Bright Idea (Destiny)

All was calm around the beach. The waves crashed lightly against the sand and the wind was soft and warm. It was a picture of peace and harmony.
Which was why Dominic had to ruin it.
'Its ok. You can tell me I'm crazy.' Dominic said with a devilish grin as he jumped into the back of the small rowing boat he had brought down from the lake. Destiny sat in the front of the boat and right now she was probably wondering if it had been a good idea to let Dominic drag her to the beach.
'I know that this plan is crazy, but it will work and it will be amazing.' He said as he began to paddle the boat away from the shore with one of the oars that he had brought along.
His plan was simple; get the boat as far out to sea, then using the power of his guitar Kydoimos, he would create a sound wave that would shoot the boat across the waters surface like a bullet.
It was insane and it probably wouldn't work, but the problem was that there was a chance that it could.

Destiny gripped the sides of the rocking boat as tight as she could in effort to not fall out. It rocked precariously anyways. She called back to the crazy guy in the back of the boat, "Moss,crazy doesn't even BEGIN to describe you. You know that if this doesn't work, we'll more than likely die, yes?" She laughed nervously and said, "Oh joy! I guess this DOES involve our mortal peril."

'Mortal peril is the best way to relieve stress Destiny!' Dominic called back to her before grinning like the devil himself. He stood up and turned to face the beach before swinging his guitar into his hands. He raised his hand to the sky.
'For Apollo!' He yelled out for luck before his fingers struck the strings with intense force. The combined sound of a thousand guitars roared over the waves and with that the boat shot across the surface at an unimaginable speed as the sound wave launched it forward.
Dominic was laughing as they flew. He had been knocked back into the boat by the sound wave and was now hanging on for dear life, but strangely he couldn't stop laughing over the sound of crashing waves and roaring wind.

Destiny shrieked as the sudden lurch sent her grabbing anything for dear life. Her mouth flew as she cussed at Dominic with every word she knew in four different languages. Her stomach had sunk to her toes and her eyes narrowed against the water spray. She could feel her shadow retreating into her body to give her extra strength to hold on, and to that she was thankful. She had been laughing a moment before the boat shot like a bullet, and she had almost choked on her laugh. She could hear Dominic's laughter over the noise and cussed louder at him.

The boat skimmed the waters surface like a pebble until eventually it came to a gradual stop. Dominic was still laughing as the boat stopped its chaotic journey over the waves.
'That was awesome.' Dominic laughed. He was enjoying himself even though the world was spinning before his eyes.

Gripping her head tightly, Destiny's eyes opened and focused as her shadow slipped out of her body. It was fuzzy but was slowly becoming clearer in the boat. She sat up and glared at the ridiculous son of Apollo, "A little warning would've been nice!" After a pause, though, she couldn't help but laugh.

'Where would the fun have been in that?' Dominic asked between laughs, his face was red and there were tears in his eyes. It felt like it had been forever since he had laughed so hard.
'You ok? Still in one piece?' Dominic asked as he sat up and turned to Destiny before waggling the guitar teasingly before her, 'Want to do it again?'

Destiny sat there and actually considered it. She shook her head, "No. My shadow's never going to be the same! Besides, I don't think my internal organs could withstand another round so soon! It actually was fun though, and we're still alive!" She laughed a bit and rubbed the water off her arms. "I can't remember a time I'd had so much fun! Or been so reckless!"

'One thing to learn about me Destiny; I am a bad influence.' Dominic said, his face lit up like the sun, 'You should ask my friend Alexis. I get into all kinds of trouble.' Dominic said before pausing as he felt a pang of guilt.
The smile wiped off his face as he remembered the time he had convinced Alexis to go into the forest with him. They had fought killer ants together, then Alexis had gotten mad and stormed off. The next time he saw her she had been almost half dead after being attacked mere moments after he had left her.

Destiny frowned as she saw his smile slide away. "I'm sure that whatever happened she will or has forgiven you! Besides, it's the bad influences that make life interesting! If you survive..." She mentally kicked herself.

Dominic glanced at Destiny as she spoke. He couldn't help but smile weakly as he tried to comfort him.
'You know...I don't get how people could stay away from you.' Dominic said, 'You may have shadow powers that could release a wave of death, but you're a good person.'

Destiny started to laugh. It was small at first, but it grew larger and larger until she was holding her stomach and crying. "Dominic Moss, you're not half bad, you know that? I don't think anyone's made me laugh like that or ever seen ME like that! I thank you, Moss. I really do." She was honest. She couldn't remember ever meeting someone who didn't care she could control the shadows. Even her friend Autumn from Athena gave a wary glance at every shadow whether she was with or without Destiny. She could only hope that Dominic would never see her as the demon she saw herself as.

Dominic's grin returned with avengeance. He was happy to see Destiny laugh. When he had first met her there seemed to be something about her that said; don't come near me, I'll get you killed. It was a horrible feeling. A sad lonely aura that Dominic couldn't understand. Now that he knew her secret, he couldn't blame her for feeling that way, but he refused to let it continue.
'I think in the interest of fairness I owe you a secret.' Dominic said before lying back in the boat, 'Want to hear my problems?'

Destiny's eyebrow arched high and she smiled, "A secret? Ooh la la! I sense some real dirt here!" She leaned against the boat's side, knees curled up against her, hand lost in her hair, and said, "Yes, I would love to hear your problems!" She felt like adding the fact she wanted to be a psychologist if she lived to be an adult, but left it out.

'Ok then!' Dominic said cheerfully and rubbed his hands together eagerly. It was strange that he found himself looking forward to sharing his depressing secrets.
'Now aside from the fact that I have a dad who drives the sun and never visits, I've got another problem...a family matter that I don't know how to deal with.' Dominic said, 'I've got a little brother, his names Clyde and he means a lot to me. He's my brother after all, and he hasn't taken the whole 'father left at a young age' thing very well.'
'But in that lies the problem. Clyde isn't a demigod. If he was, then he would be here, at camp with me, but no one has sent for him. No one has told my step dad to send him along so he can be safe.'
'So what does this mean? Why wouldn't he come to camp?' Dominic asked rhetorically, 'Well the answer is simple; he's not my real brother. He's adopted.'

Destiny looked at him, rubbing the scar absent-mindedly. "So, you've got an adopted little brother, and everybody neglected to tell you that he's adopted? Well, does he at least know what YOU are, where you are, and how you are?"

'No. I've been forbidden to speak to him about it.' Dominic said with a frown, 'My step dad just said; remain at camp, its safer that way. Don't worry about us...but how can I not worry? I've got a brother who might be adopted and I have no idea how to feel about it.'

Destiny felt her heart wrench. She wanted to hug the poor boy, but she was hesitant to. So, instead, she said, "I'm sorry to hear that! Do you see him differently now, or the same as before?"

'I don't know.' Dominic said miserably, 'I can't say that thigns haven't changed. I mean come on, I'm a demigod for Zeus's sake! A few months ago I was a normal human with a tragic back story but a relatively straight forward life and now I'm a guitar weilding spartan that can fire six shots per second from my crossbow. With all the changes in my life how can I not think differently?'
He let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his blond hair, 'Dis Immortalis I wish I had someone to jam with...the only other people I know who play instruments are my half brothers and sisters, but its always the same thing. Nothing new. Nothing stress relieving.'

Destiny reached into her pocket and held out a deck of cards. "Here. It's one of the decks I got from my grandmother when I was young. She told me that one day, it'll help someone dear to me. I want you to have them. They're one of the most normal things I've ever had." She smiled and said as an afterthought, "I may not play the guitar, or drums, or anything, but I'm pretty good at the piano!" She reached over and patted is hand.

Dominic was stunned as Destiny offered him the pack of cards. He couldn't speak. He just stared at the playing cards as if she had just given him a million dollars.
'D-Destiny I couldn't...' He stuttered.

Destiny shook them slightly and held them further out. "Dominic, I insist. If you don't take them, I'll be hurt." She smiled to him and wondered if she really would be hurt. She might be. Giving him these cards was her way of showing him she trusted him, and she wanted to be friends. She couldn't bear to hear him talk about not being normal. He was a great person, and this was her way of showing it.

Dominic took the pack of cards before giving Destiny a smile. He took them out their pack and shuffled them in front of her before putting them into his pocket. It was touching for her to give him something so important, now he knew that this was definately someone he could trust until the end.
'Destiny...I have to say-' He stopped as he looked over her shoulder. His face turned white before he pointed behind her, '-theres a sea serpent right behind us.'
The sea serpent let out a roar as it bared its fangs at the two godlings. Dominic didn't know when it had gotten behind them or even how it had managed to sneak up on them, but it had. It was scaley and dark green with venomous yellow eyes, its breath stank of rotten meat and sea weed.
'Er...eep.'

Destiny's eyes widened as the stench wafted to her. She turned to see the serpent. The words escaped her mouth, "Oh, brilliant!" She turned back to Dominic, and she realized fear wasn't spreading through her veins. She felt confident, if anything. She grinned, "Just like before, eh?" She reached up and ripped off the necklace she wore, the metallic clasp clicking against each other. Consuming it in black shadows, it grew into her familiar scythe.
"Ready for this, Moss?" She asked with a wicked grin. The sun cast a slight glare on her scar, giving her smile a scary edge.

Dominic swallowed as he took in the sight before he shook his head to snap him out of his moment of doubt. A grin crossed his face and he picked up his guitar before he looked up at the sea serpent that now seemed to stare at them questioningly, as if confused as to why they weren't screaming.
'I'm ready. Keep me alive and I'll keep you alive.' Dominic spoke before sticking his tongue out at the serpent.
It roared and divided at them, ready to swallow them whole. Dominic instantly turned to the right and strummed his guitar, sending another sound wave out to shoot the to the side and avoid the jaws.