The Return of Evil | A Percy Jackson Fanfiction

=27= REUNIONS AND ARGUMENTS

She was right there. The Oracle could sense it.

Taking another quick glance to the other side of the cave wall, she steadied herself. The redhead was at the far end of the cave, painting something. Not that she cared. She had to focus on her task.

There was only room for one Oracle in this world.

And that was her.

The Oracle's face slowly twisted into a gruesome smile as she whispered, "Mine. You are all mine." And as she said that last syllable, she faded into a emerald green mist, slowly slinking into the cave, until she was at the redhead's feet.

The redhead suddenly stood up, knocking her painting down by accident, but she didn't really seem to care. "Who's there?" She asked, her voice ringing throughout the cave. Doing a quick 360, but finding nothing, she repeated her sentence. "Who's there?! Show yourself!"

"I'm nobody..." The Oracle muttered, not realizing how ghostly and distant her voice sounded. "I just want to play..."

Jumping at the sound of a new voice, the redhead swiveled around...only to find nothing once more. "Who-who's there?" She said, panic slowly creeping into her voice. "I-It's me, Rachel. The O-Oracle. You can trust me."

At the word Oracle, the Oracle of Delphi had already run out of patience. This...This Rachel was definitely not the Oracle. That was her job.

Gradually, she began to take her usual shape, mist turning into long brown hair, eyes beginning to take shape again, hands and fingers growing steadily. The Oracle sighed. She loved taking a physical form.

But Rachel didn't seem to be in awe of her beauty. In fact, it almost seemed as if she was repulsed by her appearance- as if The Oracle was some kind of monster from the depths of Tartarus. Her eyes widened as stared at The Oracle, but she said nothing.

"You are not the Oracle."

Rachel still stared, but she managed to force some words out of her mouth. "Um, I'm pretty sure I am... And you...."

The Oracle felt her eyes narrow at her last sentence. "And I'm what? All I want is to play..."

"Play? Who are you?"

The Oracle of Delphi didn't understand. Why didn't she want to play with her? All she wanted was to play a simple game. But this Rachel didn't want to play. And that was already enough to prove the Oracle's point: There could only be one.

"How about we play hide-and-seek?" She suggested. "I'll be 'it.'""

The redhead hesitated, but her eyes suddenly lit up and she nodded. "Alright. I'll play." Her eyes darted towards the door and that was when the Oracle decided something was up.

"Do you need something?"

"Oh... No." Rachel shook her head vigorously as her gaze locked on the Oracle's once again. "I just was wondering if I could go persuade some of my other friends to play as well."

The Oracle suppressed a snarl as she smiled sweetly at Rachel. "I'm afraid that doesn't work well with the rules."

"Oh, well-"

"And I don't like rule-breakers. So I'm afraid you lose."

"But, I-" Rachel suddenly stopped mid-sentence as her eyes slowly began to widen even more than they had already. If that was even possible. Her attitude was gone, replaced by a sort of terror in her eyes. "No. You can't. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO HIM?!" Her voice seemed disconnected from the rest of the world and it was as if she was staring at something that didn't exist.