Of Demigods and Wrackspurts (PJO/HP - Luna Lovegood)

Following Luna as she walked through the door the old man - Daedalus, or something - had made appear in the wall of the Labyrinth had to be one of the most harrowing experiences Bianca had gone through in... just the last fifteen, maybe twenty minutes tops, actually.

That was about the new track record for things not devolving into some new and heretofore impossible nightmarish twist like they had been from the very second their vice principal had pulled her and Nico from the school dance and went full murder-psycho on them, complete with a monstrous transformation and everything.

And it said a heck of a lot that, compared to everything they'd been through in however long it's been since, that had been downright tame.

Go figure.

The reason she nearly lost her nerve stepping through the unnatural doorframe into the damp, chilly tunnel it led into had very little to do with the familiar Titan and the otherworldly thing that was apparently Luna's Grandfather - and wow, was she ever willfully repressing all of that so damn hard for the foreseeable future - and everything to due with the genuine, no holds barred terror that this maze from hell had engraved into her brain in the time she'd spent trawling her way through it, desperately trying to survive.

The horrible, horrible - but not irrational - chance that she could blink, and suddenly the surroundings would twist around and shift land she'd be somewhere else and alone, again, with Nico and Luna and all the others nowhere to be seen...

Yeah, no.

She latched on to Luna's arm without an iota of shame, her other hand already trapped in Nico's equally bone-white grip, and refused to let go even as they marched through the dark, winding passageway, the walls on either side of them as rough and uneven as the ground beneath their feet, and with just the barest hint of light coming from somewhere Bianca couldn't quite place, the others and then-

Fwoosh.

-Luna pressed her palm against a door Bianca had been too busy trying not to panic to notice looming up ahead, shifted her weight just so, and the tunnel was suddenly drowned out in a burst of light and a tide of cacophonous noise so abrupt and overwhelming in the face of the eerie stillness from before that it almost hit like a punch to the gut.

"Holy crap."

Somebody whispered somewhere behind them, and Bianca understood the feeling. Her own gasp changed into a long, stunned sigh the instant she took one step out the doorway, squinting against the light and the noise but still just about ready to melt in relief as the presence of the Labyrinth fell back or dissipated or did something that meant it wasn't scraping away at the back of her mind any longer, like some insidious thing made of claws and hidden malice just waiting for her to make one wrong move to pounce.

She hadn't even realized it was there until it was gone, and just like that, she was as light as air.

Around them, a new city shone in the setting afternoon light - big buildings around them and skyscrapers in the distance, teeming crowds everywhere, and a huge electronic billboard just across the street full of bright yellow taxi's and cars driving past - the whole works.

"This is... Downtown San Francisco."

The new boy who was apparently Apollo said as he stepped up behind them last - and she was taking that completely in stride, because odds were she'd regret asking how or why.

She was too busy remembering how to breathe fresh, crisp air and not embarrassing herself by bursting into tears. She compromised by tightening her grip on Nico and Luna again.

Behind the god - possibly? - the door to the Labyrinth seemed to shimmer, again, before smoothing out and melting back into an ordinary brick wall like it was never there at all.

She wasn't questioning that, either.

Good freaking riddance.

"I've been here before. We're too exposed." Apollo murmured, a hooded, wary look on his face as he glanced around. "Bieng out in the open here is already dangerous, and far too close to-"

He cut himself off, but Zoë - who still looked half corpse and liable to keel over at a shove - actually flinched like she'd been struck.

"We need shelter." The huntress's voice was a dry rasp that almost made Bianca wince. "We must recover our strength before we go there. The stronghold of the Titans."

And didn't that just sound awesome?

Apollo looked miserable at that, but he didn't refuse the point.

"I-" Annabeth paused as all their eyes flickered to her, before swallowing roughly. "If we need somewhere to rest... My dad has a place out in-"

"Probably not a good idea." Luna interrupted, nipping that in the bud quickly, but firmly. "If your father has a home in this city out of all the rest, then your mother-"

This time it was Annabeth's turn to flinch, and a concerned expression flashed across Percy's face as he took a half step closer to her.

"-likely does as well." Luna finished quietly. "And while I doubt that Olympus would overextend themselves again and come after us here of all places..."

She shrugged, a little sardonic tilt to her lips as she did.

"...It's better not to tempt the fates, yes?"

They all took that in quietly, and Bianca could feel the relief and budding joy at them making it out of that maze and that mess at the end being leeched off at the cold reminder.

Gods. Titans.

All of them either gunning for them or looming at the end of a path full of pitfalls they hadn't even known were there to begin with.

Luna turned around to glance at her, and now that Bianca knew to look for it, she could tell she was pale and haggard and her shirt was still stained with dried blood almost all the way through, and how was she still conscious!?

As if sensing her thoughts, her friend nodded and winked in a way that was supposed to be reassuring, but now...

It wasn't hitting quite right.

"Lu..." Bianca whispered.

"I'm alright. I just need some time to get back on my feet properly, that's all." She promised, before turning back around to stare across the street "We need to find a place to lay low... and get off the street quickly. We're already drawing attention."

She wasn't wrong.

There were about half a dozen people already giving them odd looks, and for good reason too - they all looked like they'd been through the wringer twice over, and while Hecuba could probably pass for a normal dog for those not in the know, Bianca had no idea what exactly the mist she'd just learned about a few days ago was doing to hide the Ophiotaurus from sight.

On second thought, those looks they were getting weren't just the odd kind - there were plenty of the I'm-about-to-call-the-cops kind too.

And more every passing second.

"It's downtown," Annabeth spoke up. "Demigods don't usually do this on quests... but there's plenty of hotels we can stay at if we have enough-"

"Brilliant."

Luna nodded again, as confidently as she always did.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Ten minutes and a few blocks later, the ten of them streamed into the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel.

"Woah," Nico whispered as they stepped inside, and Bianca couldn't blame him.

The place was enormous - and fancy with a capital 'F'.

Everything glinted gold and silver-white, with engraved pillars, arches, and a high ceiling littered with chandeliers and low-hanging glass pendant lights. The low hum of slow music met them as soon as they stepped in, along with a blast of cold from the air-conditioning.

"Can we even afford this?" Thalia grunted, eyeing the gaudy decorations warily. Her eyes lingered on the suited security guards just outside the door, the ones who kept glancing back and giving their group funny looks through the glass. "Cause if we need to pull a mist trick-"

"I have us covered," Luna said easily, and reached over to pull something small and shiny from her pack as they walked up to the front desk.

Thalia stared.

"Is that a credit card?"

"Yes." she paused. "Well, debit card, technically, but the point stands."

"..."

"..."

"Are you seriously going to make me ask?"

Luna glanced at her with a half-smile on her lips.

"My father gave it to me."

Thalia stared some more. Behind her, Apollo let out some kind of strange strangled noise.

"Your dad, the god," Thalia said slowly, glancing from the card to Luna and back again. "Gave you a working credit-debit-whatever card. Because...?"

And Luna actually shrugged.

"I might have needed it, and he certainly didn't? It was a gift for when I started my adventures - I don't often use it, but it's a good fallback to have."

Thalia either didn't hear or was ignoring Luna's words, something complicated in her eyes and voice as she stared at the small, borderline inconspicuous little card.

"Your dad gives you a fucking allowance."

They all stared back at her awkwardly as she started laughing - low and subdued, but laughter all the same.

Something about the sound of it made Bianca wince and had Nico curling into her side a little more.

"...You know what?" She shook her head as she trailed off and moved back just a little. "Don't care. I'm rolling with it."

Only Apollo seemed to be able to look her in the eye after that, even if he didn't say a word.

Luna sighed knowingly - the way she always did - and took another step up to the front desk.

"We'd like a room, please."

The woman behind the desk gave her a long, searching look, before turning a fleeting glance on all of them.

"Are you parents or guardians here, young lady?"

"Absolutely." Luna lied breezily. "They'll be here in a few minutes."

"I think it would be better if we wait-"

Luna snapped her fingers, and a burst of something flickered out-

And the woman suddenly stuttered and fell silent, eyes glazing over.

"About that room..?"

"Oh yes!" The change was instant - her eyes lit up and she turned back to the computer at her desk and immediately began typing away at it. "Give me just a moment and... oh dear."

"Is there a problem?"

"I'm afraid we're all booked, mostly." The woman smiled apologetically. "We do still have our penthouse suite, though that's-"

"We'll take it."

"It'll cost nineteen-thousand dollars per night."

This time someone other than Apollo choked - it might have even been Bianca - but Luna didn't even blink.

"It'll do."

And that was that.

The penthouse suit was as ridiculous as the rest of the place - Three bedrooms, a dining room, a library, and a balcony that opened up over a view of the city, that, had things been different, Bianca would have actually probably enjoyed.

"-Get cleaned up, and get some rest." Luna was saying by the time Bianca had tuned back in. "I have some spare sets of clothes for us girls and a couple of Nico's I can resize for you and Apollo, Percy."

The son of Poseidon blinked. "Thanks."

"No problem. We have have some time-"

"-It's the Nineteenth of December," Annabeth said softly, and Luna paused. "Two days left until the Winter Solstice."

"We must make haste," Zoë growled, which would have been more impressive if she wasn't half-slumped against the wall when she did. "Lady Artemis needs us."

Percy turned to stare at her and crossed his arms.

"Do you even know where we're supposed to go?"

That... was a fair question.

Seven shall flee west to the goddess in chains.

West was a good enough tip when they were just blindly running away from the murderous gods after them... not so much now when they had to actually go somewhere.

Anywhere.

Zoë rounded on Percy with a heavy - but not quite hostile - look.

She probably didn't even have half the strength for it, what with the way she was swaying on her feet.

"Mount Tamalpais." The huntress said, and it felt like she was sharing some dark, dangerous secret. "The new resting place of the Garden of the Hesperides, and the ruins of Mount Othrys."

"...Othrys like-"

"The olden fortress of the Titans, from whence they ruled."

Nico suddenly blanched.

"We're going straight to those jerks?"

His voice tremored - and abruptly, it was like everybody remembered that he was barely eleven years old.

Bianca's heart seized.

"Nico-"

"We'll figure it out." Luna cut in smoothly, and thank something other than the gods for it, because Bianca hadn't been sure she had any words to say. "For now, just take a shower a take a break, okay?"

"I guess..." He whispered.

"Go get cleaned up first, and when you're done, we can order some room service."

At the mention of food, he perked up a little.

"Yeah?"

"Absolutely."

"I can pick what I like?"

"Nico, you can have everything you want." Luna smiled a little. "In fact, I'll tell you what - Get two of everything right from the start."

Her little brother's eyes lit up.

"Everything?"

"Everything." Luna nodded gravely, and then she leaned in to whisper conspiratorially. "And you can raid the mini-bar before anyone else gets there."

"Score!"

And just like that, he was off like a shot and turning around a corner.

Bianca's lips twitched, a little bit of the doom and gloom melting away at that sight.

"You know he's got no shame right? He's totally going to take you up on that."

"Let him." Luna sounded downright approving. "After all we've been through, he deserves it. We all do."

And you know what?

Fair enough.

Nico didn't get to have that lunch on the first night.

He made it about an hour, probably on account of the stupid amount of sugar he managed to inhale out of the snacks in the minibar, and then - somewhere in between his shower and the wait time - he clocked right out.

Bianca ended up tucking into bed right beside her almost immediately.

They didn't have to share, technically, but the idea of letting him anywhere out of her sight did terrible things to her blood pressure.

That's about the point that Luna slipped into the room, dressed in a fresh set of clothes, and towling off her hair.

"Can't you do that with magic?"

"I could." She admitted, sighing in relief as she slumped onto Nico's other side of the bed. "But I've learned that there's a certain charm to doing it the simple way from time to time."

"Right?" Bianca was so tired she could barely "Are you.. done doing whatever it was you were doing?

"Work?"

"Mhm." Luna nodded, shuffling a little in place to get comfortable. "Just some spellwork and... a little something more. It'll keep away any monsters while we get some rest."

"That's good."

"It is, isn't it?"

For a moment, silence stretched out between them.

"Luna?"

"Yes?"

"...I was so scared."

Just admitting it in a quiet whisper was enough for the tears she'd tried so hard to keep down to start stinging.

"I know," Luna whispered back, and she sounded so, so sad. A hand reached over to hold onto hers and squeezed tightly. "I'm sorry, Bianca."

"S'okay" She murmured, wiping away at her eyes"Just... I'm glad we're back together again."

"Me too."

Another quiet pause, but this one was more comfortable.

...

"...I met a goddess, you know?"

"...Is that right?"

"Yeah. She was with that Titan from before. Her name was Hec-"

"Don't say it." Luna admonished gently, but there was a slightly different tone to her voice now. "But was it the goddess of magic?"

Right, no names.

"Yeah. That's the one."

"I see."

"She didn't hurt me or anything. She even gave me some supplies and a magic dagger - and the dog, Hecuba."

"I had wondered where she came from," Luna answered. "And did she tell you why?"

"Because-" The words died in her throat.

Because I'm the one who dropped us into the Labyrinth.

Bianca couldn't tell her that.

She couldn't.

"-I don't know. She just said something about making choices, and she gave them to me."

"...Interesting."

"I fought a monster too, and I saved Zoë!"

She was rambling now, but she wanted to talk now before she passed out. She could already feel her eyes fighting to shut against her will.

"It was enormous and totally ugly, but I blew it up with Greek fire."

At that, Luna actually jerked.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't worry, I don't think there's any left. I'd tell you if there was - that stuff was nasty."

"..Well then." Luna idly mused, a wry grin on her face "So this is what it feels like to be on the other side of this. I am...conflicted."

"..."

...

Slowly, they both turned to look one another in the eye.

And just like that, from nowhere at all, they both burst into wild laughter.

Bianca couldn't even tell when it was that they'd stopped, or when her eyes finally got too heavy to keep open.

But eventually, she closed them, and there were no more words.

Across the hall, the rest of the heroes ended up in much the same straights.

Zoë and Apollo ended up insensenate on opposite coaches, both plied with Luna's potions to help their wounds.

Thalia and Annabeth took one of the rooms, eventually, and Percy took the other.

And for just a little while, there was peace.

A little breather this chapter, but we'll get back to the heavy stuff by the end of next chapter - the beginning of the end, and after that...

The grand finale.

As always, leave your comments and ideas and if you don't like it, please be courteous.