Difficult Patient

The following morning Skylar sat basking in the early morning sunlight atop the cabin roof. Lee Fletcher is the one tasked with calling Skylar down for breakfast. She slides off of the roof with little trouble. Her injuries from last night's capture the flag fully healed. "Morning Lee, any new patients?" Her blue eyes looking toward her half sibling during the walk to the mess hall.

"About that, how do you feel about animals?" Lee questions.

"I love them, why?" Skylar asks walking up the stone steps.

"A new Pegasus found it's way into the stables. Chiron wants us to take charge to get it back on it's feet. It's not in the best shape so the sooner it's healed the better. If the situation doesn't improve by three days Mr. D wants us to....nevermind we won't discuss that right now." Lee says piling his plate with pancakes. Skylar grabs a bowl of cereal and an apple. The two offer bits of their food as an offering and sit with their siblings.

"I'll skip out on archery practice today to check it out. I can see about getting help from Percy. Maybe he can get the horse to talk, tell us what happened to it." She replied after swallowing a mouthful of cereal.

"Good luck with that. Doesn't look like Jackson came to breakfast." Michael speaks up from Will's left side. She didn't think much of it. It's not unusual for Percy to sleep in sometimes. Sometimes her or Annabeth would have to drag him out of bed just to have him ready before noon.

"I have first shift at the infirmary this morning so I can't show you. If you would, head to the stables and go all the way to the back. You'll know which one when you see it." Lee ends the discussion and Skylar could only hope it wouldn't be so bad.

Nico searches for Skylar after breakfast a deck of Mythomagic cards in his hands. Brown eyes fall upon the young girl whom departs from her siblings to head toward the cabins. He hurries after her almost knocking down a few Aphrodite kids in the process. "Oops sorry!" Nico calls over his shoulder falling into step with the person he was looking for.

"Hey there Nico. I know I said we'd play Mythomagic but I need to stop here first." The golden haired girl smiles brightly at him gesturing to Poseidon's cabin. Nico fidgets nervously the closer they get. She knocks on the door lightly. "Hey Percy mind helping me out with something?" No answer. After knocking and calling for him a few more times she opens the door. Shuffling through the cabin there's still no sign of her friend anywhere. Both his bed and bathroom were empty. Not to mention Nico's been unusually quiet through the search. He knows something.

"Maybe he went to the beach? Or the arena?" Nico chimes in his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. Skylar's eyebrows furrowed at the thought. They didn't have the time to look all over camp. Time was ticking so she decided to forget her original plan. Recruiting the help of Nico instead they set off for the stables.

Skylar led him through the wooden structure hopping over the occasional hay bale or chariot wheel. She noted Blackjack was missing as the pair walked by his stall. It's never a good sign when both he and Percy are gone. With an inward sigh she continues on.

It wasn't exactly the cleanest place on the property. Pegasi and horses alike stood in their stalls munching on hay but the minute they caught sight of Nico they shied away. One Pegasus reared up trying to kick Nico as he walked by. Luckily Skylar pulled him away in time and they continued on after scolding the Pegasus he now knows to be Porkpie.

"I-I forgot horses don't like me very much..." Nico murmurs sadly sticking close to his blonde companion. For as long as he could remember whenever he and his sister came in contact with horses they would either run away or attack out of pure fear.

"They just need to see what a good person you are." Skylar tries reassuring him.

There in a dark corner of the stables sectioned off from the other animals laid the sickliest horse they've ever seen. What Skylar assumed used to be a dashing steed now looked like a walking corpse. It's malnourished body sat atop a pile of hay with white and black feathers sprawled out on the floor. One wing stayed tucked close to his body while the other bent at an awkward angle blood staining the feathers. Twigs from the forest tangled themselves into it's mane and tail. Sticky green mucus dribbled from it's nose. Bloodshot eyes watched the pair like a hawk. He seemed to be drained of energy. The child of Apollo knew better though, an animal always found the energy to strike when they felt threatened.

A faint glow enveloped Skylar's hands as her body shook. Tears pricked her ocean blue eyes and anger coursed through her veins. Nico whom sat behind her on a hay bale opting not to get too close to the pegasus looked at her nervously. He'd never seen her angry before so seeing it now put him on edge. Hesitantly he places a hand on the blonde's shoulder startling her and successfully stopping the glowing around her fingers. Nodding a thanks Skylar takes a deep breath and calmly takes a step forward. As expected the pegasus struggles to it's feet to snap at her with it's teeth.

"Whoa there. Alright easy boy it's okay." Her hands raise slowly beckoning the horse to lay back down. "I just wanted to see what I'm working with." She soothes backing away from him and pulling Nico gently to the back exit any plans of playing Mythomagic long forgotten. There was a lot to be done if she was going to save this horse's life.

Connor and Travis Stoll intercept the pair after grabbing sandwiches from the mess hall. Skylar's relationship with the brothers was decent enough. They played pranks on her sure, but nothing so major that she resented them. In fact she liked to join them occasionally in her free time to engage in practical jokes. "Hey guys." Skylar greets and bites into her sandwich.

"You're keeping our new cabin mate to yourself Skylar. We need him to help us with something." Travis slings his arm around Nico's shoulder.

"You won't mind if we take him off your hands will you?" Connor inputs with a grin.

Skylar waves her hand dismissively a scowl adorning her pink lips. "Don't treat Nico like an object. Just ask him if he wants to help you with a prank. He can make decisions for himself."

Nico looks at the brothers with a smile. "I want to help! It sounds like it could be fun." He turns to Skylar. "Are you coming too?"

The blonde ruffles his hair with a laugh. "Nah I have a few things to do so you go have fun I'll see you at dinner tonight." Nico nods, though slightly disappointed, and leaves with the Stoll brothers. Skylar watches them leave continuing to eat her sandwich. She was glad Nico seemed to be fitting in with other campers since his arrival at Camp Half Blood. This gave her an opportunity to work alone for a while while Nico was off causing a commotion with the Stoll brothers. She only hoped they went easy on him.

Nico glanced to Connor as they ducked behind the Aphrodite cabin. Travis departed from them to gather supplies for their next prank. "Are you sure this is a good idea? What if they catch us?"

"Relax the Aphrodite kids are all at flying lessons. Now let's go." Connor waves him inside after picking the lock on the door. Nico walks inside clutching a bag filled with bottles of hair dye. If everything went smoothly everyone in this cabin will have orange hair by tomorrow. Connor started emptying shampoo bottles in the bathroom leaving Nico to fill them with the orange dye. He was careful not to get any on his clothes. The same couldn't be said about his hands. His fingers looked like they were covered in cheeto dust by the time they finished. But he was having fun so it didn't matter. After filling the last bottle there's a noise coming from cabin door. Someone must of came back from practice early.

Nico turns to alert Connor only to find him missing the bathroom window wide open. He left me! The raven haired boy scrambles to climb out the window just managing to escape before the bathroom door opens. Getting to his feet he runs to the place he's supposed to meet Travis execution of the prank successful.

Of all the things to prank someone with Nico never would've thought of maple syrup, pegasus feathers and fishing line. The trio set to work filling buckets up with sweet syrup and feathers. Each bucket would be suspended amongst the tree branches attached to a piece of fishing line which stretched across the ground acting as a tripwire. That way when someone walks into the wire they'll be showered in sticky liquid and fluffy feathers. Now all they needed was a victim and who better to get revenge on than the Hunters of Artemis.

"We'll hide behind the tree to make sure things run smoothly. It's your job to get her to walk over here." Travis tells Nico a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Why can't one of you do it?" Nico questions looking at the Hermes brothers.

"They're already wary of us after our little prank on Phoebe. Besides they won't see it coming if it's you." Connor butts in slinging an arm around his brother's shoulder. Nico nods slightly shoving his hands in his pocket and walking over to the hunter. A few minutes later he manages to get her to reluctantly follow him under the tree. Things went downhill from there. Nico misjudged where the trip wire was, coating not only the hunter but himself in maple syrup and feathers. Cries of outrage and laughter fills the air as the Stoll brothers emerge from their hiding spot. Both boys doubled over in laughter at Nico's embarrassed face.

"You were supposed to step over it!" Connor snickers.

The Hunter standing beside Nico growls in anger. "How dare you!" She reaches for the brothers who jump out of her reach and starts chasing them in the direction of strawberry fields. Alone, Nico trudges back to the Hermes cabin to shower and change. Plucking feathers from his black bedhead along the way. He couldn't wait for dinner later.Skylar trudged up to the Apollo cabin. In a way she appreciated the alone time to dwell in her thoughts. Before even thinking of performing first aid on the pegasus she needed to gain it's trust. With the state the animal is in there wasn't much time.Ruffling her hair in frustration she enters the cabin to gather supplies. Will looks up from his book to greet her.

"Hey sis. You okay?" He questions marking his place in the book and walking over to Skylar as she packs a wicker basket with supplies. Her hands shake as she works and Will has to grab her hands to get them to stop. "I guess you saw huh? I tried to tell Lee not to get you involved but..." He let's out a defeated sigh squeezing her hands in his own.

"It's been neglected Will. I'm not even sure how it survived long enough to get here. We're not Vets and there's not a hundred percent chance it'll last long enough for any of us to get close to it. Chiron entrusted its care to us but nobody has done anything." Skylar says moving to pack the basket once more. Bottles of different medicines, Ace bandages, and a hairbrush along with a few apples from the bowl on her desk. Most of the damage could be healed by singing a hymn to their father. The medicine was just to speed up the process. The whole time Will watches her in silence his brain calculating a plan.

"Which is why both of us are going over there and we're not quitting until that pegasus is the healthiest one of the bunch. What kind of twin would I be if I let you do this alone?" A body collides with his lean form in a hug. His sister's blue eyes stare into his own with gratitude. Will ruffles her curly hair after returning the embrace. All of the siblings in their cabin were close but the two of them were inseparable. Whenever either of them had a problem they would work it out together. Working together became a habit between them so they just roll with it. Skylar mumbles something into his shirt with a smile and grabs her Lyre walking with Will back to the stables.

Will had heard about the pegasus from Michael Yew during Archery practice but he didn't imagine it was this bad. It was understandable how emotional it made his sister after seeing it for himself. No one said the horse was basically knocking on death's door. Even he wasn't sure if they could do much but his sister was determined so he'll stay by her side. The two decided one person would console the horse while the other stood off to the side ready to jump in if something went wrong. After arguing about who would have which job they just settle it with rock paper scissors leaving Will as the mediator. Skylar unclips the bronze dagger strapped to her thigh passing it to her brother. The last thing she wanted to do was spook the poor animal more with a weapon at her side. Will guaranteed he wouldn't let anything happen to her and stood to the left just out of the pegasus's reach.

Cautiously Skylar treads across the hay covered floor. A displeased whine comes from in front of her as she moves forward. The pegasus makes no move to intercept her much to their relief. She manages to close a good distance between them before the horse gets antsy. Raising her hands calmly in surrender she stops ten feet away and sits down on the spot. "You're still wary but that's alright. How about something to eat?" Slowly reaching behind her she grasps an apple in her fingers. The shiny red skin of the fruit glistened in the sunlight streaming through a hole in the roof. Baby brown eyes follow her hand hungrily. A flick of the wrist and the apple soars through the air landing in the jaws of the starving animal. Will tosses her another and they repeat the process until their basket is empty of the sweet fruit.

"He at least has an appetite. Think you can get any closer? Just...don't get bit." Skylar rolls her eyes at her brother inching forward until she's only a few feet away. The female could only assume she overstepped when two hooved feet come barreling toward her skull. Faintly Will's alarmed voice reaches her ears over the pounding of her heart. Instinctively her hands raise to shield her face. Blue eyes shut tightly in anticipation. A golden light explodes bathing the surrounding area in blinding sunlight.

Silence fell over them. Ocean eyes hesitantly open after realizing the attack has ceased. Horse hooves lingered above her only being stopped by a thin barrier. Skylar's palms were illuminated holding said barrier aloft preventing the pegasus from doing her harm. Will let's out a strangled gasp his eyes mixed with confusion and alarm. What just happened was a mystery. Although she was rather thankful not to have a hoof print in her skull. As the barrier starts to shatter Will jumps in and pulls her a safe distance away.

"H-How did you do that?" He asks examining his sister for injuries. The barrier seemed to left her unharmed much to his relief. He really didn't want his sister back in the infirmary.

"I don't know. It was weird like an instinct I couldn't control and the barrier just appeared." Skylar looks down at her hands.The glowing had now ceased but left them shaking. Her eyesight started going dark. "I feel tired Will." She mutters slumping forward into his broad chest.

"Whoa hey don't fall asleep we need to figure this out!" Will shakes his twin only to be met with soft snoring. He scoops Skylar into his arms slightly glaring at the pegasus. "We're trying to help you. I know it's not easy for you to trust us but attacking every time someone gets close is crazy. My sister won't give up until you're better so you should think about behaving." Will huffs marching out of the stables and toward the Apollo cabin. He could've sworn the horse said 'I'm sorry' but assumed he was hearing things.

Will used the time Skylar was unconscious to do some research. Books sat open upon his desk in the corner. Most of them were about their dad and his history. Others told poems or haikus written by the sun god himself. One book in particular caught his attention. It was an old leather bound book with yellowing pages and a crease in the cover. Looks promising.Inside told how in rare cases children of Apollo could harness the power of light and use it in ways other than healing. Like a barrier. He thinks to himself and places the book in his desk. Will decided to keep quiet about it for the time being. His sister had enough to deal with and he didn't want to stress her out any further.

Groaning from the other room alerts that Skylar is finally awake. Will walks to her bedside as she sits up rubbing her eyes. "Hey bro, is it time for dinner?" A loud smack fills the air as her brother facepalms in disbelief.

Their late arrival at dinner spurred some questions which they answered and filled Lee in on the details. Will advised that no one approaches the pegasus until it becomes comfortable around other people or their work would be in vain. Lee agreed and promised he'd relay the message to Chiron and Mr. D. Will slings an arm protectively around Skylar's shoulders at the dinner table. He noticed how quiet she's been since waking up. No one could blame her. You'd freak out too if force fields suddenly shoot from your hands. Neither of them discussed what happened back at the stable. When the shield appeared out of thin air they could hardly believe their eyes. Until finding out more she pleaded with Will to keep quiet. Maybe if she learned to control it better it could be used in battle. The twins ate in silence listening to their siblings talk about their days only throwing in a yes or no when prompted. They agreed to attend the campfire afterwards to wind down before bed. Possibly.

At the campfire Skylar sits on a log waiting for campers to arrive for the sing along. Her lyre resting on her lap. Will sat on her left plucking at his guitar strings. Nico Di Angelo plants himself on the right side of the golden haired teen his dark eyes mirroring the flickering fire light. After parting ways earlier he went on a pranking spree with the Stoll brothers.

"You look like you had an eventful day." Skylar notes turning on the log to face him. Will nods his head in greeting.

"Yeah! It was a blast. My sister wouldn't of approved though. She would've called it childish." He told them how he assisted Connor in sneaking into the Aphrodite cabin and replacing their shampoo with orange hair dye. Even his little mishap involving maple syrup and pegasus feathers. Nico pouted as he explained the last part.

A pleasant laugh comes from beside him. Skylar sat beside him her hand slightly pressed against her mouth in a failed attempt to muffle the noise. Her blue eyes were closed in joy. The freckles adorning her sun-kissed cheeks glowed in the firelight that changed color to fit the happy mood. Even Will let out a chuckle at the poor kid's expense. Nico gives in laughing alongside the twins thinking back on how silly he really looked. Skylar's hand brushes his cheek lightly removing a white feather tangled in his raven locks.

"I bet it was a sight. You had fun and that's what matters" She smiles twisting the feather between her fingers. Nico looks away from her with a small blush their conversation interrupted by singing.

Campers sat around the fire singing along with the Apollo children and enjoying each other's company. Will opted to leave the two alone moving to sit with his friends. Nico finally got around to teaching Skylar about Mythomagic. She picked up on the rules fairly quickly and he helped her when she made a mistake. Soon enough they were going head to head their shouts melding with the voices around them. The Aphrodite kids all had striking orange hair but were still in high spirits. Skylar even noticed the Ares children who were injured in capture the flag sat on a log not singing but roasting hotdogs. Even a few of Artemis's Hunters joined them tonight. Their minds were away from the current quest if only for one night.