-Shattered-

Hey guys!

Here you go, the next chapter all edited and all. Again, don't really have much to say so I guess I'll just leave you guys so that you can enjoy this one.

As I promised last time, this one is a bit longer that the previous chapter. :D

BAI!

Artemis closed her eyes. "Dawn is approaching. Zoe, break camp. You must get to Long Island quickly and safely. I shall summon a ride from my brother."

Zoe didn't look real happy about this idea, but she nodded and told Bianca to follow her. As she was leaving, Bianca paused in front of me. "I'm sorry, Percy. But I want this. I really, really do."

Percy sighed, and then smiled at the daughter of Hades, "It's fine Bianca. I'll keep Nico safe. I promise."

Then she was gone, and Percy was left alone with the twelve-year-old goddess.

Artemis narrowed her pale silvery eyes at the the son of Poseidon. Both sat up straighter.

"I need to speak with you boy..."

Percy gulped, the moon goddess hadn't asked an audience with him the last time around. He was nervous.

She was blunt, "How do you know about the Ophiotaurus?" was her first question.

Percy's eyes widened, she had read his thoughts!

"That's correct, Son of Poseidon"

Percy sighed, he guessed he would have to explain the whole thing to the auburn haired goddess.

And so he did, he told her everything.

He told her how He had already lived through the current events. He told her how she was going to get captured when she went to hunt the Ophiotaurus. He told her how they would embark on a quest to save her. He told her how Bianca would die. He told her how Zoe would die. He told her about the Labyrinth. He told her about Calypso. He told her how he bathed in the river Styx. He finally told her about how he lost at the battle of Manhattan.

Finally when he was done, Artemis spoke only three words.

"I believe you."

Percy could see it in her pale, silver eyes. She truly did believe him. Percy felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. At the very least, he had someone to confide in about his secret. He wouldn't have the secret burden him down.

"We must leave now..."

It didn't seem like she was about to react to the information that the boy had just provided her with.

The Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. He stood shivering in the snow (unlike the Hunters, who didn't seem to feel all that uncomfortable), and Artemis stared into the east like she was expecting something, Apollo perhaps?. Bianca sat off to one side, talking with Nico. Percy could tell from his gloomy face that she was explaining her decision to join the Hunt.

Thalia, Annabeth and Grover came up and huddled around him, anxious to hear what had happened in my audience with the goddess.

He told them, not mentioning the whole time travel thing of course.

Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."

"How'd they even show up here?" Annabeth wondered aloud . "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."

"And Bianca joined them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoe's fault. That stuck-up, no good—"

"Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?" He heaved a big sigh.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

"But she's so… into nature," Grover swooned.

"You're nuts," said Thalia.

"Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah."

Finally the sky began to lighten. Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so-o-o lazy during the winter."

Percy couldn't help but chuckle at that.

There was a sudden burst of light on the horizon and a blast of warmth.

"Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks."

Percy averted his eyes, and saw that the other kids were doing the same. The light and warmth intensified until his winter coat felt like it was melting off of him.

Then suddenly the light died.

A red convertible Maserati Spyder pulled up beside them. The snow had melted around the Maserati in a perfect circle, which explained why he was now standing on green grass and his shoes were wet.

The driver got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, and for a second, Percy could only think of how simillar Apollo looked to Luke. The sun god had the same sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. But it wasn't Luke. This guy was taller, with no scar on his face like Luke's. His smile was brighter and more playful. (Luke didn't do much more than scowl and sneer these days.) The Maserati driver wore jeans and loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.

"Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."

Percy almost burst out laughing.

"He's the sun god," he said bluntly.

"That's not what I meant."

"Little sister!" Apollo called. If his teeth were any whiter he could've blinded the questers without the sun car. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

Artemis sighed, rolling her eyes at her brother. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little sister."

"Hey, I was born first."

"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—"

"So what's up?" he interrupted. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?"

Artemis grit her teeth. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."

"Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters all groaned.

He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.

"Green grass breaks through snow.

Artemis pleads for my help.

I am so cool."

He grinned at us, waiting for applause.

"That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. "Was it?"

"Yes. What about I am so big-headed?"

"No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." He started muttering to himself.

Zoe Nightshade turned to the demigods, and Grover. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, There once was a goddess from Sparta—"

"I've got it!" Apollo announced. "I am so awesome. That's five syllables!" He bowed, looking very pleased with himself.

"And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."

"These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis said, pointing to us. "Some of Chiron's campers."

"No problem!" Apollo checked us out. "Let's see… Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."

Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

"Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time—"

"Brother," Artemis said. "You should get going.

"Oh, right." Then he looked at me, and his eyes narrowed. "Percy Jackson?"

"Yeah. I mean… yes, sir."

Apollo studied Percy, but he didn't say anything, which he still found a little creepy.

"Well!" he said at last. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it, you miss it."

"Cool car," Nico said.

"Thanks, kid," Apollo said.

"But how will we all fit?"

"Oh." Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose…"

He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button.

Chirp, chirp.

For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by one of those Turtle Top shuttle buses like they used for school basketball games.

"Right," he said. "Everybody in."

Zoe ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that."

Zoe recoiled. Her eyes flashed murderously.

"Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart."

Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"

"Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business."

"I'll find out. I see all. Know all."

Artemis snorted. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!

"No, no! I never mess around."

Artemis rolled her eyes, then looked at the demigods. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoe, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."

Zoe straightened. "Yes, my lady."

Artemis knelt and touched the ground as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So much danger. The beast must be found."

She sprinted toward the woods and melted into the snow and shadows.

Apollo turned and grinned, jangling the car keys on his finger. "So," he said. "Who wants to drive?"

The Hunters piled into the van. They all crammed into the back so they'd be as far away as possible from Apollo and the rest of those highly infectious males, Bianca sat with them, leaving her little brother to hang in the front with us, which seemed cold to Percy, but Nico didn't seem to mind.

"This is so cool!" Nico said, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"

"Downsizing," Apollo said. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."

"But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"

Apollo chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. "That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun… er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"