PROLUGUE
Nova POV:
My name is Nova- and the campers weren't exactly happy about my presence.
"Who the hades are you?" One person yelled in surprise.
"Holy Hera!" One camper yelled, before running, screaming in spanish, away from us. Quite interesting really.
"Dear Chaos, were we really this bad?" I mentioned to Tarum, my second in command for this mission(the original three were on a different planet helping out).
"I don't think so... But then again, black hooded people never appeared out of thin air while we were eating." He replied.
"Good point. But we portaled in- you know that." I added, and he nodded, considering it.
"Yes. I know that. And you know that. But the point is that THEY don't." He countered, before shooting a glance at the campers who had finally managed to find some weapons and Armor.
"You know, if we wanted, we already could have killed each and every one of you. You are quite lucky that we only wanted to test how quickly you could be ready. Please be more ready in the future. Tarum, Mirra. A portal please?" I called, and they summoned one.
"Mount Olympus, Empire State Building, 600th floor." I called, and we disappeared in a swirl of black.
CHAPTER I
Chaos, the creator of the universe, had a son. Not a creation, like Gaea or the other Primordials, but a true son- just his(or hers, as the case was.). This boy- who he named Nova after the Galaxies he had created. Nova helped Chaos, many times using his powers to create new beings, and places. But over time, he slowly began to lose touch with his humanity- the things that made him good and kind. Chaos, fearing for his son, stole nearly all of his powers, and sent him to earth as a son of Poseidon, with no memories of what- or who- he was. In his 16th year, the goddess Hera stole his memories, and in a desperate gamble, he drank the blood of one of the gorgons, returning not just the memories stolen from Hera, but the ones his father had take as well. He could have left, then. But he had made connections, and fallen in love with one of the planet's inhabitants. So he stayed, to protect them.
In the final battle, His lover was killed. Annabeth Chase. Unable to bear the loss, he returned home to beg his father to bring her back, but it was her time, and she was at peace.
He returned once more to earth, to say goodbye to the mother who had raised him during his earth life, and to explain where he was going, as well as giving her the gift of Immortality, as well as her husband, thanking her for everything. Because she had loved him- and love was not something easily dismissed.
As he left, he told her three things- One) I will return, my face hidden, but you will know me. Two) If you ever need help, call for me and I will come. And three) whatever comes, you will know that good shall win, because I am not there. When I arrive, only then, is there cause for worry. And so she was content.
Nova POV:
The army had grown in my absence- I knew that much. Before, my Angels had had only 4 members- Anita StarShade from planet Xercon, Theseus From earth, Perseus(for whom, ironically, I had been given my earth name)- also from earth, and me. The best of the best. And now there were at least ten of us, from what I could see.
I was watching from the shadows, waiting to see who would notice my presence first- and to my surprise, it was one of the new recruits who first picked it up, signaling the others that they were being watched, and where I was. Then, in the guise of teaching a new move, they all snuck a glance at me, before Perseus changed the drill- they would be doing target practice. I watched for several hours, waiting for the arrow that would come in my direction- it was fired by the girl who had first noticed me. Most would write it off as a near miss, but I knew my archers- they didn't miss. I caught the arrow as it sped off to my left, without moving the rest of my body. They tried again once more, And once again I caught the arrow- the second was also from the girl who had seen me first earlier. Sloppy. After ten more minutes, they took a break, and after they had relaxed, I stated,
"You know, you should never let down your guard, especially not if you think someone else might be in the room." I added, before jumping down from my perch and onto the training floor.
"Hey, Commander. How was your time... Away?" Perseus asked, and I stared at him blankly.
"It was... Interesting." I said, and then turned yo the girl, "I believe these are yours?" I asked, handing her arrows to her. She nodded slowly, before apologizing,
"Sorry for shooting at you- I didn't know it was you, sir." She said, staring at the ground.
"Don't be. In fact, I'm proud of you. It's not often that a new recruit is the first to spot me. You should be proud." I replied, and she looked happier.
"Thank you, sir." She replied, with a happy tone.
"It's just Nova, for all of you. I believe that friendship is essential when you're fighting together; otherwise we just fight because we were told to." I said, and they nodded. "So, are you going to introduce yourselves?" I questioned, and the girl I had spoken to before stepped forward.
"My name is Bianca- Bianca Di Angelo. I'm from earth." She said, taking down her hood.
"Ethan Nakamura- Earth." The boy next to her said, pulling down his hood. I was starting to get a bad feeling about this.
"I'm Si-". The next girl in line started, but I cut her off.
"Silena Boeragaurd, daughter of Aphrodite. Died in the battle of Manhattan, fighting the drakon. In the past, you were dating Charles Beckendorf, who died exploding the ship Princess Andromeda." I said, observing everyone else.
"You're Charles Beckendorf," I said, pointing to the person next to her, who had shifted slightly. Now there was just one girl left, and I had a fairly good idea who she was. "Zoe nightshade, former hunter of Artemis." I said, pointing at her.
"Luke Castellan, host of Kronos who sacrificed himself to save the world." I pointed at another boy.
"But you two- I have no idea who you are." I said, and the two I pointed at stared right back.
"Daedalus. I built-". He started, and then I cut him off.
"The labyrinth. You've been alive for so long, I'm surprised Hades let you back up." I said, and he shrugged. I looked towards the final person, who stared right back.
"I would prefer to remain Anonymous as of right now, until I earn all of your trust." He said, and I considered it. It was fair- if he wanted to be trusted, I wouldn't blame him. Some of the people I had trained had not had very good pasts.
"Well, this is certainly going to be an interesting year. Eventually, must of you will learn my identity, and you will probably recognize me. For now, Please just Nova, or of we're on missions, sir or commander will do." I finished, before turning to Perseus.
"Now, where exactly is Alex?" I questioned, and he shrugged.
"Probably out back, waiting for you to come home. That's where she usually is." He added, and I nodded slowly, before running off, not caring that the new recruits were staring at me as if I were an alien. Which, technically, I am.
Alex was out back, just like he had said. She was sitting there, under one of the Cherry trees-which were in full bloom, by the way- reading a book. So, naturally, I walked up and poked her.
"Nova? Nova!" She yelled, before standing, and tackling me in the largest hug ever.
"Hey, Alex! I missed you!" I replied, continuing to her her.
"I missed you too!" She replied, before holding out her left hand- the hand closest to her heart. I held mine out as well, and when we touched, there was a blinding flash of light, and I felt her consciousness in the back of my mind- something I had unknowingly missed for 16 years.
'Yeah, well, I knowingly missed it, so you don't get to say anything.' She thought back to me, and I internally shrugged- she was right.
Let me explain-ever since I was born, Alex and I were bonded- meaning that we were literally a part of each-other. Opposites, that balance each other out. I'm sarcastic, she's serious... And so on. But over the years, our personalities have changed, and we're more like twins now, than anything else. Oh, yeah, and did I mention that Alex is a dragon? Which means that as long as we stay bonded, we can access each other's powers. As a dragon, she can shape shift, breath fire and ice, and is the Dragon Mistress. It's all very, very cool.
Being bonded is more than just a physical mark, it's a mental connection- literally a melding of our souls. So being without her for these years has felt like... Well, it's felt like I was missing a part of myself. And now I feel whole again- or, almost whole. I had made friends on earth, and I wasn't going to lose that so easily. But then, in that moment, I was perfectly content.
Weeks passed, and then months, which turned into a year. After one year of training, hard work, and missions, it was time for the new recruits to meet my father.
We took one year to judge any possible recruits, and at the end of that year, everyone who is deemed worthy gets to meet my father, and then they are made immortal- it's an immortality similar to that of the hunters. And as of right now, all of them were ready- though the hooded person had still refused to remove his hood. But I didn't exactly care, he had saved my life when he could have run and saved himself, so I trust him. And my trust is not easy to obtain. So there we were, marching off to see my dad- oh yes, this was going to be interesting.
Zoë POV:
I'll admit, I was nervous. I had dealt with many immortal beings before, and most of them were not very nice. And now, with CHAOS, the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, I was a little nervous that he'd be the same. Nervous that if I got something wrong, I might be blasted into a million pieces.
So I followed Nova into the throne room, and put on a fake smile. Nova turned to glance back at me- probably sensing my emotions- and then turned just in time to open a door.
To my surprise, the throne room was not a throne room- it was an office- with a desk, and a lamp, and also several swords on the wall. Ok, so more of a military office. And it was empty. Percy ushered us all back out, snapped his fingers, and this time, the room was similar to a conference room- two thrones on the side, and chairs for the rest of us. Nova took a seat on the far side of the table- one of the thrones- and the rest of us sat in the chairs. About a minute later, an eight- year old girl with black hair and black eyes with specks of silver skipped in, giggling.
"Oooh! Look, you're nervous! How fun!" She giggled, before clapping her hands. "What fun, what fun!" She mused, before running up to Nova- who had stood up- and tackling him in a hug.
"Missed you!" She squealed, before proceeding to skip around in circles until she set her sights on the throne at the end of the table. We tried to stop her, while Percy simply watched as she hopped up onto the throne and sat, before transforming into a twenty year old man. We all stood there, frozen,
"Oh yes, I do believe that you all will do nicely. Nova, have they passed, do you think?" He asked, and Nova nodded.
"Alrighty then. I, Chaos, formally accept these recruits into the Angels of Light, and declare them worthy." He stated, and suddenly I felt tingly all over, like my whole body had fallen asleep. And then the pins and needles started, and I was barely able to resist the urge to get up and hop.
Finally, it was over. I looked at the others, who were all now standing up, and I realized that I was too. And then I noticed an abnormal weight at the back of my spine. I was about to investigate, but nova stopped me.
"Here, put this on." He said, handing me armor that was silver, with designs of the stars, and the moon. I snapped my fingers, and I was wearing the armor- it was very light, and breathable. Then, I pushed out the weight at my back, and found I had wings, coming out from my back. I flapped them once- before thinking of them retracting into my back.
"Hey, Nova, do you have wings?" I questioned, and he nodded.
"I do. But mine are different- I've had them since I was born." He said, and then a pair of large, black wings shot out from his back. Despite the fact that they were black, they glowed with a silvery energy, and had silver dots covering them. At a closer look, I realized they were stars- his wings were made of the night sky.
He gave us a few moments to figure things out, before saying that we would need names for missions- so that others don't hurt our families.
And so Luke became Tarum, I was Kira, Ethan was Raven, Bianca became Cara, Silena was Silver, Daedelus was Trey, and Beckendorf became Raze. And X- the name we had taken to calling the man who wouldn't reveal himself- became Xavier. We stayed for a while, before heading off to our separate rooms.
Artemis POV:
That night, I was hunting. Hunting, and thinking of my problems- Percy Jackson had disappeared. And I had been tasked with finding him. So, I was hunting- just like I normally do- when suddenly, a black arrow shot out of nowhere, killing the deer I had been tracking for hours. I immediately pinpointed the location, and rushed after the person who had stolen my kill. It took a while- but it was my dream, I couldn't lose.
I tackled them, pinned them to the ground, and ripped off the hood he was wearing. To my surprise, I found myself staring into the slightly darker sea- green eyes of Perseus Jackson.
"Percy? What are you doing in my dream?" I asked in surprise, and he stared for a moment, blinking.
"Artemis? What do you mean- I just wanted some practice, while I was asleep."
"Humph. Well, I suppose we'll have to give you some- I could use the practice too. By the way, how are you alive?" I questioned, and he shrugged. I know, I know. Usually I would kill- or at least hurt- him, but I owed him- he had saved my life.
"Meh- my dad. He only sent me-" he started, and then stood up. "Someone or something is watching us." We got into a fighting stance, back to back, and were staring into the distance, waiting, when two hell- hounds burst out from the trees. We handled them easily, and then leaned up against two trees, facing each Other.
"Hey Percy?" I asked, and he made a 'go on' gesture. "You said your dad saved you- but your Dad's Poseidon, and you disappeared into what looked like a black hole." I stated, and he nodded.
"Well... Not exactly a black hole. But that's not far off. Anyways, you can't tell anyone else what I'm about to tell you, ok?" He asked, and I nodded- I owed him that much.
"Ok... So, for starters, my dad isn't Poseidon. My real father is Chaos, and I was born before any of the Primordials even existed- and unlike them, I truly was born. Chaos isn't like other beings- originally she was a female, but others saw her as a male, so she changed. But when she had me, she was my mother. I've never had a father- I was a pure child of Chaos. A few years ago, my mother saw that I had lost touch with my humanity, and sent me to earth as the one you know as Percy Jackson. During my quest, I drank some gorgon blood, restoring not only the memories that Hera stole, but those my father took as well. During the final battle, when Annabeth died, I called for him, and he brought me home." He explained, and I stared for a moment, glad that I hadn't turned him into a Jackalope.
"Wow. So, that makes you..." I trailed off, not wanting to say it.
"Yeah. Heir to the Universe. Usually my dad makes me wear a crown, but this is my- our?- dream, so he can't make me." He said glumly, before adopting a more taunting tone. He certainly was different- and it was something I admired. Suddenly, there was a loud pop, and Percy was wearing a crown as well as ceremonial armor, which he promptly attempted to remove. I laughed, and he glared at me, before laughing as well. It was almost morning, and we had spent the night talking, and laughing- something I hadn't done in a very long time.
"Hey Percy?" I asked, quietly.
"Hmm?" He asked, staring at the fire we had built.
"Do you think we could do this again? I- I had fun, and I would like to continue this... Friendship." I said, and he looked up.
"Friends? But I thought the great goddess Artemis wasn't supposed to have male friends?" He mocked, and I shrugged.
"Yeah, well... I don't really care." I said, and realized it was true- I would break all of the rules to stay friends with him- because he made me happy, I realized, and smiled.
"Ok. Ok, I'll keep visiting you." He said, and I felt myself being pulled back awake. "See you tomorrow, Moony." He said, and it was the last thing I heard, before I opened my eyes.
On Earth, for the first time in a thousand years, Artemis woke up with a smile on her face- the first of many times this would occur in the coming years. And the whole world knew- because this was the biggest and brightest moon that the world had seen in a long, long time. And it would stay that way for a good, long, time.
Earth, Two days later
Thalia
Artemis was happy, and the hunters and I all knew it. She had been smiling a lot more, and after the past few weeks of her being depressed, it was easily noticeable. Not only that, but she had been sleeping a lot more-maybe someone had been visiting her in her sleep? No, that was ridiculous. Either way, I intended to ask her about it. I walked up to her tent and knocked, waiting for her to reply.
"Come in!" She called, and I entered. "Lady Artemis, the girls and I have been noticing something strange- you've been sleeping a lot more, and you have been smiling for no apparent reason. We were wondering if something was wrong?" I asked, getting straight to the point.
"No, Thalia. I'm sorry, it's just that I heard that Heracles was going to be demoted- and you know how much I hate him." She said, and I nodded. It certainly was realistic, she hated Heracles because of Zoë. I nodded, and exited the tent, going off to tell the other girls.
10 years later, Dream.
Percy
"Hey Artemis?" I asked, and she looked at me. "Do you want to go on an adventure?" I asked, and she looked at me out of the corner of her eye.
"Ok. Fine. But this had better not be a trick, Percy Jackson!" She threatened, and I laughed, grabbed her hand, and changed the scenery around us.
"Percy, where-?" She asked, and then was cut off.
"We're on the planet Arleta, one f the very first I created." I said, and she kept looking around. I had to admit, it was beautiful. The sky was brilliant red-orange, the color of sunset, and the water a sparkling grey. The sand and dirt were darker than Earth's, giving the whole place a volcano- like feel. The buildings were all made from Diamond and glass, and they shone like ice.
"It's beautiful." She said, and I nodded.
"Thank- you. Hey, you have to try this!" I said, walking up to a fruit stand, and paying for one of the imar fruits that were for sale there- a delicious hybrid of an orange and peach.
"For the lady." I said, presenting her with the fruit.
"Thank-you, kind sir." She replied, blushing, and bit into the fruit, letting out an involuntary moan of pleasure. "Oh my gods, this is amazing!" She whispered, before asking, "what is it?"
"It's an orange- peach hybrid, adapted to grow in the soil here. One tree can take a lifetime to grow, and usually it's nearly impossible to get one." I explained.
"Wow! You didn't have to-" she started to say, but I stopped her.
"I know. But I wanted to." I said, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"And who says chivalry is dead?" She asked, before leaning in to give me a light kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Percy." She said, with a small smile.
"You're welcome. And to answer you, it's you who says that." I stated, before running off.
"Wait a min- HEY!" She yelled, and began chasing after me.
When she finally caught me, we were on the beach, and she tackled me, just like the first time, pinning me with her legs. But this time, I was prepared. My wings shot out of my back, and I used them to flip over, so that I had HER pinned. She stared at me for a moment, shocked, before looking at my wings.
"They're beautiful." She said, running her fingers over my feathers.
"Not as beautiful as you." I returned, causing her to blush.
"Hey Artemis?" I asked, sure I would regret it.
"Hmm?"
"I'm going to kiss you now." I whispered, and she nodded.
"Ok." I leaned down, first just brushing my lips to hers, making sure she had an out, before deepening the kiss. My heart was on fire, and in that moment, we were perfect as one.
I pulled away, gasping for breath, and rolled to the side so that we were laying side by side, my left wing wrapped around her.
"Hey Artemis?" I asked, and she turned to look at me.
"You know I love you, right?" I asked, and she nodded.
"I know." And she did.
The next time they saw each other, Percy brought a single rose, intending to ask her officially to be his girlfriend. She said yes.
Planet Khaos, one week later.
Nova
"Nova, lord Chaos wants to see you." Sounded over the loudspeaker, and I got up from my book and headed over to my fathers office. To my surprise, the place was in the form of a living room, and Chaos was in the form of a female- that meant that they were going to be having a family chat- and I had a fairly good idea of what the topic was going to be.
"Hi, mom." I said, sitting down across from her.
"Nova. How long did you think you were going to hide her from me?" She questioned, and I hung my head.
"I wasn't hiding- I was just not telling." I defended, and then realized that it was much the same thing.
"Exactly. I know she's from earth." My mother added, and I nodded.
"Yeah. When we go on our next mission, you'll have to meet her." I said, and she nodded. Sadly, that mission was not to be for many years.
50 years later
Zeus
Things here were not going well. We faced an unknown Enemy, and our prophecy is about as clear as mud. The one thing I knew was that we would need help. So, I was going to Chaos. Or rather, he was coming to me- he didn't usually let outsiders on his planet.
"Lord Chaos!" I exclaimed, bowing as he appeared.
"Ok. I have to make this quick, but I'll send my son and his army to help you. They should arrive this Saturday during your meeting. Ok? Ok." He stated, and then disappeared through a black hole. It seemed slightly familiar, but I shook it off, and went back to what I had been doing before.
One night later, dream.
Percy
I was going to tell her today, that I would be going to earth. That we would get to see each other for real. I would.
I snuck up behind her, placing my hands over her eyes. "Guess who?" I asked, making my voice sound like a girls.
"Percy!" She yelled, throwing my hands off her eyes and turning around.
"I have a surprise for you." I said, catching her interest.
"Oh really? Is this the kind of surprise where one of us might get hurt?" She asked, and I shrugged.
"Probably not. I mean, it's possible that this could spark a series of unforeseeable events leading to one of our untimely deaths, but I really doubt it." I said, and she grinned.
"Good enough for me. What is is?" She asked, hopping slightly in anticipation.
"I'm coming back to earth. It's in a few weeks, and I'm bringing the whole squad!" I stated, and she stared at me.
"Really?"
"Really." I said, and she let out a squeal, before running up and hugging me.
"Oh my gods! It'll be so nice to meet you, and all of the people you always talk about. When are you coming?" She questioned.
"We should get there Saturday during the council meeting. But that does mean that you will have to call me Nova." I added, and she nodded.
"I know."
Nova, loading dock.
Ok, let's get this straight. We did mean to go to Olympus. It just didn't happen that way. Instead, we landed right in the middle of the dining pavilion. It was lunchtime.
"Who the hades are you?" One person yelled in surprise.
"Holy Hera!" One camper yelled, before running, screaming in spanish, away from us. Quite interesting really.
"Dear Chaos, were we really this bad?" I mentioned to Tarum(Luke), my second in command for this mission(the original three were on a different planet helping out).
"I don't think so... But then again, black hooded people never appeared out of thin air while we were eating." He replied.
"Good point. But we portaled in- you know that." I added, and he nodded, considering it.
"Yes. I know that. And you know that. But the point is that THEY don't." He countered, before shooting a glance at the campers who had finally managed to find some weapons and Armor.
"You know, if we wanted, we already could have killed each and every one of you. You are quite lucky that we only wanted to test how quickly you could be ready. Please be more ready in the future. Tarum, Silver. A portal please?" I called, and they summoned one.
"Mount Olympus, Empire State Building, 600th floor." I called, and we disappeared in a swirl of black.
The throne room was just as I remembered it. Big and grand, and filled with people who didn't care, but were pretending like they did.
"Now, with the upcoming quest, everything will be different- this is a god-level quest, and so only we and the immortal demigods will be allowed to participate. Also, if there is anything else you would like to bring up..." Zeus said, trailing off, and just as Athena opened her mouth to speak, Artemis stood up, staring at the side of the hall where we were standing.
"Perhaps we should greet our guests?" She said, gesturing towards us.
"Aww, you're no fun. I wanted to see how long it would take them to notice." I said, with a fake pout that nobody but Artemis could see(the hoods are enchanted so that only someone who knew your identity could see your face). Nearly all of the Olympians jumped at the sound of my voice, and I nearly laughed out loud.
"Hi, I'm Nova. I believe my father told you I was coming?" I asked, and Zeus nodded. "Great. Well, I believe in efficiency, so I will introduce myself fully at camp, as well as the rest of the Warriors. If you want to watch, please do so. We will be sleeping in the chaos cabin, and none of you or the campers can enter. Yes, that's everything." I finished, silently telling Artemis to meet me in the Chaos cabin- which I would create on arrival- after we introduced ourselves.
"Yes, that's it. We'll be at camp, if you need us, it'll be the big silver and black building that isn't the Hades cabin." I added, just in case, before creating a portal to camp. This time, we did not land in the dining hall. We landed by the campfire, which was where all of the campers were. And this time, they were ready.
"Ok, ok. I think we established from last time that we aren't going to kill you, so let's put down the weapons, yeah?" I asked, watching. A camper to the right gave the signal, and all weapons were lowered. "Ok. Now that that's over with, why don't you come up here. We're not going to hurt you." I said, motioning to the boy who had signaled to the other demigods. He walked over, and I nodded.
"Well, what's your name? Might as well get to know the current leader, yeah?" I asked, holding my hand out to shake.
"Jack, Jack Dúvin. Son of Mars." He said, and I nodded, processing that information.
"Nice to met you. If you wouldn't mind, what is a roman demigod doing in a Greek- or former Greek camp?" I questioned, and he smiled, not taking offense.
"The camps work together now, and anyone can choose where they want to stay. I've found myself better suited to this life style." He replied, and I noticed that the last of the Olympians had flashed in.
"Excuse me, but I believe that we're all wondering who you are, exactly." Chiron said, and I bit my lip. No time like the present.
"I apologize, I was simply waiting for our guests to arrive. Anyways, my name is Nova Void, first and only son of chaos, and leader of the Fallen Angels. Very nice to meet all of you." I finished, and Luke stepped up.
"Hi, I'm Tarum, second in command."
"And I'm Kira, 3rd in command." Zoë added, and then the rest of my soldiers introduced themselves.
"Yes, ok. Nice to meet you, there is a war coming, we don't know who it's against... Yes, that's everything." I finished, quickly walking away before the campers realized what I said. I walked until I found a clear spot that would serve our purposes- large enough for me to put in a cabin with a defensive wall, and cannons on the roof. Yes, I said cannons- magic ones that automatically reloaded.
I finished my plans- the couples would share rooms, and everyone else would have a separate room- the cabin was bigger on the inside. I snapped my fingers, creating it- practical, easily defendable, and with enough space for us to happily live in event of a siege. I would not be taking any chances- I had once been stuck in the Poseidon cabin for- never mind, not important. There was an armory, kitchen, living room, training area, and a library. I went to the training room- mostly because there was a pool. That was one thing I had missed about earth- the BLUE water. There was nothing blue about Khaos- black, and green, and silver, yes. But not blue- only the gemstones were blue, and one couldn't eat or swim in gemstones- and yes, this was by experience. Sapphires? They did not taste nice(but this was, of course, all due to a dare).
And so he sat, at the edge of the pool, with his feet in the water, wishing that he dared to touch the ocean. But at the same time, afraid, at what consequences such a small act could bring.
Artemis
I stood outside the cabin, slightly nervous. Then I shook it off- this was Percy. I grasped the doorknob, twisted, and pushed open the door. To my relief, I wasn't incinerated. I entered the cabin, walking through several rooms- a kitchen, a library filled with fish swimming through the air, and a room that appeared to have a black hole in the center.
I the fourth room, I actually found one of the Soldiers- it was the living room, and they were reading a book in some language that I had no hope of reading.
"Um, excuse me?" I asked, and the girl- who I now recognized as Kira, Percy's third in command- nodded for me to continue. "Do you know where Nova is? He's expecting me." I stated, and she looked up from her book.
"Artemis? What-" she started, before stoping herself and starting again. "I guess he hasn't vaporized you for being in here, so you must be ok. Alright, he's probably in the training room. Yup, ok." She said, as if her statement had been confirmed. She led me up a flight of stairs, down a hallway, and through the third doorway on the left.
"He's in there, make sure you knock before entering." She said, and then quickly left, giving me one last sidelong glance. I thanked her, and then knocked on the door.
"Come in!" He called, and I opened the door.
"Hi, Percy." I said, closing the door and stepping inside. He turned around, and a smile lit up his face.
"Artemis!" He grinned, stood up, and turned to face me. "I missed you." He said, enveloping me in a large hug.
"I missed you too." I mumbled, slightly uncomfortable with touching him in real life. In our dreams, it was like- well, like a dream. "Until I saw you today, I was almost afraid that I had just imagined you." I whispered, and he gave a small smile.
"I'm real. I'm real, and I'm not going anywhere." He whispered, his hand on my cheek. We both leaned in, and just as our lips met, the door crashed open. We both pulled apart, but the soldier had obviously already seen.
"You know what, I'm not even going to ask. Anyways, commander, your Father is in the living room." The soldier said, before turning and marching out of the room., both of us staring after him.
"Well, I'm dead." He said, before rushing off, me following behind him.
"Wait, Nova- what's going on?" I called after him, and he turned while continuing to run.
"That was Xander. Xander is bonded with Tarum- like am empathy link, but stronger." He added, obviously sensing my confusion. "Then Tarum will tell Kira, and Kira will definitely tell Silver. And silver- well, everyone will learn within a few minutes. Hours, if we're lucky. Plus, Kira will hate me- you used to know her. So if you don't want anything bad to happen, we need to find Tarum and swear him to secrecy." He said, and headed off again. I sped up, and we rushed into the living room to find Tarum talking with Kora, with their hoods up.
"Yup, ok, let's go. By the way, hi, Kira. Haven't seen you in awhile." He said, continuing to pull Tarum out of the room.
"But why-" Tarum began, but was cut off as the door slammed.
"Ok. We need you to swear that you won't tell Kira. Or anyone else." He stated, adding the last stipulation in just in case.
"What- OOOOH." Tarum aid, trailing off with a knowing smirk.
"Yeah. Now, are you going to tell anyone?" Percy asked again, an unspoken threat in his voice.
"Fine, I won't tell. But... Wait. Minute, you're Artemis! Also, how do you know that Xander won't tell?" He asked, and I could see Nova considering it.
"Because I know his identity. And yes, this is Artemis, who I'm sure would love to turn you into a jackalope. And I'm not entirely sure I would stop her." He let that threat hang for a moment, before adding, "And I know Xander's identity. He wouldn't tell anyone, for fear of it getting out. Especially on earth." He said, and I gave him a strange look. Targum looked slightly scandalized, before asking,
"How do you know his identity? We're bonded, and I don't even know!" Percy shrugged, before releasing his hold on Tarum.
"Doesn't matter. Now, get in there, and tell her that you're sorry for being an idiot." He said, shoving Tarum out the door.
"Hey Nova?" I questioned, and he turned to look at me. "What did he mean, when he said he and Xander are bonded?"
Percy POV
"Hey Nova?" Artemis questioned, and I turned, hoping she wasn't going to ask what I thought. "What did he mean, when he said he and Xander are bonded?" Yup, she asked it. I sighed, turning towards the door.
"Come on. I'll show you." I said, leading her out of the room, down the hall, and into my personal training room. "Ok. Just... Give me a moment." I said, focusing on what I wanted the room to become. I sat down in the middle of it, eyes closed, breathing slowly, and focusing on Alex. See, she usually just takes up a small part of the back of my mind, but if I call her forward, she can take over, or transfer into her own form.
I focussed, calling her up, and pushing her consciousness out of me, like I had done so many times before. I heard a gasp, and opened my eyes to see Artemis staring at Alex.
"Artemis, I'd like you to meet Alex, my bond." I introduced, and her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Hi, you must be Artemis. My name's Alexa, but you can call me Alex. Honestly, the name Alexa is such a girly name- who in their right mind would name a dragon Alexa? Anyways, it's nice to finally meet you Percy's girlfriend!" She said, and I could tell Artemis was slightly overwhelmed by Alex's fast way of speaking.
"Alex..." I warned, and she looked down.
"Right, sorry. I get carried away sometimes. It's just that I've been waiting ages to finally meet you." She apologized, and Artemis blinked.
"Wait... You said Dragon?" She questioned slowly.
"Yup! I'm the only elemental dragon. Nova and I were paired at birth, meaning that we're more like twins than anything. If I took my hood off, you would see that I'm like a female version of him." She explained, without missing a beat.
"Right... But you still haven't explained what bonding is." She reminded me, and I started off.
"Right. Being bonded is a ceremony that two people go through. It can either be because you have a past history, or you are paired from birth, like we were. The only stipulations are that both members have to consent, both have to be of equal power- so that one doesn't dominate the other-, and bonded members can't date." I explained.
"Basically, being bonded is a commitment of extreme loyalty- you both protect one-another with your lives. As a bonus, you each share each other's powers, meaning I can use the power of creation, though it nearly destroys me." Alex added in.
"Anyways, it means that we can share a form- Alex usually stays in the back of my mind- and when we are separated, we can speak to each other in our minds. Not only that, but because we bonded at such a young age, our personalities also blended- meaning we are like two halves of one whole." I finished, and I could see the wheels of her mind turning.
"Actually, it's kind of similar to our marriage systems. Except the oath is different, and you can't share forms. But the bond is quite similar." She added, with a wink in my direction, which I pointedly ignored.
Artemis narrowed her eyes, before shrugging, dismissing the comment. "Ok, Alex, let's go." I said, and she pretended to pout, before disappearing in a flash of light.
"That was... Interesting." Artemis remarked, continuing to stare at where Alex had last stood.
"You're not mad?" I questioned, knowing that it was definitely a possibility.
"Mad that you kept the fact that you had a second person living inside your head, and that she is basically your twin, and also a dragon?" She questioned, and my heart sank slightly. "No, I'm not mad. However, before the whole kissing fiasco, your father said he wanted to meet you. And because I'm here, that means I get to meet him too." She replied, smirking. I paled, before heading off to find my father. Might as well get the worst over with, right?
3rd person POV:
The walk to the living room wasn't that long, and it felt even shorter than usual for Nova. Taking your girlfriend, who had just met your bond, to meet your dad wasn't exactly anyone's cup of tea. And the fact that your dad had created the universe? Yeah, that didn't exactly help either.
Nova walked up to the door, and knocked on it, before letting himself in, and motioning for Artemis to follow. Chaos was sitting in the middle of the living room, reading one of the books that had been set on the end table.
"That's your dad?" Artemis whispered, surprised at his casual appearance- he looked exactly like a regular dad; sure, the clothes were slightly off, and he had a golden circlet on his head, but otherwise he looked completely normal.
"Ahh, Nova! And I see you've brought a friend. You must be Artemis!" Chaos said, while setting the book down on the end table. "It is nice to finally meet you." He added, walking over and shaking Artemis' hand.
"It is nice to meet you as well, Lord Chaos." She replied, giving a formal bow.
"None of that, none of that. We are nothing like those pesky gods of yours that insist on all those terrible formalities. No, you may call me Chaos, or if you want, Dad. I have a feeling that my son will make it official soon, anyways." Chaos replied, causing both Nova and Artemis to blush a deep red.
"Dad? I know you meant to meet Artemis, but I was going to take her to Khaos to meet you. So, why exactly are you here?" Percy questioned, blunt as ever.
"Perceptive. Very well, with some of the larger monsters that my brother has released into the world, It has come to my attention that the hunters need a guardian. I'm appointing you." Chaos stated, grinning, while Percy paled.
"But they'll kill me! Why don't you make Kira or Cara do it? You know they-" Nova started, before cutting off. "Never mind. I think I'll fit in just fine." He added with a smirk. "Well, I'd better get packing." He said, and left, Artemis trailing behind.
"What were you thinking, Nova? You know my hunters will kill you without a second thought." Artemis yelled, the moment they reached his room.
"I know. That's why I won't be going as me." He replied, snapping his fingers, and changed into a girl version of himself. He looked in the mirror and frowned- even as a girl, he still greatly resembled Percy Jackson. Concentrating, he snapped his fingers again, rearranging his features slightly- adding fiery orange streaks to his hair that actually moved and flickered, as well as changing his eyes to a stormy color, with lightning flashing through the irises.
"See? I won't be me- I'll be Alex." He said happily, before blinking, and then walking up to Artemis. "Hi, I'm Alexa, but you can call me Alex. It's great to meet you!" He squealed, in his best impersonation of Alex, causing Artemis to burst out laughing.
"M...maybe you sh...should just act like you... Yourself." She managed to choke out, while he just stared at her flatly.
"Fine. But I thought my impression was splendid." He replied, and continued to pack all essential items- as well as some girl's clothes that he conjured up- into a small pocket dimension bag. He made one final check, before closing the pouch, and tying it around his neck, to form a loose necklace.
"Let's go..." He said, trailing off. This time, Artemis took the lead, heading directly towards the front door. They were stopped only once by a soldier, but once they recognized Nova, they were quickly allowed past.
If any of the hunters were surprised to see Artemis entering camp, followed by a new girl, none of them showed it. The thing they did show surprise at, however, was the new girl's lack of personal belongings, and forward attitude. For example:
Thalia Grace was minding her own business, when Artemis strode into camp, followed by a tall girl, with stormy eyes, and fiery hair. She lead the girl up to Thalia, and introduced her.
"Hi. I'm Alexa, but I go by Alex. I'm part of the Army of Chaos, and I'm also a dragon. I'm here to guard the hunt." She said, simply shaking hands with Thalia.
"Welcome. I'm Thalia Grace, Luitenant." Thalia replied, before going back to her shooting.
"If you move your left foot forwards a little, you'll hit the bullseye in the exact center." Alex added, after studying Thalia for a few moments. Thalia changed her position slightly, and sure enough, she immediately hit the exact center of the target.
"Thanks, Al-" Thalia started, turning, only to find that the other girl had disappeared.
For the hunters, dinner tended to be a fairly casual affair- Artemis would make a few announcements, they would eat and talk about the day, and then head off for an hour or so of leisure time. This dinner was expected to be exactly the same.
"Ladies, please sit." Artemis began. "Today, I have a very interesting new announcement. Today, one of the Chaos soldiers was elected to become a guardian of sorts to us. Her name is Alex, and I expect you to treat her with the utmost respect." She announced, pointing out Alex. There was some whispering, but for the most part, everyone was silent. "That is all I have for today, so let's dig in." She finished, and everyone grabbed their food, but without the usual hubbub of conversation.
"Wow, the hunters camp is really different than I imagined. It's a lot more... Relaxed." Alex said, smiling around at the other girls. Everyone laughed lightly, and The usual conversations about who did what started back up.
Eventually, when everyone had finished, a few girls cleared the table, and everyone left for their free time. Alex, naturally, stayed with Artemis.
"You know, it's nice being around normal people again." Alex said, causing Artemis to look at her curiously. "On planet Khaos, everyone is always bowing, or hiding, or whatever, but they never are just... Normal, you know?" She asked, sighing wistfully. "But I suppose that's one of the downsides of being royalty."
In an attempt to cheer 'Alex' up, Artemis said, "you know what we haven't done in a while?" 'Alex' looked at her, a question written across her features, before shrugging. "We haven't had a competition!" Artemis replied,and Alex grinned.
"Oh, you are so on. You'd just better hope that none of your hunters are there to see you get schooled." Alex replied with a smirk.
"Oh, I don't know. I think it might add to the stakes." Artemis replied, and Alex nodded slowly.
"The usual standards, then?" She asked, referring to their usual deal- the looser had to buy the other lunch.
"Of course. I'll make the arena."
"And I'll call my hunters."
The arena was set up in the forest, and had walls surrounding it. There were bleachers on either side for the hunters, and it was filled with various traps and hazards. To keep things fair, the arena was always the same- nobody had more knowledge than the other.
Percy and Artemis were on opposite sides of the Arena, each with a bow, as well as their primary weapon- hunting knives for Artemis, and a sword for Alex. There were no rules- they were immortal, and if they were injured, all Alex had to do was heal them.
The fight started when one of the hunters blew the horn. Immediately, the two of them raced to the center of the arena- attempting to use the momentum to overpower the other. They met in a clash of bronze, Artemis needing all of her strength to repel Alex's attack.
"What the Hades! It usually doesn't take this much to repel you!" Artemis shouted.
"You mustn't forget that I'm Alex- and you know what that means." She said, grinning maliciously, before disengaging. Artemis paled- usually she simply fought Perseus, but Alex was a dragon- and had the strength of one. Alex jabbed, and Artemis deflected it to the side, instead of catching the sword at the hilt, as she usually would. Alex stumbled forwards slightly, unused to the strength of a dragon, giving Artemis the chance to spring around behind him, and attempted to stab Alex's back. Alex spun around, intercepted the blade, and took a step back, before springing forwards, and delivering a powerful kick to Artemis' chest. She fell backwards, and dropped one knife in order to stop her fall- only immense training prevented her from dropping the second. Alex kicked the knife out of the Arena, and, drawing her bow, proceeded to shoot one of the buttons that activated the trap, right where Artemis had fallen. She stumbled, and barely made it out of the way, before the fire flared, singing her clothes. While she was dazed, Alex quickly disarmed her, and pinned her to the ground, using her legs to keep Artemis stuck.
"Do you surrender?" Alex questioned, and Artemis sighed.
"Fine. But I won't buy you anything- my hunters seeing me lose was enough." She commented, and Alex helped her up, while making the arena disappear.
"You shouldn't feel bad, I've been fighting since before the planets were created- and I have only ever lost to Chaos before." Alex said, though this wasn't strictly true- Artemis had beaten him twice- though the first occasion was mostly so that he didn't hurt her pride. Either way, this statement was mostly for the benefit of the hunters, who had just watched their mistress be creamed by their guardian.
Alex proceeded to heal Artemis, and then placed her in her tent- the only downside of his healing was that it made the person she used it on extremely tired.
After placing Artemis in her tent, she walked back over to where the hunters were, and joined the circle that had been created. "Oh, hey Alex! We were wondering- do you want to play truth or dare?" Thalia questioned, and 'Alex' nodded, taking a seat.
"I'll start!" One of the hunters- a daughter of Aphrodite- proclaimed. "Alex, truth or dare?"
'Alex' POV:
"Alex, truth or dare?" One of the girls questioned- I think her name was Lisa. I considered it for a moment, before deciding to take the said route.
"Truth." I stated, and a few girls groaned.
"Fine. What are your opinions on boys? Like- would you date them?" Lisa questioned, and I replied without thinking.
"Gods, no. Actually, I have a girlfriend." I stated, before realizing what I had just implied.
"Ooooh. That's why they chose you, huh?" One of the older hunters- Phoebe asked.
"Partially." I responded, and then preceded to come up with an Amazing dare for Thalia(flirt with Apollo- something I remembered from my Percy Jackson years). The rest of the night was interesting- I was dared to retrieve a frisbee from a tree, without using any powers; and asked what my girlfriend was like('An Angel', and 'more beautiful than the moon'- thankfully, none of them realized the irony of this).
At 9:00, all of us returned to our tents; except I went into my pocket dimension- it's like a castle- instead.
Lisa POV:
I had been with the hunt for as long as I can remember, and we had never had a guardian before. I don't know what it was about 'Alex', but something just drew me to her. Not like the way you're thinking, but like... Like I KNEW her from somewhere.
"Hey Alex?" I questioned, and she turned to glance at me.
"I was wondering if... If maybe you might be willing to help me with my swordsmanship?" No questioned, hesitantly, and she nodded.
"Sure. Hey, you're a daughter of Aphrodite, right?" She questioned, and I nodded.
"Yeah, but I've always been a part of the hunt- I don't even remember my dad." I explained, and he nodded slowly.
"Ok, sorry. It's just that you reminded me of... Never mind."she started, before shrugging it off. "Do you have a sword anywhere?" She questioned, and I nodded hesitantly, before producing the pen I always carried in my back pocket. I uncapped it, and Riptide sprang out. Alex's eyes narrowed, and then she shook her head, as if she was warding off a memory.
"Where did you get that?" She questioned, and I shrugged.
"Lady Artemis gave it to me- she said that it used to belong to a great hero, and that it's previous owners would be proud that I was it's wielder." I said, and Alex nodded once, before withdrawing a midnight black sword, that glowed silver. My eyes widened- it was beautiful. Alex held it out in front of her, and ran a finger down the side of each blade. She then held her hand out for my sword, and repeated the process.
"Now the blades will not price human skin- it is a spell, to dull the blades." She explained, before getting into a low fighting position. I mirrored her, and jabbed at her left side experimentally, which she easily defected. I began to circle right, and then came in with an overhand blow to the left. She parried, and then proceeded with a series of lightning fast Attacks, to which I held my own. She made an overhead blow, and I danced back, before unleashing a deadly series of attacks, each one of which she parked easily, before we ended up with our blades locked, each pushing for the upper hand. There were a few times I nearly had her, but in the end, Alex won, and I was forced to retreat in order to avoid being disarmed, but she simply stepped forwards, disarming me while I was still in a slight daze from her overwhelming strength.
I surrendered, and she handed me my sword back, frowning. "Here, hold this." She said, handing me her sword, and the moment I touched it, it glowed a green color. "Interesting." She said, continuing to stare at me as if I were an interesting experiment. "You will meet me here again tomorrow." She said, before taking back her sword, and walking away. I would meet with her everyday for the next week.
1 week later.
Thalia POV:
Alex was strange- she was unlike any girl I'd ever met. And, she knew about the Apollo incident- something that only the Hunters, and my closest friends- Percy, and Nico. One of whom was dead, and both of them were male. Though, now that I think about it, if you got rid of the hair and the eyes, Alex's face did have an uncanny resemblance to Percy's. And that would also help to explain why 'Alex' had looked like she had done something wrong, after admitting to having a girlfriend.
Everything added up- Alex was Percy- or at the very least, was a male in disguise, and I intended to confront him. It was midnight, when I entered 'Alex's' tent, and she was nowhere to be seen. I waited for a few moments to see if the was coming back. She didn't, so I decided to check out the rest of the tent.
There were no clothes in the dresser, and the only personal item was a picture of two people- a little boy, and a girl, staring out the window of what looked like a spaceship, staring at Earth. The only other item in the room was a small bag, which I opened. I couldn't see anything inside, so I reached in, attempting to feel if their were any items in the bag, but instead, the moment my hand entered the bag, I was sucked inside.
I landed in a large room, with a bed on one side, and several bookshelves lining the wall. "Thalia?" A voice behind me questioned, and I turned around to see Alex. "What are you doing here?" She questioned, and I glared at her.
"Percy Jackson. You can't lie to me, I know it's true." I accused, and she stared right back.
"Are you sure? Maybe I just know him. Maybe I'm a daughter of Poseidon?" She said, but I stood firm- I knew my friend.
"Nobody else knows about the Apollo thing." I said, and she face palmed.
"Well, I suppose that's what I get for entering a camp with my best friend, while pretending to be a girl. Honestly, this lasted longer than I thought." She said, before changing back into a boy that I could easily tell was Percy Jackson. Sure, he was a little taller, and his eyes were more black than green, but it was obviously him.
"What the Hades is wrong with you!" I screamed, letting out the anger and frustration I felt. "How dare you let us think you were dead!" I screamed, slapping him as hard as I could across the face. "gods I missed you, kelp head." I whispered, embracing him tightly.
3rd person
Thalia hugged Percy tightly for a few moments, before holding him out at arms length. "Where were you for all these years? You haven't aged a day." She whispered, sitting down on the bed, with him beside her.
"I know. I'm so sorry for leaving- the only reason I had stayed so long was Annabeth- and when she died, I didn't really have a reason to stay. I couldn't stay, not with all the memories of her. I know I was selfish, but I couldn't help it- I had to leave." Percy explained, every word infused with heartfelt emotion.
"Explain. Now." Thalia said, wary of trusting him- after all, in her eyes, he still had abandoned her.
"First, my dad isn't Poseidon- and my name was never really Percy Jackson..." He started, proceeding to explain exactly why he had left.
"So, let me get this straight. Your name is Nova, you're older than dirt- literally, and you are here to fight an unknown enemy, and you haven't even managed to find the prophecy." She stated bluntly. "Prove it."
"Fine." Nova replied, grinning. "What would you like me to do? Stop time? Turn into a dragon? Create something?" He questioned, grinning at her. She considered it for a moment.
"A wolf. I want a wolf." She stated, and, grinning, he snapped is fingers, creating one. She was a reddish color, and had dark eyes. "You know I already believed you, right?" She asked.
"Oh, I know. But I figured that I might as well give you what you wanted." He replied, grinning. "Besides-". He started, but was cut off by a flash of light, as Artemis appeared in the room.
"Nova Argita Void, what in Chaos' name do you think you are doing, staying in bed until this hour!"
"Woah, Artemis, slow down." Nova waited a moment for her to relax, before continuing. "Ok, first of all, Artemis, it's 1:00 AM. Second, what is up with all of the random females entering my room at midnight?" He questioned, before slumping into a large chair.
"Oh dear. Well, I suppose that would explain all of the confused hunters." Artemis said thoughtfully, now excessively glad that she hadn't woken Thalia or Phoebe up yet.
"Um, lady Artemis? What are you doing in Percy's tent at one in the morning, and why did you let a male into our camp?" Thalia questioned, genuinely curious. Artemis turned, surprised, to find Thalia sitting down on Percy's bed.
"I woke up, and thought it was morning, so I was waking everybody up." She answered absentmindedly. "Now, Perseus, what do you mean by random females visiting you." She said, with a slight glare.
"Oh. Let's see, first there was Alex, but she was just in my head. Then there was Kira, who wanted a status update, and then there was my mother, and then Thalia, and then you." He replied, missing the glare.
Then Percy tensed, and grabbed at the swords on his hip. His eyes widened, and he quickly exited the pocket dimension, and into the middle of the camp, there Apollo was standing, spewing green smoke.
"Approach, seeker, and ask." He rasped out, and Nova stepped forwards.
"How can we defeat end?"
"Forgotten Heroes now returned
Seek the knowledge thought to be burned
Find the flower of hypnotic might
To return the Creator's light
Hidden child shall take the fall
Returned to hallowed and sacred hall
Darkness rises from the deep
The kiss of death all souls will reap". He rasped, and then handed Nova a slip of paper. "The Next great prophecy." He whispered, before disappearing in a flash of gold.
Nova paled, and read the paper. He quickly placed it in his back pocket, before turning around to grab Artemis, and flashing to the council chamber, and screaming, "I summon the council!"
