𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐧 || Percy Jackson

Five

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."