CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

₊˚࿐࿔ 𖥧‧₊⚘ ❀༉. 𓏲｡

Sylvie and Percy were on their way out when they spotted Hermes in a side courtyard of the palace. He was staring at an Iris-message in the mist of a fountain.

Percy let go of Sylvie's hand that he'd previously been holding. "I'll meet you at the elevator."

"You sure?" But then she studied Percy's face. "Yeah, you're sure."

So she let Percy go off to Hermes, and she finished heading toward the elevator by herself. When she got there, Cedar was bounding around Nico like a dog. Sylvie couldn't tell by the expression on Nico's face if Nico wanted to be saved or left alone.

"Hey, y'all," Sylvie greeted.

Cedar whipped around at the sound of Sylvie's voice, because it was the sound of his big sister. He grinned so big that you wouldn't have even been able to tell the kid was just traumatized by a war.

"Sylvie!" he cheered.

"Hey, Sylvie," Nico nodded.

"That was so cool!" Cedar freaked out. "I always knew you were awesome! See—I told you!"

Sylvie wiped her cheek with her shoulder, trying not to blush. "You two were awesome, too," she deflected.

"Yeah, but you got blessed by Poseidon! And kissed in front of everyone!" Cedar started making mocking kissy noises at her. Nico tried to keep up his disgruntled expression, but it was hard not to be fond of Cedar.

"Alright, enough," Sylvie pushed her brother's face backwards, which made him giggle.

"You should've seen Nico, Sylvie," Cedar bragged. "He was amazing."

"I was okay," Nico corrected.

Sylvie and Cedar pulled disbelieving faces that were so similar you could actually tell they were siblings. Cedar ignored Nico, telling Sylvie, "I'm healing Nico up, since he's really drained."

"He made me eat a flower."

Nico was trying to seem off put by the whole ordeal, but Sylvie knew he was just as excited to be back with Cedar as Cedar was. Nico was difficult to understand, but his poorly-restrained joy was obvious.

"Yeah, he does that sometimes," Sylvie shrugged. "Where's Will?"

Cedar's grin fell a little. "Well... He's with his siblings. It's just him, Kayla, and Austin. They're pretty upset."

"There's only 3 Apollo campers now?" she said incredulously, heart twisting.

Cedar and Nico nodded forlornly.

"They..." Sylvie could barely believe it. "But Apollo had the most kids before."

"Before," Nico specified.

It was so horrible that Sylvie almost forgot good things happened recently. The fact that it was two twelve-year-olds delivering the news made them look even more small, and Sylvie even more old. She shook her head, trying not to despair them any further.

"Well, we'll be there for them through this," Sylvie assured. "How about eating? Are y'all hungry? Should I make something?"

"You should probably rest for the next 5 years," Nico suggested.

"So should you."

Cedar's defeated mood lifted—now just happy for two of his favorite people to be interacting. "It's okay, Sylv. Me and Nico were just gonna head down. Maybe I'll bring him back to camp. You wanna come with?"

"Go ahead," Sylvie shook her head. "I'm waiting for Percy to come back."

Cedar wiggled his eyebrows, but Nico curled in on himself uncomfortably. He seemed more desperate to go down the elevator now. They exchanged quick goodbyes, and Sylvie was alone again.

She only had to wait a few more minutes for Percy to return. Sylvie couldn't see him beforehand, because she was far away from the fountain, but she assumed he'd just been talking to Hermes.

When Percy came over, Sylvie's nose wrinkled at his distinct scent. "Why do you smell like smoke?"

"Long story," he said. Then, "Hey—Did you ever figure out why Hermes made you go on that quest? Three years ago?"

Sylvie's brows knitted at the sudden question. "I mean, I never really thought about it."

"Apparently he knew how the prophecy was going to play out," Percy informed. "He wanted to start making you a hero, because he knew one day you would be."

Sylvie blinked, shocked. She didn't know how to process receiving the information that the past three years of her life had been elaborately lined up by the messenger god Hermes. A part of Sylvie felt that she should be mad. But, Sylvie had to be honest—if she had the choice to do it all over again, she would.

"Well," Sylvie pressed her lips into a smile, "thanks to Hermes then, yeah?"

After all, she wouldn't have Percy if it weren't for him.

Percy laughed. "Yeah. Thanks to Hermes."

Together they made their way down the street level. Neither of them said a word. The music was awful—Sweet Caroline (bum bum bum!), good times never seemed so good! (So good! So good!) I've been inclined to believe they never would, or some lyrics along those lines. Sylvie sort of wished Kronos destroyed the elevator music rather than Olympus.

When they got into the lobby, they found Sally Jackson and Paul Blofis arguing with the bald security guy, who'd returned to his post.

"I'm telling you," Sally yelled, "we have to go up! My son—" Then she saw him and her eyes widened. "Percy!"

She hugged Percy so hard that Sylvie heard him wheeze.

"We saw the blue flag," she said. "But then you didn't come down. You went up hours ago!"

"She was getting a bit anxious," Paul said dryly.

"I'm alright," Percy promised as Sally hugged Sylvie just as tight. "Everything's okay."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Blofis," Sylvie said.

"You must be Sylvie," Paul grinned. His eyes shifted to Percy once. "I've heard so much about you."

"Okay," Percy cut in.

Sylvie snorted. "That was wicked sword work back there, by the way."

"It seemed like the right thing to do," Paul shrugged. "But Percy, is this really... I mean, this story about the sixth hundredth floor?"

"Olympus," Percy said. "Yeah."

Paul looked at the ceiling with a dreamy expression. "I'd like to see that."

"Paul," Sally chided. "It's not for mortals. Anyway, the important thing is we're safe. All of us."

Sylvie stiffened as Sally said that. They weren't all safe. Florian, most of the Apollo cabin, and many more of Sylvie's friends were dead. They wouldn't get to live another day. It didn't feel fair that time would go on for Sylvie, but not them.

She tried to relax—She and Percy were okay. Sylvie still had friends and family that did survive. Olympus was saved.

But Sylvie was right to be tense. Just then, Katie ran in from the street, and her face told Sylvie something was wrong.

"It's Rachel," she said. "I just ran into her down on 32nd Street."

Sylvie frowned. "What's she doing?"

"It's where she's going," Katie said. "I told her she would die if she tried, but she insisted. She just took Blackjack and—"

"She took my pegasus?" Percy demanded.

Katie nodded. "She's heading to Half-Blood Hill. She said she had to get to camp."

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They found Annabeth in the street on their desperate search for some mode of transportation that could follow after Rachel.

Unfortunately, the traffic was horrible. Everybody was out on the streets gawking at the war zone damage. Police sirens wailed on every block. There was no possibility of catching a cab, and the pegasi had flown away. Sylvie would've settled for some Party Ponies, but they had disappeared along with most of the root beer in Midtown. So the trio ran, pushing through mobs of dazed mortals that clogged the sidewalks.

Luckily, Percy had a brilliant idea, as he usually did. They went to the rivers and Percy summoned the hippocampi from so long ago—Sylvie could understand them now, by the way, which was really fucking cool.

She, Percy, and Annabeth zipped up the East River faster than Jet Skis. They sped under the Throgs Neck Bridge and headed for Long Island Sound.

It seemed like forever until they saw the beach at camp. They thanked the hippocampi and waded ashore, only to find Argus waiting for them. He stood in the sand with his arms crossed, his hundred eyes glaring at them.

"Is she here?" Percy asked.

He nodded grimly.

"Is everything okay?" Sylvie said.

Argus shook his head.

They followed him up the trail. It was surreal being back at camp, because everything looked so peaceful: no burning buildings, no wounded fighters. The cabins were bright in the sunshine, and the fields glittered with dew. But the place was mostly empty.

Up at the Big House, something was definitely wrong. Green light was shooting out all the windows. Mist—the magical kind—swirled around the yard. Chiron lay on a horse-sized stretcher by the volleyball pit, a bunch of satyrs standing around around him. Blackjack cantered anxiously in the grass.

(Queue equine nervousness. Sylvie's blessing of Poseidon didn't extend to horses, apparently.)

Rachel Elizabeth Dare stood at the bottom of the porch steps. Her arms were raised like she was waiting for something inside the house to throw her a ball.

"What's she doing?" Annabeth demanded. "How did she get past the barriers?"

"She flew," one of the satyrs said, looking accusingly at Blackjack. "Right past the dragon, right through the magical boundaries."

"Rachel!" Sylvie called, but the satyrs stopped her when she tried to go any closer.

"Sylvie, don't," Chiron warned. He winced as he tried to move. His left arm was in a sling, his two back legs were in splints, and his head was wrapped in bandages. "You can't interrupt."

"I thought you explained things to her!" Percy cried.

"I did. And I invited her here."

Percy stared at him in disbelief. "You said you'd never let anyone try again! You said—"

"I know what I said, Percy. But I was wrong. Rachel had a vision about the curse of Hades. She believes it may be lifted now. She convinced me she deserves a chance."

"And if the curse isn't lifted? If Hades hasn't gotten to that yet, she'll go crazy!"

The Mist swirled around Rachel. She shivered like she was going into shock.

Even if anyone wanted to try and stop her, they couldn't. An invisible force swirled ten feet around her, keeping Rachel isolated.

Rachel opened her eyes and turned. She looked like she was sleepwalking—like she could see them, but only in a dream.

"This is why I've come." Her voice sounded far away. "This is where I belong. I finally understand why."

The house rumbled. The door flew open and green light poured out. Sylvie recognized the warm musty smell of snakes.

Mist curled into a hundred smoky serpents, slithering up the porch columns, curling around the house. Then the Oracle appeared in the doorway.

The withered mummy shuffled forward in her rainbow dress. She looked even worse than usual, which is saying a lot. Her hair was falling out in clumps. Her leathery skin was cracking like the seat of a worn-out bus. Her glassy eyes stared blankly into space, but Sylvie got the creepiest feeling she was being drawn straight toward Rachel.

Rachel held out her arms. She didn't look scared.

"I've waited too long," Rachel said. "But I'm here now."

The sun blazed more brightly. A man appeared above the porch, floating in the air—a blond dude in a white toga, with sunglasses and a cocky smile.

"Apollo," Sylvie said.

He winked at Sylvie but held up his finger to his lips.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," he said. "You have the gift of prophecy. But it is also a curse. Are you sure you want this?"

Rachel nodded. "It's my destiny."

"Do you accept the risks?"

"I do."

"Then proceed," the god said.

Rachel closed her eyes. "I accept this role. I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future and embrace the past. I accept the spirit of Delphi, Voice of the Gods, Speaker of Riddles, Seer of Fate."

Sylvie didn't know where Rachel was getting the words, but they flowed out of her as the Mist thickened. A green column of smoke, like a huge python, uncoiled from the mummy's mouth and slithered down the stairs, curling affectionately around Rachel's feet. The Oracle's mummy crumbled, falling away until it was nothing but a pile of dust in an old tie-dyed dress. Mist enveloped Rachel in a column.

For a moment Sylvie couldn't see Rachel at all. Then the smoke cleared.

Rachel collapsed and curled into the fetal position. Sylvie, Percy, and Annabeth rushed forward, but Apollo said, "Stop! This is the most delicate part."

"What's going on?" Percy demanded. "What do you mean?"

Apollo studied Rachel with concern. "Either the spirit takes hold, or it doesn't."

"And if it doesn't?" Annabeth asked.

"Five syllables," Apollo said, counting them on his fingers. "That would be real bad."

Despite Apollo's warning, they ran forward and kneeled over Rachel. The smell of the attic was gone. The Mist sank into the ground and the green light faded. But Rachel was still pale. She was barely breathing.

Then her eyes fluttered open. She focused on the three above with difficulty. "Hey, guys."

"Are you okay?" Percy asked.

She tried to sit up. "Ow." She pressed her hands to her temples.

"Rachel," Sylvie said, "you were just dying."

"I'm alright," she murmured. "Please, help me up. The visions—They're a little disorienting."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Annabeth asked.

Apollo drifted down from the porch. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the new Oracle of Delphi."

"You're kidding," Sylvie said.

Rachel managed a weak smile. "It's a little surprising to me too, but this is my fate. I saw it when I was in New York. I know why I was born with true sight. I was meant to become the Oracle."

Percy blinked. "You mean you can tell the future now?"

"Not all the time," she said. "But there are visions, images, words in my mind. When someone asks me a question, I... Oh no—"

"It's starting," Apollo announced.

Rachel doubled over like someone had punched her. Then she stood up straight and her eyes glowed serpent green.

When she spoke, her voice sounded tripled—like three Rachels were talking at once:

"Nine half-bloods shall answer the call.
Two earths will battle, but one must fall.
Insanity wreaks until a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."

At the last word, Rachel collapsed. Sylvie and Annabeth caught her and helped her to the porch. Her skin was feverish.

"I'm alright," she said, her voice returning to normal.

"What was that?" Percy asked.

She shook her head, confused. "What was what?"

"I believe," Apollo said, "that we just heard the next Great Prophecy."

"What does it mean?" Sylvie worried.

Rachel frowned. "I don't even remember what I said."

"No," Apollo mused. "The spirit will only speak through you occasionally. The rest of the time, our Rachel will be much as she's always been. There's no point in grilling her, even if she has just issued the next big prediction for the future of the world."

"What?" Sylvie said. "But—"

"Sylvie," Apollo said, "I wouldn't worry too much. The last Great Prophecy about you, Eurydice, Luke, and Percy took almost seventy years to complete. This one may not even happen in your lifetime."

Sylvie thought about the lines Rachel had spoken in that creepy voice: about one earth falling and insanity wreaking and the Doors of Death. "Maybe," Sylvie's voice quivered, "but it didn't sound so good."

"No," said Apollo cheerfully. "It certainly didn't. She's going to make a wonderful Oracle!"

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BAILEY YAPS...

Did y'all hear something? 'Cause wtf was that lmfaooo   Idk I think Rachel was tweaking or something Don't mind her she gets a little silly

But I love CedarNico friendship! I love SylvieCedar siblingship! I love Cedar!

NO ONE BELIEVED THAT I WASN'T GOING TO KILL HIM, FOR SOME REASON???? I'M NOT THAT EVIL Y'ALL HOW COULD I HURT MY PRECIOUS LITTLE BABY

This one went out to all the people who doubted Cedar's outcome...

The same can't be said for another Demeter brother Sorry I can't even type his name out or I'm going to start crying so please don't remind me of what I've done

Prophecy theories GO!