Snow White- Percy Jackson¹ (Slow Updates)

Chapter Fifteen

A Frightening and Wonderous Miracle

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They arrived in Long Island just after Clarisse, thanks to the centaur’s travel powers. Snow couldn’t stop glancing at Percy and Chiron. After all that happened, with the prophecy and Chiron being the son of Kronos, she could feel some underlying tension. It was thin, but noticeable, especially through the silence. Though Snow knew Percy wasn’t judging Chiron’s heritage, it still felt awkward at some points.

When they got to camp, the centaurs were anxious to meet Dionysus. They’d heard he threw some really wild parties, but they were disappointed. The wine god was in no mood to celebrate as the whole camp gathered at the top of Half-Blood Hill. 

The camp had been through a hard two weeks. The arts and crafts cabin had burned to the ground from an attack by a Draco Aionius. The Big House’s rooms were overflowing with wounded. The Apollo cabin has been working overtime performing first aid. Snow can already imagine the stressed look Will must be carrying. Everybody looked weary and battered as they crowded around Thalias’s tree.

The moment Clarisse draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest bough, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from gray to liquid silver. A cool breeze rustled in the branches and ripped through the grass, all the way into the valley. Everything came into sharper focus-the glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the strawberry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach. 

Gradually, the needles on the pine tree started to turn from brown to green. 

Everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but the changes were visible, the Fleece was making significant healing towards the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison. Chiron ordered a 24/7 guard duty on the hilltop, at least they could find an appropriate monster to protect the Fleece. He said he’ll place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away. 

In the meantime, Clarisse was carried on her cabin mates’ shoulders down to the amphitheater. Snow wasn’t given that celebratory affection, despite being with Clarisse, but she didn’t mind too much. The conversation between them still replayed in her mind, and it caused Snow to view her siblings in a different way. They still harboured disdain towards her, but she couldn’t find it deep in herself to hate them back. 

They were honored with a laurel wreath and celebrations around the campfire. Snow was congratulated by her friends, even some who were against her going on a quest again had to begrudgingly acknowledge the fact Snow went on a major quest and came back alive. Again. 

Nobody gave Annabeth or Percy a second look. It was disheartening to see them not get the same amount of recognition, especially when they played a big part in battling Polyphemus and getting the Fleece along with Tyson. But neither looked bothered by this fact, actually Percy looked glad to not get any praise. So Snow can’t linger on it too much. The night ended with roasting marshmallows by the fire and listening to Conner and Travis tell a ghost story about an evil king who got eaten alive by breakfast pastries. It was less scary and more hungry inducing. All Snow could think and dream about were pancakes. 

The next morning, after the party ponies–as Percy dubbed them out loud to her–headed back to Florida, Chiron made a surprise announcement: the chariot races would go ahead as scheduled. They all thought since Tantalus is now gone, there was no need to continue the race. But Chiron didn’t see a problem in completing them. 

Snow wasn’t exactly keen on participating in that rowdy game again. Not only because of what became of the race with the birds, but all the violence that she and other teams made to sabotage each other to give them a boost in the lead. The only one to share her sentiments was Tyson. Even Silena was all for it.