There were times when Aurora wanted to smack some sense into Ryland.
"Gods, you're so tiny compared to the world outside! How will you survive!?"
This was one of those times.
Luckily, Phoenix was always one step ahead.
"Would you knock it off?" The teen grumbled while knocking him on the back of the head, Ryland whining and putting another shirt in her bag. They'd packed her sewing kit, some extra fabric, money that Dionysus had sent for her, drachmas, and some snacks.
"Can Mal stay here? I don't want anything bad to happen to her." Aurora asked, Marsh dimming a bit at that. Her flames were slowly diminishing from around her and it scared her at first, thinking that she was finally leaving her. "Next time, I swear."
Marsh kissed her pinky, Ryland awing in the background before passing Marsh a cookie.
"Yeah, don't worry. We'll look after her." Phoenix sighed, slipping her necklace over her head. Aurora blinked in surprise, knowing how much it meant to her. "Give it back when you come back. Because you're coming back."
"Yeah, and give this back too." Ryland clipped one of his earrings on her ear (not the sharp ones, the ones that you can just clip on). Aurora felt herself tearing up, throwing her arms around them and squeezing them in a hug.
"I promise to come back." She mumbled, pulling away and closing her bag. The two insisted they walk her to the hill and see her off, like she'd done every time they left.
It was finally her turn.
"You're not gonna like the mortal world." Phoenix said as they got closer, Marsh sitting on a bundled shirt in her hands. Aurora looked up at her curiously, Phoenix shrugging. "It smells, in some places you can't really see the sky. People are rude. There's just a whole bunch of pollution everywhere you look."
Aurora didn't like that, but she was still excited. At least she knew what to prepare for.
"Argus!" The security grimaced a bit, not wanting to accept that Aurora was actually leaving the camp. She hugged him and it relaxed him a little, Argus bringing a small bag of sour gummies from his pocket. "Thank you!"
"Listen, brats." Percy thought Phoenix was the scary sibling, but he'd been proven wrong when Ryland grabbed him, Grover and Annabeth by the backs of their shirts. "My sister is to come back in one piece. Not missing a limb, tooth, or any of her hair because I worked hard to keep it that healthy."
Her hair was beautiful, so Percy could give him that.
"Of course, you guys come back in one piece as well. But I want her squeaky clean, got it?" The three of them nodded quickly and Ryland smiled, smoothing their shirts before stepping back. "Glad we're on the same page!"
"Stop bothering them, they're stressed enough." Phoenix pinched and twisted at Ryland's back, the teen yelping and trying to swat her hand away.
"As you've heard, this is Argus." Chiron said, bringing Percy's attention away from the fighting siblings. "He will drive you into the city and, er, well, keep an eye on things."
Aurora giggled at that, Percy's tight smile turning into a dazed one. Footsteps and huffing reached their ears, Luke running up the hill and holding a pair of shoes. Phoenix and Ryland stood in front of Aurora, the blond rolling his eyes.
"Hey! Glad I caught you!" He heaved as he made it to them, a grin on his face. He sighed and held up the shoes toward Percy. "Just wanted to say good luck. And I thought...um, maybe you could use these."
He passed them to Percy and the siblings moved closer to Aurora, the girl warily watching from a gap between them.
"Maia!" Luke shouted, wings sprouting from the heels. Percy freaked and let them go, pressing his hands to his chest while Aurora placed her hands on her siblings's backs.
"Awesome!" Grover shouted as they watched the shoes float around in the air.
"Those served me well when I went on my quest. Gift from my dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days..." A sad look crossed over his face and for once, Aurora didn't feel bad. There's something off about him.
"Hey, man. Thanks." Percy gratefully said, Luke shifting a bit.
"Listen, Percy....a lot of hopes are riding on you. So just....kill some monsters for me, okay?" They shook hands, Luke ruffling Grover's hair after. He hugged Annabeth next, feeling hopeful enough to turn to Aurora. "If you-"
"It's fine." Aurora walked around her siblings, Luke squeezing her in a hug. It was like the old days, when he would go off and come back to her and her siblings waiting patiently for him at the hill.
"Another year!"
"Another year."
"Be safe." Luke whispered, something remorseful in his tone. Aurora nodded and they stepped back from one another. Luke pat her head before turning and heading back to the camp, Aurora letting out a breath as she watched him.
"You're hyperventilating." Percy muttered while nudging Annabeth, the blonde scoffing.
"Am not."
"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you?"
"Oh, why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?" She snapped with a red face, stomping off to the car.
"You miss him, huh?" Ryland lowly asked, Aurora nodding and holding her tears back. "Your safety comes first, Rory."
"I know." She whispered, turning and heading for the car.
"I won't be able to use these, will I?" Percy looked at the shoes in his hand, Phoenix patting his shoulder before leaving with Ryland.
"Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air...that wouldn't be wise for you." Chiron said, Percy frowning a bit. He sighed before turning to his friend.
"Hey, Grover. You want a magic item?"
"Me?" Grover asked in surprise, Percy smiling and tying the shoes on his fake feet before stepping back. "Maia!"
And Grover was off down the hill, Chiron yelling to him about practicing to get the hang of it. Aurora helped him safely down, her and Annabeth still talking about whatever they were talking about.
"Hm..." Chiron saw a few bats watching Aurora, one goddess coming to his mind as Percy and Argus went and joined the rest of them.
"Wooooow..." Aurora had her face pressed against the window as her eyes darted around, trying to take everything in all at once. The people walking, the kids running around, oooou, a yellow building, and the dogs wagging their tails as they barked at each other.
"You shouldn't press your face against the window like that." Percy muttered, Aurora moving back a bit.
"Everything seems duller outside of camp." She said in awe, pointing at a person. "Like her red doesn't look as bright as Rick's. Rick loves red."
"Aphrodite member." Annabeth mumbled when Aurora went back to staring out the window, Percy nodding a little.
"Why's her hair so flat? It looks dead."
"That's enough for you." Annabeth sighed and pulled her away from the window, Aurora swatting her hand away.
"What's that?" Percy peered around her shoulder as she pointed at a newspaper stand, a slight frown coming on his face.
"It's a newspaper stand."
"Why do you guys get news on paper?" Percy faltered, being saved when something else caught her attention. "What's that one?"
"It's, uh, a convenience store."
"Does it have weapons in it? I could get Ryland another sword." She muttered, turning her head to look at him.
"No, it's got snacks and things."
"Well that's not convenient. What if you're in battle?"
"Mortals don't typically go into battle." Aurora didn't look like she believed him, Percy sighing and trying to think of a way to explain it. "They don't battle monsters. You know what a gun is?"
"Uh.....those loud blasty things?" She guessed, Ryland having given a description of the weapons humans used in the modern world.
"Yeah, they use those in battles." Aurora blinked, pointing at something else.
"Why blast when you can fight? Fists are more effective." She said, watching two guys fight over something. "His stance is all off, he could easily be thrown off balance if the other guy knew what to look for."
Percy listened to her comments, chin resting on her shoulder so he could look out the window comfortably. Definitely not because he liked the smell of vanilla and saffron surrounding her.
They were dropped off at the Greyhound Station on the upper east side of Manhattan, rain sprinkling down around them. It didn't touch Aurora since she heated her body temperature, the drops sizzling before they could touch her skin.
Her nose scrunched at the smell of the air, a sigh leaving her as her eyes fell on the sunset.
"Night, Mom. Night, Pollo." She muttered, the colors of the sky brightening before the darkness started to swoop in. "Night, Mama Nyx."
Whispers kissed her ears, a little giggle leaving her as they tickled them before vanishing. Percy ripped something off of the mailbox next to them and crumpled it, Aurora holding her hand out as she looked around.
"I'll burn it." She said when he hesitated, the paper catching fire as soon as it touch her hand. Percy jumped a little before gaping, wondering how hot her skin was to do that.
"We stick together, got it?" Annabeth stopped her from wandering by grabbing the hook on her bag, Aurora nodding and shoving her hands into her pockets.
Percy eventually got bored and started playing Hacky Sack with Grover's apple, the satyr less than pleased. He bumped it over to Aurora, who was curiously watching him.
"Huh, this is easier than I thought." She said, managing to bump it up and balance it on her head. Percy smiled as she did a few more tricks before hitting it towards Annabeth, who also decided to show off a bit.
Grover ate the apple when it was passed to him on instinct, trying to apologize while they laughed it off. The bus showed up soon after, Aurora standing behind Annabeth and in front of Percy.
"What is it?" Percy asked when Grover sniffed the air nervously, Aurora's eyes bouncing over the passengers she could see.
"I don't know. Maybe it's nothing." Grover dismissed, thinking he was overreacting. Percy took one look at Aurora and knew something was off.
Aurora got a certain look in her eye, the same look she had when she was around Luke. The one that screamed 'something's off and I don't know what' whenever you saw it.
"Don't do that, you'll burn yourself." She muttered when he reached for her hand, Percy recoiling from the heat he felt. It was intense. "Wait til we get on the bus."
They sat at the back, Aurora tightening the straps on her bag just in case her feeling was right and they needed to battle. Percy grabbed her hand as soon as he sat in the seat with her, giving it a squeeze as she looked around.
"What are you doing?" He quietly asked when her eyes glowed, Aurora pointing ahead.
"Seeing through the Mist." Three old women boarded and sat at the front, Percy ducking down when he recognized one of them as Mrs. Dodds. Aurora sharply inhaled as she followed him. "Gods they can't see me. We-"
The bus started moving and Aurora had to bite her tongue to stop herself from 'swearing,' the girl peering over her seat. Her eyes melted into the brown color she sometimes walked around with. Gold would stick out too much in the mortal world.
"She didn't stay dead long." Percy's voice cracked as he looked at her, Aurora looking down at him. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."
"If you're lucky. Which it seems like luck is not your friend." She muttered, ducking back down into the seat.
"All three of them, di immortals." Grover whimpered, face pale. Annabeth shook her head, forcing her to keep her breath steady and not panic so she could think.
"It's okay. The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem, we'll just skip out the windows." Annabeth said, Grover trying them.
"They won't open."
"A back exit?" They were heading for the Lincoln tunnel. The only person who would be able to see clearly was Aurora.
"Guys, calm down." She muttered, keeping her eyes on the Furies. "You get reckless when panicking."
"They won't attack us with witnesses around, will they?" It was hard to stay calm when they were about to face the Underworld's worst monsters. Percy couldn't understand how she did it.
"Mortals don't have good eyes. Their brains can only process what they see through the mist." Annabeth sighed, trying to calm herself down.
"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?"
"Yes. But it's not like we can ask them for help." Aurora didn't have time to sugarcoat anything, ignoring Annabeth's look as she searched for an exit. The windows grew dark as they finally entered the tunnel.
"This is bad." Annabeth shrunk more in her seat, Aurora still watching the Furies. The lack of light made no difference to her since she could see in the dark.
"I need to use the restroom." Mrs. Dodds stood and spoke what they'd undoubtedly rehearsed, the other two standing as they slowly made their way towards the back.
"So do I."
"So do I."
"Percy, take Annabeth's hat and leave." Aurora hissed, the blonde tossing her friend the hat as he looked at her in bewilderment.
"I'm not leaving you." He stubbornly said, Aurora shoving the hat into his hands before grabbing the front of his shirt.
"Listen, we are not arguing about this." She snapped, Percy angrily staring at her. "You're putting the hat on and leaving or so help me I will toss you out of a window."
"They...they don't open." Grover squeaked, watching as their eyes glowed.
"I'm not leaving you." Percy ground out, grabbing her wrists.
"Perseus this is not up for discussion." He flinched at the sound of his name and the tone she used, letting her go and picking up the hat.
"Don't worry about us, go." Grover encouragingly said, Percy shakily putting on the hat. "Shouldn't you go with him?"
"You did fight two hellhounds." The two of them stayed quiet when she glared at them, muttering 'okay' under their breaths.
The three of them dropped to the floor, Aurora watching Percy go by Mrs. Dodds. She sniffed the air as he passed, continuing towards them.
"Wait....something's not right." Aurora whispered, Grover and Annabeth looking at her. "She let him leave."
"What?" They were nearing the end of the tunnel, but the Furies were too close. They couldn't hide any longer.
Aurora was the first one up, sword in hand as she faced the Furies. Their eyes all turned to her, ignoring Annabeth and Grover as they transformed.
Leathery wings unfolded from their backs, bones crunching as they hunched, browning bodies sagging as they grew talons, and purses turning into whips full of fire. Aurora winced at the last few bones cracking.
"Where is it, girl? Where?" They hissed as passengers screamed in fear, Aurora's mouth setting into a thin line.
"We don't have it." She said, tightening her grip on her sword. She ignored the confusion from Annabeth and Grover, staring straight at the Furies. "Leave."
They raised their whips, Annabeth pulling out her dagger as Grover armed himself with a tin can from his bag. Aurora took a deep breath.
"We don't have it." She said again, the bus lurching to the side. Everyone was thrown against the wall, Aurora's eyes zeroing in on Percy messing with the wheel. "Gods give me strength."
"Hey! Hey-whoa!" The driver yelled, trying to steer the bus correctly. The bus slammed against the tunnel wall, Annabeth yelling at them to hold on to something.
Aurora held onto a seat as the bus flew out of the tunnel, Grover clinging to her as passengers screamed while cars were knocked out of the way. One car spun out of control, flipping before crashing into another one.
The driver gained a bit more control, managing to get them off of the highway. They ran stoplight after stoplight, shooting down a road with the Hudson River on one side and woods on the other. Annabeth and Grover cried out as they went closer to the river, the satyr hugging Aurora tighter in fear.
Then the emergency brake was hit.
Everything blurred as the bus spun around into the woods, Aurora's feet even lifting for a second. But that could've been because of Grover.
The emergency lights turned on and the doors opened, mortals screaming and running out of the bus as fast as they could.
"Get behind me." Aurora said, the Furies hesitating as they did. Mrs. Dodds growled and sent a lash towards her, Aurora knocking it away before her sword glowed like it was on fire. She swung her sword out, the three of them hissing and stepping back.
"What's going on?" Annabeth muttered, noticing how they almost seemed....scared to hurt her.
"Enough of this foolishness, child!" Dodds yelled, batting Aurora back. She stumbled but she didn't move enough for them to get around her.
"Hey!" Percy yelled, snatching the cap off of his head. The Furies turned to face him, Aurora grumbling angrily under her breath. They split up, Dodds heading for Percy while her sisters went for Grover and Annabeth.
"Perseus Jackson, you have offended the Gods! You shall die!"
"I liked you better as a math teacher." Percy snapped back, the Fury growling before attacking. Aurora sighed and swung her sword at one of the sisters, slashing her back and making her screech.
"You foolish brat!" She hissed, lashing at her with her whip. Aurora dodged it, slicing at her again.
"Submit now and you will not suffer eternal torment." Dodds spoke, readying her whip.
"Nice try."
"Percy, watch out!" Aurora warned, the boy realizing what she meant too late. Dodds's whip lashed his wrist, the one Aurora was attacking trying to go for him. Percy knocked her back over to Aurora.
She stabbed her sword through her chest, the Fury screeching before she exploded in dust. She turned and blocked the whip coming down on Percy, their eyes glowing and making a chill go through the last two sisters.
Annabeth took her chance, jumping and putting Dodds in a headlock as Grover worked to get her whip from her hands. Percy dealt with the other sister as Aurora went and helped Grover tie Dodds up with her whip.
"Zeus will destroy you! Hades will have your soul!" Dodds yelled as Annabeth kicked her into the aisle, struggling to stand up.
"Tell Hades we'll see him soon." Aurora spoke up, leaning on her sword as her and Percy's eyes glowed brighter.
"Braccas meas vescimini!" Percy snapped. The bus shook, Aurora looking up before transforming her sword back.
"Out now!" She yelled, pushing her friends ahead of her. They got outside to passengers running around, kids crying, and many 'we're gonna die!'s.
"Our bags! We left our-" Grover was cut off as lightning hit the bus, the windows exploding as Dodds wailed from inside.
"You left your bags?!" Aurora snapped, Annabeth grabbed her hand and Grover's, leaving her to grab Percy's.
"Run! She's calling reinforcements!" The blonde said, Aurora taking lead into the woods.
The night was just as empowering to her as the day. It made no difference to how she felt when the sun was up, something she'd been wanting to question her mother about.
Whispers tickled her ears, Aurora sighing before tugging her friends to run faster.
"What was that? Why didn't they attack you?" Annabeth asked as they ran, Aurora gulping. She'd been dreading this moment.
"They're not allowed to!" She called back, wanting the subject to drop.
"What do you mean?"
"I'll explain it later."