𝙇𝙮𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙨 (𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙭 𝙁𝙚𝙢! 𝙊𝘾) 𝙏𝙏𝘾

I Throw My Emotions Away Because Who Even Needs Those

"Ceol, now! Use thy power!"  Heracles cried, pinning a struggling golden form down to the ground.

A gentle, lilting melody came from the corner of the cave they were in. As it continued, the golden beast slowed, and, eventually, stopped moving at all.

"It has been done," Ceol murmured.

Heracles grinnned. "Now, let us return to Cleonae. Remember the tale: I saved you from the lion's claws with my mighty strength."

Ceol nodded. He didn't look surprised. "As you wish."

***

There was a sound of rustling, then walking. A few minutes later, Ceol's voice rang out.

"I can see you, girl. Are you the one Heracles was talking about? If you are, I may have a solution for thee."

A voice Sylvia knew replied, "What is it?" Her voice was sharp, dangerous, and guarded.

"Seek out Lady Artemis. She'll always help a maiden in need."

"Thank you."

"Just--don't let Heracles see you again," Ceol warned.

"I won't," the voice promised.

* * *

Sylvia opened her eyes, staring at nothing in particular. Zoe was the girl in that dream, wasn't she?

You're awake, Fawkes commented. And, yes. You have realized this once before, actually.

Sylvia thought about that for a moment. Huh.

How's your arm? And leg? Lux and Zoe did their best to disinfect and heal you from the medicine supplies in your backpack, but we were not sure how much they helped.

Sylvia moved her arm a small amount. It hurts, but it really isn't that bad. Same with my leg.

Good.

Where are we? Sylvia asked.

On a river. They stole two rafts from some place, and split the group in half. We're with Zoe and Percy, Fawkes informed her.

"You made this," Percy said, confusing Sylvia.

They've been arguing about whose fault Bianca's death is.

Bianca...Sylvia closed her eyes again. She really didn't have enough energy to grieve someone right now. 

I guess I could just turn my emotions off, Sylvia thought.

That is very unhealthy-- Fawkes began.

Yeah, yeah, no one cares. 

Sylvia pursed her lips and concentrated on her feelings. First, she locked a bit of the sadness in a tiny box, imagining it was a piccolo flute and she was just putting it in its case. Then she took a bit more of her sadness and put it in a clarinet-sized box. She repeated the process until the gaping hole inside of her heart was just that: a hole. Well, it was more like a void, but Sylvia preferred it to the one she had a few moments prior, as this one wasn't filled with thorns and knives and other sharp objects.

Of course, the daughter of Apollo knew that repressing her feelings wouldn't really get rid of them, and that they'd return later in much stronger forms, but she couldn't grieve while in the middle of a quest to save her best friend. She didn't have the time or energy.

"Who told thee?" Zoe asked.

"I had a dream about it," Percy replied.

They are talking about Riptide right now. Fawkes seemed to realize that successfully convincing her to actually feel her feelings was impossible, and just gave up.