SORRY! THIS CAME OUT SO LATE!

REVIEW RESPONSES

Guest-

Hey I like this story, personally I think it's better than an actual hunger games crossover (most of them). I really like this idea. If you're going to make piper a victor (I hope, personally she's one of my favorite characters) then I think she needs a bit more self esteem. I think she'd need to put on some kind of tough outer shell, like a barrier. Ooh I don't know. Not saying to make her suddenly be all tough and stuff, but she has to put up an act if she wants any allies, because as you've said, what does district 10 have to offer? Although I can see a few things coming out from her sewing abilities. Soo yeah... Keep writing and update soon!
Pretzel

Reply-

Oh I'm so glad you like it :) As for your comments, I understand completely on what you mean. Now Piper is purposely written to have no self-esteem, it's part of the plot. And yes she shouldn't all of a sudden become tough, but I never exactly said that she was going to be like that. And when did I ever say she was going to be a victor? ;)

I understand where your coming from, and I am just saying that I have already thought of everything :) The plot is already written down, so the way she feels and thinks is all part of the story. But it's not like she's going to be like that forever, and mind you-you reviewed on the fourth chapter where things aren't even getting started :D

Thank you Pretzel, again, for reviewing!

NOW ON WITH THE STORY!

I AM TAKEN INTO Cabin number 10.

It's bigger than the train's room, with plush furniture and a bed at the far end of the room. This place must be bigger than Silena's home.

My eyes widen. I suddenly remember Silena's badge and my fingers go to my collar. It's not there. They had taken it away with my clothing. I curse under my breath, I had promised to keep it on. What would she say? Would she think I was defying her? Would she think I had ignored her request to wear it at all times?

I try to put my thoughts away and make myself comfortable in this place. I decide on taking another shower, and when I come out I dress to an outfit to my taste. The room has a touch screen with food choices I can decide on. I choose a drink called lemonade. I feel interested on trying this, I feel interested in all the different types of meals they provide. The flavour is sweet, which surprises me since lemons are usually sour. Lots of sugar must have done the trick. I also order a small potato salad and I sit on the lounge eating it. The food is good, obviously.

I lay down on the coach when I've finished, just resting and waiting until somebody calls in. Eventually Aphrodite does.

"Well how do you like it?" she asks sitting down in a love seat.

"Very stylish, the food is delicious." I say.

"Calypso is amazing," she says. I have to agree with her. She had been. "She's working on the interview dress as we speak. She'll have something just as pretty and enough for you to make a lasting impression." Then she clasps her hands onto her lap. "And I also came here to talk about something-training."

She glances at me to see how I've reacted, then she continues on. "Have you ever seen a weapon in your life?"

Too be honest, I haven't really. I've used a knife, but only for cooking. I suppose scissors wouldn't count as weaponry either, so I shake my head. She purses her lips.

"Do you think you could use a weapon if you tried?"

I think for a while, then I shrug. "Maybe if I was taught properly I would get the hang of it."

"Don't worry; I assure you there will be a lot of trainers tomorrow, if you don't know which one to start off with just ask them." She says ordering a glass of water. Aphrodite takes the drink and sits back down, not leaving her eyes of me. "You can ask the other tributes as well,"

No, I don't want to. I'll just do things on my own, and if I do need some advice I won't be going to the girls and guys out there. I'll do it myself, or just make the trainers assist me.

"No, I'll be fine," She nods.

"Alright, if you say so," Aphrodite says. "Also, I want you to think about the skills you do at home, alright? Just remember to inform me if you think something is important, we'll need these sorts of things."

Skills? What skills? Does picking fruits count as a skill? Right now, that's all I can think of.

"Alright, I'll be going now. You better get some dinner, and have a good rest." She says and walks out.

The potato salad wasn't even that large but I have been brought up on such portions that I am already full. So I hop onto the bed and decide on resting, it's been a long day.

I fall into a dreamless sleep.

"Piper, hurry! You'll be late!"

I feel somebody shaking my shoulders. I groan and hear myself mutter "Lacy I'm sleeping," Then I turn on my other side. I hug my pillow and continue resting.

The person freezes for a moment, then they resume patting my cheek. "Piper dear, this is Aphrodite-you're going to miss training. Wake up!" Training? Oh no.

I shoot up and see her standing there with a worried face, hands clasped together. "What time is it?!" I screech. Aphrodite is waving her arms about saying that it will start in ten minutes. She thrusts me an outfit and runs out.

Oh my lord.

I quickly change and wash up. In a minute I'm standing with an orange shirt and pants. I tie my hair into two braids and just sprint out. I simply cannot miss the beginning.

I don't really have an idea where the training centre is, and I have to ask a few people before I reach there. I'm breathless and everybody is already there standing in the same outfits. I feel a little irritated-they treat it like we are going to team up together. I push a stray strand of hair away from my face and try to catch my breath. For some reason I find myself looking around for Leo, since he is the only other tribute I have talked to. My eyes scan the group of people for curly brown hair and that crocodile grin. No sign of him.

All I can see is orange everywhere and then a man comes out in front of us. He has a long beard that reminds me of the old man who always sits outside the factory, except his is white and this man's beard is brown. He has bushy eyebrows, too. He stands there, arms crossed, and waits for us to settle down. I still cannot see Leo, and I can't help feeling a little disappointed at his absence. Around everybody else chatting and complimenting each other, I feel lonely.

The crowd becomes quiet as they notice the man.

He smiles. "Hello and welcome to the training centre fellow tributes," He points to himself "My name is Chiron. I am the activities director here and I look forward to meeting all of you." Then he pauses. "Some of you I already know," I can see Percy and Annabeth together waving back at him. He smiles back. "If you need any assistance, you will be able to come to me or any other trainer. I'm sure it will be a pleasure teaching all of you."

The session hasn't even started and I'm already beat from all that running.

Somebody taps my shoulder and I yelp. I'm a little self-defensive at this point.

Leo jumps back. "Woah, calm down lady, I didn't mean to frighten you." I scold.

"Leo, don't do that again." He just grins.

I watch as everybody starts moving along to sections of the centre. "So why do you look sweaty and stuff," I give him a look and he immediately realises he has used the wrong choice of words. "I mean-why do you look so...well yeah."

I roll my eyes. "Gee thanks. I slept in and thought I was late."

"Do you usually sleep in?"

"Actually, no. I wake up early all the time," I say. He looks around.

"So where do you want to start off at first?" he says.

"Wait you're working with me?" I say. He nods.

"Yeah, unless...you don't-"

"No it's...fine." I say. But really I had imagined myself just practicing independently. I had also told myself not to work with anybody, but I suppose Leo could be an exception. After all, I do need some people around me. And I don't really mind that Leo wants to stay around.

"Alright then," he rubs his hands together and looks at the spots. "We could start off with something like...archery?"

I nod. We head over to the archery station, bows and arrows are hanging around. The trainer assists me in holding it right and I attempt my first try at shooting.

My arrow only lodges itself on the ground, nowhere near the bullseye. "I knew I wouldn't be able to get it," I mutter. The trainer smiles good-heartedly.

"That's alright! Just keep trying, you'll get it eventually!"

No I won't, I know this because there is another girl and boy at the station. They are both excellent at shooting and when Chiron asks them if they have done archery before they shake their heads. That just proves that if I don't get it the first time I never will.

Leo does a little better, but it still doesn't reach the target. We look at each other and laugh at how hopeless we are.

"Well you certainly did a better job than us," Leo says to the other tributes. The boy smiles a little.

I don't think the bow is my type of weapon so I decide that maybe I should try something else. Leo doesn't seem that enthusiastic shooting arrows both so we go over to the identifying station.

A trainer points to certain monsters and explains to us what they are. It's very valuable information and I try my best to memorise each one. After listening to the lesson we attempt on naming them on our own. I find it hard, since there are so many to count, but there's more in the station. So while Leo is still observing the beastly creatures I look at the plant section.

There is a girl there and she greets me a small smile. She names the plant without hesitation. I even bet that she could do it with her eyes closed.

District 4 tribute, I think to myself.

It seems easy since I recognise most of them from picking vegetation. I pass the examination with ease and the trainer seems impressed. "You're good, considering you're not from 4,"

I smile at his comment, but then I remember that there is no use of recognising fruits and berries in the arena. What am I going to do? Throw some food at monsters? I think it's a little reassuring if the District 4 girl is only good at this like me but I recall seeing her very briefly doing excellent hand to hand combat at the beginning.

Leo finishes off and walks to me. "What now? I think I've had enough learning about ugly creatures that kill people,"

I assume that was a joke, but I can't bring myself to laugh at that. "I don't know...we could go over there, there are lots of people crowding around."

"Okay."

Turns out that people had been crowing around the sword-fighting range. Many are practising skills with dummies while the brave ones are in a duel with other tributes.

"I've never held a sword before," I say a little nervous by how deadly it looks.

"Neither have I, but I want to have a go!" Leo says jumping towards the weapon rack. I uncertainly look at it. I don't think this is my weapon. Leo however seems to like the idea of carrying a sword. He swipes at a dummy's head and grins. I smile a little but I feel sorry for the dummy that is getting torn to bits as he continues swinging and stabbing it. I can't help imagining if he would do that to a real person, but I block the thought out because I might start having nightmares.

I see Perseus Jackson heading towards us. He nods encouragingly at Leo.

"Good work! Just fix your grip on the sword and you'll be perfect." He looks at me." Now you try." He says handing me one. It's big and I grip onto the end. But the moment Perseus lets go it drops to the ground

"Too heavy, I'm not strong enough." I say a little embarrassingly. Perseus nods again.

"Well there are always other weapons to choose from." He points to the weapon rack.

"Thank you, Perseus."

He smiles. "It's fine, but please call me Percy-it sounds better."

"Alright...Percy." He waves and walks off to someplace else. I turn around back to the rack.

I still don't see anything that catches my eye. They're all big and sharp and deadly looking. Some things I can hardly name. I know that there is a bow and arrow, a sword, a knife and then I'm completely clueless. A buff looking girl passes by and grabs the biggest weapon, then murderously attacks a dummy to the ground. I can't help gulping at the sight. She huffs and carries the weapon over her shoulder before walking over to another target.

"Come on and try this, its cool!" Leo cries out as he continues fighting.

"Not right now," I say and look around the entire training camp. Everyone knows what they're doing and here I am, not even knowing what weapon to decide on. I would get on with other things but Aphrodite told me to confirm on this first.

I would ask a trainer or Chiron, but they all look busy admiring the others, all fighting in their own violent ways.

My eyes wander off to two people battling out a distance away. The boy is highly-skilled, and I'm sure he must have been training before the games. He dodges his partner's attacks and lashes out with his own.

I notice he has golden hair and blue eyes; he looks like the tribute from district 1. Yes, that's him. Battling out, using swift moves. Drew had said he was handsome, I remember. I have to admit myself, he is rather good-looking.

I realise that I'm losing focus already. But then I wasn't really doing anything, just standing there in my own world, own thoughts...

"I don't think that's right for you."

I turn around and see a girl standing there, her grey eyes looking at me straight in the eye. I blink, not understanding where she was coming from.

"Pardon?"

Annabeth steps forward a bit. "I said I don't think that's right for you, the weapon." I look down and realise that I'm still gripping onto the heavy sword.

"Yeah, it isn't." I agree. "I can barely lift it up." I show her as I barely carry it off the ground.

She cracks a smile. "Yup, definitely not right for you." She puts her hands on her hips. "I could help you finding a better weapon, I've done it before."

District 6-handiwork and useful arts. Always the smartest of the others, as shown in Annabeth's last games. She was strategic and intelligent, outsmarted the monsters and in the end won. It just goes to show that you could be strong and violent but to win you have to be clever. Maybe I should use her assistance; she would do a better job than me at least. She is a victor after all. She has experience.

So I nod. "Sure, thanks."

Annabeth tilts her head as she observes the different objects. She looks at me, then back, then at me again. She moves all around looking for the right one. Her hands finally grab a knife which she then gives to me.

It's better than before but I still don't think its right. She still observes the weapon in my hands for a while, then shakes her head. "No, it just doesn't fit you properly."

I watch quietly as she decides on each one. "No, no, no...No," Then she scrunches up her nose before going to the other end of the rack. Being satisfied with her choice, Annabeth thrusts another dagger towards me. "What about this? It could do."

I unsheathe the leather cover and find that he dagger fits perfectly in my hands. It has a triangular blade that shines and can see my own reflection in it. My fingers trace the blade slowly, and I look up at Annabeth to confirm if this is it.

"Katropis or looking glass," She smiles. "I think that's the right one for you." And I cannot help feeling that it is.

A horn sounds, somewhere in the distance. She turns to me. "It's time to eat."Good, because I realise that I haven't eaten breakfast and I'm starving.

I strap Katropis to my waist and follow her as we head to the eating area. I sit down on the large table next to Annabeth and Leo. Everyone is talking to each other and taking bits of food from the middle of the table.

I look at the selection. Fresh warm rolls of bread on a plate, jugs of different juices, eggs, milk, fruits, whipped cream and butter...

I try and imagine myself making this at home. I would first have to gather vegetation in order to trade for bread. The eggs would have to be traded in the market as well, probably for some more fruit or just the leftovers of the rolls. The milk could be collected from Mitchell since he has a goat, and the remainder of it could be made into the cream and butter. As for the fruit, it's easy to get.

This would take forever to make, yet here you are able to just tap a selection on a screen and it immediately appears before you.

It might be a long time before we can make a proper meal, but the trading part is easy. Mitchell always says I have a way with words. I usually trick the salespeople into believing that I cannot afford food. I can't really, but it's helpful when fruit isn't in season. Of course I only trick the people who are richer than most. But still, I don't usually like doing this, only sometimes because it makes me feel guilty. It's just tricking them, I'm convincing them to do things or believe in something false.

My stomach grumbles loudly and Leo laughs beside me.

"You better start eating," Annabeth says. I smile sheepishly and take some fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries...

The sweet flavour erupts into my mouth and I remember sitting with Mitchell in the fields, laughing and mocking the Fates.

"And may the odds be ever in your favour!" I smile a little. Mitchell.

I wander how everybody is doing at home; I hope everybody is keeping their own promises. I know that I will have to. If I don't I will never be forgiven.

My attention averts to Leo as he tells a joke. I watch as the others laugh, and I even feel a smile creeping up on my own lips. It's hard not to enjoy yourself here...but then I remember my promise to myself, not to make any friends. I have to keep at least one promise, since I am highly likely to break the others.

I look around the table. Everybody is laughing with one another as if they've known each other forever, chatting animatedly to the person next to them, smiling like they're safe and at home.

I wonder I if I'm the only person who notes that we are definitely not safe and we're not at home. We're to be put into an arena, a game show where people will be watching our deaths as entertainment. This will never be our home-our real home.

I nibble on some toast and take sip out of my orange juice.

My mind goes back to what Aphrodite told me last night. Skills...I'm still trying to rack my brain for talents I may have.

Skills. Abilities. Talents.

Do I have any of those?

I try not to look negatively upon myself, but it's hard to when you know you're hopeless.

Everybody here probably has their own weapon now. I have Katropis, but I haven't tried it out yet.

I unsheathe the dagger and look at it. For a while it just shows me my own reflection, but that wasn't what I was looking at. The details of the knife are made so beautifully that I can't help observing the design over and over again. My fingers trace the blade once more, then I see something in the blade.

I blink twice, because the thing I see is Silena's badge. The one that she had given me. The Titan's symbol. I close my eyes, then open them again and the image is gone. Maybe I was just imagining things. Maybe I'm getting nervous and I'm suddenly hallucinating, thinking that I can see images in my knife. Maybe I didn't see it, maybe I just thought I did, because it's gone now.

But I swear I saw the golden badge, in the crescent shape of a moon.

Now according to my little notebook-that-says-what-will-happen-in-each-chapte r you'll see alot of Annabeth now and not to mention PERCABETH ;)

OH MY GODS THE HOUSE OF HADES CAME OUT THIS WEEK *screams* SO EXCITED!

And also, I am so sorry for not updating quickly! I just had so much going on!

Please, please, please, please PLEASE review! I love everybody's support so far :D

-Di Blythe