Masked Hearts

Chapter 1 - Rachel's P.O.V.

Fire.

Smoke.

That's how the war against Gaea ended.

Not that I'd know, because I wasn't nowhere near Camp Half-Blood when the event occured. Actually, I haven't stepped foot in Camp since the unfortunate situation that happened in December, when Annabeth came back with three demigods and I was possessed by Hera's spirit and all that jazz... You guys know that story, I won't repeat myself.

My only contact was when Grover looked out for me when the Camp received that bizarre message from Annabeth when she was down there, I'm not gonna even say the name of it.

Anyway, besides that situation, I was leading a semi-normal and boring life in my dorm of that fining school my father forced/tricked me/dealt with me into attending. Then, once school was finished, and I graduated, I spent my summer semi-locked into my apartment because Chiron, Grover and basically everyone at Camp thought that the situation could be dangerous for me, a simple mortal, if they went to war.

Which had happened.

Luckily for me, my suffering will come to an end when Grover arrives for me this same afternoon. I was so excited, because I haven't seen my friends in a long time and, after I smack some sense into Percy for allowing himself to getting kidnapped, I will enjoy the qualities that the sun and laziness can offer me, without the constant nagging of my parents that I should find a boyfriend soon enough to get married.

Good luck with that.

~oOo~

Grover had arrived only a few seconds ago and I was already bombing him with questions and demanding answers. Grover must sensed my nervousness (dam satyrs and their ability to sense people's emotions!), because he told that he'd explain everything on the way back. Luckily for him, my parents had rewarded my graduation with a brand new car, which saved us from the indiscreet ears.

"Are you, at any point gonna answer my questions?" I whined, halfway through the way. Grover sighed and fidgeted in his seat "Why are you moving around? Did something happened with Percy? Annabeth?" I fired question after question, getting worked up and worried "Grover?" I called him, when he didn't answer.

"Percy and Annabeth are OK, Rachel" I released the breath I was holding, relaxed "It was Leo..." he mumbled the words so low, I almost missed them.

"Oh..." That was all I could say. I haven't met Leo very well, except for the small breaks I took from school during the year. When I first met him, I saw him depart on a quest within minutes he was claimed, or so... My felt real coexistence I had with him were mere seconds during the Easter holidays, since he departed with Annabeth and his friends Piper and Jason towards San Fransisco in their warship.

"Yeah, there was an, um... explosion" Grover explained, not sure how will I take the news "Most of us were sure he was gonna survive, because, you know..."

"Fire user, right" I nodded, paying attention to the road.

"Well, a catapult was fired at Gaea and Leo was fighting with her..." I sensed Grover was getting distressful and I couldn't do much driving, so I decided to change the subject.

"So... You mentioned Romans and Greeks were trying to get along?" I glanced at him, trying to sober up, nodding "I heard some particular rumour, can't remember from who but I bet it was Jason... but it's true fauns are less cooperative than satyrs?" My comment made him chuckle and I smirked, accomplishing my goal "I thought you were the same!"

"You have no idea the headaches I get when I have to deal with them... Juniper even said, and I'll quote, 'our children will not this lazy, Grover Underwood! I don't want them to be mistaken for fauns!'" he did a bad impression of Juniper's voice, that had me cracking up  all the rest of the way. Luckily, Grover's mood improved by the time we arrived to Camp. We were walking up the hill, talking about ideas to help Jason's new pontifex's job, when someone came into view.

He was tall and thin, but not thin-with-muscles, I meant thin-with-barely-muscles. He was wearing some old tattered shirt with shorts and he was barefoot. In his left hand, he was holding a stick like Gandalf in The Two Towers, mainly for support. His right arm was bandaged, as well as half his head and both his legs around the thighs. Slowly, he turned to look in our direction and noticed he was showing highly burnt marks around his body. But what got me weren't the burns. It were his blonde hair and blue eyes.

The last time I saw those eyes, they were glaring with hatred towards me.

Right now, those same eyes were a mixture of fear, anger and shocked as the guy, slowly made his way back into Big House, no one stopping to help him or anything. Pity I was halfway though the hill or I'd had helped him...

"What happened to him?" I whispered to Grover, even though no one could hear us. Grover frowned, before following my gaze.

"His robes got stuck on the catapult that was fired to Gaea. Nico and Will were next to him at the time and tried to stop him when they noticed what was happening" I listened carefully at what he was telling me "How he survived only with those burns, beats me... Anyway, as soon as he woke up, he was demoted from the Legion and banned to live in their city... And, because he can't live like mortal, Reyna ordered he lived here, which only adds to his punishment, since he hates Greeks"

"But, surely someone helps him, right?" I questioned, because there's no way we're so grudge-holders.

"He claims he wants no help and, by the way I've seen people around him, it's safe to say no one wants to help him" With that, Grover left me at the entrance of Camp, wondering how could I help him. Not that he'll give me a chance, but doesn't hurt to try, right?

----

Happy New Year, guys!

I cannot believe we're at 2018 already! Every time, a new year starts, it blows my mind and I get philosophical about it. Trust me, I'm sure those of you who aren't in school already know what I'm talking about. Besides, I want to think 2018 will bring good things to us! #PositiveThoughts

I want to thank the people who voted in my survey! Obviously, the results will be reflected in my posting from now on, so I think is about your like, so let's get into the stories already!

Rise of Ouranos: an A/N with its explanation for the rewritting.

Rise of Ouranos (ReWrite): 1 chapter (no spelling mistakes). It's the rewritting of my former collab with LordNitro (trying to fix the holes and stuff)

Sis/Bro, Your Shadow is Hot!: 1 chapter (name can change. Better ideas? Give and you'll receive credit, but not money!)

Maidenhood: 1 chapter. An adoption from TheColorofTheBoom. It has a proper A/N in the first chapter.

Masked Hearts: 1 chapter. An old collab with Hugs6. Octachel.

Quest: Matchmade: 1 chapter. Another old collab with Hugs6. Also Octachel

I hope you all guys are having a happy year so far!

xoxo, SilverHuntresses