"A mother's love is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking,
it never fails or falters, even though the heart is breaking"

-Helen Rice

"Some bullshitter wrote a prophecy about us?" James looked doubtful.

Rachel cringed, and Annabeth frowned. "That's not exactly how I would put it . . . ."

"I'm sorry, but would you please tell us again what makes you all so certain that we're the ones that they're talking about in the prophecy?" Kasey asked.

"Well, you'll have to hear the prophecy for yourself." Chiron's eyes twinkled.

"So . . . . .where is this so-called prophecy supposed to be?" Lizzy's voice dripped with sarcasm as she looked over the room. "Just - you know, lying around somewhere?"

"You ask the Oracle about the prophecy, of course." Tori stated, as if it were obvious.

"Okay, can someone explain what this all-seeing 'Oracle' is?" Lizzy made air-quotes.

"Not what, who." Percy smirked knowingly, as if he was keeping some sort of secret.

"Alright, who is this Oracle?" Lizzy was getting exasperated.

"Me." A quiet voice answered from the armchair.

We all stared at Rachel. I'd almost forgotten she was there; she hadn't said a single word so far during the whole conversation.

"You're -" Jessica choked. "You're the Oracle . . . . .?" We all looked at Rachel like she was nuts.

Rachel stood. "Do you have a question to ask me?"

"Uhm." The seven of us had no freaking idea of what the hell we were supposed to do. I was still trying to let the fact that Rachel was the Oracle sink in.

"Just ask for your prophecy." Percy instructed.

"Can we hear our prophecy . . . . . .?" Jessica asked uncertainly, shooting confused glances at the rest of us.

Eleven pairs of eyes were now glued on Rachel Elizabeth Dare. For a few seconds, nothing happened.

Then, to my astonishment, Rachel's eyes glowed – literally glowed – and she fell into a trance. Rachel/Oracle opened her mouth to speak. I felt shivers run down my back as she uttered the words.

"Seven half-bloods will answer the call.

To storm or fire, the world must fall.

An oath to keep with a final breath,

And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."

With a shudder and a sigh, Rachel's eyes dulled to their normal condition.

"I never get used to that." Rachel shivered as she sat back down.

"Could – could you repeat that again?" Mackenzie asked, blinking in confusion.

"Seven half-bloods will answer the call, to storm or fire the world must fall, an oath to keep with a final breath, and foes bear arms to the doors of death." Tatiana recited word for word.

I grabbed a nearby pen lying on the table and quickly scribbled the four lines down on a legal pad before we could forget.

Kasey looked over my shoulder. "Well, we've obviously got the 'seven half-bloods' part down."

"I guess there is a possibility the prophecy is referring to us." James admitted.

"No." Annabeth stepped forward.

"No what?" Jessica asked.

"It's not a possibility. Now, we've confirmed for sure the prophecy refers to the seven of you." Annabeth went on to explain. "The prophecy will only reveal itself upon the request of the hero or heroes of the prophecy."

"We're not heroes!" I protested. "We didn't even know we were demigods until yesterday!"

"According to the prophecy, you are." Annabeth pointed out.

"And if you aren't, the whole world is doomed. I mean, this is the Great Prophecy we're talking about here." Percy emphasized. "It's kind of crucial that you pull this through. Or else it'll result in the apocalypse – or worse."

My advice: never go to Percy Jackson in search of comfort or encouragement.

I groaned. "I have no idea what to do." My forehead thudded against the table.

Annabeth patted my back in an attempt to comfort me. "Trust me, I felt the same way when Percy and I first got our quest."

"But, where are we supposed to start? Where are we supposed to go? I don't even know what the hell the prophecy is talking about, for Zeus' sake!" Panic rose in my throat. "How're we supposed to complete the quest when we have nothing - and I mean NOTHING to guide us?"

"Don't worry." Annabeth coaxed. "Something will eventually signal the beginning of your quest and show you the way."

"How long are we going to have to wait for this "signal"?" I asked impatiently. "What if we've already received the signal and we missed it on accident?"

"Oh, Jackie." Annabeth sighed and smiled at me. "Just trust me. Trust yourself."

"Hey, Owl Children." I raised my head to see Lizzie plop down in the seat in front of me.

I stared. "Since when did you start wearing earrings like that?" I said, pointing out the pair of interesting curved silver pieces Lizzy had donned in place of her usual spiky black studs.

"Oh, those ugly things?" Mackenzie flipped her hair as she sat down. "That's Lizzy's axe, FYI."

"Excuse me?" I reeled back, startled.

Lizzy held up a finger to signal me to wait a second as she unclipped her earrings. She held each piece in one hand, then brought them together. The two pieces clicked in place, and I realized that each piece was one blade of the double-headed axe. The silver halves grew, and the axe handle extended from the bottom, and the weapon morphed into its true form in a matter of seconds.

"Way cool." I observed.

"Personally. I think earrings are a bit inconvenient." Lizzy grumbled. "I'll go stop by the Hephaestus cabin later to see if they can do something about it."

"C'mon, earrings are neat." I reasoned.

"Oh, you think that's neat? Wait till you see this." James, Tati, and Kasey invaded the Athena table, causing an uncomfortable crowding of my siblings. James reached into his back jeans pocket and slid out a familiar-looking black Swiss Army knife.

"Hey, isn't that the knife you left at home?" Jessica asked in recognition as she joined us.

"Nope. Looks exactly like it though." James smirked. "It's just built a bit different, that's all." He flipped the switchblade and the pocketknife extended into his black-and-iron scythe.

"Ugh, you all are lucky." I said jealously. "Girdles, barettes, earrings, pocketknives, necklaces, and all I get is this stupid flashlight." I said, waving around the shiny silver tube.

"Hey!" Annabeth smacked me in the back of my head. "Don't insult our mother's gifts! Trust me, it'll turn out to be very useful. Athena wasn't known as the goddess of wisdom for nothing."

I rolled my eyes. "My mother's abandoned me for 12 years. I don't think she would've passed Parenting 101."

"Jackie . . . ." She scolded warningly. "You shouldn't talk about her like that - especially if she's a goddess."

"Whatever." I grumbled, shrugging off the bitter feeling that was building up inside. "Oh, where's Kasey?"

Mackenzie snickered. "Over there, trying to flirt with that blonde guy." She gestured over her shoulder.

I glanced over her head and saw Kasey talking with that Apollo kid from the lake earlier. "Ohmigod, Kasey's flirting with a guy?" I was flabbergasted.

"Like I said, trying to." Mackenzie emphasized.

"Hey! That's my brother, Alex Solstice!" Tatiana exclaimed.

"The piano prodigy?" James asked.

"Yeah."

Kasey caught us glancing her way, broke away from her conversation, and walked towards us.

"What's with all the fishy stares?" She accused as she slid in besides James.

"Kasey . . . ." Tati teased. "Flirting with my brother, are you?"

Kasey snorted. "Please. Alex is my new best buddy. That's it. Kapeesh?'

"Riiight . . . ." Mackenzie drawled.

"Just because you don't know how to have a just-friends-relationship with a guy doesn't mean all of us are like that." Kasey said disdainfully.

James raised his hand. "I certainly know how to keep a just-friends-relationship with a guy."

"Oh, ha-ha." Annabeth said a flat voice.

"Anyways, have any of you even formed an idea about what the prophecy might mean?" Tatiana asked. All she received response were shaking heads.

Jessica bit her lip. "All I can get from it is that there's some promise we're supposed to keep . . . ."

"The oath we keep with our final breath." I stated.

"Yeah. And I think there might be some rivalry between the gods." Tati noted.

"Why's that?" Mackenzie leaned forward.

"Well, it says to 'storm of fire the world will fall'. That kind of sounds like there's going to be some sort of division in Olympia, or some sort of battle . . "

"True." I nodded, my heart falling. I really didn't want to be caught up in some major schism between the gods. From what I've learned from myths, they aren't exactly pretty. But now that Tati pointed it out . . .it would seem that something was going to happen.

"Agh." Annabeth groaned. "Just what we need. Another war."

I truly hoped we were just bad fortune-tellers.

Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong.

The camp clock continued tolling. I counted a total of twelve times. The cicadas chirped outside, and I could hear Artemis conducting her eerie nighttime symphony from her crescent cradle suspended in the sky.

I glanced over at the row of beds, my siblings dozing off peacefully, their faces awash with the pale light of the moon. I envied them.

It was past curfew, but I knew something had to be done. I swung my legs down from the bed and carefully slipped on a jacket and my favorite silk slippers, padding softly towards the door and slipping out silently.

It was a chilly night for summertime. The afternoon rain had cooled the air down a bit. I shivered and pulled my jacket tighter around me. I didn't quite know where I was heading - I just walked, my slippers sinking into the thick green grass.

My peaceful nighttime stroll was suddenly interrupted by an unwelcome voice. "Hey, you!"

I whipped around to see a figure materialize out of the shadows. Ugh, just the person I wanted to see. Nico approached, wearing only an undershirt and shorts. I self-consciously zipped my jacket up over my pajamas.

"What the hell do you think you're doing out here?" He asked rudely.

I steeled my jaw. "I'm just coming out for a breath of fresh air. Now, if you'll just please mind your own business, I'll be on my way."

I turned to leave, but an arm reached out to stop me.

"I'm a camp counselor, it ismy business. You do know that its past curfew, don't you?" He sneered imperatively.

"I'm as aware of it as you are, Mr. Di Angelo." I shot back.

Nico turned red and narrowed his eyes. "Like I said, I'm a camp counselor."

I laughed in disbelief. "That doesn't mean you're above the rules!"

He opened his mouth to speak, but I stopped him.

"Look Nico, I'm not going to set fire to the camp when everyone else is asleep, so you just stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours. Okay? Okay."

Without waiting for an answer, I walked away, taking deep breaths as I clenched my fists. Oh, camp counselor schmounselor. He was just abusing his hoity-toity status.

I found myself ending up at the top of the hill by the lake - the same spot that Jessica had been struck by lightning. As I sat down on the damp grass, hugging my knees to my chest, thinking about everything that had happened in the past two days, my annoyance at Nico started to fade away.

I raised my head and glanced up at the darkened heavens, dotted with the sparkling remnants of legends past, their stories frozen in the tapestry of time that hung above our heads, and I wondered what our own story would look like.

Perseus, Hercules, Andromeda, Hydra, and my own sign, the great Leo . . . .

The wind rustled the grass, and for a moment, I thought I could hear the song of the stars, laughing and twinkling in the night sky. I strained my ears, hoping that perhaps the cosmos would give away some clue as to what was coming in the future. But the stars were teasingly silent as they winked at me.

Suddenly, a brilliant light cut through the darkness. I gasped as a dazzling silver comet streaked across the sky, blazing brightly.

I closed my eyes and whispered my deepest wish before the comet fell behind the tops of the dark trees. When I opened my eyes once more, I could still make out the faint trail of stardust the comet had painted across the sky.

Oh, please, someone tell me what in the world I'm supposed to do. I begged silently, pouring out a torrent of my unanswered questions. I don't know what this prophecy means. I don't know where to start, or what to do. I don't know how to be a heroine. I'm just a regular girl, I don't know anything.

I don't know why I was chosen for this quest, out of everyone else. I don't know why I'm so different from my siblings. I don't know why my mother didn't claim me earlier. I don't know if she's ashamed of me, or if she's simply forgotten me.

When the time comes, you'll know. The stars sang back in their pure, sweet, voice.

Then I realized that the voice wasn't coming from the heavens. I turned around.

A tall, slender female figure draped in silver was walking slowly towards me. Even though I'd never seen this woman in my life, I immediately knew. The forehead, the mouth, the ears, the way she walked -

"Mom?" I whispered, not daring to hope. The word tumbled surprisingly easily out of my mouth.

The woman didn't answer - instead, she approached and wordlessly enveloped me into a hug. She smelled wonderful - a hint of clean laundry, lily. and cedar trees.

"Sweetheart." The word sounded wonderfully coming from her mouth. She let go and held me at arm's length, observing me. Her silver eyes were filled with limitless wisdom . . .and a hint of sadness? Or maybe it was just me. "You have sure grown."

"Yeah." I said, not knowing what to say. My mind was blank with shock.

"We have so much to talk about." Athena sighed. "But first of all, if you'll excuse me, I must change out of this attire." She gestured towards her silver chiton, and suddenly she was standing in a set of flannel pajamas dotted with grey owls.

"Now, that's much better." She said satisfactorily. "You see, I've just returned from a meeting in Mount Olympus - complaints about the satyr strike and whatnot - and Zeus is very strict about business dress." She sat down, criss-cross applesauce. "Here, have a seat." My mother patted the spot on the grass next to her.

I sat down uncertainly, and I almost had the urge to laugh as I thought about how strange the situation was - me, sitting down Indian-style with Athena, my mother, both of us in our PJs. It almost seemed - normal.

"Dear daughter, you must be very angry at me." Athena said sorrowfully as she looked at me.

"I'm -" I was about to tell her I wasn't, but then I remembered I was mad at her. "Yeah, I am kind of pissed off." I admitted.

She pressed her lips together. "I have a lot of explaining to do."

"Alright then." I said, leaning back on my arms. "I have the time."

She looked at me with an unreadable expression, then took my hand. "Darling, don't you ever think that I forgot about you."

"Then why didn't you -"

"Why didn't I claim you?" She completed softly. Athena looked away, and she was silent for a few moments. I could've sworn, her eyes became a bit glassy.

"The truth is - my relationship with your father was a very unique one." She said. I could tell her voice was a bit strained. "When I saw you, you reminded me of him so much - I couldn't claim you."

"Why? What was wrong with my dad?" I frowned.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. That was what made it hurt the most . . ." She trailed off.

"You do know I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, right?" I said, annoyed.

She sighed, and looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry . . .I'm not making any sense right now."

"Yeah." I agreed.

"Look, I'll tell you more about your father some other time." She stood up, and quickly resumed her tranquil façade. "But as for now, I have a couple of gifts for you."

"Gifts?" I raised my eyebrow as I scrambled up.

"A long, dangerous journey awaits you." Her grey eyes pierced mine. "I'm not going to fabricate anything for you. Your quest is pitted with trials and obstacles - things far beyond anything you have ever experienced. No one knows what awaits you on this journey."

Was she supposed to be making me feel better? Because it wasn't working.

"You will need a few things to help you along the way." A gleam appeared in Athena's eye as she smirked. "Now, I noticed you complaining about your lack of magical items at dinner."

"Oh!" I blushed. "I had no idea you heard me -" I spluttered, extremely embarrassed.

"Its fine, I'm perfectly grateful for your torch and everything. Eternal fire's cool." I hastily said. I had heard about the painful consequences of foolish people who had looked gift gods in the mouth, and I really didn't want to become one of them.

"Nevertheless," my mother said coyly. "I want my daughter to be properly equipped." She held a long, pale arm into the air, and a snow-white eagle swooped out of the sky, a leather satchel caught in its claws. It dropped the satchel into Athena's outstretched hand, then disappeared into the night.

She undid the clasp of the satchel, and pulled out a familiar looking yellow-and-black paperback book. It was thick, and it looked like something that a college student would have in their backpack. Athena handed it to me.

"Modern Mythology for Demmies." I recited, laughing as I noticed the triangle-headed "Dummies" icon was now wearing a laurel wreath, a toga, holding a caduceus, and wearing winged sandals.

"Hermes, of course." My mother smiled with me. "This manual basically gives you the basic information you need to know about modern mythical society."

I flipped through it. I could tell it'd be really helpful. I looked up and smiled. "Thanks, Mom."

Athena held up a finger. "I'm not quite done yet."

She reached into the satchel and pulled out two silver objects. One of them was an elegant clasped watch. The other was a construction compass, its silver point terribly sharp.

I set down the book and carefully took the two items, observing them curiously.

"Learn to use these two instruments wisely." My mother advised as she handed me the satchel.

I dropped the watch and compass inside, then slid the Demmies manual in. "I will." I promised. "Thanks again, Mom."

And, just because it felt natural, I gave my mother a hug.

Athena stroked my hair. "Promise me something, dear?"

"Yeah?"

"No matter what, remember that I'll always be proud of you." She said softly. My heart swelled.

And then, there was a whisper of the wind blowing through the trees, and she was gone.

Author's Note: I'd like to dedicate this whole chapter to my mom as a very, very, very late Mother's Day gift. LOL yeah, this was supposed to be done a long time ago. :)