This fic was co-written with wjjmwmsn5.

Enjoy!

Jewelle-Clarissa Selene Michaelsson scrambled up Camp Half-Blood's rock wall, reaching the top in the fastest time ever recorded. The other campers gazed, open-mouthed, as Jewelle jumped down. She slowed as she neared the ground, landing lightly on her feet. The tall demigod beamed at the crowd that had formed, brushing back a few strands of her wavy blonde hair. Her tan skin hadn't even broken a sweat. "That was fun," she said in a warm, pleasant voice.

Asher Oakley sauntered sassily over to his best friend Jewelle-Clarissa, whom he called JC, and smiled at her. "You're good at that," he said, shaking his head to the side in a quick motion to get the bangs of his hair out of his eyes as they fell down into his face.

JC laughed, beaming at him. "Aw, thanks, Asher," she answered. "I've had lots of practice, though." She linked her arm through his, looking around at the assembled crowd. "Sorry to cut this short so abruptly," she said, her tone genuine, "but Asher and I are scheduled for some free time now."

He grinned at the crowd and at JC, doing the head-shake again. His hair could be be so exasperating, but he loved it so he didn't do anything different with it ever. He looked over at his best friend again and thought about how he couldn't ever have a more perfect best friend like ever. Ever.

The crowd parted, and JC led the way down to the beach. "What do you want to do today?" she asked Asher. "We could swim, or go in the woods, or lie on the beach..." all these options appealed to her as she looked up at the bright blue sky. The exact same shade was reflected in her eyes.

"I vote we lie on the beach," he said, looking over at her. "I do not feel like going into the woods and getting all dirty right now or swimming and getting all wet." He found a spot on the beach and sat down, glancing up at JC.

"So you want to get all sandy," JC commented. She touched some of the sand, sending electricity through it so that it turned into a later of slightly textured glass for her to sit on. Sitting down, she looked out across the water. She loved Camp Half-Blood, but at the same time, each day she trained at camp felt like another wasted day. She knew that the day of her prophecy was approaching. Despite her confidence in her abilities, she was nervous for her sixteenth birthday.

"Among gods and mortals and those between," JC said softly, almost unaware that she was speaking, "one shall come from all the eldest three. After sixteen years will rise again a foe too great for all of them. The hero alone controls their fate, and must reach victory before it's too late."

Her prophecy was pretty clear, but that made it all the more intimidating. As the granddaughter of a Hades demigod and the daughter of both a Poseidon demigod and Zeus, Chiron had known from the start that JC was the one. She'd trained, her abilities greater than anything Chiron had ever seen, yet the thought of a monster stronger than even the gods was worrisome. Chiron seemed to believe in her, though, and JC excelled in all forms of training. There was definitely a chance, at least, that she could beat whatever it was she would fight.

He looked over at her as he heard her speaking of her prophecy, which he had heard thousands of times but he had figured since he had befriended her that she'd pick him to help her, so he didn't always mind to hear it. "So, who are you going to pick to go on that trip with you?" he asked casually as he stared down at the sand he sat on as if it had somehow personally offended him.

"You," JC answered immediately, as though she was shocked he'd even ask. "Who else would I pick? You're my best friend, and it's not like you'd be a burden." Unless we have to get dirty or something, she added mentally, but she didn't mention that part. Hopefully he'd be able to handle whatever happened. "It's less than a week away now, I can't quite believe it."

"I know," Asher said, with a heavy sigh like it had been on his mind twenty-four-seven, although that was pretty far from true, but really, who was to say if it had or had not been on his mind that much? "Think of all the recognition we'll get!"

"I don't need recognition," answered JC, giving him a small smile. "Saving the world is enough for me." A light breeze ruffled her hair as she spoke, and the water lapping at her toes seemed to slow for a moment. It seemed like her grandfather approved of her comment. Or her uncle. Whatever Poseidon was to her, he seemed to approve. Her connection to all the gods, particularly the Big Three, was really complicated. She preferred to focus on it from the human side, rather than the mixed-up relationships of the gods.

"Yeah, that's true," he said, looking over at her and then out into whatever distance she was staring off into this time. "Although the recognition - that's going to be pretty great too." Because what better way to reel cute guys in than to go on some awesome quest and have it be a success.

"Yeah," JC conceded. "I mean, you're not wrong." She stretched out on the piece of glass, which wasn't particularly comfortable but was better than getting all sandy. The cool water lapped at her toes. Hours passed by, and as the sun sank lower on the horizon, pink streaks began to appear in the sky. "We should probably go to dinner," she told Asher. "I'm hungry."

He nodded, looking over at her and standing up, regretting sitting in the sand now as he brushed it off of himself distastefully. "I'm hungry too," he agreed, looking down at her.

JC linked her arm through Asher's once more, heading towards the dining hall. She, as usual, would be dining alone at the Zeus table. Being a child of the Big Three had its perks, but when it came to mealtime, it could be awfully lonely. "Let's eat."