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chapter thirty-six
( the battle of the labyrinth )
❝ too many goodbyes! ❞

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    There were too many goodbyes. After the battle was won by Grover and Cain causing a stampede that sent the army screaming back into the Labyrinth out of fear, to then be destroyed by Daedalus's death, everyone took to cleaning up and ... and saying goodbye.

    I made sure that Jay was amongst those whose shrouds were burned. I owed him that much. He had saved my life, after everything. He had made mistakes, but in the end, he had done the right thing. He had saved his home, and he should be buried and remembered as the boy he used to be, the one he always wanted to be. Amongst Jay, wrapped in another golden shroud was Lee's body. Standing with the rest of my siblings, I tried to keep a strong face. But as Pollux choked up and took the torch, lighting the funeral pyre in the middle of the amphitheatre, I couldn't stop the tears that traced my cheeks. Within seconds, the rows of shrouds was engulfed in fire, sending smoke and stars up to the stars. I watched my brothers burn away, hoping Elysium for the both of them. Even Jay. Everyone deserved a second chance. Even Jay.

    I couldn't find it in myself to go back to my cabin. I tried to, but before I had the courage to step through the doors, I knew I would have to be face to face with Lee's empty bed, and I couldn't. I couldn't. I couldn't go in there, and see that empty space, and realise that he'll never be there to wake us all up in the mornings, never be there to give us a smile and ruffle Will's hair as he watered his plants at the window sil. He was gone. He was gone.

    Never again would we share smiles at council meetings, or laugh amongst each other as we inspected cabins and saw some of the messes others made. Never again would he beat me in volleyball matches. Never again would he tease me when I only just missed a bullseye. Never again would he be there to joke about Percy and I, or chide me for being too petty towards him. He was gone. He was gone.

    I found myself heading back across the bonfire before curfew. I don't know whether anyone saw me, or weren't bothered to stop me. But soon enough, I stood in front of the Poseidon cabin and knocked on the door.

    It opened, and Percy stood there. I know you weren't allowed to have any camper from another cabin inside your own━especially those of the opposite sex, but I don't think rules mattered to anyone after today. We were all exhausted, wounded, and mourning our siblings and friends to even care.

    It was hard to speak. "I ... I can't ... I don't want ..."

    But I didn't need to say anything else. Percy immediately understood and stepped to the side. Walking into cabin three, I was met by a waft of sea salt━as if the ocean was breezing right by me. I breathed it in, and started to cry.

    Arms wrapped around me, and Percy held me close. I felt his lips press against my temple, and I leaned into the touch, sobbing. I don't know how long I stayed there, hugging him, but next thing I knew, I was waking up against a pillow that smelt like sea salt━like everything else.

    I don't know when I fell asleep, but I must have. Alone on one of the bunks━I think Percy's━green blankets had been wrapped around my body, tucked in underneath the mattress. I looked across the room to the opposite bunks, where Percy had slept in a completely different bed. It was in the middle of the night, the moonlight shimmering in through the windows. I saw Tyson asleep in another bunk, the mattress sagging under his weight.

    Carefully, I pulled the blanket away. My socks were quiet against the hardwood floors. Standing up, I tiptoed over towards where Percy slept. I don't know what I was doing, but I just knew I didn't want to fall back asleep alone━not where I know I'll think and see what had happened again. I wanted to be safe. I didn't want to be alone. I wanted someone I cared about who was alive right beside me.

    So, gently, I slipped in beside Percy. He must have not been fully asleep, because as soon as I was settling my head on his chest, he pulled me closer. No one cared I wasn't in the Apollo cabin that night, because in fact, others were doing the same thing, finding comfort in other cabins and in their friends, unable to sleep under the same roof as their fallen siblings. For one night, the borders of goldy parent fell down, and every cabin paid solitude to lost souls. Those who were brave enough to stay in their cabin, slept far away from the empty beds, huddled together and holding tight to the siblings they still had. Everyone was mourning that night━no one wanted to be alone.

    The next day, we spent treating the wounded, which was almost everybody. I found out that Cain had been hurt, and Annabeth had slept in the infirmary right with him the whole night. He was okay━might have a scar on his arm for the rest of his life, but he was alive, and he will survive. In the morning, when I walked past, I made sure to fix the blanket someone had placed on Annabeth's shoulders and brushed her hair away from her face. Nico was recovering from the over extertion of his powers, and Will was tending to his friend, making a concoction of nectar early in the morning and looking as though he hadn't slept a wink.

    When he saw me, he asked for a hug, and I gave him one. I held on tight to my younger brother, kissing his head as he shed a few tears for Lee and Jay. Our whole cabin wept for Jay as well, no matter what he had done. I then fixed up Nico's blankets, and checked his temperature, muttering a soft prayer to his father.

    At noon, the Council of Cloven Elders held an emergency meeting in their sacred grove. The three senior satyrs were there, along with Chiron, who was in wheelchair form. His broken horse leg was still mending, so he would be confined to the chair for a few months. Hannah and Cory were standing with Juniper, Annabeth, Percy and Grover. I saw Hannah giving Annabeth a side hug. When I made my way over, I stood in between Hannah and Annabeth. I stayed close to Hannah, resting my head against her chest as she wrapped an arm around me.

    Silenius wanted to exile Grover immediately, but Chrion persuaded him to at least hear evidence first, so we told everyone what had happened in the crystal cavern, and what Pan had said. Cain, still bed-ridden, had written his very own note of witness to be handed over, which Annabeth gave to Chiron. Then several eyewitnesses from the battle described the weird sound Grover had made in aid with Cain, which drove the Titans' army back underground.

    "It was panic," insisted Jupiter. "Grover and Cain channelled each other to summon the power of the wild god."

    "Panic?" Percy asked.

    "Percy," Chiron explained, "during the first war of the gods and the Titans, Lord Pan let forth a horribly cry that scared away the enemy armies. It is━it was his greatest power━a massive wave of fear that helped the gods win the day. Now, in addition to Cain's power of panic from his father, the God of fear and panic, he and Grover used a much stronger version of that power, calling it forth from within themselves."

    "Preposterous!" Silenus bellowed. "Sacrilege! Perhaps the wild god favoured us with a blessing. Or perhaps Grover's music was so awful it scared the enemy away. And a child of Phobos! He should be exiled immediately━preposterous to have such a dangerous half-blood in this camp!"

    "Leave Cain alone!" Percy snapped, which surprised the rest of us, who knew he had originally not liked the son of Phobos.

    "That wasn't it, sir," Grover quickly said before Percy could get whacked with a wooden satyr's club. He sounded very calm, despite having faced such an insult. "He let his spirit pass into all of us. We must act. Each of us must work to renew the wild, to protect what's left of it. We must spread the word. Pan is dead. There is no one but us."

    "After two thousand years of searching, this is what you would have us believe?" Silenus cried. "Never! We must continue the search. Exile the traitor! And that half-blood with him!"

    "No!" cried Annabeth. "You can't do that to Cain and Grover!"

    "Annabeth is right," said Chiron grimly. "You cannot exile one of my campers."

    They could exile Grover, though, was what he didn't add.

    Some of the older satyrs muttered assent.

    "A vote!" Silenus demanded. "Who would believe this ridiculous young satyr, anyway?"

    "I would," said a familiar voice.

    Everyone turned. Striding into the grove was Dionysus. He wore a formal black suit, so I almost didn't recognise him. His curly black hair was carefully combed, and his eyes were bloodshot as usual, and his pudgy face was flushed━but he looked like he was suffering from grief rather than wine-withdrawal.

    The satyrs all stood respectfully and bowed as he approached. Dionysus waved his hand, and a new chair grew out of the ground next to Silenus's━a throne made of grapevines. The god sat down and crossed his legs. He snapped his fingers and a satyr hurried foward with a plate of cheese, crackers and a Diet Coke.

    The god of wine looked around at the assembled crowd. "Miss me?"

    The satyrs fell over themselves, nodding and bowing. "Oh, yes, very much, sire!"

    "Well, I did not miss this place!" Dionysus snapped. "I bear bad news, my friends. Evil news. The minor gods are changing sides. Morpheus has gone over to the enemy. Hecate, Janus and Nemesis, as well. Zeus knows how many more."

    Thunder rumbled in the distance.

    "Strike that━even Zeus doesn't know. Now, I want to hear Grover's story. Again, from the top."

    "But, my lord," Silenus protested. "It's just nonsense!"

    Dionysus's eyes flared with purple fire. "I have just learned that my son Castor is dead, Silenus. I am not in a good mood. You will do well to humour me."

    Silenus gulped, before waving for Grover to start again. Once he was done, Mr D nodded. "It sounds like just the sort of thing Pan would do. Grover is right. The search is tiresome. You must start thinking for yourselves," he turned to a satyr. "Bring me some peeled grapes, right away!"

    "Yes, sire!" the satyr scampered off.

    "We must exile the traitor!" Silenus insisted.

    "I say no," Mr D countered. "That is my vote."

    "I vote no as well," Chiron put in.

    Silenus set his jaw stubbornly. "All in favour of the exile?" 

    He and the other two old satyrs raised their hands.

    "Three to two," said Silenus smugly.

    "Ah, yes," nodded Dionysus. "But, unfortunately for you, a god's vote counts twice. And as I voted against, we are tied."

    Silenus stood, indignant. "This is an outrage! The council cannot stand at an impasse!"

    "Then let it be dissolved!" Mr D said. "I don't care."

    Silenus bowed stiffly, along with his two friends, and they left the grove. About twenty satyrs went with them. The rest stood around, murmuring uncomfortably.

    "Don't worry," Grover told them. "We don't need a council to tell us what to do. We can figure it out ourselves." He told them the words of Pan━how they must save the wild a little at a time. Despite it all, I watched my best friend with pride as he started dividing the satyrs into groups━which ones would go to the national parks, which ones would search out the last wild places, which ones would defend the parks in big cities.

    "Well," Annabeth smiled to Percy and I, "Grover seems to be growing up."

° ° °

    Each day, it get's easier, I've learnt that. But the pain doesn't go away. It turns from being constant, to becoming phantom pain. Longing and aching for something that's no longer there. Lee's bed was filled with cards and gifts and no one know how━but we all had the suspicion that it was our father━, but his bed became the perfect spot for the growth of Hyacinths; the most beautiful flower, and the flower of Apollo. It flourished in the place Lee called his home, and we watered it and cherished it just as much as we cherished our passed brother. Jay was celebrated with our picture with his camp necklace settled next to it. We wanted to remember him before he was swayed under Kronos, and so we did. Some days, I'd cry to sleep. Other days, I couldn't sleep in my cabin━still━and would sneak over to either the Athena or Poseidon cabin, taking comfort in one of their free beds without Chiron, Mr D or Hannah ever knowing (all though, we were all pretty sure they did, but they let it happen, knowing I wasn't the only one. Pollux would find comfort in the Demetor Cabin. Saiorse's sister Niamh slept in the Aphrodite cabin when everything became to much. And so did many others ...)

    The daily activities continued: archery, rock climbing, pegasus riding. We played Capture the Flag (though we avoided Zeus's Fist). We sang at the campfire and raced chariots and played pratical jokes on the other cabins. (Hermes made the mistake of planting a spider in the Athena cabin, again, and Connor and Travis Stoll had to run away from Annabeth and her siblings, again━trust me, they make this mistake every Summer, it's like they enjoy being chased by daggers and swords all around camp). I spent a lot of time with Cain, Annabeth and Will, and mostly in the infirmary where I helped the still wounded campers, and tended to Chiron's leg. Nico had left, going off on his own, and I was worried, but I knew that it was the right thing for him. Percy and I were complicated. I don't know whether we were together together as in boyfriend and girlfriend, but we weren't 'just friends' either. Maybe we were hesitant to make things official with everything going on. I was not in a good place, still mourning over my siblings, and he was brooding over Kronos and Luke, which he didn't want to bring up around me. I respected him for that, because he knew how much it upset me, especially after Jay's death. I knew that Luke was most likely gone, but if he was, then that's another bout of mourning over Luke ... again. It made me feel stupid, and so I was glad I didn't need to think about it.

    (Which was dumb, considering I always thought about it, but ... you know ...)

    I made sure that he wasn't brooding by himself, though. Cain and Percy got closer over the rest of the summer, and I knew they talked about Kronos and Luke, and I was glad he had someone to talk to that wasn't just himself about these things. 

    There would be some moments where I think we're together. Like whenever no one was around, we might hold hands, or kiss each other on the cheek, but we were scared to go any further. Percy didn't want to push, and I didn't want to commit to something like that right now after everything that's happened. But something was there, we both knew it. I didn't expect him to wait, but I had a feeling that Percy would━he was loyal. He only fell once.

     I actually got Rachel Elizabeth Dare's number and used Cory's phone to call her or text her from time to time. (Yeah, I know, weird, but, she's okay, I guess. She makes cool jokes and we like similar bands, so...). 

    July passed, and Cain was claimed (his father made ift official by putting a symbol above his head), but he was still sleeping in the Hermes cabin. We didn't have cabins for any of the minor gods, nor do we have one for Hades, which Cain complained about all the time. 

    We watched the fireworks on the beach at the Fourth of July. Percy managed to convince me to sit with him away from everyone else and we enjoyed the show together. Nothing happened, we just talked, ate, laughed ... like normal friends. Except, you know, we might've held hands. 

    August turned so hot the strawberries started baking in the fields. Annabeth, Cain and I worked to get Percy his present since he wouldn't be at camp for his birthday. We made Argus get as much blue candy as he could and shove it all into a bag. (We owed him a couple drachma's and mortal money for perhaps a whole winter, now). 

    Finally, the last day of camp arrived. It felt weird, everything to be so normal except some who should be here with us weren't. I was staying for the winter, considering Hannah and Cory live here (obviously?), but I also wanted to stay and tend Chiron's leg, help with war preparations and spend time with my siblings and friends ... we cherished those times much more now, than ever.

    (For Lee and Jay).

     At ten o'clock in the morning, Cain, Annabeth and I stood on the top of Half-Blood Hill to say goodbye to Percy who would be returning home for the winter. He would be spending as much time as he could to himself before next summer ... before he turns sixteen. But he and Tyson would take turns visiting during the year, to be there for Mrs O'Leary, but also all of us.

    Annabeth was going to stay at camp for a little longer before leaving for private school in San Francisco. Cain was staying all winter, since he had no home to go to. But he had me, so, hopefully, it will be an awesome winter. I was determined to have some fresh happiness after everything this year. 

    "Yeah, well," Percy said after she explained her private school situation, "call me, okay?"

    "Sure," said Annabeth halfheartedly. "I'll keep my eyes open for ..."

    Luke. A sombre air settled between Annabeth and I, and a tense one between Cain and Percy. Nor Annabeth or I have been able to say his name ithout opening up a huge box of hurt, worry and anger. 

    "Annabeth," Percy decided to bravely ask: "What was the rest of the prophecy?"

    She fixed her eyes on the woods in the distance, but she didn't say anything.

    "You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze," Percy recited. "The dead, the traitor and the lost one raise. We raised a lot of the dead. We saved Ethan Nakamura, who turned out to be a traitor. We raised the spirit of Pan, the lost one."

    Annabeth shook her head like she wanted him to stop, but Percy didn't. "Servant of the Dead, beware the titan's rage. Fear, light and water, together, start the last stage━Servant of the Dead was Claire, and she had to beware the rage of Kronos in the form of Jay. Fear, that was Cain, light was Jay, and water was me, and together, we managed to start the last stage in bringing Kronos into Luke's body ..." my gaze fell down, and I took a deep breath━there was a lot of Jay's and Kronos and Luke in that sentence.

    Seeing the look on Annabeth's face, Cain stepped forward, "Perc, maybe we should━"

    "You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand," Percy pressed on. "That wasn't Minos like I'd thought. It was Nico. By choosing to be on our side, he saved us. And the child of Athena's final stand━that was Daedalus."

    "Percy━"

    "Destroy with a hero's final breath. That makes sense now. Daedalus died to destroy the Labyrinth. But was the last━?"

    "And lose a love to worse than death," Annabeth snapped, tears in her eyes. "That was the last line, Percy. Are you happy now?"

    The sun seemed colder than it had a moment ago. I played with my fingers, feeling that lump in the back of my throat. "Oh ..." Percy murmured. "So, Luke━"

    "Percy, I don't know who the prophecy was talking about. I━I don't know if ..." she glanced at me, before faltered helplessly. "Luke and I━for years, he was one of the only people who really cared about me. I thought ..."

    Before she could continue, a sparkle of light appeared next to us, like someone had opened a gold curtain in the air. "You have nothing to apologise for, my dear," standing on the hill was a tall woman in a white dress, her dark hair braided over her shoulder.

    "Hera," said Annabeth.

    The goddess smiled. "You found the answers, as I knew you would. Your quest was a success."

    "A success?" Annabeth gaped. "Luke is gone. Daedalus is dead. Pan is dead. How is that━?"

    "Our family is safe," Hera insisted. "Those others are better gone, my dear. I am proud of you."

    I balled my fists, a glare etching it's way on my face. I remembered Cain telling me Geryon feared Hera, and it hit me with an angry realisation. I didn't even hesitate before I seethed at the goddess, "You're the one who paid Geryon to let us through the ranch, weren't you?"

    Hera shrugged, which only infuriated me more. Her dress shimmered in rainbow colours. "I wanted to speed you on your way."

    "And you would have just let Nico be turned over to the Titans?" I knew I should be careful with what I said, but I was so angry and emotional that I couldn't hold it back. "What kind of sick person are you?"

    Her eyes flared dangerously bright. "Oh, please," she sneered at me. "The son of Hades said it himself. No one wants him around. He does not belong."

    "Hephastus was right," Percy growled. "You only care about your perfect family, not real people."

    Hera glared at him, and I was scared she'd burn right through his soul. "Watch yourself, son of Poseidon. I guided you more than you know in the maze. I was at your side when you faced Geryon. I let Claire's arrow fly straight━" um? Excuse me? No, I'm a good shot, I don't need a goddess to make sure my arrows fly straight! "━I sent you to Calypso's island. I opened the way to the Titans' mountain. I made sure Cain would find his way back to you. Annabeth, my dear, surely you see how I've helped. I would welcome a sacrifice for my efforts."

    (What a mother fucking cow!)

    Annabeth stood still as a statue. She could've said thank you. She could've promised to throw some food to the barbecue one night and forget the whole thing. But she clenched her jaw stubbornly, and looked just like the way she had when she faced the Sphinx━like she wasn't going to accept an easy answer, even if it got her into serious trouble. That's my best friend, I thought proudly. 

    "Percy and Claire are right," she turned her back on the goddess. "You're the one who doesn't belong, Queen Hera. So next time, thanks ... but no thanks."

    Hera sneered. Her form began to glow. "You will regret this insult, Annabeth. You will regret this very much."

    "Go and herd your cows," muttered Cain, as a final insult before we all adverted our eyes as the goddess turned into her true divine form and disappeared in a blaze of light. 

    The hilltop was peaceful again, and surprisingly, none of us were obliterated to dust. 

    "I'm sorry," Annabeth told Percy. "I━I should get back. I'll keep in touch."

    "I'll see you soon," muttered Percy, watching her walk off.

    Cain gave him a grim smile, and shook his head. "Look after yourself, man, yeah?"

    "Will do," Percy returned a smile of his own. "Don't scare the naiads from the river again."

    "They're terrible flirts," he said simply before giving Percy a one finger salute and rushing off after Annabeth, probably to tell her how awesome she had been standing up to Hera like that.

     And, finally, Percy and I were alone.

    We stared at each other for a few seconds, awkward. 

    "Um ..." I started. "So ..."

    "So ..." he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

    "Happy early birthday," I told him. "I━I'm sorry we can't be there, but we're sending a present with Argus."

    Percy gave me a soft smile. "What is it?"

    I frowned at him. "I'm not going to tell you! That ruins the surprise of it, Kelp Face."

    He chuckled, but it was half-hearted. There was a tense air between us━always a tense air of unfinished conversations. "Look, Claire," Percy decided to start. "Keep in touch, yeah? If you need to talk to me, at all, feel free to, yeah?"

     I smiled sadly at him. "I'll be fine."

    "Yeah, not just that," he stepped closer to me. "I just want to talk to you, okay? And look ..." he was nervous. He looked the same as he had back in Olympus after we saved Artemis when he tried to talk to me before Thalia was elected Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. Percy took my hands, hesitant. "A━And, like, whenever your ready, or whatever, I don't mind, just━I don't know━um━look━I like━I just━I'll be here, okay?"

    He was cute all flustered like that.

    I stepped closer to him as well. "Whenever I'm ready," I said softly, "I'll let you know."

    I planted a sweet kiss on his cheek, leaving him bright red. "You better get going," I then said, hearing Argus honk his horn down at the road. "Look after yourself, okay, Seaweed Brain?"

    I left after that, making my way back down the hill and to camp. I took a deep breath, feeling the air much heavier than it has ever been, as if just to remind me that there was a war coming, and we all had to be ready for when it arrives. 

END OF PART TWO!

° ° °

     a/n: not me publishing twice in a day i don't know what you're talking about. 

    BUT THAT'S THE END OF PART TWO OMG OMG OMG OMG NEXT IS LAST OLYMPIAN GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH