Images flashes across my mind faster than I could think: silver sparks, a barrier, a stream, a white room, a silver bow and arrow, a cracked mirror-

"Percy?" a voice called and my eyes flew open to find a pair of blue ones hovering over me. Terrified and confused, I gave a yelp of surprise and accidentally rolled right off my bed, landing right on my tailbone.

Immediately, the person burst out laughing as I groaned and tried to compose myself. I glanced over the side of my bed to find Thalia, who walked over to the other side of my bed to help me up. She was dressed in all black, but she still had on the silver tiara- a symbol of her rank as a lieutenant.

"Morning Sunshine," she said pulling me to my feet, still smiling, "You just made my day, Seaweed Brain."

I glared at her for a moment before smiling. "Hey Thals what's -oh Gods are the Hunters here?" I said the sudden realization dawning on me that if she was at camp, so were the Hunters of Artemis.

The Hunters absolutely hate camp. Artemis sends them here like once every couple years when she needs to go to Olympus and needs to go on a private mission, but really -it's not something that happens often or something anyone likes. There's a mutual hatred between the Hunters and Campers.

Thalia's smile faded into a grim line, "We arrived early this morning. There's a meeting in the Big House now. Something happened last night."

"What's going on?" I said grabbing Riptide and shoving it into the pockets of my jeans - I didn't bother changing last night before I went to sleep.

"Big House - soon as you can," she said stepping out of my cabin and shutting the door behind her.

I rushed into the bathroom to quickly brush my teeth when something in the mirror caught my attention. I looked up, curious, to see that the entire mirror was cracked. I flashed back to my dream and took a couple steps and did a double take to see the mirror perfectly fine again -showing me shaking and pale.

I didn't even bother to turn off the water as I ran out.

I ran into the Big House to find most people already there waiting. But everyone was silent and not being crazy demigods - Travis and Connor sat with their hands at their sides. Clarisse didn't have her feet on the ping-pong table. Miranda wasn't stealing anyone's nose. Jason and Piper were sitting right next to each other, but not saying anything. Clovis wasn't sleeping. And Annabeth kept her eyes on her feet -not looking around at anyone or anything.

"Uh..." I said disrupting the silence, "What happened here?" I said just as Leo burst in.

"I -just- heard," he gasped and ran his fingers through his curly brown hair, "Sorry I'm -late," he finished and bent over. His cheeks were bright red and I had a feeling he ran all the way from his secret Leo Cave back at where Zeus's fist used to be.

"No Calypso?" Piper asked, her expression sad. Everyone knew that Calypso was stay at camp, hiding out in the Leo Cave. Rarely did she ever come out, if only to eat uncomfortably with the Chiron and Mr. D, the directors of camp. Of course Mr. D had been called to Olympus ever since the end of the Giant's war...

"So - what happened?" I asked trying to meet Annabeth's eyes.

"It's Rachel," Chiron said, his face looking more tired and worn than ever. She's stuck in a trance," Chiron said quietly. He was in wheelchair form at the end of the table -right next to Rachel's empty seat. Chiron looked at Will Solace sadly, "Can you please get her for us, Will?" who stood up and walked out of the room, his face just as grim.

Will came back in with Rachel in a wheelchair. She almost looked like herself in jeans that had been doodle on, a bright green hoodie, and converses that she clearly decorated herself; one shoe was white and with a deep -but not dark- blue-green and the other black with light green-blue. Both laces of each shoe was rainbow colored, matching the soles. But Rachel's green eyes were too green and looked blankly in front of her.

"This is a message you shall not reap, for the past of the gods shall not repeat," she said blankly in her Delphi voice that made it sound like seven Rachel's were talking at once.

I waited for her to revert back to normal like she does right after she issues a prophecy or message, but she just stayed there like that.

"She stuck like that," Will continued looking agitated, "And I've tried every spell that I know to try and get her out of it. Oh and I mean EVERYTHING."

"Okay - um, she's not turning into a cursed Oracle now is she? Like the last one?" Miranda asked nervously and my heart felt like it was fell back into Tartarus.

Chiron shook his head. "The last Oracle was cursed because Hades made it so. This is not that case. She seems to just be held by Delphi."

"Can't somebody do something?" I asked.

Leo waved his hands in front of him in a time-out gesture. "Wait -Apollo doesn't have control of Delphi anymore. Do you think that the person controlling Delphi is actually controlling Rachel?"

"Well than send a quest," Katie Gardener said as if this was the only solution, "We have to help Rachel. I volunteer to lead the quest myself."

Chiron stared at the floor his eyes grave, "Katie, you understand that since the Oracle is locked, we cannot give a prophecy for the quest. We have no idea what you are going to be up against."

Katie crossed her arms and her jaw set, stubbornly. "This is Rachel we're talking about. We need to help her."

"I volunteer too," Travis said hopping to his feet, "But Connor stays."

Connor looked up at Travis shocked. He looked absolutely astounded by his brother's declaration and hurt a little too. Connor looked like he was almost ready to object but Travis turned and shut him down with a glare that would even make a grizzly bear feel uneasy.

"I volunteer too," a voice said and I turned to find Will raising his hand.

"Wait- none of you guys are fighters," Clarisse objected, "If you guys are up against something big, what you are going to do? I volunteer," she said crossing her arms.

I knew that Clarisse wasn't as strong as she made herself seem. I knew that she really just didn't want anything to happen to any of them on this quest even if she never talked with Katie, Travis stole her stuff, and Will she only versed in archery. But clearly she felt very protective of them all. I almost forgot that she went to camp with them long before I even got to camp.

Katie stood up finally her cheeks bright red with embarrassment. She leaned on the ping-pong table and faced Clarisse. "Fine -we duel against each other. If I win, I lead the quest and you stay. If you win, you lead and I stay. Fair?" she said angrily.

I realized that Katie also felt very protective of Clarisse. And that even if it meant dueling her, she would do whatever to win.

"Sounds fair," Annabeth said stepping in.

I looked over shocked that she approved of the duel to go on a quest. But she looked between Katie and Clarisse. She paused momentarily on Clarisse and I realized that she knew something.

Her eyes momentarily met mine and she glanced away, rushed, not wanting me to read her expression. Annabeth knew something.

And I intended to find out what.

So...whatcha think? R&R?

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson, but I do own some characters in the very near future... :-)

Lots of Love,

Tris