an instrument. While she was skilled with most of the instruments she picked up, her real talents were with the violin. When she had first told him that she wanted to play the violin, his response was, "A choice well made. The violin is the mediator of the string instruments, neither soft and melodic or powerful and bearing, but rather is able to combine the two."

Sadly, she had left the violin back in Florida when she had been taken to Camp Half-Blood abruptly. While she was sure that the Apollo kids, had one in their cabin that the would let her have, she knew they'd ask her to play for them. Sure, she was a highly skilled violinist, her best songs where Disney numbers such as I'll Make A Man Out Of You, Let It Go, and Be Our Guest. She was nervous that they'd laugh at her for her arrangements.

'I could talk a kid from Cabin 9 into building me one, but chances are it'd spit flames anytime I hit an A flat.' She thought as she walked out of the last jewelry store on the first floor. None of the stores had anything that even felt like the Necklace of Harmonia. Her siblings had told her that she'd be able to feel the energy coming off of it when she got near, causing Aria to consider herself a 'magical metal detector'.

'Hopefully the boys are having better luck,' she hoped, 'If we can't find it like this, I honestly have no idea what to do...'

Aria would've gone on moping and begging for a miracle if that music store wasn't there.

As soon as she walked past the display case, something caught her eye. It was a beautiful violin, giving a worn, but well-cared for shine. Aria had to stop herself from pressing her nose up against the glass and making a fool of herself, but it was almost as if the violin was meant for her. For a second, she considered walking in and using her portion of the money to buy it, but thought better of it. The quest came first.

"It is beautiful, don't you think?"

Aria jumped a bit, and turned to the voice where a woman in a maestro outfit stood next to her. The woman's maple hair was woven into an elegant ponytail that fell over her shoulder as her cherry wood eyes gave off the feeling that everything was going to be all right.

"It...it is." Aria managed, "I used to play, but..."

The woman smiled at her, "But you were taken to Camp Half-Blood before you could pack." Aria blinked at the woman in stun; how could she have known?

"Relax Aria," The woman said, "No need to be so nervous around your mother."

Aria blinked again before it sank in that this was her mother. She quickly did a bow, "I'm sorry Harmonia...I didn't realize it was you."

Looking up, Aria could swear she saw the goddess slightly smile, "It's okay Aria, and I am your mother after all, no need to be so formal. I try to keep a good relation with all my children."

Aria's face felt flush, "Okay...mother, but what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be avoiding the place where the necklace is? It did kill you after all..."

Harmonia raised an eyebrow and took a seat at a nearby bench, "I could say the same to you. That necklace has curse my bloodline; first it was Cadmus and I, then my daughter Semele. Most of my children today are nervous to go after it, but you willingly took the quest, so I felt that I should make sure you're alright."

'Wait...all the others back at the cabin are afraid of the necklace?' Aria realized, 'That would explain why they were so willing to help me out...and why they looked like I was a dead girl walking...'

Aria took a step after her, "Is there anything you can do to help me and my friends on the quest then?"

Harmonia paused and thought for a second, "I take it that you know some of your powers, no?"

Aria nodded, as a daughter of Harmonia, she had the ability to calm people down and convince them to work together. There were two girls in Aphrodite Cabin who had a similar ability they called 'Charmspeak' that they could use to convince people to do things for them. In Harmonia Cabin, they called it 'Syn-speak'. Typically, they'd use it to stop arguments and heated debates, but Aria knew she could use it to calm angry mortals or monsters.

"Yeah," Aria said, "I can calm the nerves of pissed off people and get people to work together."

Harmonia was pleased to hear this, "What if I told you there was a way for you to boost your powers?"

Aria took a seat next to her, "How?"

"Not so fast, I may be your mother, but I don't spoil my children." Harmonia said, her eyes were now gazing across the mall, her eyes finally settling on a pair of overly-tan teenage girls who looked like Kardashian wannabes whose arms were laden with bags from Forever 21, Gap, and a half other clothing stores.

"Neikeas." Harmonia explained, "Personifications of arguments and daughters of my opposite, Eris. Dispatch them, and I'll tell let you in a secret."

Aria eyed them up, they looked like the kind of girls that she hated: stuck-up, rich, and self-centered. Aria was about to see if she was serious, but Harmonia had already vanished. Sighing, Aria got up and made her way over to the orange girls.

As she neared, the girls took quick attention to her, "Look what the Nemean Lion brought in Angela."

Angela, the girl in a black tank-top, leopard-print mini-skirt, and a denim jacket gave Aria look over, "Ew, I don't think even Aphrodite could help this one Crystal. Looks like she just walked out of Goodwill."

Just being nearby these monsters made Aria want to insult them, but she managed to keep her cool, "So, you're Neikeas?"

Crystal, who was wearing a backwards cop that read 'YOLO' and a t-shirt that read 'SWAG', "So the demigod trash knows who we are? I'm shocked." Aria rolled her eyes at the sarcasm, "Angela, how should we take care of this trash?"

"I think we should get her to pick a fight with a security guard," Crystal said, "We might even see her get tazed."

"Oh, Victoria Secret has that one nightie left, get the demigod here and some other scamp to fight over it." Angela suggested, "Have them topple over the edge while fighting over it. That'll be a sight to see."

Aria was really starting to get angry, but at the Neikeas. Guess after you settle over a hundred arguments, argument baits don't work too well. Wait, if she was immune to pointless arguing, who said that she couldn't start some? Pulling out the needle in her bun, it extended into a full length rapier, "You know, it seems to me that Angela here has the better idea. I'm assuming you do most of her ideas, right?"

Angela perked up, "Finally! Someone recognizes that I'm always right." She glared at Crystal, "I told you that you're my lackey."

Aria cut back in before she could retaliate, "Then again...Crystal does do most of the work...you were already looking for a girl for me to have a cat fight with, weren't you?"

Crystal actually looked suprised, "You're right!" She glared at Angela, "I do most of the work for our plans, and you take all the credit!"

Aria didn't really pay too much attention to the Neikeas as they tossed their bags aside and started to yell at each other and pull each other's hair. Sighing, Aria walked around the bickering girls, lifted her rapier, and skewered the two girls, causing the YOLO hat and a pair of designer sunglasses fell into two piles of sand.

"Good riddance." Aria sighed as she the rapier shrunk into the needle as she stuck it back into her hair. Walking back to the music store, Aria saw her mother sitting on the bench, smiling. As Aria neared her, she asked, "You knew that I could easily turn the two of those Neikeas against each other, didn't you?"

Harmonia nodded, "Sometimes to find peace, you have to ruffle a few feathers. Now, for your reward." Aria watched as she dipped her hand into a shopping bag and pulled out the violin from earlier. Aria's eyes got big as she saw the instrument, causing Harmonia to lightly chuckle, "Your father was happy that you picked the violin to play. Do you know why I was drawn to your father?"

Aria shook her head as she sat back down next to Harmonia, "Most of the men I have children with typically are dilpomats or public speakers, but your father was different. Your father was able to maintain control of his orchestra even when things were at their worse. That man knew the true meaning of harmony. While most of my children usually act as mediators, you have a special gift."

Aria looked up, "I do?"

Harmonia nodded, "You can bend harmonies to your will, amplifying your powers. When the time comes, you'll have to listen for the music and you'll know when to play."

Aria tried to take it all in, "Okay, but Mom...there's no bow for the violin."

Harmonia smiled as she stood up, "You don't need one. Oh, one last thing before you get the necklace, when you need to find a compromise, you can't have anyone holding any secrets back. Holding back could cause problems in the long run."

Aria nodded as her mother walked off, "Thank you mom, for the violin and the advice."

"It's nothing," She said as she shimmered into nothingness, "Apollo owes me a favor anyways."

Looking up, Aria took a look at the sign over the music store: Apollo's Rhythm & Beats.