Bloom of Camp Half-Blood
An arrow flies through the air and hits it's mark on the target.
"Well done, Bloom!" A centaur wearing a suit jacket approaches a redhaired girl no older than sixteen wearing a leather breastplate and a sword hanging from her belt.
"Thanks, Chiron," Bloom smiles up at him. "Do you think Apollo will claim me?"
The question causes the old centaur's face to falter. "You cannot rush things like this, Bloom. Your parent will accept you when they're ready. You just need patience."
"I'm running out of patience!" Bloom throws the bow down and stomps on it, causing the weapon to snap. "I thought for sure that after the Titan War, somebody would want me! But here I am, sixteen years old, and still have no idea who my godly parent is. Tartarus! I'd settle being Mr. D's kid!" the teen gestures to the side where a bearded guy wearing a leopard printed Hawaiian shirt is sitting on a lawn chair drinking a diet coke.
"You ain't one of mine!" Mr. D takes a sip from his beverage.
"How would you know!?" Bloom snapes at the God of Wine. "You were probably too drunk to even remember!"
Up until now, all the other campers present for this activity had chosen to ignore Bloom's outburst as this is not the first time. But now that the redhead had snapped at Mr. D, their full attention was on their fellow Half-Blood.
The Camp Director shakes his head and calmly says. "That's it," he sets his drink and raises from his seat. "I'm going to smite her."
"Dionysus," Chiron turns to him. "Please!"
"Am I cursed to be unwanted?" Bloom finds herself asking no one in particular as she falls to her knees. Straining to keep the tears from running down her face. "I must be for not only my godly parent to not want me but to be abandoned by my mortal one."
Chiron kneels as low as possible to comfort her. "Bloom. I—"
Bloom just stands back up and starts walking away. "I think I need a walk," was all she said while leaving the archery range. The girl briefly stops at a stand with a few spears and picks one up before continuing.
The Centaur just looks at the retreating girl. Sadden by the state she's in. As he rises back up, Mr. D approaches him.
The god sighs, "I keep telling you that it's a bad idea to feed her partial lies and half-truths."
"What did you expect me to do, Dionysus?" Chiron turns to his old friend. "Sit her down when she was five and say that you are special, but you may not be a demigod."
"Perhaps," the director shrugs. "At the very least, you should have told her after over half the Hermes Cabin got claimed and moved out. Tell the girl the truth by the end of the day, or I will," Mr. D starts walking away. "And I can promise you that I would not be so kind about it."
.oOo.
Bloom had no idea how far she was walking until the feel of passing through the barrier washes over her.
With a sigh, "I guess I should go back," the girl turns around but suddenly hears the familiar sound of combat.
Without a thought, Bloom readies her spear and rushes to the sound of the commotion. She comes to a small clearing and is met by the sight of a blonde girl no older than her wearing an orange sparkling two-piece outfit with small bug-like wings, swinging a staff at some small strange red impish creatures. The redhead does not remember those from her lessons.
The blonde throws her free hand out. "Rising Sun!" and a beam of pure light is blasted at one of the creatures, incinerated. That hinted Bloom that this strange girl must be a daughter of Apollo. "Solar Wind!" she slams the staff on the ground and a light erupts from the base, spreading out word, and most of the creatures were thrown away.
One of the creatures was thrown into a large yellow hand that then crushes it and the creature is turned into golden dust. The hand is led to a large yellow being in purple coveralls. The being roars before charging at the blonde. It is stopped by a spear being thrown between them. Both turn to see Bloom drawing her sword.
"Get away from the Half-Blood!" she shouts, and the statement confused both the Yellow being and the blonde.
The yellow guy glares at the new girl before snatching the spear and commanding "Ghoulies, get her!" and the red creatures charged at the redhead.
One by one, Bloom was able to deal with the ghoulies one after another a swipe of her blade. The Demigod turns to see that the yellow guy has tossed the blonde away and is now holding both the staff and Bloom's spear.
"I got your scepter now, blondie," the yellow guy raises the scepter and just as he brings it down, but it gets deflected by Bloom's sword.
The redhead stares with determination. "I said get away from the Half-Blood!"
The yellow guy blinks before snarling as he randomly swings both the scepter and spear around. It's a crude way to fight, only effective when surrounded. Bloom uses her smaller size to her advantage as well as this guy's slow movements.
Once Bloom managed to slash at one of his legs, the guy lets out a roar. "Ghoulies!" the redhead suddenly starts getting overwhelmed by the red creatures and they started dog piling on top of her. The yellow guy smirks, but his smile quickly drops once a burst of flames erupt from the center of the dogpile and a flaming dragon rushes towards him, throwing the guy to the other end of the clearing and causing him to drop both the spear and scepter.
The blonde picks up her scepter and approaches Bloom. "Are you okay?"
"What…" the redhead huffs as she's out of breath. "…was that?" the Half-Blood then notices that the ground around her is scorched.
Instead of answering, the blonde turns back to the yellow guy. "I got my scepter back," she fires a ball of light at him. "You don't scare me anymore," with a swing, a wave of light is sent towards the ghoulies, causing most of them to burst into gold dust.
The rest of the ghoulies surround the yellow guy and with a clap of his hands, they all vanish.
The blonde turns to the redhead who is now standing with the spear in her hands. "You got the right stuff," she leans on her staff as she looks down. "Sorry about your pants. They looked nice."
Bloom looks down and sees that a piece from her pants sleeve was torn off. The redhead just shrugs. "It's just collateral being a demigod as you should know by now."
The blonde's eyes squinted in confusion and just as she opened her mouth to say something, the girl collapsed. Her sparkly two-piece is replaced with an unusual dress, the wings vanished as well as the scepter.
The redhead picks her up and starts carrying her to the camp.
.oOo.
At the Big House, Bloom is sitting in the chair next to the couch where the blonde is currently resting.
"After that," the redhead turns to Chiron, who is hiding his Centaur half as he is disguised as a guy in a wheelchair. "She just fainted."
The instructor is deep in thought. "These creatures. You said that they were called ghoulies?"
"Yeah."
"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with monsters by that name," he turns his chair and starts to roll away. "I must do some research."
"She must be a daughter of Apollo," Bloom says causing Chiron to stop and turns back around.
"What makes you say that, Bloom?"
"She was using some sort of light power and she even called out her attacks, and they were all based around the sun. What else could that mean? And…" Bloom smiles. "I released some power of my own. It was fire I think. I must be Hephaestus' daughter. Or maybe it was heat from intense light. I might even be Apollo's kid myself!"
"Neither of those are something to be proud of," Mr. D walks in. He approaches the slumbering blonde and briefly glances at her before turning to Chiron. "She's the same as Bloom."
"Yes!" Bloom cheers as she gets up. "Finally. I'll get my stuff and move into the Apollo—"
Chiron stops her. "Wait! Bloom!"
"Yes, Chiron?" the redhaired girl blinks at the training instructor.
"Perhaps we should hold off until tomorrow," he suggests. "It is rather late, and it takes time. Besides, we'll have to make sure there's a bunk opened and—"
"I'm done," the Camp Director sighs and turns to Bloom. "You're not a—"
"Dionysus!" Chiron nearly shouts. "Please! I'll tell her."
The god glares at the wheelchair bound man. "You better," he warns before walking out.
The two remained in silence before Bloom spoke. "Tell me what?" she sits back down.
With a heavy sigh, Chiron faces her. "Have I ever told you about how you came to Camp Half-Blood?"
"No," the girl shakes her head. "But many of the older campers as well as the nymphs and satyrs said that I have been here since I was a baby. They told me that it wouldn't be the first time a mortal parent dumped their godly child at the entrance and that it wasn't the last."
"You weren't found at the entrance. You were in the middle of the camp."
"Huh?"
"One night, everyone awoke to an explosion and then there was fire. We all worked hard keeping the flames at bay and putting it all out. Then, I heard wailing coming from withing the fire. I rushed to the source of it and dead center of the fire, I found you," he gestured to the girl. "Untouched by the flames. In fact, it was like they were dancing around you."
"So, what you're saying is…" Bloom perks up. "I am a Hephaestus kid?"
"Afraid not," Chiron tells her, shattering Bloom's demeaner. "Dionysus himself examined you and where he could tell that there is something unique about you, he was unable to determine your godly heritage. We consulted the oracle, then we asked for an audience with several of the gods. The best we got was Hecate as she sensed a great use of magic coming from the Camp. The most we got from her was that the magic was not Olympian. Greek nor Roman. I even called an old Magician friend who told me that it wasn't Egyptian. We surmise that you may not have a godly heritage, but you are far from a normal human. With Dionysus' permission, you were allowed to remain here and learn alongside the other campers given that you are able to see through the Mist."
The girl looks down. "But if I'm not a Half-Blood or a human, then what am I?"
"You're a fairy," the voice of the blonde reaches their ears. Turning to the couch, they find her rubbing her head as she sits up.
"A fairy?" Bloom tilts her head.
"Yeah. I sensed it once you used your magic," the blonde nods. "I'm Stella by the way. Princess of Solaria."
"So, that's what I am," the redhead looks back down. "An unwanted fairy."
Seeing the child like this, Chiron reaches for her hand. "Bloom, I—"
"There is one place that would want you," Stella announces. "There's a school in the Magic Dimension called Alfea that teaches young fairies how to use their magic in hopes to protect all things good."
"Sounds kinda sappy to me," Mr. D says as he walks back into the room with a can of diet coke.
The blonde turns to the redhead. "Who's the hobo?"
Everyone stairs at Stella for a moment before Mr. D says. "I'm going to smite her."
"Dionysus!"
"Chiron! One of these days, I'm going to smite someone, and there'll be nothing you can do about it."
The wheelchair man ignores the god and turns back to the blonde. "Ms. Stella. Am I to understand this Alfea would accept Bloom?"
"You bet! They'll love to have her."
Chiron thinks for a moment then faces Bloom. "What do you think, child?"
"I-I don't know. I mean, other than the Titan War, I have never been outside the Camp."
"Bloom, this is your choice and no one is forcing it upon you," the disguised centaur tells her. "But it seems like this school may be a good chance for you to learn more about your powers and perhaps you'll discover where you truly come from."
That got the newly discovered fairy thinking. This would be her best chance. No! Her only chance to find any sort of truth. "I'll go."
"Yes!" Stella jumps and cheers. "I'll take you straight to Alfea first thing in the morning."
Before anything else could be said, the door bursts open and a kid with horns on his head, a goatee, and the lower half of a goat. "Chiron!"
"Grover, what is it?"
"There were some monsters at the border," the satyr explains. "They're already taken care of, but no one recognized them. There were lots of tiny red ones, a big yellow guy, and a massive blue thing with large ears and just as big of a nose. The tiny ones and the big blue thing are already slain. But the yellow guy got away."
"So, the ogre came back," Stella huffs. "And sounds like he brought a troll this time. Usually someone would have to call the Specialists to take one down," the blonde turns to the Camp Director and the Trainer. "You guys must have some well-trained heroes around her."
"I'd hope so," Bloom smiles. "That's what this place is for."
.oOo.
The next day, Bloom left the Hermes Cabin dragging a large suitcase with her. Many of her long-time roommates were sad to see her leave as the redhead was the most constant thing in their lives. She was their sister. Whether the girl was claimed by the Messenger God or not. The girl was sad to say goodbye as well as she knew most of them her entire life.
Bloom makes her way to the Big House where Stella now wearing a green halter top and an orange skirt is waiting for her along with Chiron standing to his full height and Mr. D seeming disinterested with everything.
"I'm ready," she tells them. Stella nods as she removes her ring and it turns into the same scepter as before.
Chiron then approaches Bloom. "Before you go, Bloom. I have something for you," he reaches into his coat pocket and hands something to the redhaired girl.
"A pen?" she stares at the seemingly plain pen.
"It's something special I've had the most talented of the Hephaestus kids put together. I was meaning to give it to you on your next birthday. But I figured now is as good as any. Just twist it from the middle. But make sure you point it away from you."
Bloom does so and to her surprise, the pen extends and the end sharpens into a spear. "Woah!" she twirls it around.
"You always did favor the spear, child. Just twist it the other way to turn it back," the centaur smiles at her excitement as the girl does so. "You may not have a godly heritage Bloom, but you'll always have a home here. Even Dionysus agrees."
The redhead blinks before staring at the God of Wine. "Mr. D?"
"Yeah, yeah, sure," the Camp Director walks away. "Just don't go telling everyone. They might think I'm a good guy." He gets stopped as a set of arms are wrapped around him.
"Thanks, Mr. D," Bloom says before getting pushed away by the god.
"Fine! Whatever!" he continues into the Big House. "I hate kids. Why am I even bothering with this job?" he jumps at the sound of thunder. "Oh, that's right," he looks up to the sky.
Chiron briefly smiles at his retreating friend before turning back to the two teens. "You have everything, Bloom?"
"Yes, Chiron," she pats her suitcase. "My clothes, my toothbrush, my armor, a jar of Greek fire," she holds up her pen. "And of course, my spear."
"Well, that's good. I will truly miss you," he looks around at the surrounding camp area. "This place will not be the same without you."
"I'll miss you to, Chiron," the teen hugs him.
The centaur happily accepts the embrace. "Well, then. Best get going. Don't want to miss your first day," they break apart.
"No, I don't," Bloom smiles as she goes to stand next to Stella. "I think I'm ready for real this time, Stella."
"You sure?" the blonde gestures around them. "Seems like there's plenty of others who wish to say farewell."
Looking around them, Bloom sees many campers from various cabins, even a few from the Ares Cabin as well as some satyrs and nymphs have gathered around.
"Yeah," Bloom gives a sad smile. "We'd be here all day, otherwise," she waves at the crowd. "Bye, everyone! See you when I get back!"
Stella raises her scepter. "To Magix we go!" and in a flash of light, the two vanish.
Everyone stared at the empty space for a few moments before going back to their usual camp activities. Only Chiron remains.
Soon, Mr. D returns to the centaurs' side. "Tell her about the prophecy?"
"The poor girl already has a rather large burden with learning her true nature, Dionysus," Chiron turns to leave. "I see no reason to add to that just yet."
"You treat her more like your own kid rather than just another camper," he sighs. "We both know this is just going to be another mistake with her!" the Camp Director shouts.
"Only time will tell, my friend."
The god then starts mumbling. "That guy is just as stubborn as a horse, sometime."
End