"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom."

-Unknown

"Jackie, is that a hickey?" Tatiana gaped at my neck as we trudged tiredly up to the dining pavilion.

"NO." I said firmly, fingering the stinging red mark.

"Didn't you see it?" James asked. "That Nico bloke had her backed up against the wall with a sword at her throat."

"That's just evil." Jessica's eyes widened in disbelief.

"He's evil." Kasey pointed out.

"Here, you want me to fix up your neck?" Tati offered, placing two fingers on the cut.

"Thanks, Tots." I said as I felt the irritation slowly subside. "You're the best."

"Well, look who's arrived!" James called. We all turned to see Lizzy and Mackenzie making their way up the lawn towards us.

"All settled into the Ares cabin, Lizzy?" He asked.

"Yeah. I absolutely love my siblings. They, unlike you guys, can actually take a punch." Lizzy grinned.

"And how're you cherubs doing?" Kasey asked Mackenzie.

"Much better away from you." Mackenzie sniffed.

When we got to the pavilion, Lizzy and Mackenzie went to join their cabinmates, leaving the five of us with the noisy and crowded Hermes table.

"Does it ever bother you to have so many people in your cabin?" Tatiana leaned over to ask Tori.

Tori nodded. "You think?" She shrugged. "But it's gotten better over the years. Before, all of the kids of the minor gods had to bunk with us."

"Hey, Jackie." Jessica nudged my elbow. "There's your favorite person in camp."

I smirked as I saw Nico limping slightly to his table, the purple bruise still visible on his elbow. Oh, the warm and fuzzy feeling I got inside. He shot me a dark glare before sitting down at the Hades table that he got all to himself.

Dinner with the Hermes cabin was loud and raucous, but they were all nice enough. Well, you know, when they weren't nicking your brownie and all. They caught us all up with the whole demigod/Camp Half-Blood thing. And we found out the rest of the Percy Jackson Tale of Saving The World. Which happened to be very interesting.

The sun was setting, when I noticed something very odd happening to Tatiana.

I elbowed Kasey. "Hey, do you see that?" I said in a low voice, jerking my head towards Tatiana, who was sitting across the table from us, having a conversation with the Stoll brothers. (Connor was the one with my brownie).

Kasey squinted, frowned, then nodded.

The sun happened to be setting directly behind Tati, and as it sank to the point where it was eclipsed by her head, the golden rays of the corona shimmered and extended, encircling her hair like a crown. It reminded me of the headpiece on the Statue of Liberty. Tati's sandy hair glinted gold in the sunset.

Jessica and James must've noticed too, because they shot Tati - who was completely oblivious to it all - a strange look.

The sun finally sank behind the trees, leaving the sky a light lavender that melted into darker blue. I waited tentatively for a few moments for some sort of startling occurrence, but nothing happened.

Just as I was dismissing the sun-crown as a figment of my imagination, I thought I saw something glinting in Tatiana's hair.

"What in the world is that you've got there?" James leaned over and plucked a small golden decorative comb out of Tatiana's ballerina bun.

Tatiana looked surprised. "I have no idea how that got in my hair . . . .I've never seen it before in my life."

I leaned over to take a closer look at the comb. It was rather small and wider than it was tall. There was no handle. As I examined it further, I realized it was shaped to look like one of those miniature harps. The teeth in the middle were like strings and the two edge teeth curved and curlicued into the frame of the harp. On the side of the comb was a sun-shaped insignia.

I suddenly thought of the name. "Lyre."

Tati looked bewildered. "No, I swear, I really haven't ever seen it before! If you don't believe me -"

I rolled my eyes, cutting in. "I meant, this comb looks like a lyre. You know, a small harp?"

"Oh." Tati gave a small laugh. "Huh. I wonder how it ended up in my hair."

"I think your father put it there." Jessica said.

"What?" Tatiana looked bemused.

"Look - there's a Greek engraving on the side." Jessica flipped the comb over and read aloud. "After clouds, sunshine. It's pretty obvious to me what this comb signifies." It was pretty obvious to me, as well.

Tori, who had just gotten up to sacrifice her fried chicken to her dad, passed us on the way back to her seat. Before anyone could react, she had snatched the comb out of Jessica's hand to examine.

"Well, well, well, daddy's little girl." Tori pronounced after reading the proverb. "Let's see what Apollo has up his sleeve for his newfound daughter." She flipped the comb over a few times, looking for something, then smirked and pressed the sun insignia on the other side.

The teeth of the comb abruptly sharpened and shot out to a dangerous length. James instantly paled. Thank the gods Tori hadn't held the comb a few inches closer - the comb functioned exactly like those Wolverine claws Hugh Jackman sported. Scary that something so pretty had come within an inch of taking out James' eye.

"You spoiled children." Tori shook her head as she retracted the comb to its original size and handed it back to Tatiana.

"You're one to talk!" Kasey scoffed. "You've got your caduceus so you never have to be in pain!"

Tori smiled smugly. "A-and." She drawled, pulling out the blue pencil from behind her ear, which instantly lengthened. "I can transform it into any weapon of choice."

She twirled it around like a baton, and I watched with envy as the blue caduceus flashed into a saber, a sword, an AK-47, a hunting rifle, and then into a leather whip, before returning to its original glowing blue form.

"Alright, enough showing off already!" Tatiana mocked annoyance. "Can I move to my new cabin now?'

"I'd advise tossing your blueberry pie in for your dad first. You know, to thank him for recognizing you with an amazing weapon - if I may also say, a rather snazzy accessory?" Tori raised an eyebrow.

The rest of us headed up to the fire pit after Tati. As I scraped off the remains of my alfredo and a whole cheesecake slice - I know, I'm crazy - I looked up to the heavens in silent wonder as to whom exactly I was sacrificing. I was eager to finally find one of my parents - yet, at the same time, I felt I wasn't quite prepared to learn the truth.

"Yang, are you just going to stand their staring off into space, or are you going to move sometime in the next millenium?" Kasey sighed in exasperation.

I rolled my eyes and went back to my seat.


I thought about it later into the night, during those dark, quiet, hours where no one else is awake; when Artemis shone down through the window, flooding our bunk sheets in a pure, chaste white. The soothing band of crickets and owls performed at their best, adding to the tranquillity of the rustling leaves set off by the night wind. It didn't seem to do the nocturnal symphony any justice to fill my mind with such noise and turmoil while they were doing so much to keep the night young and serene.

What if my parent took forever to claim me? They didn't have to claim me until I was thirteen - it could be months. A mental image filled my mind of all my friends getting claimed one by one, leaving me to rot in a cabin where I didn't belong. The thought was depressing.

What if my parent didn't want me? Gods and goddesses had affairs all the time with mortals - they couldn't keep up with all of the resulting factors of their trysts. What if they'd forgotten me? What if I'd been a mistake? Where they ashamed of me? Was I too stupid, too weak, too talkative, too quiet, or was I not enough? I asked my parent these questions in my head, thought highly doubting they'd hear me.

And what if I found out who my parent was - and I was disappointed? So far, all of my friends had gotten really good scores; Aphrodite, Apollo and Ares were three of the Twelve Big Guys sitting on Mount Olympus. What if my mom or dad turned out to be some minor god that no one had ever heard of, with barely any powers?

I mean, it wasn't their fault. I couldn't blame my parent for who they were. And it's not like it was anything I could control either. But still . . . . I really didn't want to fall short of my friends.

My thoughts trailed on, branching off into many other questions and theories. As I lost myself in a web of my own thoughts, I eventually sank into sleep.


If we hadn't been awake before breakfast, we certainly were after. And it wasn't because of the coffee either. (Though that really helps, especially on Lizzy's part.)

It was the arrow that initially drew us out of our drowsy daze.

After finishing a quick breakfast of pancakes and syrup, the remaining four of us, Kasey, Jessica, James, and myself, went over to the emptying Aphrodite table to give Mackenzie some company. Lizzy and Tatiana joined us.

"Never, ever, ever try to break up a fistfight between two of your brothers." Lizzy said exhaustedly as she sat down.

"I'll take your word." I said, glancing at the bags under her eyes.

"Okay, my siblings are actually really annoying." Mackenzie complained.

"No duh. If they're more airheaded than you, I can see how it can get annoying." Kasey remarked.

Mackenzie ignored the jab. "All they talk about is their hair, or their clothes, or their jewelry, or - this is the worst - boys. And well, you know, girls if they're guys. Like, they just never stop talking! I mean, I like this stuff and all, but it'd be nice to talk about something else once in a while."

"They sound awful thick." James said sympathetically.

"Ugh. You guys got unlucky." Tatiana adjusted her hair clip, careful not to touch the sun insignia. "I, for once, love my siblings. They're all so talented and artistic and intelligent. Have you seen our cabin? We've got a grand piano in one corner, another upright against the wall. The pianos are never untouched for more than a few minutes. Then there's a Zen meditation area - it's got a gong and everything - and there are these gorgeous paintings hung up all over the place. We don't have bunks, either. We've got these light bamboo Japanese platform beds - like I said, we're really into the whole Eastern Zen theme. It's got something to do with the sun rising in the East first. We even follow feng shui and everything." Tatiana frowned. "Which is weird because my Mom is crazy about feng shui."

"Don't you have that feng shui bulletin board of yours?" James pointed out.

"Yeah . . . I guess my mom got it all from Dad." Tatiana giggled nervously. "It's so odd to learn that my Dad's a god - instead of a bookish professor at USF."

"How well do your siblings play the piano?" I asked. I myself had been playing since I was five. So had James and Tatiana. "Do they play as well as you?"

"Better." Tatiana exhaled with a mix of admiration and disappointment. "A whole lot better. Especially Alex; he's like, a freaking Mozart."

"Well, aren't you happy-go-lucky your family doesn't have brains the size of a pea." Mackenzie said bitterly. "I guess I'll just have to stick to reading my People magazines and my Neiman Marcus catalogs." She huffed. "Why couldn't Aphrodite have picked up something intelligent?"

Suddenly, there was a flash of gold that narrowly missed my nose, and the next thing I knew, there was a quivering golden arrow sticking straight out of Mackenzie's pancakes. How's that for a wakeup call?

Mackenzie's eyes widened and she looked up to the blue sky. "Oh, Mother, I was just joking!" She said nervously, panic rising in her voice. "Really! I'm so sorry, really, I won't ever say anything like that again. I swear on the River Styx."

"Mackenzie, I think she's sent you a gift." Jessica remarked, slipping off a small velvet pouch that had been tied onto the end of the arrow. She slowly opened it and shook out its contents into her palm. Four shiny pink star-shaped barrettes tumbled out.

"Ouch. Those edges look sharp." Mackenzie observed.

"Well, most of the gifts you all have gotten from your parents transform shape. Maybe when you clip it in your hair the blades will dull?" I guessed.

Mackenzie took out her cupcake barrette and put the stars in her curls carefully. When my theory proved true, she slipped them off again to take a closer look at the sharp-edged stars. "So, how am I supposed to use these?" She frowned.

James rolled his eyes. "You bint, those are shurikens."

"Sure-what?"

"Throwing stars?"

"Sorry, not everyone takes jujitsu, you know. Anyways, what're you supposed to do with these shuri-things?"

James snatched one up and threw it, sideways like a Frisbee, into the air. We clapped as the star curved around the heads of other demigods, then lodged itself deeply into the wooden leg of the Hades table. Nico's face was priceless.

"Aphrodite's not that thick, as it seems. This shuriken won't miss a target." James complimented.

"Great, now you can go get my barrette back." Mackenzie said sweetly.

James snorted. "Nice attempt. I'm not getting it for you."

"You threw it!"

"I'm not getting it. Make Jackie go, she's not scared of the Ghost King."

"You're saying you're scared of him, then?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No - of course not, what rubbish!"

"Then you get the fricking star already!"

However, it turned out we needn't waste our energy arguing about who was going to get the star - Nico di Angelo was walking over to our table, shuriken in hand.

"Oh, great." Lizzy groaned, not eager for another encounter with the Goth kid.

"Hey." Nico said smoothly as he arrived at our table, flashing Mackenzie a smile. "I believe this is yours?" He held up the barrette.

"Yes, that would be mine, thanks." Mackenzie said coldly as she snatched it back from him.

"Well, there's no need to be rude." Nico smirked.

I couldn't resist. "That's one nasty bruise you've got."

His eyes shot daggers at me. He would've looked quite frightening, I admit, but the sudden plop of white bird business on his head kind of ruined the whole 'dark and intimidating' façade.

The whole table burst out into laughter as Nico turned beet red. I looked up to give thanks to the wonderful artist of the white masterpiece, to see a beautiful snow-white owl circling towards me, an olive branch in its hand.

The owl flew to my shoulder, dropped the branch in my arms, nipped me affectionately on the ear, then took flight once more. The owl . . . a sign of Athena. I felt my heart inflate.

"Wait!" I called. I shaded my eyes in the sun, trying to see the owl that was now shrinking into a dot. "Wait -!"

"What's the olive branch supposed to do?" Kasey picked up the branch curiously.

"It's an eternal flame." Nico muttered darkly, rather bitter about his current appearance. He snapped his fingers and a black flame leapt up between his thumb and index finger. He lit the torch. "See, the flame will never go out unless commanded so by the bearer. Which is you." He grabbed Lizzy's mug of coffee and dumped it over the torch, much to Lizzy's chagrin. The flame continued burning steadily. "See? It's supposed to represent eternal enlightenment or some other cheesy Greek crap."

"Ohmigod, it's like the Olympic torch - only it's the actual thing!" Jessica cried, taking it from Kasey's hold.

"I certainly hope Athena's also my mum - I wouldn't have to use a lighter for the rest of life!" James said wishfully.

"James?" Kasey raised an eyebrow. "Hate to burst your bubble, but you kinda already have a mom."

James sighed. "Oh, that's right. And she looks a whole lot like me too, eh? Oh well, Owl Child here will just have to let me borrow her torch some time or other. Isn't that right?"

"Okay, now that we're done getting all excited over piece of wood, can somebody please get rid of this shit on my hair before it dries?" Nico voiced loudly.

But I wasn't really paying attention to anything anyone else was saying.

I just couldn't get over the wonder and pride in discovering I was the daughter of Athena, the goddess of warfare and eternal wisdom.


Author's Note: Again, I'd like to thank all of the amazing people who take time out of their lives to read this Fanfiction. This includes Jacobluver26, Mar-mar S., Calliope Muse, my friend Anne, and my dad. :)

And then there's you seven, always coming up with a pool of new ideas and witty lines. This fanfiction wouldn't have been nearly as successful without your help and support, Jessica, James, Kasey, Tatiana, Lizzy, Mackenzie, and Tori. 3 The story of our lives has gotten a whopping total of 98 visitors from the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, Bahrain, Indonesia, Britain (I hope James' British character doesn't offend you all across the pond), Canada (eh?), New Zealand, India, and the Maldives.

We've come really far. But then again - we are the children of gods. :)

See you all at DISS tomorrow morning. Talk over breakfast, and hopefully this one doesn't involve arrows or shurikans.