Hey guys! Here's "The Sea of the Stars"! I'm so excited for this and it's just going to be great. Just for a note, I will indicate which chapters are from Aaron's point of view or Aspasia's.

This will probably make no sense without reading the first two, so that might help.

Here you go.

Still don't own PJO.

CHAPTER 1

Aspasia

The snow is crisp against the breathtaking morning sky. Tinged with traces of coral and gold, each snowflake plays it's part in winter as they dance down to earth. New York is smoking, trapped in it's hazy gauze. From my car window, I smile softly as my breath fogs up on the glass.

Argus is driving me to the Academy, my bag tosses in the empty seats beside me. It's just us, the sound of our breathing in the empty van. I try not to be freaked out by the hundreds of eyes staring at me. The roads are crowded, even at dawn in January.

By seven in the morning, we get to the Academy. It's a tall, grandiose building, with tall windows and immaculate lawns. I've been told it has three floors, a basement level, and three wings, along with an arena and several other amenities.

I push in my ear buds, letting the rhythmic bass drown out my thoughts.

I slide open the van door, sliding out with my bag hooked over my shoulder. "Thanks, Argus." I say. He nods, his eyes blinking sporadically. Awkwardly, I close the door and he drives off.

Goodbye, Camp. I think, turning back to face the school. "Hello, real world." I mutter.

"Hey!" A friendly voice calls. The big front door is opening, revealing a very tired Percy Jackson, scruffy with an early morning smile. He's wearing a dress shirt, a tie, and a thick sweater, matched with new seven o'clock shadow. Walking down the steps, he takes my bag for me. "Welcome to the Academy." He doesn't hesitate to hug me and I let him, reciprocating for a moment.

"Come on," Percy leads me inside. "I'll show you to your room. You can settle in before classes start." The main hall is cavernous, glowing with soft light reflected off the polished marble of the floor. A chandelier glitters from the roof.

"Wow." Even with a whisper, my voice echoes.

"Yeah. Annabeth did all this. I didn't care either way, but I will admit, it looks nice." He heads up the plush stairs. "Come on. This way" I follow quietly, my footsteps muted against the thick carpet.

The Academy is beautiful, I'll give it that. But I take in the beauty quietly, with submission. I was suppose to come at the beginning of the school year in August, but after a great deal of shameless begging to Chiron, I managed to postpone the transfer till now. I thought that spending an extra four months at camp would get me in the know about what was to be done about Chaos. About taking next steps and making plans. Instead, I got four months of cold shoulders and polite words. Also, alone. Yeah, a lot of alone. So, in the crisp morning hours of January, I have arrived at Hell.

Percy leads me down the halls, dim with the morning light. He speaks in a whisper when he tells me, "The wings are divided up by gender. You'll be in the East wing."

Communal bedrooms, I cringe internally. Shared bathrooms. People.

Almost on cue, Percy says, "This isn't in the rules, but I managed to get you your own room." A burst of hope. "It's a little small." He leads me to the first door of a long hall. "And a little... Prison-esque." He opened the door and the hope died.

By prison-esque, I assume Percy meant that it may or may not be designed to be identical to an insane asylum room. Besides a steel framed cot smack dab in the middle of the room and a small, black cabinet, the room is barren, the gray walls blurring together. There is a small window on the far wall, letting in white light. The ceiling is dented with the imprint of the stairs above them.

"I'm under the staircase." I can only say."

"Yeah." Percy sets my bag on the ground. "Unfortunately, it's the only single room and it just so happens to be under the stair case to the roof." He chuckles. "A regular Harry Potter."

"What?"

"Never mind," He says with a sigh. "It's not that big I know... I can put you in with the other girls if you would-"

"No!" I shout, a little too loud for the tiny room. "No, thank you. I... I prefer, ya know. Being alone." I smile softly.

"I got ya." Percy nods, scratching his beard. "Well, breakfast is at eight, so I'll see you there?" I nod. He smiles and squeezes by to leave, but turns back and says, "He wanted to be here. Ya know, to meet you or whatever. But I told him not to. He has a big test today and-" Percy shrugs. "But I thought you'd like to know."

I nod in gratitude and, as Percy leaves, I close the door, which gives off the most magnificent squeak. I run a hand through my hair, pulling out my ear buds and taking off my coat, setting it on the bed.

I think about my meeting with Aaron, what it will be like. We've talked (whether through IM or phone) almost every day since he left camp. Always wonderful and bright and full of life and vigor and it reminds me of why I came to the Academy, why I really came. Yesterday, he was downright giddy with my eminent arrival in the city.

"You'll love it." He said. "You'll love it so much. It's gonna be great." I just smiled and nodded.

I lay down on my bed, sighing. I'm not tired, but I still close my eyes and listen to my own breathing. A headache begins to press up against my skull and I try to massage it away. I've been in the city for a total of ten minutes, and it already feels like an elephant is stepping on my head.

But, I try to understand Chiron's motives. Chaos is coming, and if he and Mr. D and Annabeth are truly planning the next step, they don't have time to take care of me. And at the school, I can learn skills that will help me, undoubtedly.

I still can't shake the feeling of betrayal.

After a while, I start hearing noises, the sound of tired voices calling to one another, of water running, doors opening and closing. The Academy is waking, I suppose. I look at my watch and it reads 7:25. I sigh and try and clear my head.

My phone buzzes.

"UGH!" I sit up, pawing at my coat for my pocket. "Really, gods, come..." I fumble with opening it, opening the message. Aaron insisted on me having a phone, but I managed to convince him I only needed the type of phone elderly people have. Turns out, I can barely work that.

Finally, I push the right button and open the message. It's from Aaron, reading:

U here?

I text back.

In my room.

Almost immediately,

COME TO THE MESS HALL.

I smile and, without responding, walk out of the room, wondering where in the world the mess hall is.