I became a Huntress of Artemis because the Prophecy of the Big Three was not my fate. It was Percy's, and there was a chance that I wasn't even supposed to be back in my human form. But now the Titan War was over, Seaweed Brain somehow managed to negotiate with my father, and things were supposedly going back to normal.
I realized that I didn't want to be a Huntress anymore, not because of Artemis or the other Hunters or anything, but the immortality was slightly off to me. Having been a tree for over five years, more not changing was a little unnerving. Artemis was understanding, surprisingly enough.
I just wanted one normal summer at Camp Half-Blood, where I could be a normal demigod, practicing the skills I would need to live a normal life, and hopefully not be the awkward third wheel in the disgustingly gushy relationship Annabeth and Percy had going on. That was also weird, how I used to be three years older than Annabeth, but now she was turning seventeen and I was still stuck at fifteen until December.
I walked up Half-Blood Hill, where my tree marked the entrance to camp. It had a healthy, godly glow to it, thanks to the Golden Fleece. Much more than a regular pine tree, it represented a hero. It was also funny to think that that hero was me.
The Big House at the base of the hill, the strawberry hills, cabins, dining pavilion, archery range, canoe lake, and the woods; this was home.