He Stoll My Heart - Connor Stoll.

Ch.16: Strangely, Mom is Super Unhelpful.

A/N: This chapter takes place during TLO, ch.20 ("We win fabulous prices").

- - -

The fight went on and on.

By what Rose understood from Jake Mason's overwhelmed rambling, the Party Poneys had raided the kitchen appliance store where the Hephaestus Cabin was planning more traps. The Centaurs had run out of paintball bullets and arrows and had therefore turned to steel frying pans, pots, blenders, tongs, steak knives and whatever else they could find. Apparently, Cabin 9 had nothing left to use to build stuff, so they opted to rejoin the final battle in a more traditional way, with their swords and spears.

The Hunters seemed to have forsaken their dislike of boys (for the moment) and they worked perfectly in sync with the campers.

Grover and the nature spirits were strong and brave, though Rose could see that more than half were no longer present.

Clarisse was still stuck in a block of ice, but a few Hephaestus kids were working on freeing her with blowtorches.

With Hades, Demeter, and Persephone by their side, the Defenders of Olympus were having a much easier time than before. Morale had awoken again. Determination and bravery ran high. Hades' immortal skeletons always got back up when struck, enemy arrows turned to flowers in the air, and fields of empousai, dracanae, and telkhines turned into fields of wheat.

Rose, Connor, Katie, and Travis fought back to back, like during their quest, covering for each other.

"Will this ever end?" Katie asked while Travis (with his flying shoes) ninja kicked an empousa in the face so hard she disintegrated on the spot.

"One way or another," Rose replied, ducking as Connor flew overhead, stabbing a telkhine in the back.

"Where's Percy?" said Travis. "He's always on the front lines!"

"Fighting Kronos in the Empire State Building with Annabeth," said Connor. "You missed them going in!"

"Duck!" Travis shouted at him.

"Where?" said Connor, looking around from the air, letting out a shriek when Rose grabbed his ankle and yanked him down fast enough for him to avoid a flying spear to the chest. "Oh. Thanks honey!"

"You're an idiot!" she replied.

"Watch it!" Katie shouted. "Party Ponies with steak knives! Get back!" She pulled Travis, who grabbed Rose and Connor, out of the way of a stampede and whooping centaurs.

"Ow!" said Connor, having been poked by Rose's sword's hilt. "Gods, how are we still alive!?"

"Let's not jinx that!" said Rose, stabbing at the nearest empousa but missing.

Suddenly, a loud horn rang out from somewhere over the buildings.

Every enemy disengaged from the Defenders of Olympus and ran away.

"They're retreating!" Katie said in disbelief.

"The Party Ponies are chasing them away!" said Connor, laughing out loud in relief, dropping himself to the ground.

"They retreated because of the horn," Rose said, a weak, tired smile making its way to her face as she sheathed her sword. "They had strength in numbers. The only reasons they would retreat is if Kronos has been defeated."

Katie's first instinct was to smile and laugh, but she didn't, noticing Connor and Travis' mixed reactions.

They smiled weakly at each other and Travis wrapped his arms around Connor's shoulders.