VII

                                                                    Ana 

        They didn’t have much luck, considering Ana almost cut their hands off and Gabby almost took Leo’s eyes out.  They finally got them off him, and Leo got up gasping for air, his red face turning back to normal. They killed the rest of the Pygmies and Leo burst out in agony.

        “What happened back there?!” said Leo with a voice crack.

        “It was Ana’s fault. She wouldn’t get off me! Plus, she almost cut our arms off,” said Gabby. Ana already felt bad for hurting Gabby, not knowing what she did, and now she’s being blamed for almost killing Leo?!

        “Woah, woah, you weren’t perfect either Gabbs. You almost took my eyes out. Also, you BOTH have a problem here. I was ok with you two gradually fixing it throughout the quest, but I kind of want to live until we get where we need to get,” said Leo. Bested, Gabby looked down, and Ana screamed. Her arm hurt so much, she couldn’t contain it anymore.

        “LEO! LEO TAKE IT OFF! PLEASE! I CAN’T TAKE IT!” Ana thrust her arm out and Leo paled at her red, turning purple, limp left hand. Gabby stared at what she’d done, and Leo stuttered an answer.

        “Oh my gods, Gabby...” Leo said. “I’m so sorry Ana, I can’t do anything, only Gabby can.” Leo paled even more as Gabby stared at him. Ana’s eyes welled with tears and pleaded Gabby to forgive her for whatever she did.

        “Gabby... Please.” said Leo, turning his head and closing his eyes, not wanting to see anymore pain. Ana was so sad that her best friend wanted her to endure so much pain.

        “Gabby, I love you as a sister, you’re my closest friend, why  would you do this to me? I am sorry. I am so so sorry. Please forgive me, Gabby please!” cried Ana, her hand purple now.

        “Ana... I-” started Gabby. “I-I’m sorry.” Gabby started to cry as well and Ana gasped for air when her poor hand started to gain feeling again. The bracelet had completely loosened and their hands separated from their bond. Gabby and Ana embraced in a hug of cries and they kept on apologizing. After a while, they stopped and Leo started to make a dinner in the beach of Pygmy dust.

        “Am I gonna get a thank you or what?” asked Leo after Gabby and Ana had stopped crying.

        “Should you hit him, or should I?” asked Ana.

        “Hitting is too light of a punishment,” replied Gabby.

        “Maybe we should just put one of these bracelets around him and attach the other to that rose bush,” Ana suggested.

        “Oh no you don’t” said Leo and he ran from the two girls, all of them laughing like their quarrel never happened.

                                                                   ...

        After dinner, Ana took up the chance to try her ‘water powers.’ Gabby and Leo looked as if they had fell asleep and she slipped away to the nearby lake.

        She walked knee-length in, closed her eyes, and thought of her mother. Her coffee-brown eyes,  her wavy hair, her kind voice, everything that she loved so much. Her thoughts drifted towards Gabby’s mom, who was like a mother figure to Ana for such a long time until they ran away when they were thirteen. Three whole years of running and hiding. Wow. They had gone through so much together and their problems were fixed with a flick of a finger. Thalia’s finger. When she found them, Ana was skeptical to this offer because an offer she was made years ago by a witch she remembered, named Circe. It seemed too good to be true and it wasjust that. She was hoping it was the sanctuary she always dreamed of. The one where she would feel loved. It happened when she ran away from Gabby and her mother one time and found Circe’s boat. Circe showed her all the amazing potential she had. She could have all she ever wanted. She could feel accepted. She could do archery when and as she pleased. She could be a part of something. She wanted to feel needed.

        And all of this was an exchange for being there. Permanently. To her, it was perfect. It was like asking: “Hey, do you want to do whatever you want in exchange for living in a paradise?” Of course, her duties got the best of her. No way could she abandon Gabby and her mom. Besides, she had everything she ever wanted. She was accepted by them. She could do archery at all times; no one stopped her. And she was a part of a family. She was neededby them. A tugging feeling emerged in her gut. She snapped open her eyes, astonished by the sight that lay before her. The water had risen up towards the full moon, and fell back down on the other side, forming an arch. It was beautiful, but she honestly had no idea how to control this. She let go of the tugging sensation and let the water fall with a loud splash.

        “Huh, who stole my stuffed bunny again?” asked Leo as he sprang awake. Gabby jolted awake, fully alert.

        “Ana, are you ok? Did anyone come to attack us?” asked Gabby, worried. Ana, slightly startled by the sudden commotion she had made, shook her head unsurely.

        “N-no, sorry to wake you both,” Ana stammered.

        “You woke me up from awesome dream!” Leo whined.

        “Did it happen to include a stuffed bunny by any chance?” asked Ana.

        “Maybe.” Both Ana and Gabby chuckled and eventually they all fell back asleep, until the sun awoke them to meet another day of traveling.

                                                                ...

        Leo wasn’t fully asleep that night it turned out. He was probably up all night thinking of Calypso, that poor guy.  He just managed to save the world (while dying) and then had to face the fact that his ‘girlfriend’ is gone. How could anything be worse than that? Ana thought to herself. Her thoughts drifted towards her brother; she wanted to meet him so badly. She needed his advice for things like “How to fit in to the Greek world” or “How do you control the ‘water power’” or just simply “Can you give me advice on swordplay?” He just had to be in college, didn’t he? Yeah, sure, college seemed nice after saving the world multiple times, but why couldn’t he at least visit her? They were brother and sister after all.

        Leo finished his taco breakfast last and told them what he was up to that night.

        “I found something,” he started. “It could help us get to Texas faster.” Ana and Gabby groaned jokingly while Leo grinned.

        “Well? What is it?” asked Gabby. Leo moved out of the way and revealed a few Pegasi with a black one standing in the front. ‘Hey, do you have any donuts?’ asked the black one. Ana jumped back, wondering when a horse or Pegasi could possibly talk.

        “Um, is that normal?” asked Ana to Gabby and Leo, surely it was obvious that a horse couldn’t talk.

        “What is?” asked Gabby, looking at her with concern.

        “Um, he was just talking,”said Ana pointing at the black Pegasus. ‘Master, only the horse lord and his children can hear us speak,’ said a cream colored pegasus. ‘Yeah, but do you have any donuts? Sugar cubes maybe?’ asked the black one again. Ana always loved horses, and she never even considered that her father had created horses and she was his daughter. In her head, she answered ‘No, sorry I don’t have any sugarcubes or donuts, but can you tell me your names?’ she asked. ‘I am Rose,’ said the cream colored one. 'Blackjack’s the name, and food is my game,' said the black one, causing her to giggle. I like this one, she thought. ‘I’m Braeburn,’ said a sand colored one. ‘Thank you, do you think you could take us to Texas by any chance? I bet they have sugarcubes and donuts,’ Ana said, hoping they’d agree. Leo and Gabby were staring at her, awestruck, not knowing what was going on. The three Pegasi whinnied in agreement and Ana hopped on Blackjack.

        “Guys, they said they can take us to Texas. Hop on!” Ana said. Gabby looked skeptically at the sand colored one, which was too large for her. She slowly got on Rose and Leo almost got thrown off Braeburn because he got excited. His hands burst into flames and Braeburn almost did get well, burned. Ana told the three flying horses to take off south, towards cowboy country.

                                                                        ...

        “Ana!” yelled Gabby after a while.

        “What!” she replied.

        “I don’t think flying is really my thiiiiiing!” yelled Gabby over the harsh winds. ‘Miss, I don’t think she likes this very much, shall we take a break?’ asked Rose. ‘Nah don’t be ridiculous,’ said Braeburn, obviously having fun almost throwing Leo off a few times with Leo screaming and holding on for dear life. ‘Braeburn! Stop this, it is foolish, and this will displease the Lord,’ said Rose. Blackjack continued, ‘Yeah, Master will be angry if we hurt Mistress Andromeda and her friends,’ Ana assumed they were talking about Poseidon, but she asked anyway. ‘Who is this “master” you talk about too much?’ Ana asked. ‘Percy Jackson’  they said in unison. Ana laughed, and they flew towards the ground to give Gabby, Leo, and the horses a rest.

        She was wondering how Percy knew they would need the Pegasi. She asked Rose when and by whom they were sent by. ‘Master Jackson, Mistress. He sent us. Said his sister needed us and Blackjack agreed because he said you had donuts.’ she said. Campers at Camp Half-Blood must have told him he had a sister, what a shocker that must’ve been. Well, at least her brother really was watching out for her. She remembered Thalia telling her that he was going to turn eighteen on August eighteenth. She wanted to celebrate it with him, to give him a hug like a sister would when her older brother grew up. Her seventeenth birthday wasn’t too far away either. She wanted to meet him, go to wherever he was to see what he was doing, she was so curious about her new family.

        “Hey Ana?” said Gabby, wobbling over, still disoriented.

        “Yeah?” she replied, helping her down on the log next to her.

        “What do you think will happen when we reach Texas?” Ana stood still, unsure herself.

        “I don’t know. We’ll find out when we get there I guess,” Ana replied. However, Gabby seemed slightly fearful of the unknown future to come as if she already knew what they were to bound to face.

        “I’m never going Pegasus riding ever again,” said Leo looking a little green.

        “Well, we still have so more flying up ahead,” Ana replied giggling. ‘Hey, do you know what state, we’re in?’ asked Ana, curious. ‘We’re in Tennessee Miss,’ Rose responded, flexing her beautiful wings. ‘Ooh, I know a really good riddle that includes Tennessee,’ Braeburn piped up. ‘The capital of Tennessee is a big word, can you spell it? I-T.’ Rose hooved the ground, obviously annoyed. Ana shook her head and hopped on Blackjack again.