Hey everybody! I decided to be nice today and post a few days ahead of schedule! :D
Thanks to AvisQuest9513 for being the world's best Beta! :) Also, thanks to I am Krista Daughter of Apollo for being so nice and Luna's #1 fan! :D
Disclaimer: I'm sorry to say that I do not own the PJO franchise, no matter what you may think. Such a pity. I would've taken such good care of it. :(
ENJOY, MY MINIONS!
LILYLILYLILYLILY
Seth shifted in his chair. The past few hours had definitely been weird.
First, he had had this crazy dream where he was standing next to Shay - you know, the girl he seduced during capture the flag? - and Danielle, and this creepy female voice told him to find her horn. Seth didn't exactly classify that as normal.
Then, today, Chiron had asked the campers if they had had a dream the night before. How did Chiron know about the dream?
Seth, later on, found himself raising his hand, and then standing on a stage next to a bunch of other demigods. He knew some of them, like Danielle, one of his best friends, Emrys, the newbie, and Shay, the pretty daughter of Zeus that had failed to kick his butt yesterday. The other girl, he had never met, but he had heard from another camper that her name was Loony, or something like that.
A little while afterwards, they all headed into the Big House.
Chiron sat down at the head of the table (it was a ping pong table, but no one seemed to mind). Seth sat down next to Shay, who had quickly scooted her chair farther away from him. Seth frowned. Somebody was being a sore loser. On Shay's right sat the girl he didn't know the name of, who had raised her hand before him. On Shay's left sat Danielle, who sat next to Emrys, whom sat next to Mr. D. On Seth's left was Chiron, who began to clear his throat.
"Last night," Chiron began, "I believe you all had the same dream, in which you were standing on a terrace, overlooking a city, and a feminine voice told you to find her horn. Am I correct?" He said, looking around for assurance. All the demigods nodded, except for Shay who timidly raised her hand.
"Hypothetically speaking, what if I didn't have that dream last night? What if I dreamt it the night before?" asked Shay, raising an eyebrow.
Chiron raised an eyebrow in return.
"Do you have something to say, Miss LeBeau?"
"I…I had a similar dream to the one Chiron described two days ago, the night before Capture the Flag," Shay said, nervously wringing her hands in her lap. She averted their gazes and looked down at her hands.
"The voice told me that my mortal brother, Bo, is in danger and that he doesn't have much time."
"Shay," said Luna with a frown, "Why didn't you tell me?"
Shay shamefully looked away.
"Maybe this has something to do with the prophecy I got today," said Danielle, trying to lighten the mood, "It could have something to do with your brother."
"What prophecy?" asked Luna, tilting her head to the side.
"After I had my dream, something told me to visit Oracle. This morning I went by her cave, and said:
'The sky will fall, and he shall rise
The storm will come in five days' time
By Rainbow's hand, the battle won
For Death, the war has just begun.'"
Seth furrowed his brow in concern. "Who's this 'he' it's talking about?"
"That's the problem," said Emrys, "We don't know."
Leaning back in her chair with her feet propped up on the ping pong table was Luna.
"Well, at least we know it's a male," said Luna all too cheerfully.
"I'm fairly certain that the 'rainbow' mentioned in the prophecy refers to Luna, and that 'death' refers to Emrys," said Chiron, watching at the two demigods in thought, "You will both have an important role in what is to come."
"Do you guys think that 'he' could be Kronos?" asked Seth, alarm creeping into his voice, "Do you think he could have –"
"Impossible," said Chiron, "It's only been twenty-five years since he was defeated in the Titan war. It took Kronos thousands of years to reform in the past. The idea of Kronos reforming so soon is preposterous."
Luna nodded in agreement. "He's right. How would he have risen so quickly?"
"You guys have a point," admitted Seth, "But if you're wrong…we'll have one heck of a problem on our hands."
Mr. D pulled a Coke out of thin air.
"It's been twenty-five years already?" he said, smiling cheerfully, "Good - only twenty-five more to go."
He took a loud slurp from his Coke.
Chiron sighed, detesting the idea of what he was about to say.
"I suppose we have to issue a quest. Emrys, and Luna, you're definitely going to have to participate." – at this, the blond grimaced; the daughter of Iris, on the other hand, merely grinned – "Danielle, since Rachel told you the prophecy, you're going too. Seth, since you had the same dream as the others, you will go also. And Shay," he said, his words becoming softer, his face less grave and more comforting, "you need to be there too. I hope you will find what you're looking for."
He didn't say brother, but Seth had a feeling that Chiron wasn't talking about Bo.
"But, where do we look?" Seth asked, leaning back in his chair.
"In my dream, the voice said that her horn was in the heartland," said Shay, who Seth noticed hadn't spoken a lot during the conversation.
"Isn't that another name for the Midwest?" Danielle thought aloud.
Emrys answered with a nod.
"We'll start there then," said Luna.
"So, when do we leave?" asked Emrys in anticipation.
Everyone, then, leaned forward, eager to hear when they would depart.
Seth looked around the room, eyeing his soon-to-be teammates. He'd been at camp for a good while, and knew that none of them had ever been on a quest before. Honestly, this was Seth's first quest, too, and deep down, he was scared out of his wits. Most of the campers didn't get the opportunity to leave camp during the summer. Only one major quest had been issued in the past twenty-five years, and that didn't go as well as the camp thought it would. Four demigods had set off looking for the girdle of Aphrodite, but only three returned. He didn't want this quest to end the same.
"'When do we leave?" asked Luna, "Now, of course! Besides, we only have five days until the world ends. Bo doesn't have much time."
She stood triumphantly, and headed towards the door. Stopping, she looked back at the other demigods expectantly. Raising an eyebrow, she eyed them. "Well?"
Seth stood.
"C'mon guys," he muttered, trying to sound braver than he felt, "We have a world to save."
LILYLILYLILYLILY
"Acela Express arrives in five minutes," an automated voice boomed over the speakers.
Shay watched as the circular lights by the track blink on and off, signifying that their train was on its way. She turned around to face the rest of her quest mates. Danielle was talking to Seth, Emrys by her side; Shay watched as Luna threw a couple of bucks to a duo dancing to "Gangnam Style" in the center of the busy station.
Chiron had had Argus drive them to the station in downtown Brooklyn, where they would take a train to Chicago, which was in the center of the Midwest Region. After a long debate over whether they would start at St. Louis or Kansas City, Emrys had come up with this idea instead, and they had all agreed.
The only things Shay had taken on the quest with her was a duffel bag full of clothes, snacks, and money that she had been given by the camp store, and her mother's locket. It was gold, and had a picture of her family nestled into the frame: Shay, her mother, and Bo. Her father, Zeus, wasn't there. He never was, but she seldom cared. After learning that she was a half-blood, Shay learned to accept the fact that he wouldn't always be there for her, and that a demigods' life was often a lonely one. She had Luna, of course, who had taken her under her wing as soon as she stepped into camp. Shay was glad for that, but she every so often, she'd long for something else. Just then, a voice spoke from behind.
"So, I'm pretty sure somebody owes me an explanation."
Shay jumped as she spun around to face Luna.
"Didn't see you there," said Shay, relieved, "I almost thought you were a monster or something."
Luna smirked.
"I can act like a monster if I want to," she stated, "but that's not why I'm standing here, is it?"
"I know, I know, I should've told you about the dream." said Shay, "Then again, why didn't you tell me about your dream?" she asked.
"Because someone's life wasn't in danger," said Luna simply.
Hefting her backpack off of her shoulders, Luna laid it down on the subway floor. Shay watched as she sat down on it, strangely silent. The silence, thankfully, did not last for long. Smiling cheekily, Luna patted the spot next to her and told Shay to sit down or else. Shay rolled her eyes and obeyed her friend's request.
A long silence unfolded.
"My life sucks," said Shay finally.
"I know."
"I'm a terrible friend. I should've said something sooner."
"You should have."
"Are those hairy guys staring at us?"
"You are – wait, what?"
Shay motioned to the far left. Turning her head, Luna could see a large group of rather hairy men wearing orange jumpers. Every so often, they glanced their way. The men looked so stout and rugged in their orange jumpsuits; the group looked like they had just escaped from jail.
"You think they're monsters?" whispered Shay.
Luna nodded as their train began to make its way down the track.
Over the noise of the train, Luna said, "We have to get on the train, and quick!"
They both scrambled to their feet as the train pulled in at the station.
"C'mon!" called Shay to the rest of the group. The train doors slid open; they quickly followed her and Luna onto the train car.
There weren't a lot of seats left, but Seth got up from where he sat.
"Here, you can have my seat," he offered, grabbing the pole in front of her.
Muttering a quick "Thank you," she hastily sat down. She glanced out of the window behind her. The group of bushy men was bristly making its way to the train, shoving mortals that got in their way. The train car doors began to slide closed, and as the men got nearer, Shay began to pray.
"Please, please, please," she mumbled, crossing her fingers as the men got closer, and the doors continued to slide shut. Luna, who was standing off to the left holding a pole, looked on. The doors were a few inches apart, right about to close when a clawed hand reached out, and stopped the door from sliding. A smiling, bearded face stuck itself through the crack as the doors slid open again.
"Ello, there. Glad me and my mates didn't get to miss the train," he greeted everyone in a feigned British accent.
The subway riders looked on tediously, but he just smiled back, and he and his band of hairy misfits made their way onto the train. A couple of them had managed to find seats in the overcrowded car. Six others stood holding on to poles in the aisle.
"Note to self," Shay muttered, "Kick Janus' butt. Stupid god of doorways can't do his stupid job…"
Defeated, Shay slumped in her chair, half-expecting for the men to attack them. She waited.
About an hour later, Shay shifted impatiently in her chair. So far, nothing. They were approaching Philadelphia, and the hairy guys hadn't so much as glanced at them. She was getting tired of waiting to die. It was getting boring.
She considered fighting them off. Then again, that might have caused a scene among the mortals. Maybe that was why the monsters wouldn't attack: too many witnesses.
Shay turned her head around to face the window behind her and watched as the scenery rushed by. They were rolling through the city; skyscrapers zoomed by, and Shay waved to a little girl playing in a park. Then she started thinking about her brother.
"It's not fair," she thought. "Why me, of all people?"
Shay figured that's how Percy Jackson felt when Hera wiped his memory and sent him off to Camp Jupiter, and how Jason Grace felt when he ended up at Camp Half-Blood. Even though none of those things ever happened to her, she believed that losing Bo was equally painful.
'Ugh' she thought, groaning at the stocky, shaggy monsters-in-disguise, 'Kill me already!'
Seth turned his head to face her.
"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked, having heard her groan not a moment before.
Shay rolled her eyes.
That last person she wanted to talk to was Seth. He had humiliated her in front of everyone yesterday. Just because they were on the same quest together didn't mean that they had to be friends.
"I don't feel like talking to you right now, okay?" said Shay, trying hard to sound annoyed. Crossing her arms, she held her head high, trying to look dignified while averting Seth's gaze.
A mischievous smile tugged at his lips.
"But you just did."
She glared at him.
"Can you just leave me alone?! Go play with those little kids or something," said Shay, referring to a group of toddlers with on the other side of the car. Seth responded with a smirk.
"Nah, I'm fine. I'd rather be here with – " he quickly cut himself off. To Shay, it sounded like he was going to say "with you," but she highly doubted it. It's not like she wanted him to say it either.
"Um, yeah," said Seth, who was quickly trying to change the subject.
"Anyway, um…I'm really sorry about your brother."
Shay raised an eyebrow.
"What are you sorry for? It wasn't your fault. And he's not dead; don't say sorry unless you have a reason to," she said somewhat bitterly. As she watched Seth's face become a mask of hurt, Shay looked away. Seth began to turn away, but stopped to glance out of the window behind Shay.
"We're in Philadelphia," he said looking out of the window as the train pulled into a large, crowded station. Shay turned around to look, and saw that he was right.
Right on cue, the automated voice came on, saying, "We have arrived at the 15th Street Station in Philadelphia."
The train car doors slid open.
"All passengers off-boarding please exit the train."
A dozen passengers got up to exit the train; the bushy band of convicts remained seated. Shay eyed them warily, and Seth, following her gaze, saw the group.
"What's up with the jailbirds?" asked Seth, nodding his head towards the men. The woman sitting next to Shay rose from her seat to exit the train, and Seth took her place next to Shay.
"Luna and I are pretty sure that they're monsters," she responded.
"I mean, just look at them. That much hair has to be illegal. I wonder what the mortals see…"
Seth cracked a smile, and Shay's heart did a little flip like it wanted to come out of her chest.
'Stupid heart," she thought, "I'm trying to think.'
She continued to survey the supposed monsters.
There weren't a lot of passengers left after the train continued on down the track. Their next stop would be Washington, D.C., and Shay was afraid that after most of the passengers got off, the monsters would attack. Even though Chiron said the fastest way for them to travel was through the subway system, Shay thought that it certainly wasn't the safest.
A little while after the train started moving on down the track, Luna walked over to where Seth and Shay were sitting. Shay thought that a little part of her seemed surprised, but she didn't have the slightest idea why.
Luna just went on saying, "I think we should get off in D.C."
"What?" said Shay, sitting up in shock.
"Do you know how much time we'd lose?"
"I know, I know, but those guys over there don't look very friendly, do they?" she said, and Shay understood that she was talking about the British monster tourists – "We need to avoid them by getting off as soon as possible. Sure, we may lose a day or two trying to find a better mode of transportation, but it's the safest way to go." Shay sighed, rubbing a hand on her temple.
"No more stops till D.C., right?" Luna responded with a nod. Shay grunted, then answered, "Fine," before Luna let out a sigh.
"Good. I'll feel safer knowing I'm not constantly going to die."
"We're demigods. We always die," said Seth, with a "duh" expression written all over his face. Luna rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. Just try to get some sleep before we make it to Washington; we have a long way ahead of us."
As soon as Luna said it, Shay felt her eyes droop. She hadn't slept in days; her vivid dreams seemed to block out all sleep.
"Yeah, you're right. We should just lay low for a little while," she murmured, her eyes becoming heavier and heavier, "Maybe we all should just – " she dozed off before she could finish her sentence, unknowingly resting her head on a somewhat pleased Seth's shoulder.
And that's when the dream began.
Oh-h-kay, This chapter was 2,942 words long, excluding A/Ns. I think that many words is fair grounds for me to stop writing for today. I've been working on this for a while, you know, and I apologize for such a long wait. Any questions? Answers? Predictions? Post it in you review; thanks for reading! :)