"Annabeth!" Annabeth Chase turned around as she heard Luke calling for her. The familiar blush on her cheeks appeared as she saw him hurrying toward her. "What is it?" She tried to stay calm, but she was sure he'd heard her rapidly beating heart. "Chiron wants all the head counselors in his cabin."

Annabeth frowned. "What's wrong?" Luke shrugged. "I don't know. He never mentioned anything to me. He just told me to get all the head counselors in the Big House. Come on." He grabbed Annabeth's wrist, and she could feel electricity spark where his skin had touched hers. "You go first; I still have to find Clarisse. Where did she go…?" Muttering under his breath, he let go of Annabeth's wrist, and Annabeth felt a flash of disappointment.

Chiron and the other cabin counselors were already there by the time Annabeth arrived. Luke and Clarisse came over after a few more minutes. Annabeth couldn't help noticing how worried Chiron looked, even Mr. D looked stressed out as he muttered something in ancient Greek. A can of bottled Diet Coke was in his hands, although he didn't look like the mood to eat it.

"Is everybody here?" Chiron asked as they clustered around him, the Ping-pong table nowhere to be seen. "We have to decide an urgent matter."

"Is it another attack?" One of the counselors called out. Annabeth remembered the attack that took only two days before. Gaea and her followers had attacked Grover Underwood and two other demigods on camp half-blood hill. The campers, including Annabeth, had rushed to help, but they only managed to save Grover, who was still unconscious. Chiron shook his head. "No, it's much worse than that."

Murmurs started through the counselors. "Worse?" Luke whispered in Annabeth's ears. "How much worse could the attack get? Unless Gaea attacks the camp herself, that is." He was trying to make it like a joke, but Annabeth could hear the worry in his voice. She knew, but hoped that she was wrong, that an attack on the Half-Blood Camp was more than possible. She closed her eyes briefly to send a prayer to the gods that Thalia's tree will be strong enough to protect the camp.

"Near dawn today, a woman was found neared the borders of the camp." Chiron announced.

"She appeared on the shore, unconscious. She is currently awake, and she has some important news to us. Mr. D and I have decided to show her to you, and let you hear her story." Chiron sat up in his wheelchair, his lower body growing until it became the four legs of a stallion. He motioned for them to follow, and disappeared into the infirmary.

Annabeth was the last to notice the woman sitting on the bed, as she followed into the infirmary after Luke. "This, everybody, is Sally Jackson." Chiron introduced the woman.

She was pretty, with curled brown hair leading down to her shoulders. Her blue eyes were dim and sad as she stared around her.

"Sally." Chiron's voice was calm and comforting. "Can you tell them the same thing you have told me?"

Sally nodded, her eyes unfocused. "I had a son…" she began, her voice unsteady as if she was going to break apart at any second. "A son named Percy Jackson. His father was Poseidon." A gasp escaped from one of the camper's mouth but Sally didn't seem to notice it. Annabeth remembered the Great Prophecy, and slowly began to realize why Chiron had summoned them. A son of Poseidon…. Great. Just great.

"When he was just seven months old, two people arrived at my place. It was a girl and a man. I recognized the girl as Gaea, the earth goddess. I can look through the Mist, that's how I first met Poseidon." Her voice dropped, and Chiron had to prompt her to keep her talking.

"I didn't recognize the man. He didn't seem like a god or any kind of immortal. He just seemed… regular, like any other demigod. They…" Annabeth could see tears forming in her blue eyes. "They took Percy." She choked out. "Poseidon took me to his sea palace, so that I could be healed. But I knew that Percy wasn't dead. So… I begged him to take me back, so that I can help rescue Percy." Her voice faltered, and she looked at Chiron, who looked solemn as he gazed around the counselors.

"A demigod son of Poseidon?" Clarisse called out. "But… wouldn't Gaea just kill him? She has no reason to keep him alive."

"Actually, we think she did." Chiron said. "You all remember the attack that took place on Mount Saint Helens?" They all nodded except for Luke, who was the only counselor not to participate in the battle. Luke seemed pretty upset about it. "And you all remember what our hostage said?"

Annabeth shivered, remembering the catastrophic battle that had taken place only a few months before. Their casualties were about two times more than the casualties of Gaea's forces. So much about winning the battle.

She didn't remember any demigod from it, but the Titan that they captured in the battle-Iapetus, his name was-had boasted to her about his special friend, who would overpower all demigods and rule them. Gaea's son, he had called him, the Earth Mother's most faithful child. But, unfortunately, she also remembered something unpleasant that the Titan had told them.

He is what you all fear-the dark side of everything bright. You think your gods are so powerful and noble? He is what you call the shadow, the shadow of things that you all believed to be right.

Chiron seemed to know exactly what she was thinking about.

"Yes." He said. "The boy the Titan was talking about, we think he is the son of Poseidon, the one Sally is talking about."

…

Percy capped Riptide, and the Celestial bronze sword morphed back into a pen. He studied it carefully, turning it over in his hands.

"Good weapon." Percy commented. "Those Greek demigods do know what weapons are useful. Of course, that won't help them win the war." He smirked at Gaea, his eyes sparkling.

"Go back to your room, Percy." Gaea said, smiling fondly at him. "You have a big day tomorrow."

Percy frowned. "What, the battle? For a moment I thought it was my birthday! But no." Gaea gave him an amused smile as he disappeared into the door behind her throne.

"Wait, mother!" Gaea turned back to Percy, concern in her green eyes. "Yes, Percy?" "When is father coming back?" Gaea smiled. "He'll be back soon, and I'll send him to your room." Percy nodded and gave a last grin to her before he closed the door.

"You have lots of affection for that kid." Gaea turned, surprised, to see a Giant entering the room. Gaea narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes, Polybotes. So?"

"So?" The giant's eyes bulged. "So, mother? What happened to you before, the great Earth Mother? You promised to bring down the demigods and the gods, and yet you are here caring for Perseus Jackson, the demigod son of Poseidon, the one god whom I have sworn to destroy! What happened to you, who used to care about all her creations, all her sons and daughters, not the gods who have destroyed us! How can you care for that bastard, who carries the blood of the filthiest in his veins?"

Gaea's eyes were cold as she addressed her son. "He is my son, not Poseidon's. The earth is my realm, not my grandson's. Poseidon hardly knows that he exists!"

"Hardly!" The giant scoffed. "He knows. Of course he does! You have not woken up from your sleep yet, mother. And the gods are targeting the boy, trying to get to him. You know the supposed Great Prophecy."

"Are you questioning me?" Gaea asked coldly. "Whatever the gods do, Percy will never return to them. He is loyal to me. I have raised him since he was a baby. He knows me as my mother. He will not betray me."

"His mother has returned." Polybotes argued. "Some of our spies spotted Sally Jackson appearing from the sea to Camp Half-Blood. They'll find out who he is sooner or later."

"How would it matter?" Gaea asked, her voice still cold. "Percy doesn't remember them; he has no reason to go back."

Polybotes looked like he wanted to keep protesting, but seeing the look on Gaea's face, he dropped the topic.

"Our troops are almost ready." Gaea looked up sharply. "Yes, I expected it to be. Can we attack tomorrow? Or do we have to wait?" There was a hint of snarl in her voice.

"We can't attack tomorrow" Polybotes bowed his head, not looking at Gaea. "But later, about a few days after, they will be ready." Gaea looked unsatisfied, but motioned for Polybotes to be dismissed. Backing away, Polybotes hurried away from the room and almost crashed into a man.

"Adrian." Gaea welcomed the man curtly.

The man had raven-black hair with dark blue eyes. He nodded at Gaea, a sword at his side. "Is Percy cooperating well with Anaklusmos? I feel more vulnerable without the sword," Gaea nodded. "He's waiting for you in his room." She informed him. "You'd better go and see him, or he'll be upset."

Before he entered the door, however, he stopped to glance at Gaea. "What did you talk about with Polybotes?"

Gaea didn't look at him as she replied. "Nothing to worry about."

…..

Author's Note:

Thanks to giraffesplaycello and paytonc96 for the first reviews! (I now understand why people like reviews :) Since I have a midterm exam coming up in… two and a half weeks, roughly, I will try to update but probably won't be able to when the exams are near. So, I'm updating faster than usual. Please don't try to kill me when I don't update! :)