gone girl.
━━━ chapter thirty three

❀

Camp went late that summer. It lasted two more weeks, right up to the start of a new school year, but Amaryllis couldn't complain. These two weeks were probably the happiest she had been in a long time.

Many new demigods arrived at Camp and the satyrs could barely keep up. Amongst them there were three children of Apollo; a twelve-year-old British boy named Jerry, a seven-year-old deaf girl named Natalie and Youssef, a nine-year-old boy originally from Egypt. They were welcome additions and Amaryllis was happy that the Apollo cabin, which suffered the most losses in the war, was full of life and new campers again.

Maybe she was imagining things, but each of the kids had something that reminded her of her lost siblings; Jerry had Lee's bright blue eyes, Natalie had Nia's long brown hair and calming presence and Youssef had Michael's temper.

She went in to check on them before the campfire and she found Will frantically looking through some papers. "I don't get it. Why am I not signed up as head counselor?"

"Because I signed myself up as head counselor."

Will turned to look at her, confused. "What do you mean? But you're not-"

"I know," Amaryllis cut him off. "I had a conversation with Chiron and..." I told him that if he didn't let me sign myself up I would summon a bunch of skeletons to haunt him for the rest of his life "... he agreed that it would be better if I was head counselor, despite not being a child of Apollo."

"But-"

"You're signed as vice-counselor, which means that when I'm not around, you'll be in charge," she continued. "Look, Will, you're already handling the whole infirmary basically on your own. I don't want you to crumble under the pressure of also being head counselor."

She noticed Will's lip trembling as she spoke, as if he was fighting back tears. He was only thirteen-he deserved to be a kid for a little longer.

Amaryllis shrugged. "Besides, I've already spent last year helping Michael. I know how to handle it."

"Can I talk now?" She nodded and he rushed in to hug her. "Thanks, Lilly," he whispered.

Someone knocked on the door and Drew Tanaka entered the cabin. As a daughter of Aphrodite, she always looked good. But Amaryllis could see beyond her bright eyeshadow and shiny accessories-she was still grieving. She had lost both her girlfriend and her sister in one day and it was taking a toll on her.

Once she saw Will and Amaryllis, she straightened her back and hid behind the facade of confidence and arrogance, as she usually did. "Don't mind me, I'm just here to pick up some stuff."

"What stuff?" Will asked.

"Nia's," Drew said. "I-" she faltered for a second. Amaryllis never really got along with the girl, but she realised they had a lot in common. "I need to take some of her things back to her mom."

Will and Amaryllis exchanged a knowing look. "I'll go check on the kids," Will said, referring to the youngest children of the Apollo cabin and left, leaving the two girls alone.

Drew looked at Amaryllis with a clenched jaw. "So?" she asked, probably waiting for her to leave.

"I'll help you."

"I don't want your help, Kalomiri," Drew snapped.

"You'll survive." She brought a big box that had Nia Wallace written on it and opened it at the middle of the cabin. She sat on the floor and Drew rolled her eyes in annoyance, but did the same.

Nia never brought many things with her at Camp. All there was in the box was the bee plushie she insisted on sleeping with, a few clothes, two medical books and a journal. Either of the girls commented on each other's teary eyes and it was for the better.

As Drew was bringing the things out of the box, Amaryllis noticed one of Nia's favourite dresses. It was a pastel shade of yellow and Amaryllis remembered that Kayla would always make fun of her when she was wearing it, calling her a sunflower.

"Could I... keep this?" she asked Drew, who's face immediately scrunched up.

She grabbed the dress from Amaryllis' hands and held it close to her chest. "No way. That's mine. That was- She was wearing it when we first met," she explained, sniffing. "I told her it looked hideous on her and she... wore it on our first date to spite me."

Amaryllis couldn't help but smile. "I remember your first date. She came back and put on Taylor Swift. She couldn't stop smiling."

"Don't do this." Drew's voice was sharp and almost intimidating. "What, you think reminiscing about my girlfriend will make me like you? It's your fault she- Why do you get to come back to life instead of her?"

That was enough to trigger Amaryllis. "I didn't choose it," she raised her voice, but it sounded shaky. "If it was up to me, I wouldn't... I wouldn't bring myself back, okay? You're not the only one who's mourning, Drew. And if you hate me... well, I guarantee that you don't hate me as much as I hate myself for that."

Surprisingly, Drew didn't continue yelling. There was a moment of silence. "You were there when Silena died," the daughter of Aphrodite said. "You did get to say goodbye. I never did."

Amaryllis tried her best not to think about Silena, but at that moment, she swore Drew looked exactly like her.

"If you want to, I could summon her spirit. Let you talk to her," she said.

She had already done it twice after she talked to Michael-the first time it was for the Hephaestus cabin to talk to Beckendorf and the second was for Pollux Lavigne to talk to his twin brother that had been killed last year, Castor. It wasn't easy and it drained her quite a lot, but it was worth it. It was the least she could do to make up for the fact that she was still alive.

"She betrayed all of us," Drew said as Amaryllis got up. "She betrayed me. She was a traitor. Why would I want to talk to her?"

It was a simple answer. "Because you loved her." Drew just stood there, but she couldn't meet Amaryllis' eyes. "You're not ready yet and that's fine. I'm not either. But when you do feel ready, let me know."

"Why would you do this for me?"

If she was so surprised by that, Amaryllis had the feeling that not many people were nice to Drew Tanaka. "We don't have to be friends, Drew. We don't even have to like each other. But if you ever need anything, I'll be there." There was an unsaid For Nia and Silena hanging from her lips, but she didn't have to say it.

She walked to the door to leave, but she heard her name being muttered. Her first name, not last name. She figured that said a lot on its own. Amaryllis turned and caught a piece of clothing flying towards her. It was one of Nia's floral tops.

"It'll bring out your eyes."

She supposed that for an Aphrodite kid, that was the closest she would get to a peace offering.

❀

Nico and her had been spending much time trying to figure out how to decorate the Hades cabin. Annabeth had been quite frustrated with both of them, as they would always change something at the last minute, though to be fair it wasn't very easy to find a solution that satisfied both of them.

"We're not making our cabin black."

"We're meant to decorate our cabin accordingly to our godly parent, remember?" Nico said. They were taking a break, sitting at a bench and sharing a small bag of sunflower seeds, though neither of them really liked their taste. "Black is the death color. So that means-"

"We're not making our cabin black!" Amaryllis insisted. "For starters, can you imagine how hot it'll be inside? Black absorbs heat. And also, it's been scientifically proven-" Nico groaned at that, "-that dark colors cause feelings of sadness and aggravation. We don't need that kind of negativity in our lives, do we?"

"You know what else makes me sad and aggravated? This conversation."

"What about purple? Or green?" Amaryllis offered. "They're linked to death. Kind of."

Nico gave it some thought. "Dark purple sounds good."

"How dark?"

"Dark."

Amaryllis sighed. "I can't wait for you to get over your emo phase. That being said, I have to get you to listen to My Chemical Rom-"

Someone coughed and got their attention. It was Calypso, standing with her arms crossed in a stance that screamed mom. She was getting adjusted to the modern world quite well and everyone at Camp seemed to like her-especially the children of Aphrodite. She even had a few admirers, but she seemed sick of the concept of romance and she didn't even look at them.

"You're still not finished with your cabin?" she asked.

"We're still going over a few details," Amaryllis said.

Nico and Calypso exchanged a look. They had developed a friendship Amaryllis never really expected, but it was weirdly comforting. It almost felt like a real family.

"Which translates to: we're still arguing over colors," Nico said.

"Just don't make it all dark and gloomy," Calypso said. "Death doesn't necessarily have to be scary. It's just a part of life."

"That's what I'm saying!"

"That's not what-"

"Anyways," Calypso cut them off. "Mar, can I talk to you about something?"

"Um, sure." Amaryllis got up and turned back to narrow her eyes at her brother. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That's exactly what I'm planning to do."

"Ugh!"

❀

They started walking towards the beach. It was very weird seeing Calypso in the bright orange Camp t-shirt, which didn't really fit her anyway. It honestly was surreal, reuniting with her again after all this time. It didn't feel real. Nothing was the same as before, but maybe it was for the better.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked.

"I missed sitting with you at the beach," Calypso said with a nostalgic smile. They sat at the sand, close to each other as the waves hit the shore.

"Do you miss Ogygia?"

"Maybe a little bit," she admitted. "But you know... the worst thing about my punishment wasn't the loneliness. Obviously that didn't help, but I had gotten used to it-or at least I had before you showed up. No, the worst thing about my punishment was the heartache. You never get used to it, not really."

Amaryllis remembered how heartbroken Calypso was after all the heroes eventually abandoned her. It was tough to see-it was the most cruel thing the gods could do to a person.

"Part of the curse was that the Fates would send people they knew I was going to fall in love with and get attached to. Their abandonment hurt me more than anything. It got to a point where... I hated myself. For being so weak that I couldn't help but catch feelings, for not being good enough. I started looking at my self worth as something that solely depended on how the men I loved saw me. And since no one ever stayed with me, in my mind it meant that there was something wrong with me. I became insecure and codependent and... it felt like everything in my life revolved around men and love."

Amaryllis realised she never really thought of how deeply the constant abandonment affected Calypso. She held her hand, hoping it would comfort her a bit. "C, you're so much more than that. There's nothing wrong about you, okay?" she said. "Romantic relationships or the lack of them don't define us as people. Our personality and actions do. And you're definitely not weak. If I had gone through what you have, I don't think I would still be sane."

Calypso smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if my feelings for those men were ever real or... just a byproduct of my punishment. I guess it doesn't matter anymore."

"It doesn't," Amaryllis nodded. "Now you're free. Free to do what you want, to be whoever you want to be."

Calypso bit her lip. "I've thought about it. I've been thinking it over for the past week actually. And... I know once the summer season ends, you're going back to your family. Everyone will."

There was something about her tone that Amaryllis didn't like. "Well, you can stay at Camp with the year-rounders," she said and she must have sounded nervous, because Calypso glanced at her. "Or- Or I'm sure that if I ask my mother, she won't mind it if you stayed with us. It will be nice."

"Mar..."

"What was it that you wanted to tell me, C?" Amaryllis asked, her worry evident in her voice. She had started putting the pieces together and she didn't like it.

"The Hunters of Artemis will be leaving Camp tonight." She took a breath. "I decided to go with them."

Amaryllis let her hand drop. "Oh," felt like the only thing she could say at that moment. She suddenly felt very stupid for imagining that they would stay together.

"Lady Artemis gave me the idea and... it just felt right," Calypso was quick to explain. "All I've ever wanted was something permanent and I think that's it. I want to finally be able to make something of myself. It's my destiny."

"But if you join them..." Her throat was dry, "will I ever see you again?"

"Of course!" Calypso said and turned to look at her. She had that soft look in her eyes that reminded Amaryllis of when they first met. She was ten years old then-an eternity had passed since then. "We'll talk through Iris Messages and the Hunters visit Camp Half-Blood once in a while. We'll make it work. It's not like I could ever forget my hero," she said with a smile.

Amaryllis returned it, though half-heartedly. "I hope you don't." She hesitated, trying to sort out her conflicting feelings. "For what it's worth, I hope you find what you've been looking for, C."

Later that night, Amaryllis stood besides her while she was taking the oath to officially join the Hunters. Thalia gave her a look of respect and smiled at her once she was done. "Welcome to the Hunt," she said and Percy must have sensed how emotional Amaryllis was feeling, because he wrapped his arm around her.

"This isn't a goodbye," Calypso told her before the Hunters took off. And, gods, Amaryllis really wished that was true.

❀

The next morning, Amaryllis, Annabeth and Percy stood at the top of Half-Blood Hill. They watched the buses and vans pull away, taking most of the campers back to the real world. A few old-timers would be staying behind, and a few of the newcomers, but Amaryllis would finally go back to her mother's. Her and Hades were supposed to visit later that day and she felt like her stomach was in knots. It was a family reunion she had no idea what to expect of, but she couldn't wait to finally see her mother and have her remember her.

"Good-bye," Rachel said to them as she shouldered her bag. She looked pretty nervous, but she was keeping a promise to her father and attending Clarion Academy in New Hampshire. It would be next summer before they got their Oracle back.

"You'll do great." Annabeth hugged her. Thankfully, whatever stupid rivalry there was between the two was long gone by then and the four of them spent a lot of time out of those two extra weeks hanging out together.

Rachel bit her lip. "I hope you're right. I'm a little worried. What if somebody asks what's on the next math test and I start spouting a prophecy in the middle of geometry class? The Pythagorean theorem shall be problem two... Gods, that would be embarrassing."

Amaryllis chuckled. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"Of course. I'll send you letters all about my adventures in that god-awful, snobbish, capitalistic shitshow," Rachel said sarcastically. It was fair to say she didn't have the most positive feelings about the private school she was off to. "Well," she said, looking at Percy and Amaryllis, "you two be good to each other."

She looked at Percy like he was some kind of troublemaker, but before he could protest, Rachel wished them well and ran down the hill to catch her ride, leaving the trio alone. The guard dragon Peleus curled contentedly around the pine tree underneath the Golden Fleece and began to snore, blowing steam with every breath.

Annabeth would be staying in New York. She'd gotten permission from her parents to attend a boarding school in the city so she could be close to Olympus and oversee the rebuilding efforts. That, of course, meant they would be hanging out as much as possible. Percy was heading back to Goode High School for his sophomore year-the first time in his life he'd ever done two years at the same school.

If everything went well, Amaryllis would attend Goode as well; it would be the first time she would attend school since she was around eight years old. It would probably be really stressful, but at least she would have her boyfriend around.

"You've been thinking about Rachel's prophecy?" Percy asked Annabeth.

She frowned. "How did you know?"

"You have a very distinctive worried face," Amaryllis agreed.

Annabeth bumped her with her shoulder. "Okay, so I have. Eight half-bloods shall answer the call. I wonder who they'll be. We're going to have so many new faces next summer."

"Yep," Percy agreed. "And all that stuff about the world falling in storm or fire."

"Don't forget the Doors of Death. It sounds very festive," Amaryllis added.

She thought about whether she should tell them that she was getting increasingly more sure that she had heard of the words before, but at the last minute she decided against it. She didn't want to get them worried for no reason.

Annabeth pursed her lips. "I don't know, guys, but I don't like it. I thought... well, maybe we'd get some peace for a change."

"Wouldn't be Camp Half-Blood if it was peaceful," Percy said.

"I guess you're right... or maybe the prophecy won't happen for years."

"Good luck to the poor fuckers that will have to deal with that," Amaryllis said and Annabeth nodded, though she still seemed uneasy. It was hard to imagine that after everything they had already been through, they'd be involved in another Prophecy, but you could never be too sure.

Before she could change the subject, the world around them went dark for a few seconds. Their shadows seemed to unite and become one. When the darkness went away, Hades was standing in front of them. He looked surprisingly good, like he had put effort into looking presentable. However, his black eyes were focused on Percy holding Amaryllis' hands. Percy immediately dropped it and the girl fought the urge to make fun of him.

"Jackson. Chase," her father said and nodded to them. "Amaryllis, it's time to go. Before I regret it."

Amaryllis hugged Annabeth goodbye, even though she would see her soon again. Ignoring her father, she gave Percy a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said with a satisfied smile. Percy still looked as shocked as he first was when she kissed him, despite the fact that they were now officially boyfriend and girlfriend.

Hades muttered something under his breath about how much he hated Percy and put his hand on Amaryllis' shoulder. She closed her eyes and they dissolved into shadows.

❀

When Amaryllis opened them, they were standing in front of Ioanna Kalomiri's house. Memories from the last time she was there flooded her mind and she felt too frozen to move. She tried to convince herself nothing would go wrong this time; after all she had a god besides her and probably for the first time in her life, the god was on her side. She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and Hades coughed to get her attention.

He seemed sort of nervous as well. Strangely enough, it was the most comforting thing he could have done.

"You should knock," he told her. "And try not to appear too anxious. It'll only make us look suspicious."

"You don't know how bad it got last time," Amaryllis told him. She should have been mad, but at that moment, she didn't have the energy to argue with her father.

"It'll be okay, kid."

Thankfully, he knocked instead of her. She heard a voice from inside the house and after a few seconds that felt like hours, the door opened. Amaryllis braced herself to see her godfather, but instead, in front of her was her mother.

"Hello. What can I help you with?" Ioanna Kalomiri greeted them with a smile, until she took a better look at Amaryllis. Her smile dropped. "Wait... aren't you the kid from last year?"

Amaryllis nodded. She wished she could actually speak, but no words came out-if she started talking, she might accidentally start crying.

"Me and my husband have been searching for you! We thought you might have been in danger or you needed help, but..." Her mother eyed Hades, who seemed equally starstruck as the girl. "Are you her father?"

Amaryllis nudged him. "Yes. I am her father," he said. "I hope this isn't a bad time, but could we maybe talk to you? I believe you deserve an explanation about what happened last year."

Ioanna seemed hesitant at first, but then she glanced at Amaryllis again. "Um, sure. Come in."

The house was the same as she remembered it, despite some cracks on the wall that they attempted to cover with a few paintings. She didn't have many memories associated with her godfather's house, because she rarely spent any time in it, but there was the smell of bougatsa coming from the kitchen and it immediately travelled her back to their family tavern in Thassos.

They sat in the living room, with Amaryllis' mother opposite to them. The girl shot Hades a look that screamed Just get on with it and the god sighed.

"Is something wro-"

Hades closed his eyes and started chanting in Ancient Greek. A thin layer of smoke appeared out of nowhere and circled around the woman, who momentarily appeared so freaked out she almost yelled. The smoke entered her eyes and for a few seconds, the brown eyes Amaryllis inherited from her turned white. The sight was so creepy and terrifying that Amaryllis felt like she could throw up. Still, she had no choice but to trust that her father knew what he was doing.

Her eyes turned back to normal and the smoke vanished as soon as Hades stopped chanting. Her mother rubbed the temples of her head and groaned in pain. "Is she okay? Did it work?" Amaryllis asked Hades.

His eyes didn't leave the woman. "We'll see."

"You haven't done this before?" Amaryllis shouted, in spite of herself.

"It's the first time."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have done it in the first place you fu-"

Amaryllis' mother stood up and her voice died in her throat. It was the time of truth; the moment she would either reunite with her mother after five years, or the moment she would realise that maybe her story was never supposed to have that happy of an ending.

Amaryllis mimicked her and got up as well. "M- Mom?"

Ioanna Kalomiri stared at her daughter with wide eyes. "Amaryllis?"

That was all she needed.

She ran in her mother's arms and hugged her as tightly as she could. Her mother hugged her back and in between of her sobs, she whispered to herself, "My baby, my sweet baby. You're safe now." She kissed her head and Amaryllis felt like she was a kid again.

It felt like their hug lasted ages, like they were trying to make up for the five years they hadn't seen each other. Only when her mother pulled away did she finally seem to remember that Hades was there as well. Even then, she was still touching her daughter's shoulder, not wanting to let go.

Amaryllis wondered if she would recognize him. Her mother's glassy eyes fell on him and her lips trembled. "Peter..." she said. "H- How did you-"

"Hello, Ioanna," Hades said. Amaryllis remembered how he looked at her mother when they first met-the warmth was still there.

"Peter?" she asked.

"That was the name I had introduced myself with. I obviously couldn't use my real name," he explained and then looked back at the woman. "You look... well. Exactly how I remember you."

Her mother couldn't look more confused even if she tried. It was understandable-from her perspective, her daughter had been missing for half a decade and then randomly showed up, accompanied by her father that she had never even met. "I- I don't understand."

"You should sit down," Hades said. "It's a long story."

He explained everything. He told her he was a god and that made Amaryllis a demigod. He explained the monster attacks, the claiming trick but also how and why he sent Amaryllis in Ogygia. He even told her about the Prophecy and how their daughter died, thus becoming one of the heroes of the Prophecy. He didn't spare no details and Amaryllis was glad that he was taking accountability, even though her mother seemed to loathe him more by the minute.

"Let me get this straight," Ioanna said as she stood up. She was fuming and looked like smoke should be coming from her ears. Hades got up as well and braced himself for the words of an enraged mother. "You took my daughter from me, erased my memories and encouraged her to- to die for your stupid cause?"

"I-"

Before he could say anything-not that there was much to say- Ioanna slapped him so hard Amaryllis almost felt it.

Hades touched his cheek, where there was a big slap mark. In a matter of seconds, it disappeared. Amaryllis was worried that he would lash out-after all, her mother did just slap one of the most powerful gods- but he glanced at her and he looked like he tried to calm himself down.

"You're a god. Maybe that's why you feel no emotions and have zero regard for human life," her mother said. "But this is our daughter. You should be protecting her. And to think that I-" She stopped herself, a single tear falling from her eye. "You should leave. I never want to see you again. Get out of my house right now."

Hades hesitated. "Ioanna, please..."

"Get out!"

"Very well. But I want to talk to Amaryllis before I leave."

If looks could kill, her mother's glare would have send him to the grave. "I think you've done enough already."

"It's okay, mom," Amaryllis said and turned back to her father. "Come on, I'll see you out."

They walked outside of the house, both of them looking equally awkward. She had absolutely no clue on what they could possibly talk about; after everything that had happened, their chances on having a semi-normal father-daughter relationship were ruined.

"Amaryllis," Hades started. "I know I haven't been the greatest father, but... for what it's worth, you've made me really proud, kid. And I know you'll continue to make me proud."

Her throat was dry. As if she wasn't already emotional, it all came rushing back to her. "Back when I thought Apollo was my father, he would never speak to me or answer to my prayers. All I ever wanted was for my father to be proud of me. Or to just acknowledge my existence, you know. But my mother and I have every right to be angry at you after what you did."

"I understand. Some day you will realise that everything that happened, it happened for a reason. Bigger than you, bigger than me." His voice was truly gentle for the first time since she met him. He wasn't trying to be intimidating or serious. "I hope you can forgive me."

She could see that he was trying his best, but she knew it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

"I don't think I can."

Her father nodded. "We'll talk again."

He disappeared into shadows, leaving her standing on the doorway all alone. She heard her mother call her name from inside the house and, despite everything, she smiled.

Maybe that was the closest to a happy ending someone like Amaryllis could have.

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒.

▊and that was the last chapter of gone girl!! the epilogue is next and we're officially done!

▊two things to discuss; calypso joining the hunters of artemis was for me the ideal ending for her. it's a way for her to redefine herself, become independent and let go of the pain her punishment from the gods caused her. her and leo, in my opinion, are very similar and rick really messed up by pairing them up when he could provide a bigger message on how you don't need a romantic relationship to be worthy of love and that life is much more than romance. anyways calypso will be an excellent hunter, so suck on that rick.

(also amaryllis/nico and calypso/bianca parallel? hell yea)

second thing... hades is not a good godly parent like ive seen many people say. he was fully content with training nico to be the hero of the prophecy, while knowing that the hero of the prophecy would die. he is messed up and complex and although he does care for his children, he still won't put them above what he wants. amaryllis has every right to not forgive him and she doesn't, because guess what kids!! if someone does something really messed up to you, you are not a bad person for not forgiving them. also,, you can hold a lot of love for someone and still not forgive them. anyways i wont go too deep now‐

▊i'd love to hear your thoughts/headcanons/opinions, whatever!!