Author's Note: To the reviewers - Aphrodite is showing Percy the first love he was meant to have that the Fates took away. Just wait for it...I really don't think you will be disappointed with where this is all going. Go re-read chapter one and see if you can guess I threw in a subtle hint (Don't review your guess though!)

Apollo got me to camp in the most obnoxious way. As he was raising the sun he actually threw me out of the car and into the water. I could hear him laughing as I fell. But, I suppose it could have been worse. When I hit the water I found out I wasn't alone.

"I really hope he knew you were down here when he pushed," I said shocked.

Poseidon grinned and came in for a quick hug. "I didn't get to say anything to you in Olympus. Are you okay?"
I nodded before he continued.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay with going with Artemis. I do have my concerns, but I really think this is a good thing for you." He said eying my reaction.

"I'm nervous about it, but kind of excited. No other male has got to do this before, right?" I asked.

He shook his head no. "Just…play nice despite what the girls may do to you." He sniffed the air in the bubble. "You smell different."

"Um," I said.

"Like…sunshine." He said suspiciously.

I blinked. I didn't know what to say. I didn't expect to get called out on my secret so soon afterward.

"You know, Lady Artemis won't like that." He mimicked the same move Apollo did. "I, Poseidon, give my son Perseus, the gift of water teleportation."

When the blast hit my chest it didn't overwhelm me like Apollos did. I felt powerful, infused, and refreshed.

"Don't tell Triton if you ever meet him." He said cheekily. "I really am proud of you, and I know you will do the right thing when the time comes. I have faith in you."

"Thanks, dad!" I said honestly.

"Don't forget some of that venison comes to me. I haven't had any in a long time." He laughed before he left the bubble.

"Of course," I said as I made my way to the shore.

Lady Artemis had her arms crossed and was tapping her foot on the shore when I walked out. She looked less than impressed.

"I already spoke with the Hunters. Grab your stuff. We are ready to go." She didn't wait for a response but walked back towards the cabins.

I made my way back to my cabin. I iris messaged my mom to let her know what was going on. She didn't look impressed, but slightly worried about me camping with a bunch of girls. I assured her that I was with maiden girls that made an oath. She wasn't so nervous then but laughed. She told me more parents wished their teenagers were in a commune. I didn't find it as funny as she did. I told her I'd message when I could.

"What took you so long? Lady Artemis has been ready to leave for over an hour." Zoe said when I joined the group.

"I had to let me mom know where I was going and when I'd be back," I told her. "I didn't want her to worry."

"That was…considerate of you," Zoe said before she made her way back to the Clarisse of the group, Phoebe, who eyed him in contempt.

Lady Artemis led the way into the forest on a wolf driven chariot while the rest of us ran to keep up. It looked like she was going to run right into Zeus' fist but a tunnel of black, white and grey lights opened up and we ran through it into another forest with even bigger trees and it was not yet dawn here.

She got off her wolf chariot and yelled for us to set up camp while she scouted. I was confused and I didn't have a pack like the rest of the girls did. Naturally, I walked over to Zoe who was explaining what everything in the back bag was and what to do with it.

"Zoe?" I questioned before she got any further and I missed something really important.

She didn't answer but looked at me.

"I wasn't given a bag," I said frowning. Not even an hour with these girls and I was already frowning…

She got up and went and took one off the front of the chariot and tossed it to me. For the size, I was expecting it to be a lot heavier.

I followed Zoe back to Thalia and she repeated what the pieces were from my bag this time. "The dodecahedron (the Pentagon version of the cube) is the tent. All you have to do is throw it down where you want to set it up."

A big silver tent complete with zipper doors and windows popped up. When I walked in it had various fur blankets and rugs and a white dresser and matching bed. There was also a stainless steel table against the far side. I didn't know what for, but I guess we could sharpen our man-killing weapons or skin a fox for a pillow sham.

"Now, when it is time to break camp, just pull here," Zoe said as she pulled a tassel hanging from the top center of the tent. Before I blinked we were back outside and the tent was back into its original shape in Zoe's hand. "Here Percy." She said tossing it to me. Of course I had to miss and it tumbled to the ground. The tent sprouted up around me and I was back inside lying on the fur rug.

"Real funny!" I laughed at Zoe as I walked back out to go over the rest of the stuff in the pack. She was laughing at me with light in her eyes but it disappeared quickly when Phoebe started glaring at her from my side.

"Do you need any help lieutenant?" She asked firmly.

"I got the newcomers. You can send two out for dinner, choose another two to prep, and you can prepare Lady Artemis' tent." Zoe said expressionlessly. Phoebe's eyes went wide in shock. I didn't realize why at the time, but later, I would find out that setting the Lady's tent was a huge honor that normally went to the lieutenant.

There were some pretty cool things in the bag. Sleeping bags the size of a roll of quarters that were climate controlled to protect against even the harshest of cold temperatures or by keeping us from sweltering in the heat based off our body's temperatures and signals, such as sweat or shivering. There were empty bladders of water that would swell and shrink depending on how much water was inside. There was really a wide variety of other cool spins on wilderness survival.

"How do we wash our clothes out here?" I asked curiously.

"One of the duties we have is to use the animal fat from animals we eat to make soap and we wash them in the creek." Zoe shrugged. "It is in our armory as is anything else that you might need and the lady allows. Obviously, any gadgets that require electricity won't be found out here because we don't need it to survive and at times they can hinder us."

Thalia lost the last several years of her life and didn't realize how much has changed. I remember the shock I got at Camp Half-Blood the first time. If it wasn't from getting used to it there I don't think I'd made it through the weekend here.

"How long does it normally take the others to get used to that?" I asked curiously.

Zoe frowned. "It's harder now for the girls than when I first joined milady." She acknowledged.

I nodded in understanding.

"So, what duties will we have?" Thalia asked.

"We rotate to keep things fair. Everybody has certain meals they are responsible for. Some for catching and gathering, some for prepping, and the others for clean up afterward. We rotate laundry. Normally, Lady Artemis will give laundry as a punishment. We all sharpen blades and arrows together after training every week or so, depending on when its needed. Other than that we just try not to impact the area we are in too much. We only burn wood that is dead or fallen. We don't kill more than we eat or from a scarce animal in the area. Lady Artemis will assign each of you a Hunter to follow around until you get the hang of it." She explained as she began walking around inspecting the camp.

"She will be quite pleased with the view you have given her." Zoe complimented Phoebe.

"Thank you for the honor," Phoebe said appreciatively.

"You earned it," Zoe said before she kept walking. "The biggest tent here," She gestured, "is the armory and that over there is our dining quarters. And over there is where will practice." There were numerous archery targets and a circle outlined in sand.

"Zoe. I take it you got the newcomers settled in." Artemis said.

"Yes milady. And I showed them around." She answered.

"Come Percy. I want to speak in private before we begin the day here." She said leading him to the tent Phoebe erected for her.

The inside of her tent was over twice the size of ours.

I waited until she invited me to sit before I did so.

"Good manners. I think this just might work." She said nodding once to herself. "I do have a few ground rules I am sure you will understand. No bathing with the other girls. Do not enter their tents. Period. Treat them with the respect they deserve. I know how they can be towards males. I do not want you handling this on your own if they go too far. You will let me know if they disobey my orders. Do you understand?" She said eying me.

"I understand milady and I thank you for speaking up on my behalf," I said hoping I didn't let my parents down in the manners and respect department.

"You smell different." She stated.

"Why do people keep telling me that?" I asked curiously.

She shrugged. "Must be your healing. Zoe has smelled off since being in that temple as well. Now, today you will all have free time until after lunch and then we will begin training. I will partner you up with Zoe since I know that she will tolerate you better than anyone else here given your history together. Do not think I am blind. I see Zoe has been different since she has gone on that quest with you." She said with a raised eyebrow. "I am trusting you to do right by Zoe. And by training. The weight of Olympus is on your shoulders and I expect you to take it seriously. Do you understand man?"

"I understand that you are trusting, me, a male. I will try my hardest to show you that it wasn't misplaced. And if I fail you, just know, it wasn't intentional." I said bowing my head once.

"I don't think you will," Artemis said with a frown. "But by succeeding, I will lose. You are dismissed."

I took my leave quickly not liking where that conversation was headed. For me to succeed in her trust, she loses? That sounded harsher than how Athena voted.

Camp life was easy to get used to, even if the training was hard. Zoe was a strict instructor and unyielding. She eyed my archery very critically and raised an eyebrow saying she was expecting a lot worse from what she heard. I grinned in fear, but she didn't push the subject. Sometimes though she had me miss meals to keep drilling if she didn't think I was trying hard enough. She really liked pushing me past my comfort zone and had me training with weapons other than Riptide.

Other times, it was like she was my best friend. I loved laying down next to a lake looking at the stars that she began explaining to me. She still didn't let me live down my bear comment about Ursa Major. I really liked the stories and soon, I could identify a few that she told me about without her help. She said that our supposed education was lacking to her standards. I explained to her that not many navigated by stars anymore and she called society fools.

Living in the camp I can see how she thought that way. It was simpler. I would like to say less drama, but some of those girls…Even without guys involved, there was still drama at times. And it seemed a lot stemmed from Phoebe. Thalia was trying to fit in, and she did to a degree. She was still new and some of the girls didn't appreciate her sarcasm or sense of humor. But she still fit in better than I did anyway. I really only had Zoe, Thalia, and occasionally Lady Artemis. I'd take being shunned over being ostracized by the Hunters any day of the week. Overall, I'd say I was quite happy. Definitely better than another year of middle school.

But happiness only lasted for about a month before I realized my feelings for Zoe weren't going to go well with the other Hunters and Lady Artemis. At times I'd jump if I thought she was sitting to close to me for no reason at all. One time she even asked me if I thought she was a leper and asked why I was being so weird. One time Lady Artemis caught me and laughed as she walked away. It was as if she knew how uncomfortable I was, and was taking pleasure in it. I tried to ignore it, but when the moonlight caught Zoe's hair while we were on patrol together I just had a desire to take her hair out of the braid and run my fingers through it.

Lady Artemis had enough though when I didn't have the heart to put my all into the fights anymore.

"No!" Artemis yelled. "Zoe step out of the circle." All the other Hunters stopped their training and came to watch as Artemis stepped in pulling two knives out of the sheaths on her thighs.

Zoe looked nervous as she did so.

"Try to subdue me or leave." Artemis seethed at me with silver eyes.

I looked once at Zoe and saw her nervousness and fear over the statement. It steeled my resolve and I went in for the attack. Back and forth we went. For how long I didn't know. I do know before my time with the Hunters I never would have lasted as long. This wasn't like fighting Ares at all. All the endurance training and strengthening really paid off. Just when I thought I had her she dropped to the ground and pushed off sliding under me and swiped my inner thighs with her knives. I didn't howl from the pain I felt but clenched my teeth and ducked and turned. My blades sparked off hers from the amount of force we were both using.

"How will you beat Kronus if you can't take me." She sneered.

I was getting agitated at her baiting, but it didn't strike home until Artemis said with a raised eyebrow, "What woman would want you?"

My anger built as the skies began to darken and storm almost instantaneously as the lake nearby began to get choppy.

"Did I strike a nerve?" She taunted. "Or did I strike something else." She said gesturing with her head to the blood I felt going down my legs.

I didn't respond, but when the rain started it was as if I had Thalia's powers. When I went to strike with my knives it was as if lightening came off my blades and though they themselves didn't make contact, the lightning did. Artemis got thrown out of the circle and the girls surrounding her caught her before she hit the ground. They laid the unconscious god down and looked at me in disbelief. Even Zoe didn't move. I didn't know what to do, I knocked out a god.

"Apollo!" I yelled to the sky after a moment and Artemis still hadn't come to.

With a flash, Apollo arrived worriedly. The Hunters cleared the way for the sun god. "Artemis!" He called as he saw her on the ground. He lifted his sister and demanded to know what happened.

"She told me to fight her. She said to try to subdue her or leave." I said guiltily.

"Grab my arm." He said expressionlessly.

Once I took hold we were gone and back to his temple.