Ariana's Trials

Part 5

Jack's POV

Ariana was going to try talking to Manny. She was now staring at the moon through a skylight, muttering something under her breath. Her effort was rewarded with a person walking down from the moon on its light.

"Hey Artemis," She said. Manny's a she? Oh well.

"Ariana, Why did you call on me?" Artemis said.

"Pitch has Nico. I need the camp's help with this. I needed to be sure going back for help was fine in the technicalities of my trial" Artemis seemed to think for a moment

"Zeus has agreed. You may return to camp." She flicked her hand "I have removed the barrier stopping you from leaving. Good luck. I do hope you ascend" She walked away on the moonlight

"You have to complete trials to ascend?" I asked

"To join Artemis and the rest of my family I need to complete a trial to prove myself worthy of being among them. Help you defeat Pitch is my trial if we succeed."

"You and Artemis are related?"

"My dad is brothers with her dad, so we're cousins. She and her brother were born to the leader, so they didn't have to complete the trials. lots of them didn't. I have to because of my heritage." She shrugged. "And I need a water source to get back to camp. Are all of the others willing to jump into the arctic sea with me?"

"Them? maybe. Me? yes." I said. We walked back to the others, who waited for us

"I got permission from Artemis to go."

"Who's Artemis?" was the chorus from the rest of them

"You know her as Manny. She's my cousin on my dad's side" Ariana shrugged "So who's willing to jump into the arctic sea? because the fastest way for us to get back is probably my water portals because it's like, one of the only magical transportations allowed in."   

"Jump into the sea? I'd rather take my chances with my tunnels, thank you" Bunny said

"You can try, but if you get stuck outside the barrier and can't get in, don't say I didn't warn you." Ariana turned on her heel and jumped out the window, Tooth, Sandy, and I in close pursuit. I felt like chickening out, but I just kept falling, my staff in hand, beside Ariana, who screwed her face in concentration moments before we hit the water, and we tumbled out on the shore of a lake in what looked like a camp. Ariana was doubled over

"I-have-never-tried-transporting-so-many-people-before" She panted. Bunny popped up a few moments later from a tunnel with North close behind. The beach we stood on glittered gently. Ariana stood upright. "I'm going to get my brother." She slung her arm around my shoulder and kissed me. "BBS" then ran off toward the cabin line and opened a door. Only a few minutes after did she run back, a boy who looked startlingly like her in tow. All the others claimed they had jobs to do and left.

"Ariana, it's like, six AM. WHY?" He moaned. then he noticed me. "Who the f*** are you?" Ariana didn't stop and ran right into me, and she kissed me right in front of her brother. I kissed her right back

"Percy, this is Jack Frost. the guardian of fun" she laughed. then her face fell "Artemis sent me to help the guardians. they're fighting someone named Pitch Black, who has recently taken control of Nico." 

"Dammit," he ran his hand through his already disheveled hair "He has Nico? we're f*****."

"Yeah, but, if we can get Will, Will probably snaps Neeks out," Ariana said "And I need help for that one. Also, Pitch has said that if he or any of his weird nightmare sand touches us, we get put in the same state."

"Okay. We get Neeks to attack us. We capture evil Neeks. Will snaps Nico out of the nightmare. All easy. Not so easy? Why did you kiss Jack?"

"Long story. I first saw Jack and thought "Wow he's so hot."

"And I saw Ariana and thought the same" I cut in

"And then he fell into the arctic ocean and stopped breathing for a few scary moments, and when I forced air back into his lungs, we started making out. And Aunt A approves" Ariana still had her arm around my shoulder.

"I don't think Dad approves though," Percy said.

"I'll deal with that the next time I talk to dad" Ariana waved her hand, and a small dart of water shot out toward him. Percy stopped it midair, then shot it right back. that started a full back-and-forth dodge-the-water game until I froze the dart.

"I'm going back to bed" He mumbles, then, in the rising sunlight, walks back to a blue cabin.

Ariana's POV

I walked to the training arena and summoned my sword, turning the training dummy into straw, canvas, and twigs. It was relaxing to kick something that didn't squeal.  I walked to the beach, where the rising sun peeped over the horizon and I shouted "HI APOLLO!" over the surf. Jack caught up with me

"Who's Apollo?" He asked

"God of the sun. Artemis's twin brother." I said. I onto the water and walked further out, waiting until I was a solid twenty feet above the sea floor before dropping downward. I resurfaced, and Jack scooped me up.

"You scared me" He whispered.

"And I can breathe underwater" I kissed his forehead. As we came back to the beach, Percy walked out with Annabeth, her engagement ring glimmering in the light. We stayed there all morning

"Where are the rest of the guardians?" I asked Jack

"North says this is his busy season. Sandy is probably in India right now, and almost all the kids in the world believe in some form of Tooth, so she's always busy. Just me when it comes to them" He answered

"North needs a vacation," I add

"He's probably still bitter you stole the two cookies from that tray. Your singing was beautiful" Percy gave me a questioning look

"North likes his Christmas cookies. I stole two and sang "I'm gonna swing from the chandelier" while swinging on a chandelier." I gave a quick explanation. Annabeth laughed a little and hugged Percy's shoulders. I picked myself up

"I'm going to go talk to Will about Nico." I ran away "Catch me if you can!" I shouted back at Jack.

"Not again" He muttered. both Percy and Annabeth laughed as he grabbed his staff and took off into the sky to find me. I found him waiting on the porch of the big house

"You beat me" I sulked 

"Yes, I did" he kissed my forehead. "Now let us find whoever this Will person is" A boy with yellow hair stepped out of the door.

"Who's looking for me?" He asked

"Will! I need to talk to you. I guess you were telling Chiron Nico's missing?" Will nodded "I know why. A guy named Pitch black has manipulated him. when he obeys Pitch, Nico is promised his sister Bianca back. When he disobeys, I guess that he has to relive tartar sauce" Will looks horrified 

"How soon can I torture him for torturing my boyfriend?" Will said

"I have no idea. but before we can get him we need to free Nico, and I guess that you can get him out of it like how Percy can free Annabeth from her nightmare of tartar sauce, and the other way 'round too." I said

"Tartar sauce? like the stuff you put on fish and chips?" Jack asked

"Simplification of Hell," Will said

"Oh" was Jack's reply. I grabbed his head and kissed him.

"I swear half the Aphrodite kids are going to swoon when they see you" Will shakes his head. Jack held my hand.

"I'm glad Artemis chose you to help us." He smiled. We walked passed the Aphrodite cabin, and as Will predicted, half of them swooned.