Heliophile - Apollo

1.19| A Very Unexpected Homecoming

They were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke the first time, so of course everybody treated them as if they'd won some reality TV contest.

According to camp tradition, they wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in their honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where they got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for them in their absence.

Ana's shroud was so beautiful— a golden shroud embroidered with snakes which were the animals of Phanes. It almost looked like it was glowing which Percy and Luke attributed to Apollo and the children of Apollo.

Being the son of Poseidon, Percy didn't have any cabin mates, so the Hermes and Ares cabin had volunteered to make his shroud. They'd taken a blue sheet and added tridents all around.

As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, Percy was surrounded by his old Hermes cabin mates, Luke, Ana, and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders.

The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past."

The only ones not in a party mood were Clarisse and her cabinmates, whose poisonous looks told Ana they'd never forgive the group for disgracing their dad which Ana knew was okay with all of them.

Even Dionysus's welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen any of their spirits. "Yes, yes, so the little brat didn't get himself killed and now he'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday...." 

Percy moved back into cabin three, but it didn't feel so lonely anymore. He had his friends to train with during the day. At night, he lay awake and listened to the sea, knowing his father was out there. Maybe Poseidon wasn't quite sure about Percy yet, maybe he hadn't even wanted Percy to be born, but he was watching. And so far, he was proud of what Percy had done.

Ana had returned to the Hermes cabin with Luke who looked at her concerned as they entered the cabin "something feels wrong." Luke looked at the daughter of Phanes "like the prophecy isn't finished yet." 

Ana sighed because she also had that bad feeling and it only got worse when she heard Apollo in her head "be careful Ana, something is amiss."

Ana nodded to Apollo before verbally responding to Luke "well, then we're just going to have to keep an eye on Percy." 

Later that night, as they spread a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell them goodbye. He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human. "I'm off," he said. "I just came to say ... well, you know."

They all tried to feel happy for him. After all, it wasn't every day a satyr got permission to go look for the great god Pan. But it was hard saying goodbye. He hugged Percy, Luke, and Ana before heading off with his walking stick. 

Months passed and Percy spent his days devising new strategies for capture the flag and making alliances with the other cabins to keep the banner out of Ares's hands. He got to the top of the climbing wall for the first time without getting scorched by lava.

However, all of the quest members remaining at camp still felt uneasy about the fact that they thought the prophecy was incomplete.  The last night of the summer session came all too quickly. The campers had one last meal together. They burned part of their dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads.