Chapter 10

I send a message/we get a ride with my hot dad!

Sunny.

Okay yes. I called him hot. I'm just saying things for what they are!

I was also still trying to get over the fact that I was responsible for Sadie's death. As I told Percy though, these things take time. Time I didn't have. I tried to push back my feeling deep within me.

I then was taken back to when I was asleep after I summoned Ra. I had dreamt about being back at Camp Half-Blood. I was in the Apollo cabin and it was burning down.

"Help!" I screamed.

I then saw my nineteen-year-old brother James-he's the cabin councilor. In the doorway running around.

"James! Help!" I screamed.

He looked at me with fear in his eyes and he ran past. I tried to move, but my foot was caught on a burning beam. It didn't hurt (the fire), but when I tried to move the weight of it stung. I picked it up and moved it off with every bit of strength I had. Then I ran outside and saw all of the campers glaring at me.

"She did this!" shouted James.

All of Camp Half-Blood was on fire. I knew it must have been me. What other half-blood has this power?

"No, I swear! I-I couldn't have!" I stammered.

"She's a monster!" Clarisse shouted.

"A witch!" cried Gordon.

"Kill the witch!" Percy yelled with Riptide in his hands as he ran for me.

It felt real, but I reminded myself that it was all a dream. I sank to my knees and put my hands on my face. When I moved them down I saw that everyone was gone, but the camp still burned.

""Fear is the mother of foresight." Said a voice quoting Thomas Hardy-I looked at for fun, ""The fearful unbelief is unbelief in yourself.""

"First Thomas Hardy, now Thomas Carlyle? Who are you!?" I called out looking around.

""Knowledge is love, light, and vision.""

"Quoting Helen Keller doesn't answer my question!" I said annoyed.

The voice didn't have that evil laughing sound to it. It sounded normal and deep. For a moment, I thought it was my dad up to his tricks. Instead I got something different.

He wore the usual Greek getup and looked as creepy as the statue in his Cabin-Annabeth and I hid there to talk once.

"Zeus." I said annoyed.

"I thought you'd be happy to see your grandfather." He said simply.

"If you haven't been chasing me forever then yes. I would be." I replied, "And where are we?"

"A prison of the mind. Traps you and shows you things you greatly fear. Those who drink a poison will be trapped in their own fears and their bodies and brains can be corrupted." Zeus replied, "I do not know who is doing this."

"So you've been trapped here forever?"

"No. As for before, I only did that so Apollo would stop acting like a child. I never intended to harm you or your mother."

"He's immortal. Last I checked he wasn't an teenager anymore." I smirked.

"It is complicated, the life of gods." He replied.

"So, how do you get out? Also, I didn't drink any poison."

"You must find the antidote, a flower. It is almost like a lily only it had many colors. There is only one, and it is on an island you may have read about."

"Ogygia, Calypso's island?" It was the first island that came to mind.

He nodded, "If you get this and if Calypso helps I will sent her free."

"Um…I'm kinda in the middle of saving Annabeth." I replied.

"Ah yes, daughter of Athena. Although, if you put this off there a good chance everything you see here." He motioned to the whole camp, "will be gone."

"So what? I don't even belong here or there anyway!" I rolled my eyes.

"So you would let your friends home get destroyed? Some of the half-bloods here have nowhere else to go."

I sighed in annoyance. He was right though, I couldn't let this place get destroyed. "Okay, but what about me? Am I stuck here?"

"No, sorry to call on you like this, but there was no other way." He replied, "I have a feeling someone will control me and make me demand someone to do something to you or your friends."

"Thanks for the warning." I said sarcastically, "How am I supposed to abandon everyone on our quest?"

"That is up to you child."

Great, the king of the gods doesn't tell me what to do! Thanks a lot Gramps!

"Are we done? 'Cause I have friend who need my help."

Just then, I wasn't at Camp anymore. I was in this dark cave. I walked through the tunnels and saw a bunch of Egyptian and Greek monsters working together on building weapons in this factory part of the cave. I saw a throne with Set sitting there like a king.

I moved on to a different part. As I walked I heard a scream. I followed it to this stone door. Luckily, someone walked out and I slipped through. I wished I hadn't, because there-in chains and barely standing-was Annabeth.

"So what's the plan again?" asked a pretty cheerleader figure. An Empousai.

"Alira, If we make sure she's stays this weak when Set is ready to take over Mount Olympus then he'll use her blood to enter Mount Olympus and slay the gods." Said a weird Human with a croc head.

"Now this is what I signed up for!" Alira replied smiling from ear to ear like it was Christmas.

"What should we use next?" the croc asked motioning towards a table with different torture thingies on it.

"Oh, oh! Do the one with spikes!" said Alira jumping up and down like a three-year-old.

The croc went over and picked it up. I wanted to scream, I did something stupider. I ran in front of Annabeth-stupidly thinking it would work.

When the croc raised it up in the air and brought it down, it actually did hit me (Boy did it hurt!).

"Wha-who's there!?" demanded the croc.

"Could it be that Percy Jackson only invisible?" asked Alira.

"Sunny," Annabeth whispered so faint that they wouldn't be able to hear her. "Percy has my cap. Get it from him and make sure to use it. They want him to come, but if he does they'll kill him."

"They'll already kill him if they kill you!" I insisted quietly, "Fish Face is a stupid guy when it comes to love."

I could tell she wanted to laugh, but instead started coughing.

"Who's there!?" the croc asked again holding up the spikey stick, ready to defend himself.

I ran to the side of him and punched him in the gut.

"An apolline." Snarled Alira.

"A what?" gasped the croc in pain.

"A child of Apollo!" she growled.

Just for the record I had never heard that name used before. I have no idea who started it or how it made sense.

Then she lunged for me, but I moved out of the way. As she was trying to catch me the croc was getting back to torturing Annabeth. I saw him hit her with the spikes. I couldn't bare to look.

"STOP! LEAVE HER ALONE!" I shouted.

Alira heard my voice and jumped in my direction. I dodged her, but then the croc hit Annabeth again.

"STOP IT!" I shouted again trying to walk, but it felt like I was leaning.

I started shooting out flames as croc and Alira. Croc screamed in agony-not as much as Annabeth was from her wounds. The whole room was starting to catch fire.

Suddenly, Alira grabbed my arms and tried to hold me. Then she was about to bit me.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I shouted shooting more flames.

"Sunny! Wake up!" I heard a distant voice.

And that's when I woke up.

"Hey Sunny, you okay?" asked Percy.

I was back in Leto's home. Standing in front of the mirror, only I wasn't looking directly into it. I wanted so bad to get back to me giving Percy a hard time and driving him nuts every time he drove me nuts, but it was too late.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I simply replied without a snappy tone in my voice.

"I'm sorry about Sadie."

It was then I remembered something Sadie told me back at Brooklyn House. Something I forgot about because I was so distracted.

"She's not dead." I replied.

"Yeah, she's with her dad and her mom and she'll always be with us-"

"No idiot!" I snapped. It felt good to be annoyed by his idiocy 'cause then I had something to give him a hard time about, "Sadie told me that this trick could work if anything should happen to her. She said she hid her shadow in a special place, and that maybe her shadow could save her."

"Crazy, but then again half-bloods and-by the sounds of it-magicians deal with crazy stuff all the time!" said Percy, "Where is it?"

"It's not at Brooklyn House, but I don't think it's on the ship." I thought aloud, "That place where she "fought" Polyphemus, it's near the cemetery where she got her first kiss! She must have put it there."

"I hope you're right." Said Percy, "But who do we get it without abandoning our quest?"

"I'll try and send and Iris message to Brooklyn House." I replied, "Then I need my siblings to get their butts kicked to find a rainbow flower and we'll head for Mammoth Cave!"

"Do I want to know?" he asked.

"Someone is controlling Zeus's mind and he's stuck in a prison of the mind. The flower is the only way to save him and Olympus."

"So he doesn't want to kill you?"

I nodded, "Someone else does. I think it's Set."

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Let's just say that if we don't save Annabeth soon and make sure Set or his minions don't get his hands on you he's gonna use Annabeth's blood to enter Mount Olympus." I summed up.

"What!?"

"Long story, let's just hurry." I insisted.

He nodded and I went to a little water fountain Leto had in a room with a bunch of coins and sent a message to Zia telling her to find Sadie's shadow. Then I thought I'd send one to camp. Will Solace-the only brother who was able to look past his own jealousy to show even the slightest bit of kindness and is the cabin councilor-answered.

"How's it going Sunny?" he asked and seemed happy to hear from me.

"I'm getting a headache from this whole quest!" I groaned. He laughed, "I need you to go on a little quest. Take who you want, but remind them it's not for me, it's for Zeus."
"Sunshine Johnson, what have you been up to?" he asked with his hands on his hips like an older brother.

"I need you to go to Ogygia. There's a rainbow flower that has a sort of healing power, I guess. Zeus is trapped in his own mind and fears. If we don't do something soon than whoever is taking advantage of him now will destroy Olympus." I explained.

"For once! Can someone please give Olympus a break? Or more importantly us?" he asked annoyed and then smiled, "Okay. I'm not sure I can find that island on purpose, but I'll try."

"Thanks," I replied. "And thanks for being a half decent sibling to me."

"Sure, it's my job to make other cabin members feel welcome, and you're the first Apollo kid we've had in fifteen years."

"Are you jealous like the rest of them?"

"The first time I heard that our dad married your mom I was, but then I got over it after seeing how much you clearly hated it at camp. Camp, the only place you'd really be safe. Maybe also because your mom died."

"You know I hate pity." I grumbled.

"Yes, but still. No one can help but pity at times." Said Will.

I nodded. Then I gave him one last instruction before contacting Bast or whoever was able to get the message. Bast answered and after I told her where to go-I left out the part about Sadie being dead-I joined Percy and Leto. I was glad I didn't tell Will about meeting Leto or being on the island our dad and aunt was born on.

"So, I found us a ride!" said Percy sounding cheery.

"If it has to do with water I'll destroy you the next time we play capture the flag!" I snapped.

"Then it's your lucky day!" said I voice I heard before. He stepped into the light, "You'll be riding the sun!"

"Hey…dad." I said awkwardly.

"Hello Sunshine, sweetie." He replied then walking over to hug his mother.

"Oh Apollo! You're so big!" she exclaimed after they hugged.

"I hate to break up this touching mother-son moment, but we really have to get going. Annabthe can't hold out forever." Said Percy.

"For once I agree with Fish Face here." I commented.

"Oh yes! You must finish your quest!" said Leto.

"Well, car's waiting outside." Said Apollo.

Before we left, Leto gave me a first edition copy of Silmarillion to remember Delos. Then as I was headed for the passenger's seat Apollo tossed me the keys.

"Seriously?" I asked shocked.

"You've never driven before and it's best you start now with mine-which is pretty hard to drive-than later." Apollo smirked, "Not to mention, after driving this baby any other car will be a piece of cake."

I took a deep breath and went over to the driver's seat. After buckling my seat belt I put the keys in the ignition and started up the car.

"Now put it in fly." Said Apollo.

I looked in the rear view mirror and saw Percy trying to grab something and looked totally panicked. I shot him a look say, "I can handle it. Man up!"

"Where's the fly?"

"It's the F." he replied.

I put the stick thingy (I hadn't even picked up a student driver's book or manual before then, so Percy did have a right to be scared) in fly and then car started floating. I pulled back on the steering wheel and put my foot on the pedal that made us go and we zipped up. As we went above the clouds I tried not to laugh at Percy's scream-it was like a dolphin and a humpback whale had a baby!

"Okay, now go down slowly. Back sure we're still a little bit above the clouds." Instructed Apollo.

I pushed in on the steering wheel slowly and took my foot of the pedal a bit to slow us down. We flew just a bit above the clouds and Percy calmed down a bit.

"Are you trying to kill us?!" he gasped.

"Technically, you two would die." Pointed out Apollo.

"No! I'm trying to get the hang of this bloody thing!" I snapped.

"You've been spending way too much time with Sadie." Said Percy.

I began to see why the other kids were sort of jealous. I definitely had my dad's blue eyes. As for the hair it looked golden like his in a certain light, other times it looked like a darker version of my mom's.

"Dad, I need to ask you something." I said not really wanting to have this conversation in front of Percy, but I knew I'd never get another chance.

"Yes?" he asked sounding a little more serious.

"I thought Asclepius was your favorite child…why am I?"

"Sunshine, Asclepius has been for ages-he's still up there, but that was thousands and thousands and thousands of years ago." He replied, "After I met your mother at a lecture on Greek gods and goddess at this community college I realized never felt the way I did when I laid eyes on her. Somehow, she knew all along while we were dating that I was Apollo. She told me it wasn't because she expected something great like me making her a goddess, she just thought she'd see if I was a nice guy or if I was stuck up and acting all powerful since I was a god.

"Then I scared her quite a bit when I proposed in front of Buckingham Palace-"

"What?!"

"We were visiting her parents." He explained, "Anyway, we got married and everything was wonderful-other than the fact my father Zeus wasn't thrilled. The one time Hera sided with me was when I was devoted to your mother, being the goddess of marriage and all. So when your mother found out about being pregnant she kept it hidden from even me! Then I put the pieces together later on.

"When you were born we were hiking in this woods were I knew my sister Artemis was with her hunter and I wanted to pay her a visit but I didn't want to leave Selina when she's due soon. When we made it to her camp you must have wanted to see your aunt a lot! Luckily, we had some help. So all the Hunters and Artemis were in the tent with Selina. Then you were born.

"I wanted to stay with you and your mother forever, but I had to leave."

"Great story and all, but it doesn't explain why-out of all the kids in Cabin 7-youfavor me?" I asked annoyed.

"You say it like it's a bad thing being a favorite."

"That's 'cause it is! I mean, all of my half-siblings are jealous I'm surprised they haven't thrown me in a pit yet!" I tried to keep from going nuts, but I was pretty sure some part of me was on fire.

"Ever since you were born you were capable of great things. You were so small but were an amazing singer. You've never believed in yourself or thought of yourself as anything but a freak with the power to control fire-something that no child of mine should have ever been born with." Said Apollo as I kept my eyes on the sky, "I love all of my children, but there's something different-a good different-about how I feel about you."

"At least Will can control his feelings." I muttered.

"Ah Will, the councilor." He said as if remembering all of Will's greatest deeds.

There's another thing, I had never done any great deeds for my dad. All the other Apollo kids did something, even if it was small like winning a chariot race! I did nothing.

"You need to learn to keep your thoughts to yourself." Commented Apollo, "You did do plenty of things."

"Like what?" I asked.

"You would complain about your chores, but then apologized and did them. You babysat some frankly annoying kids to help your mother. You wrote songs that I found amusing and entertaining. Naturally, you didn't do anything anyone would find great like some of my children at Camp Half-Blood, but you did little things."

"Hey! Remember me? The guy awkwardly sitting in the backseat?" asked Percy.

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "So you always sit awkward?"

He glared at me. "I'd just thought you'd ask about this mysterious baby brother of yours."

"Yeah, what happened?" I asked Apollo.

"You did remember me coming back and being with your mother. I stayed for those long months that she was pregnant. Then a week before she gave birth Hera warned me about Zeus's coming. So I left and told her to erase your memory about me coming back after Phineas was born. Hera took Phineas to a place he'd be safe." He replied.

"Was that when I had to stay over at Jacob's house when my mom said she was sick and wanted me to stay with the Herrons to make sure it wasn't anything I might catch?" I asked.

Jacob was a friend I had when I was eight when I lived in Tennessee for a brief time.

Apollo nodded. "She hated not telling you the truth, she told everyone else she lost the baby and not to tell you."

"I have to find him!" I insisted.

"And you will." He replied, "Now take her down a little more and then when we get close to the highway put it in drive."

It was a little bumped when I put it in drive and it hit the ground, but everything went pretty smooth for a while. Then we got pulled over…