Xochitl was overjoyed.

"You're here!" she squealed as Emilia arrived with a bag slung over her shoulders. "Papi– she's here!"

Emilio emerged from the hallway. "Mija." He smiled. "How was your trip?"

"I almost threw up in that alley down the block," said Emilia honestly. "But otherwise... the shadow traveling is getting easier. Is Tía Evangelina here yet?"

"Yes," he said. "She just checked in at the hotel where our other relatives are staying. We had some unexpected RSVPs from Mexico... you'll get to meet some of my cousins and their kids. Your grandparents..." He sighed. "Their VISA didn't come in time. Evangelina and I haven't seen them since we left Mexico. Almost twenty-one years ago."

She was a bit disappointed even though she hadn't heard that much about her grandparents; they didn't have the best relationship with Evangelina and there wasn't really a way to mend that with such a distance between them.

She lowered her voice as her sister dragged her bag away, calling for Blanca to come out and say hello. "You know... I'm sure the gods could have a way with all this. I'll be twenty-one in half a year but given the nature of our quest... I can ask, you know, if there's a way to speed up the process. You, my Tía, your... wife. I can try to get you a citizenship straightaway. The Titans did that for me when they recruited me... one of the many favors to buy me out."

His eyes softened. "Mija, I wouldn't want to ask you to do that. It's... a lot."

"Just consider it." She offered a smile. "I'll let you sit with it." She leaned down as Blanca came running, then immediately straightened back up. "Wow, last time I was here you were a lot smaller. How did you get so tall in just six months?"

"I drink a lot of milk," said Blanca proudly. "Come see where you'll be sleeping!"

She followed her to their room, surprised to see that they'd gotten a new bunk bed, one with a trundle beneath. Blanca had arranged the trundle with all sorts of stuffed animals for herself and had left a poster on the lower bunk that read 'EMILIA!!!!' followed by drawings of flowers, puppies, cats, and a few dark blobs that must've been meant as cute shadow creatures... she wasn't sure what shape they were in but one may have resembled a horse with gigantic eyes.

"That's very sweet of you," said Emilia, hugging Blanca. "I'm happy to be here with you. Where are Daniel and Alejandro?"

"They're at the venue," said Xochitl behind her. "Rearranging some of the seating since we have new people coming. You'll get to sit with Tía Evangelina, Papi, Mami, and our siblings. I'll be at the table with my friends. Do you..." She whispered, "Do you know how to braid?"

"Piper taught me some things," she said uncertainly. "I'm not sure I'm the best at it. Why?"

She reached into a drawer and pulled out a scrapbook. She must've been working on this since she was little– her ideal quinceañera. Near one the end was a page with a hairstyle, fairly simple up-do with a bun made of different braids. "I want this," she said, "but we didn't get a hairstylist and Mami is going to be busy getting everyone else ready and driving relatives to the venue. Do you think you could?"

Emilia hesitated. How hard could it be? She figured the alternative would be Xochitl simply curling her hair and that wouldn't be very fun for her. "Okay, I can try. May Aphrodite/Venus help me make you look good tomorrow."

She was glad to not have had a quinceañera. All the preparations were simply too much. Daniel and Alejandro made several trips to the venue with Xochitl and Emilia to put up decorations that came late, Blanca was fussing over having to go to sleep early, Emilio and Ximena had been running back and forth between the hotel and the house trying to make sure all the relatives had the toiletries they needed.

Emilia didn't even manage to dream. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she knocked out, and it felt like only a second before she was being woken up at six in the morning. Xochitl was already up and showering, Ximena was calling for Emilio and the boys to put on their suits so they could just be ready in case anything else was needed.

She put on her makeup while Xochitl got to drying her hair, detangling it as best as she could. Xochitl was lamenting not having Emilia's naturally curly hair while Emilia secretly envied how easy it was for Xochitl to take care of her straight hair.

She got started on the braids while Xochitl tried her hand at makeup, not having practiced much beforehand. Evangelina came as Emilia was halfway done and helped her with the rest of the braids, complimenting her precision. Maybe Aphrodite/Venus was feeling sympathetic today.

"There we go," said Evangelina as she and Emilia placed the final touch over Xochitl's face, having taken over the makeup before Xochitl could get frustrated and burst into tears. "Te ves hermosa, mi niña." (T: You look beautiful, my girl.)

Xochitl looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. "I look like a princess. All that's left is the dress!"

"How is she going to fit in the car with that thing?" asked Emilia quietly as Xochitl went to put it on.

Evangelina laughed, putting an arm around her. "With a lot of trouble."

It took three tries for Xochitl to get into the back of their minivan with the entire skirt gathered together. Daniel and Alejandro wouldn't even fit anymore– they'd have to take Daniel's car. Blanca and Emilia joined them once they were on their way to the mass, the car silent as Ximena prayed a rosary the whole way there. Emilia supposed she should be thankful that this was the situation, rather than another screaming match. Her stepmother hadn't said much, but at least their few exchanges had been civil. Not pleasant but well-mannered.

Emilia was made to greet every single relative before getting to sit down. Her father and aunt led her through the line, introducing her to everyone and repeating the same story– she studied in New York and had come down for this special occasion. Most knew not to ask questions but a few wondered aloud why they hadn't seen her at Daniel's graduation party or his going-away party before he moved up to Berkeley. Emilia hastily said that she'd been stuck in New York due to a combination of bad weather, mandatory classes, unexpected internships, and debilitatingly contagious illnesses. She'd need to do the camp several favors before she could ask Chiron to teach her how to manipulate the Mist and just get people to not question her presence.

It was easy to go through the motions of the mass. Saying the prayers and standing up at the right time was never confusing. But Emilia realized this was her first time having to sit through a ceremony that was actually emotional. She'd never been to a funeral, never even been to a quinceañera before this.

She didn't expect to start tearing up when her sister read aloud a letter to her parents, thanking them for all they did to raise her up to this point where she was becoming a young woman.

Emilia wasn't proud of the mild jealousy that rose in the form of bile within her throat. Xochitl had had the luxury of planning this day her whole life– she didn't think about how expensive it was, she didn't think how short-lived it would be. All she wanted was to be like other girls who got a quinceañera, to have a day where she got to be a princess. She expected it and it came true. There was never a single smidge of worry that this would not happen, or that life would take another turn.

It wasn't fair to her sister but Emilia still found herself disliking it. They'd never been poor but she'd never had the sense that she could ask her aunt for everything under the sun. She felt bad receiving gifts because it meant someone had spent money on her– money that could otherwise go to a better cause. She'd started to work because she wanted to buy something useful and permanent for herself, not have anything handed to her on a silver platter.

But that sort of thinking, that sort of resentment, it was what made her a target for the Titans in the first place. She tried to replace the thoughts with gratitude. She was thankful that Xochitl hadn't had to struggle the way she did, thankful that she got to actually be a kid instead of trying frantically to grow up too fast or, like Emilia, maybe not grow up at all.

After the mass, they took an hour taking all sorts of pictures– some with busts and statues of the Virgin Mary, some with all the relatives, most with the family. Emilia was not intending to jump into the family portrait with Emilio, Ximena, and her siblings, but her aunt shoved her in and insisted she stand with Daniel and her father. She wondered if Ximena would tolerate it or hire someone to edit her out.

They made their way to the venue afterward, all hungry and glad that food would be served. The dessert bar alone looked amazing. Emilia had never had a cake pop until she snuck herself five in a napkin after their dinner– birria with rice and beans, Xochitl's favorite dish.

She never understood the traditions– giving a 'last' doll, changing into 'grown up' shoes, or even the random choreography poorly performed by a bunch of fourteen to sixteen year-olds who were clearly in it because their parents held some metaphorical gun to their heads. Xochitl had fun, and most of her female friends learned their dances well, but the boys were definitely not having the best time.

"Y ahora," announced one of the cousins, "Xochitl ha escogido tener un baile individual con cada persona de su familia. Los llamaremos uno por uno, empezando con su papá, Emilio Gonzalez." (T: And now, Xochitl has chosen to have an individual dance with each person in her family. We'll call them up one by one, starting with her dad, Emilio Gonzalez.)

Everyone clapped as he went up to waltz with his daughter. The others started to gather near the ends– Daniel waved for Emilia to join them. She shuffled over nervously, letting Daniel place her between him and his mother– as the oldest sibling, she'd be dancing with Xochitl first.

Emilio was having a conversation with his daughter, making her laugh. This seemed to be a normal thing– what would Emilia say to her?

"Sigue su mamá, Ximena Sanchez." (T: Next is her mom, Ximena Sanchez.)

Ximena walked up standing as tall as possible. Proud of her daughter and of herself, too. Emilia supposed that just as her stepmother would probably never understand her, she would also not know what it was really like to be mortal. To have worries about a job without monsters involved.

Ximena had done well for herself. She'd done a lot to give her children good opportunities. In the end, she was trying to protect them. Had she done it in the best way? No. But had she tried to make it happen? Yes. Emilia wasn't sure she could fully rationalize any of it, she wasn't sure they'd ever fully trust each other– more like tolerate each other for periods of time. Still, she saw her a little more today than she usually did. How she enjoyed her daughter all dressed up– Ximena didn't care about anything other than the fact Xochitl was happy.

"Sigue su hermana mayor, Emilia Gonzalez." (T: Next is her older sister, Emilia Gonzalez.)

As Ximena stepped aside, Emilia stepped forward, doing her best to mimic what her father and stepmother had done before– playing the masculine role in the waltz. She whispered to Xochitl, "You look so beautiful. How are you feeling?"

"So overwhelmed," said Xochitl softly. "My feet already ache, I couldn't eat a lot with this corset so I'm still hungry, and all I want is cake but it's not time to serve it yet."

Emilia giggled. "I'll get you some cake pops to hold you in the meantime. If it gets to be too much and you need a breather... well, I could technically make it seem like there's a power outage."

Xochitl winked. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for being here. It means a lot to me. I wish I could've had you for much longer, like when I was little and wanted a sister to look up to. I would've stolen all your clothes and makeup but it would've been fun."

"I would've liked that," said Emilia. Maybe in the moment it would've annoyed her, but to look back on such a precious thing during this dance... She wanted to resent the lack of its existence, too. "We'll make up for it. We'll create the moments even if we're not little anymore."

"Sigue su hermano mayor, Daniel Gonzalez." (T: Next is her older brother, Daniel Gonzalez.)

She promised Xochitl in her head that she'd make sure to come back from her quest. Whether the world fell to storm or fire, Emilia had to make sure she could be here not just for her, but for her brothers, and for little Blanquita who was still young enough to make the memories Xochitl missed out on.

Emilia wanted another dance like this with her littlest sister. She wanted to watch her brothers dance with their spouses on the day they got married. If she ever married anyone, she wanted them there to share it with her.

-

She Iris-messaged Chiron as soon as she'd checked into her hotel in Seattle. He listened carefully as she inquired about getting citizenship for her aunt, father, and stepmother. She was trembling nervously at the end, thinking he'd say no. He simply smiled and assured her he would handle it.

It wasn't until she'd taken a moment to rest that she realized she didn't even have to be worried about this. Of course Chiron would do this for her. She was about to embark on a dangerous quest she might not come back from after recently returning from one she barely completed with her limbs intact. She'd proven herself already and if she wanted one last thing done for her family, who was he to say no?

Maybe she'd be able to leave something behind if, for whatever reason, she didn't make it. But she promised herself she would. She would very much like to be on the plane with them when they eventually went back to Mexico to see their parents again. It would be nice to meet a grandparent that wouldn't want to kill her.

Hylla knew she was coming and promised her the rest of the day. Even if they'd had months already of conversations (always avoiding the most personal subjects), it would be nice for them to see each other face-to-face one more time before the quest. Who knew how long it'd be until they saw each other again.

Emilia ran through all the things she could remember about Hylla. Her favorite color was blue, like the color of the sea in Puerto Rico. She loved ensalada de pulpo and her preferred weapon was a dagger. She listened to pop-rock but enjoyed dancing to Latin music. She hated people who chewed loudly. She preferred not to salt any of her food while cooking because everything already had salt– other condiments, spices, and herbs were preferable. Her go-to expression for any kind of disbelief was 'what in Tartarus.' She felt the cutest when her hair was in a messy bun but would never wear it outside of her room.

She also had the most beautiful smile. Rarely shown except for moments with those she was closest too– and apparently Emilia had made it into this small group. She would do anything for her sister and while she knew Reyna probably looked up to her, Hylla admired her little sister more than anyone. Once she cared for someone, it ran so deep, unbreakable, expressed in the form of sparking conversations about the topics the other enjoyed or telling them how special they were to their faces.

For five months, Emilia had listened to her rant about all sorts of people and terrible situations. For five months she'd gotten to know what it was like to be a Queen– what were her burdens, what were her triumphs, how did one deal with insubordination? She always looked forward to her conversations with Hylla, to getting to see her smile and sigh happily because they got to see one another and see what the other had been up to. So simple yet still so real.

But it worried Emilia, what Hylla had last said about something stirring in Seattle. She had given no details, only that this threat hadn't shown its face. She'd been hearing things but had yet to see anything. She wasn't sure what she was up against.

If she had any chance, she was going to help Hylla before she had to go.

"Good morning," said Hylla, meeting her at the front desk of her hotel once she had showered. "You look... not so well-rested."

"We were up late last night," said Emilia with a weak smile, not sure if she should lean in for a hug or not. She let Hylla decide, and left herself greeted by another sweet kiss on the cheek. Oh, it made her tingle just as it had back in January. "They almost moved the party back to the house but Xochitl was so tired, she was ready to drop."

"Sounds like fun," said Hylla, offering her arm. Emilia took it, allowing Hylla to lead her out. "Forgive me, is it alright if we just go and hang out at the warehouse today? I'm not sure I'm comfortable roaming too far away."

"Of course," said Emilia. "I'll walk myself back afterward, too. Is everything... okay?"

Hylla pursed her lips. "No, it isn't."

As they walked, Hylla told her very quietly about some disturbing rumors that Otrera, the first Queen of the Amazons, had risen from the dead. Emilia let out a breath of relief when Hylla revealed that she knew about Gaea and the giants causing trouble. Unfortunately for her, it suggested that Otrera would soon come to try and take control of the Amazons, to use them for Gaea's purposes. She'd already begun to turn several of the girls and Hylla feared it was only a matter of time before Otrera came for what she perceived to be her crown.

"You can defeat her," said Emilia reasonably once they were at the warehouse. It had been rearranged. The tall shelves were in a simple square, a sitting area in the middle complete with plush couches, a fuzzy rug, two vintage lamps, and a coffee table filled with snacks and some green tea. Over the skylight was a thin film that cast rainbows over the set-up.

"Can I?" asked Hylla doubtfully.

"I think you can. You're the current queen for a reason. From the way you tell it, Otrera died an older woman. What chance does she really stand?"

Hylla winced. "The Doors of Death are still open."

"If she kills you, you come back. But that's unlikely to happen. If you must... you kill her twice. Simple."

"Simple." Her lip twitched. "I think I can manage that. All of this about Gaea, it didn't surprise you. I imagine... you know more than you let on about that?"

She nodded, taking a seat on one of the couches. Surprisingly, Hylla sat herself down on the same couch, nearly right beside her. Emilia drew a deep breath, "I always talk around it when we're Iris-messaging otherwise... I don't really want anyone in camp eavesdropping when I tell that story again and in general I guess I got tired of telling it so many times in a row and I wanted to enjoy what we were building without your opinion of me changing."

She furrowed her brows. "Changing?"

Her hands felt clammy as she admitted, "Yes. My past, it isn't pretty. I've been vague for a reason. If you're willing to listen..."

Hylla took her hand. "Of course I am. We've spoken about so many things, I feel I've known you all my life. My opinion of you isn't going to change because of who you used to be. I know who you are, Emilia. You're a survivor. And that's what will matter most to me."

So she began the story, the same one she was so sick of telling. But this was the first time she was shaking while telling it. Her voice was unsteady, her hands were twitching. She told her about Kronos, Camp Half-Blood, the quest, Gaea, even the two conversations she'd had with her mother and how Clovis had taught her to try and enter dreams so she could keep contacting her. Hylla was the first person she told about Rhea, about the task she had been given while still having to juggle the Prophecy of the Eight.

She'd considered doing everything in pieces, giving only snippets of her past. But she decided early on she didn't want to hide anything anymore. Not even when Hylla's face twitched in recognition at Kronos's name and the attack in New York. Emilia was carefully monitoring how she responded to everything, but she really didn't need to worry.

Hylla didn't judge her at all. She didn't interrupt, she didn't make any premature assumptions. It wasn't until she was done speaking that Hylla finally replied that she admired her strength. It was odd to hear this too– she felt most people were sorry for her, maybe still a bit wary. But this wasn't abnormal to Hylla.

Then, it was her turn. Emilia listened to her talk about her father, Julian Ramírez-Arellano, a former soldier who served in Iraq and developed PTSD that progressed into madness. Hylla was born before the left, and Reyna after he came back. Without Bellona present, the paranoia became worse. He believed that he was in danger, that his daughters would hurt him. He eventually became a Mania and knocked Hylla unconscious. It was on Reyna to kill what was left of their father, and the two fled San Juan soon after.

Hylla got them jobs on Circe's Island to keep Reyna away from violence. She became Circe's favorite attendant, and was there until Percy and Annabeth happened upon the Spa and Resort. Hylla's voice hardened as she spoke of pirates that Percy released, Blackbeard and his crew taking Reyna and Hylla hostage. They were lucky to be naturally good fighters, earning their respect and eventual release. Reyna went on to be praetor at Camp Jupiter while Hylla joined the Amazons and rose to power.

"Thank you for telling me all this," said Emilia softly once Hylla went quiet.

"You were so willing to share," said Hylla, smiling weakly. "I wanted to be as brave as you. It's been a long time since I shared that story but I somehow felt safe telling you."

"People rarely feel safe around me," admitted Emilia. "This is one of the highest compliments. I swear to you... your story is safe with me. I admire you, too, Hylla. I got something for you."

She reached into her bag, withdrawing a dagger the same color as Incubo. "This is made of Celestial Bronze. It... has no special significance, really, it was just small and I was able to have my friend Leo add some Stygian Iron to the edges of the blade. A bit of... Greek for you, as well as something to remind you of me and to protect you. Stygian Iron keeps monsters from reforming. Maybe, against Otrera, it could come in handy. You're more than capable of using it and I don't know if a blessing from me holds any power but I... bless it. For you. I don't have to protect you, I know that, but this may be the last time I'll see you before I go. I want to think that some part of me lingers here to keep you company, to keep you safe."

Hylla's cheeks turned pink. Emilia hoped she hadn't taken it too far– was five months maybe not yet an acceptable time to be giving each other gifts, especially considering most of their relationship had been from a distance with Iris-messages maybe about once a week?

She took the dagger carefully, examining it. "It's beautiful." She turned it over then tucked it in her belt. "As are you."

Now it was Emilia's turn to go red. What was she supposed to say to this? 'You, too' didn't sound very well thought out. She decided to be honest, even as she fought the urge to fan her face. She maintained eye contact as best as possible, "Admittedly, I don't know how to tell you that you are just as beautiful... not in the way I'd like to, at least. I know so many words and they all seem to fly out of my head the moment I look at you."

Hylla scooted closer, giving her such a look– really, Emilia didn't know how to describe it. It wasn't puppy eyes but it also wasn't seductive. It expressed want and need but not lust. She craved her but in the sweetest way possible. Did people crave other people like that? Did anyone hunger for comfort in such a genuine way?

Was she asking for a hug? A kiss? Emilia wasn't sure. She took Hylla's hands and brought them up to her lips, kissing her knuckles in the hope of doing something affectionate that was nice enough to fulfill the need of responding without reading the signals wrong.

This only made things more confusing. Hylla gave a light laugh, smiling shyly and now finding herself unable to look at Emilia. She'd turned her head, cheek exposed and just there. Maybe that was a better place to kiss?

Emilia leaned over to kiss her cheek just as Hylla turned back to face her. Maybe it was intentional on Emilia's part– she could've drawn away and didn't. Maybe it was intentional on Hylla's part– she didn't need to turn at that moment.

It didn't end up mattering. Emilia froze as soon as she felt her lips brushing over Hylla's. At the risk of seeming too awkward, too unaware (might it be pathetic to pretend this wasn't the intention?), she leaned into it and brought a hand up to cup Hylla's face.

Hylla gave a sigh, pressing her lips harder into Emilia's and letting the kiss persist. Emilia wasn't sure how to hold it much longer or if she had to start moving her mouth a certain way, so she ended up drawing away, but only enough to let her nose brush against Hylla's, head tilted so her forehead rested on hers.

"That was very nice," said Hylla in a small voice. "I've never kissed a girl before."

"I've never kissed anyone before," admitted Emilia.

"Would you like to have more of that?"

She cracked a smile; the question was so silly. "Sure."

It took several tries to figure out a rhythm. She pulled out all the knowledge she had of other people describing their kisses, of what they did in the movies. Bottom lip, top lip, something about a tongue– none of it made sense when she thought about it but when she did it, suddenly things made sense. She suddenly knew where she was meant to be. Here, doing this.

She gave her the tightest hug she could manage once it was time to walk back. One day, one beautiful day of talking, sharing another meal, just being close and holding hands each time they felt like remembering they weren't alone. It still wasn't enough. She had to have more of this.

"I'll come back to you," she promised Hylla. "Stay alive until then."

"You'd better," Hylla replied. "I'll wait for you."

Emilia returned to Camp Half-Blood as the solstice was upon them, the Argo II not ready for them to go. Hylla had given her the details for how to get into Camp Jupiter– a service tunnel near the main Caldecott Tunnel in Berkeley Hills.

They used this information as they prepared their message, announcing their imminent arrival to Camp Jupiter just as the Feast of Fortuna came to pass and the ship was fixed enough for them to fly over to find Percy at long last.

As they set off, little rooms filled with their personal items to remind them of home and doing their best to keep their spirits up, Emilia stared into the distance at the West Coast, promising herself that this would not be her end.

One way or another, Gaea would fall.