Through The Realms_Finding their Pack

A Friend

Ziggy's POV

My life isn't that great. I am a half-blood son of Apollo and on my eighth birthday last year I changed. I used to have loads of friends and I was this happy person who was excellent healer and quite the prank master. I still try to be these things but I am hollow inside at the same time. I feel like somethings missing, or maybe its the fact that I have started keeping secretes for the first time in my life, I don't know. I have been so confused recently. I want to explain to Will whats going on and see if I can get some help, but every time I come close to doing that something inside me screams NOOOOO! Then there are my episodes. Ever since my eighth birthday I have been having these episodes in my sleep. Just last night I had one. It starts with one of these really vivid dreams about the same four people whenever they are in life threatening, stressful, or extremely wonderful situations. Last night it was about two of the girls I dream about. First, I had to watch Black Haired Girl get frozen, again. Dreams about her have always been the same. Next, I dreamt about Latino Girl, she tended to yell in Spanish when she got stressed, waking up in another burning building, this time  it looked like a really nice house, whereas two days ago it was a monster doughnut shop. When I finally wake up from these episodes everyone in camp is magically healed.

Today I am working in the infirmary with Will, Lou Ellen, and Nico. An odd combination yes, but it makes sense. There is no one in the infirmary at the moment because of my episode last night. Will and Nico are organizing stuff and making sure everything is fully stocked, while Lou Ellen and I are working on some healing tonics and stuff. See, not to brag, but everyone including Chiron agree that I am the best healer in centuries, so I am lucky if I leave the Infirmary for more than a couple of combat classes a week. I also excel at making healing potions, which is why Lou Ellen is mentoring me today. Lou Ellen is also on "babysitting duty" as I like to call it, in other words she is making sure I don't start experimenting again because that usually ends up with a major explosion. Hey its not like I can stop! I just get these urges and then 10 minutes later there is a giant crater wherever I happened to be experimenting. 

Lou Ellen was teaching me how to make a bomb that would turn whoever was in the vicinity into pigs, which is awesome by the way, when my friends Lauren Stoll, Silena Jackson, and Sammy Valdez bust in breathless.

"Need... your... help!" Silena finally manages to get out, gasping for breath.

"What happened?" I responded simply, it was the third time in this week alone that they had either gotten themselves in major trouble or need help with a major prank. Either way,, this was going to be fun.

Sammy turns to me and shouts, "Someone burned down my freaking house is what!"

I stand their frozen. Sammy's house is nearly entirely fire proof, his dad made sure of it. "What do you want us to do?" I finally ask, ready to get to work. Silena and Lauren nod their agreement, prepared to do anything to help our friend out. Sammy smiled happy that we were, supporting him then cracked a bad joke, as usual, "Well we should probably get fired up, and help my dad out. He was sheltering a demigod when the house went up and she will be here soon along with the seven plus my mom."

"Oh crap. The Poseidon cabin is still full of our prank supplies!" Lauren shouted, her voice full of worry. "Hurry we have to get the stuff to the Hermes cabin!"

I paled when I realized what the consequences would be if Percy Jackson found our stash. Forget about this being a fun day. Silena's dad wouldn't do a thing but if Silena's mom found the stash, which would probably happen, she would be grounded for life. Same goes for Sammy because his mom will also find out about it. Lauren and I would just end up on Chiron's bad side and all of our master pranks that we have designed would be thwarted. That just can't happen.

We all reached a unanimous unspoken agreement and ran like our lives depended on it, which of course they did.

It's dinner time and the Posiedon cabin has absolutely no evidence that we had been stashing stuff in there. After Lauren, Silena, Sammy, and I had cleaned out the cabin we went to Bunker 9 and  decided to play some truth or dare and avoid my friends parents for as long as  possible. Dinner had marked the end of that. When we got to dinner I immidiantly knew I was in BIG trouble.

"I understand that you want to play with your friends more and that your only 8 but you cannot just leave the infirmary in the middle of your shift!" Will shouted, all in one breath.

"I'm sorry no one was there so I just thought..."

"I know no one was there but thats besides the point! We just got in a new arrival and she is in nearly critical condision! I could have used your help but instead I had to settle for temporarily stablizing her and nearly passing out!"

"Callate! Stupid spawn of Apollo!" a girl shouted earning a collective gasp from the dinner pavilion. The girl continued before Will could respond, "I was doing just fine before you decided to try and be a hero hermano! I didn't ask for your help so don't take your stupidity out on the nino! And most importantly you do realize that what your doing by asking this boy to grow up rapido is a mistake! I was forced to grow up and mature faster and now look at me! I am a lonely nina who has grown up without a childhood!"

Everyone was silent and Will looked like he could never express how sorry he was for trying to make me mature faster. I didn't care though I was more worried about other things. I had recognized that girls voice. I spun around to see who had spoken and found myself face to face with Latino Girl from my dreams. Both our eyes widened and we then simutaneously said, "YOU!"