Percy POV
"Welcome, to camp." I turned around. Chiron stood next to us, his tail flapping in the brisk wind.
"I trust you had a good trip?" Bella and Rikki looked flabbergasted and stood with their mouths hanging open, but Cleo and Emma looked too disgruntled to be surprised.
" I would have if Cleo hadn't spent the whole time chatting with the horse." Emma muttered.
"Excuse me?" Now it was Chiron turn to be shocked. Cleo shot Emma an annoyed glance.
"I told you, his name's is Blackjack."
"Let me guess, he told you that."
"Yes, he did." Cleo replied with as much dignity as she could muster.
"It's still not normal."
" Says the girls who snows and storms when she feels like it."
Rikki piped up, " Don't forget the time she poisoned a horse." All of the pegasi gave Emma a frightened look and started back.
"Thank you, for that Miss Burned-down-a-island"
Cleo said soothingly, "It's okay guys, it was an accident." All of them relaxed, but the chestnut horse gave a whinny and jerked his head towards Emma. "Well Chrysoar, let's just say she parked him in the wrong spot." the pegasus, looked startled, then neighed in understanding.
"Forgive me...?" Chiron appeared to be trying to make sense of this bizarre situation.
" Cleo." she replied firmly."
"Cleo," Chiron repeated. "How do you know his name?"
" He told me." Cleo was starting to look exasperated.
"Of course, silly me." Chiron shook his head then turned to me.
" They are half-bloods."
"We think so sir," Annabeth returned. " They were attacked by some water snake, but they have powers, and they defeated it."
"You do? Would you care to show us?"
Rikki started to snap back but Emma quickly stepped in front of her.
"Of course." Rikki glared. Cleo raised her hand and again the snake appeared, hissing angrily. It started at the three girls, who yelped and started back.
Rikki yelled, "Call off your snake,Cleo."
Cleo hurriedly put up her hand again and the snake stopped, although it still appeared to glare at the girls.
"Sorry," she said apologetically. " I still can't control them that well. Oh wait!" Her fingers clenched and then opened again, allowing two more snakes to come out.
"What are you doing?"
"Show your powers."
" Excuse me?"
"Show your powers. Fight the snakes."
All three girls muttered angrily before setting on the snakes. They were amazing, considering they hadn't had any training before. Emma froze the head of one and and started a snowfall. All the campers looked up in amazement at the soft snowflakes. A storm also formed overhead. Rikki made lightening hit the snake to stun it, before melting it. Bella turned hers to a gelatine substance, before turning it to crystal. They looked at their work proudly before looking at Cleo and raising their eyebrows. Cleo made a lazy, sweeping motion and the wind picked up whisking away the remains.
" That was.." Chiron looked stunned. Then he pulled himself together. " Well that was quite something. I think you will stay in the following cabins; Cleo in the Posidon cabin, Rikki in the Zeus cabin, Bella in Aphrodite, and Emma in the Athena cabin. Annabeth and Percy can help you from here."Then he galloped off.
"Who was..." Rikki trailed off.
" That's Chiron, our activities director. Come on." Annabeth started to pull the girls away but stopped when she saw who was coming up the hill. "Oh no. Clarisse."
"Well,well, well. If it is Prissy and the Princess. I hear there's new blood here." Clarisse called out, smirking.
"Bug off, Clarisse." I shot back.
"Not until we welcome the new campers. You remember they old ceremony? We changed it."
" 'Cuz you're scared." Clarisse turned red.
"It got boring."
"Sure it did." I was starting to enjoy myself.
" Whatever Prissy. You first, curly." She and two of her friends picked up Rikki and carried her over to a pile of fresh manure, avoiding Rikki's punches all the while. They dropped her in with a cackle. When Rikki came out, the look on her face was beyond furious. She was ready to kill some one, and her first target was Clarisse.
" That's it!"
" Stop, Rikki."
"Why Cleo."
" Let me take care of her."
" You?" Rikki threw back her head and snorted.
"Trust me, I can be scary when I want to." With that she turned on Clarisse's retreating back.
"Hey Clarisse!" When Clarisse turned Cleo lobbed a water ball at her, soaking her from head to toe.
Clarisse sputtered, "More sea spawn?" For a minute Cleo froze, and then she laughed.
" Maybe so, but more than you think." Clarisse charged her. Cleo stood still for a second, then let out her snakes. They grabbed the Ares girl by her ankles, then flipped her upside down. Cleo walked up to her and suddenly she wasn't laughing.
"Don't mess with my friends." whispered Cleo, before she released Clarisse and stalked back to her friends. For a moment, no one spoke.
"Let's show you to your cabins." I broke the silence.