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Sunlight dances into my room through the tiny window. The white curtains on the window do not help block out the sun, but I like it this way. I prefer to wake up to the sun more than to an alarm clock. It's much more relaxing and I would be lying if I said that Apollo's influence wasn't the reason that I liked waking up to the morning glow.

I walk up to a vanity my mother gave me when I was born. She told me that it is made from the wood of the last tree in an ancient forest. It's rather sad when you think about it. The vanity is covered with unnecessary trinkets and jewelry. There is some makeup and a hairbrush on it but its more for decoration since I don't need it.

I look up in the mirror and gasp. I'm a mess. My hair is in tangles from tossing and turning last night. There are dark bags under my eyes and my face is unusually pale. Ares's words swirl around in my head. That has to be the reason for my poor night's sleep.

I wave my hand over my reflection in the mirror. My hair untangles itself. The dark bags disappear. It's as if nothing happened.

I frown at myself. People have always told me that I look young for my age, whatever that means. I don't know how old I am. Nobody had told me and I doubt they will. I wish I at least knew when my birthday is, but birthdays aren't a very large thing in Olympus.

A dark brown color starts at my roots and swirls down to the tips like colored dye being dropped in water. The dark brown spreads across my hair until every strand is the same color. I examine my face. I think I look older. The brown locks makes me more like an adult, I think. My hair shrinks from almost down from my waist to right below my shoulders. I definitely look older with this hairstyle.

I don't know what I hope to gain by changing my looks. Maybe I'm hoping that the gods will see me as a more mature person, and hopefully this will make them want me to stay on Olympus. It's unlikely but I can't help but grip to the small hope with all my strength.

I walk over to my closet to find the most refined, mature dress I own. In the end I wear a red dress that goes down to my ankles. Aphrodite will be pleased with it at least.

I walk out of my bedroom door. Instantly I am on the street of Olympus. Once I close the door, Apollo is by my side. He frowns at my hair.

"Why'd you change your hair?" he asks. Apollo doesn't bother to wipe the frown off his face. My cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Maybe it was a bad idea to change my hair.

"You don't like it?" I mumble.

He shakes his head. "Nah. No offense but you're not a brunette. You should go back to blonde."

I grimace at his brutal honesty, but that's Apollo. The brown in my hair quickly morphs into a bright blonde color it was before, but I keep it at its short length.

Apollo nods in approval. "I have some time before a meeting so I thought I could kill time spending it with my favorite girl, who isn't my daughter, of course."

I smile cheerily. He laughs and ruffles up my hair. I quickly force each strand to go back to its place so it looks like nothing has touched me. Apollo snaps his fingers dramatically. A bench moves behind him before he sits down. He raises an expecting eyebrow at me. "So, what do you want to do?"

My eyes shine in excitement. Usually it is Apollo who decides what to do. I don't argue since he is a god and practically a father-figure to me. Though he is less scary than the others, I'm sure he can turn me into an insect or something with a click of his fingers. I don't put it past him to do just that for a few laughs.

"I've always wanted to ride a pegasus," I say with a dreamy expression. Once I see Apollo's mischievous look, I know I'm going to have to set him straight. "With Poseidon's permission, of course," I add before he can get any ideas.

He groans. "But that take all the fun out of it!" Apollo opens his mouth as if to complain but he quickly shuts it. He looks like he was just reminded of something awful. The god's face quickly morphs back to a happy, cheerful one. Apollo tugs me towards Poseidon's favorite resting place.

After a long run, we finally find him. Poseidon is fishing in a small pond. He stands on the edge of the pond, right above the water. When he catches a fish, he whispers kind words to it, then sets it free. The fish that come out of the pond range from simple freshwater to colorful ones only found in the ocean.

"Poseidon?" He looks over at me with a smile. Poseidon doesn't look surprised at my arrival. I bow my head out of respect. Apollo just nods at him in acknowledgment.

"Yes, Aikarina? Oh, I always forget. You like being called Rina instead. I completely understand; It's a rather big mouthful"

I bounce up and down on the top of my feet nervously. "I..." Apollo coughs into his fist. "We just wanted to know if we could ride a pegasus"

Poseidon's eyes light up with interest. He motions me to follow him towards the stables. Apollo follows close behind.

The horses whinny when Poseidon approaches. They make a sound of appreciation when he strokes them as he passes by.

We pass by many stalls until we reach the last ones. In the last four stalls, there is a pegasus. The white horses have huge wings that fold to their sides. Each wing is about double their body length. I'm surprised that they aren't cramped in the tiny stalls, but they seem comfortable.

"Beautiful creatures. Do you know the story of how they were created?" Poseidon asks. There is a glint in his eye when he looks over at me.

I stay silent for several moments. "The first pegasus sprang from the blood of Medusa after Perseus beheaded her. From then on they have been breeding, until now where there are dozens of them."

He nods. "That is correct. They are gentle but noble creatures. If I allow you to ride one, will you show it the respect it deserves?"

"Yes, sir," I whisper. I reach out and touch the horse. It nuzzles my hand, making me smile. I look up at Poseidon to find him smiling too.

Poseidon chuckles. "Apollo, I believe it would be best if you didn't ride one."

Apollo's mouth falls open in shock. "Why not?" he exclaims.

Poseidon rumbles with laughter. "Even though she is a young girl, she has shown to be more mature than you at times. Don't take offense, but the last time I let you near a pegasus, the roofs of all the cottages had to be repaired"

If a god can look bashful, then Apollo looks exactly that. I feel sorry for Apollo. Everyone thinks he is irresponsible when it's the opposite. Sure, he does some rather stupid things, but he's not completely unreliable. If he was, I would have died during one of his schemes years ago.

Poseidon guides one of the horses out of the stall. It gazes happily at the god as he coaxes it out of the stables.

"Now, the most important thing to remember is that it deserves respect. They are proud creatures. If you don't respect it, it won't respect you." He tells me.

I reach my hand out to see if its mane is as soft as it looks. Once I feel it I almost gasp. It's softer. It moves it's head for me to stroke it more. In some ways the pegasus reminds me of a friendly dog.

"I understand, Lord Poseidon." I'm sure that my eyes are as big as dinner plates as I stare at the majestic horse.

He clasps his hands together to form some sort of step for me. After the initial shock that a god would be doing this, I place my foot between his hands and push myself on the horse.

"Hold onto the mane and trust 'ol Abraxas. He's used to first-timers. Just stay on. He'll fly a path I will tell him so you won't have to worry about steering."

"Thank you so much. I have always wanted to ride one," I rush out. A smile is permanently plastered on my face.

Poseidon winks. "It's nothing. Now, hold on!" He stares intently at the pegasus.

The pegasus makes a loud grunt then runs forward at top speed. He unfolds his wings to their full length. I hold tight to his mane, as tight as I can without hurting him. The wings pump up and down at a fast pace. Soon enough, we rise above Olympus.

Down below, the minor gods stroll down the streets. I can see the street vendors sell overpriced items and the customer reluctantly handing over drachmas. The wind flows through my hair, but I'm unsatisfied. I let out a sigh and my hair grows to its original length. Finally, it's long enough to fly behind me like in the paintings.

The pegasus flies around Olympus then back to the stables. Abraxas lands on the ground gracefully. There Apollo and Poseidon are waiting.

Apollo smirks at my once again long hair. "Got tired of short hair while on Abraxas?"

I have my hair straighten itself out then form a side braid. "It was fun while it lasted, but I need my long hair." I reply.

Poseidon extends his hand to help me down. I take it and drop off of the horse.

I bow to Poseidon. "Thank you Lord Poseidon."

"You're quite welcome, Rina. Apollo, remember what we spoke about?" He turns to look at Apollo who is sickly pale.

"Yes, I remember." he replies quietly.

Poseidon pulls me close so that he can whisper something to me. "Brace yourself."

When he pulls away, I am clearly confused. He doesn't bother trying to explain what he means to me. Maybe it's about the decision tonight, but how can he possibly know that I know about it?

Poseidon waves goodbye then leaves us alone in the stables.

"What was he talking about? What did you two talk about?" I ask. I hang on to Apollo's arm so that he can't escape from answering my question.

Apollo covers his worried expression with a million-dollar grin. "It's nothing really. Don't worry about it"

"But what if it is really important!" I insist.

He shakes me off his arm and looks incredibly uncomfortable. "Rina, I don't want you to worry about it, for your sake," he begs. For some reason, I have a feeling he means not to worry about it for his sake.

I tug on the sleeves of my sweater. "Is it about the decision at sundown of whether or not I will die?"

He gapes in shock. Apollo opens his mouth to speak but closes it as he comes to a revelation. He only mumbles one word. "Ares."

Tears start to cloud my vision and my chest tightens up from the anticipated tears. "Is it true? Lord Ares wasn't lying, was he?"

Apollo shakes his head. He pinches the bridge of his nose. "I'm sworn to secrecy so I can't speak more about this, but Ares wasn't lying about whatever he told you."

I suck in a sharp intake of breath. So it was all true. My eyes begin to sting from holding back the tears, but I refuse to cry. Especially in front of Apollo.

"Is there anything I can do to make them want me to stay in Olympus?" I ask at last.

Apollo clenches his fist in irritation. "Honestly, I really wish I could tell you what is happening. It's making me furious that they would keep this from you, but I can't say anything about it." He looks like he's going to combust but then his face lights up. Apollo straightens his back and smirks at me. "The oath of secrecy didn't say I couldn't bring you to the meeting."

I look at the god in shock. "Are you sure that Lord Zeus won't be angry?"

He chuckles. "Of course he will be angry, but no one said I couldn't do it. The meeting starts in a little while so we should start heading towards the throne room"

I frown at Apollo. This has to be one of his most dangerous ideas yet. I'm sure that the minute I walk into the throne room, Zeus will smite me with one of his lightning bolts before I can say a word. Apollo doesn't share the same concerns as I do, otherwise he would be leading me the opposite direction.

Before I know it, I'm standing at the front of the throne room. The thrones are shaped in a 'u' and are made for giants. Several of the other gods are already there. They talk among themselves but stop when they see me.

"Apollo, why have you brought her here?" A woman worriedly asks. Her dark brown hair rolls down her back in a cascade of curls. Red-painted lips shine in the torchlight and her eyes are a magnificent bright blue. If I wasn't for her tone of voice, I wouldn't have recognized her as my mother.

She steps from her throne and shrinks from about twenty feet to normal human size. Aphrodite hurries over to us. She clutches my arm as if to drag me away before Zeus arrives.

Apollo places a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. I'm just bringing her to sit in on the discussion. She has a right, you know," Apollo says while trying to calm himself. His eyes shine with power that dares Aphrodite to argue with him.

She straightens her back proudly. Aphrodite lifts her eyebrows at the god. "She cannot be here. If Zeus—"

"There is no rule that says she can't listen in on her own trial," Apollo points out.

Aphrodite bites on her lower lip. She thinks for several seconds then nods in agreement. "I suppose you're right." Aphrodite notices me staring at her newly sculpted face. She smiles and pats her hair. "Do you like it? I just changed my appearance this morning. I figured it was time for a change." She giggles like a schoolgirl.

"You look beautiful, Aphrodite," I compliment politely. Her smile widens.

There is a loud rumble of thunder in the throne room. Apollo and Aphrodite leave my side to take their place on their thrones. The floor shakes, then in a burst of light Zeus is on his throne. He gazes thoughtfully across the room until his sharp eyes land on me.

"Aikarina, why are you trespassing in my throne room?" he asks. A rumble of thunder echoes after every word. I swear that the room is buzzing with electricity.

Aphrodite glares at Apollo. He shifts in his seat nervously then clears his throat to get Zeus's attention. Zeus's sharp eyes are torn off me and now on Apollo. The poor god is no more comfortable under Zeus's scrutiny than Aphrodite's.

"I brought her here. I thought that if she were my daughter, I would want her to hear the discussion about her fate. It is only fair," he says slowly and calmly in order to not offend the powerful god.

Surprisingly Zeus agrees. "Very well. She may stay for the discussion." I look around the room to see the other gods just as shocked at Zeus for agreeing so easily. Most of the times he is very stubborn and fights to get his way. It is out of character for him to do this, but I'm still thankful.

He snaps his finger. A stone chair comes up behind me. I quickly sit down before he reconsiders.

Zeus clasps his hands together. "Now, let's start the trial."

It has been several hours and the gods are still arguing without any sign of letting up. I have taken to covering my ears to protect them from the loud yells, but it's useless. Nobody gives the other gods time to talk. If they would just be quiet and listen to each other maybe they would be productive.

Outside of the throne room the sun sets behind the horizon. It takes several moments for Zeus to realize this. There is a loud boom of thunder that almost shakes me from my seat. The gods stop talking immediately. They immediately turn towards the God of the Heavens.

"It is sundown so we must make the decision. It is clear that there are only two reasonable choices: send Aikarina to Camp Halfblood or to kill her. We will vote on this now with no further discussion," Zeus commands. The gods nod at his orders, even though some of them are frustrated with the decision.

I sink into my seat and pull my knees to my chest. My heart feels like it's going to burst right out of my ribcage by how fast it is beating.

Aphrodite starts. "Camp Halfblood."

Apollo smiles a half-smile as if to tell me that everything will be okay. "Camp Halfblood."

Ares opens his mouth with a smirk. It falls when he sees Aphrodite glaring at him. He seems to be changing his mind at the last minute. "Camp Halfblood," he mumbles just loud enough for us to hear.

Artemis looks at me with a proud expression on her face. "Camp Halfblood."

"Camp Halfblood," Athena says with a hint of emotion.

Demeter frowns and looks terribly guilty. "Kill." I hold back my gasp of shock. I never thought that she would vote for me to die. Especially because I help her harvest all of her crops every year.

Dionysus looks at me through groggy eyes. I can only assume that he is still not completely over his probation from wine which has made him grumpier than usual. "Kill."

Hephaestus glares at Aphrodite. I know that he will vote against her just to mess with her and Ares, no matter what his opinions are on this. "Kill."

"Camp Halfblood," Hera says after a moment of consideration.

"Camp Halfblood," Hermes votes.

Hestia looks at me thoughtfully. "Camp Halfblood."

Poseidon smiles. "Camp Halfblood."

Zeus frowns at the gods who voted me to live. "Well, it doesn't matter anyways, but kill. The majority rules. You, Aikarina, must leave Olympus by midnight. Dionysus will take you to Camp Halfblood."

Dionysus glares at me as if I did something truly awful to him.

I place a hand up to my head to steady myself. My fate is sealed. My whole world is turned upside down and now I must live with the 'mortals'. If they are as bad as some of the gods say they are, then I am in for a crazy time.