The bus was dark, and throughout the vehicle, the sounds of people slumbering echoed.

Thalia sniffed a little as she slept, unconsciously pulling herself closer to Percy's warmth as she lay on his shoulder. The boy smiled before pulling out a small blanket from the backpack that sat in between his legs and softly draping it over Thalia's sleeping form. Looking back out the window, Percy's thoughts wandered as he viewed the passing greenery.

They were still well on schedule. Three days in, and they were already in Louisiana. It would take only another day to make it to Houston, and at most another after that to get to Corpus Christi, where the Princess Andromeda waited. Even though they faced a nearly week-long unexpected delay after not being to just fly to Texas, there was plenty of time to carry out their mission.

What was still of concern was what they faced when they finally reached their destination. There was the spy that would have to be found and met, and then – a no smaller feat – they had to infiltrate a cruise ship filled to the brink with ancient monsters, mortal mercenaries, and adversarial demigods with a bone to pick against the Olympians.

Percy leaned back into his seat, feeling the cool air of the air conditioning vent blow gently against his face as he closed his eyes. A deep exhaustion crept through his body. There was nothing to do now. They could only approach future problems when they met them…

Chiron suddenly grabbed Percy's shoulder just as he was about to put the last bag into the Camp van.

"What?" Percy asked.

Chiron leaned in close to Percy's face, his eyes widened and frantic.

"Beware!" Chiron muttered sharply, his voice low and gravelly, but his words pointed. "Beware!"

"Beware what?" Percy asked, looking around. Suddenly, the Camp van and the Camp itself was gone, and the demigod and centaur stood in nothing more than the pitch black of the void. The son of Poseidon felt himself shiver as the hair on his arms stood on their ends, his goosebumps rising in the chill.

"Beware the demons!" Chiron boomed, suddenly pulling back and yelling upwards. "Like the potter, they will huntyou!" The centaur faded away, leaving Percy alone in nothingness.

"Chiron!" Percy screamed, looking around frantically. There was no one – indeed, there was nothing. Nothing but death…

Percy fell.

And on hard rock he landed, groaning as he did. Slowly pushing himself up, Percy opened his eyes to view in horror what he had pushed himself up against. Skulls lined the ground, and when he realized that his hand fully encompassed the bony face of one, he immediately yelped and jumped back. A coldness swept over Percy, and he suddenly, and frighteningly, realized that he was not alone.

A figure stood in the distance, holding a skull in its hand even as it stood on a mountain of them. It was framed by a looming red sun, close enough to be threatening to engulf the earth.

"Dear child," the figure crooned, its voice as grating as metal upon stone. "Are you afraid?" The figure slowly and partially turned. Its face was cloaked by a black hood, and its robes were dark save for the Greek symbols etched in gold. A cloud of air blew out of its mouth, located as it were in the darkness of its hood.

Percy found himself stock still, heart pounding, and completely unable to move. His muscles were tensed and his head felt heavy. It was as if the gravity of the planet had doubled. His core felt weak and lethargic even as his limbs felt like lead weights. Upon him was the weight of the world, and his mind could not begin to approach what it meant to comprehend such immensity.

"There is no need to be," the figure spoke, its voice echoing through the barren wasteland. "For we all know what your destiny will bring."

In the blink of an eye, the figure appeared inches away from Percy's face, and as much as he wanted to, the demigod was unable to scream in terror. There was nothing to see under the hood, save for the darkness.

"Death will not be your saving grace from us. We are the void." It leaned in even closer, until Percy's face was nearly in the hood.

"There is nothing that will save you from eternal torment."

And then he was falling again.

Percy awoke with a start, his face coated in a sheen of sweat and his breath coming out in short, sharp pants. Beside him, Thalia stirred with his sudden movement, lazily shifting her hair out of her face before blinking.

"What's wrong?" she muttered, still groggy.

Percy stared at Thalia for a few moments, eyes unseeing, the sea green dull and unfocused. His mouth unconsciously moved, but no sounds came out. Thalia blinked a few times, before she rubbed the last hints of sleep away and her eyes widened in simultaneous fear and concern.

"Percy!" she forcefully whispered, shaking his arm with a tight grip.

The son of Poseidon snapped out of his reverie, blinking and focusing on Thalia. Still, his eyes were filled with an apprehension that she had never seen in his eyes before; the depth of it was unparalleled, and it being in the eyes of someone like Percy only scared her more.

"What's wrong?"

There was a silence as Percy visibly struggled to utter words.

"I-I saw…" his voice trailed off as his expression became more downcast, "som-"

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now pulling into the station," a voice interrupted Percy on the intercom. "Thank you for riding with us. We hope you choose Greyhound in the future, and welcome to New Orleans."

Around them, people began to rise as the bus ground to a halt and parked. As the others on the bus began gathering their bags and the bus emptied out, Percy shakily rose, and Thalia followed closely behind, both of their backpacks slung over a shoulder. When they finally got out into the open station and into the light of the late afternoon, Percy gasped a few times before breathing deeply, slowly calming down his erratic breath. Thalia looked at him with concern, but she stayed still, unsure what she should do to help, if she even could help.

"I'm- I'm alright now," Percy said, looking up at the blue sky. Indeed, his voice was calmer and less shaky, though when he looked back at Thalia his eyes still had a wandering quality about them. "We should find a place to stay for the night." Thalia modded, and after handing Percy's backpack back to his outstretched hand, they set off out of the station and around the block.

Even in the light of a fading afternoon sun partially covered by storm clouds, the heat was still oppressive, and the humidity only made Thalia feel worse. Her t-shirt seemed to be perpetually damp, and her skin was slick with sweat that seemed to also stick to the air. Still, Percy and her slowly made their way across the city, looking for a small motel where they could spend the night.

As the sun began to take its final leave on the day, Thalia felt herself becoming lightheaded. Perhaps it was the stress of their mission, or the heat of the city, but either way, she felt … longing for something. A hint of nostalgia.

"Thalia," a faint cry came from a street corner. She turned. The faint glimpse of a little boy disappeared around the building, and her eyes widened. She began to slowly walk towards the corner, away from the path she and Percy had been on. The latter person curiously looked at his companion, unsure of whether he should gather himself and chase after her or wait for her to return. After a short second of deliberation, the tired demigod chose the former option, and closely followed behind his girlfriend.

"Thalia," the voice cried out again, just a little louder than the first time. The faint image of the boy was never quite within reach. Every time Thalia felt she had a chance to reach out and place a hand on him, he disappeared around another corner.

Percy watched her with growing concern. Her actions became more frenetic, her breathing more frenzied, her eye movement more frantic. She was lost searching for something, and Percy had no idea what it could be.

"Thalia?" he cautiously asked, his right hand instinctively crawling towards his pocket. "What's going on?"

She turned around, her eyes wide with longing. "It's him," she cried. "He's here!" Without waiting for a response, she ran off. Cursing quietly, Percy ran off after her, his hand grasping onto his pen as he ran. They came to a stop in front of a rickety old wooden building, near the outskirts of the inner city. It was a rundown neighborhood, and the building in front of them was no exception. A faded sign sat above the rickety old door, and without a care in the world, Thalia pushed open the half-broken entrance and disappeared into the darkness inside. With a gulp and a stomach full of fear and hesitation, Percy followed.

It was dark and musty inside the building, as one would expect from a dilapidated, abandoned building. As his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, he used the few beams of light that crept through the cracks in the ceiling to find a path. A sense of foreboding crept up Percy's neck, and the soft creaks of the wood floor enhanced an aura of eeriness that permeated the entire structure.

"Thalia?" Percy called out, spinning around to try and catch a glimpse of her. There was nothing but a faint giggling from one of the back rooms. Slowly walking forward, Percy ignored the creaking wood as he entered a darkened room. In front of him stood Thalia. She faced away from him, but there was an ethereal blue glow that brushed past the outline of her figure.

"What's going on?" Percy asked, his goosebumps rising at the not-normal-and-probably-dangerous-sight. Placing a firm grip on one of her shoulders, he leaned over to see what had enthralled Thalia's mind.

A young boy stood there, outlined in a blue glow. His short hair was blond, and he wore shorts and a t-shirt. Notably, even with the blue glow that emanated from his body, the boy's eyes stood out. They were an intense blue, like Thalia's, but unlike her darker electric blue, his were a bright sky blue.

Percy looked back over to Thalia. Her expression was strange. Her mouth was curved upwards slightly in a desperate smile, while her eyes held the very beginning of tears. It seemed as though she were stuck between a state of happiness and longing.

"Jason," she whispered. Percy looked over to the demigod.

"What?"

Without looking away, Thalia spoke. "My brother. He died… but he didn't die. I always knew it. He's here, now. He's found me again!" She slowly walked towards the glowing boy, but with eyes widened in panic, Percy grabbed hold of both of her shoulders to keep her back.

"No, Thalia!" he yelled, fighting her struggles as she tried to reach forward to her 'brother'. "I don't know what this is, but it isn't your brother! It isn't human!" She writhed under his grip, but he was too strong for her to break out of. Still, she fought, never looking away from the apparition.

"What are you?" Percy screamed at the figure, who still held a small smile on his face. The smile grew as the two demigods struggled with each other, growing sinister in ways that did not fit a young boy's face.

"Perseus Jackson," the figure whispered, its voice low and raspy. The image of Jason Grace spasmed for a second as it morphed. Percy watched in horror as the figure's height grew, its hair lengthening until the liquid-like skin of the creature produced the features of Sally Jackson. Complete in a blue apron, Percy's 'mother' smiled at him, and his grip on Thalia's shoulders slackened as he stared at the figure. Throughout the whole process, the blue glow never left.

"Uhh," Thalia moaned, her writhing coming to a halt as she felt Percy's hands fall off her shoulders. Her head ached, but it was clear like a fog that had just dissipated. Blinking a few times, she regained focus as she stared at the form of Sally Jackson, her eyes widening in horror as she realized what had happened.

"Eidolon," she muttered under her breath, before quickly looking at Percy.

"Percy," she yelled, grabbing both sides of his head and staring directly into his unseeing eyes, "snap out of it! Come back!"

He heard nothing.

In front of him, there was no one but his mother. Darkness covered both of them, yet a thin strip of light showed the wooden floor between them. In the thrall of the dark, his mother was a beacon of beautiful blue light. In the far reaches of the shadow, a voice echoed a cackled.

"Ah, I see. I went for the wrong demigod indeed. Yes, you are more what I need than Thalia Grace. You are perfect. So many layers; desires, hopes, fears – all laid out to bare for me."

Percy heard nothing.

"Mom," Percy exclaimed, a smile growing on his face as he fell to his knees in happiness. "You're here."

"Of course, Percy," his 'mother' replied, walking over and kneeling in front of him. One hand reached up to cup his face, and when their skin met, Percy felt an icy cold on his cheek. He ignored it.

"But you have disappointed me," the figure suddenly added, standing up again.

Percy whimpered as she pulled back. "What?"

"You have left me defenseless in this dangerous world. All of the enemies you have made, they won't hesitate to strike at me, to attack me to get to you. Why did you leave me?"

"I'm- I'm sorry, mom," Percy stuttered out, his eyes tearing up at the angry expression his mom faced him with. "I'm sorry for putting you in harm's way. It's my fault."

Within a blink of the eye, the figure was back to kneeling in front of Percy, this time cupping his face with both hands. "Shh, my dear boy, it's alright. Mother forgives you."

Percy looked up, his tears rolling down his cheeks and flowing onto the figure's hands even as he gave a hopeful look.

"Really?"

The figure smiled. "Yes, my dear. I just need one thing from you… one thing."

The figure paused.

"I need you to be my champion. To defend me for eternity. Will you do that for mother?"

Before Percy could reply, a scream echoed out in the void.

"Percy!"

"What is that…" Percy whispered, looking up at the figure.

"It is nothing," the voice soothed, looking around the darkness to pinpoint the intruder.

"Don't give in! This isn't real!"

"Mom?" Percy questioned, his forehead scrunching in confusion.

The figure quickly looked down at Percy.

"Percy, listen to me! This is fake!"

"Don't worry, Percy. Just stay by my side."

"Don't trust it!"

"Trust my words."

"Trust me!"

Percy grabbed his head, eyes squeezed shut from the agony he was experiencing. After a few seconds of painful throbbing, he slowly opened his eyes.

In front of him stood the blue-glowing figure, still in the same place as it had been when he had first entered the room to find Thalia. However, it was now on the ground, both arms wrapped around its head as it writhed on the floor.

Slowly turning his head to the side, he found Thalia staring right at him, her face inches from his own. He was kneeling on the ground, and she was partially hunched over, one hand on his shoulder and the other on his face.

"What happened?" Percy shakily asked, his voice unsteady and quiet. He forced himself to look at the glowing figure. To an extent, it resembled his mom, but the unnatural aspect of the figure turned any meaningful resemblance into something twisted.

"It's an Eidolon," Thalia whispered. The hand on Percy's cheek slipped away. "It was my fault. I was dumb enough to fall for such an obvious trap."

"Eidolon?"

"It's a spirit that can read minds and take whatever form it wants. It lured me in… with my brother." She paused. "He… died a long time ago."

Percy solemnly nodded, rising up as he regained his balance. He pointed to the figure still on the ground. "What do we do about this?"

Thalia clenched her jaw. The only sound that was made in response to Percy's question was the metallic grinding of her spear as expanded from its mace canister form. Percy nodded, and within seconds both demigods had their respective celestial bronze weapons at the ready.

The figure groaned, its arms still wrapped around its head.

As Percy and Thalia both cautiously moved forward, the figure inhaled deeply.

"Do you really think this is the answer?" the figure rasped out, its voice low and weak.

As it unwrapped its arms and looked up at the demigods, both Percy and Thalia recoiled in shock and disgust. The figure no longer looked like Sally Jackson or even Jason Grace. It was a mixture of features, seemingly melted together, that existed on the figure's face, making for a grotesque image. It smiled as it saw the look of revolt on both demigods' faces.

"I understand now. I approached this from the wrong way. Your minds are too strong be tricked by images. I'll just have to subdue them altogether."

"Yes…" it continued, crooning as it rose up to standing position. "Yes… this will do nicely. I won't just settle for one of you. Why, when I can have both?"

With a yell, Thalia charged forward, her shield and spear ready for battle. Percy was right beside her.

The figure's eyes expanded, and suddenly time itself was lost.

The only sounds were the clattering of metal weapons on the wooden floor.

A dream state.

Percy opened his eyes.

He was standing in the living room of his mother's apartment in Manhattan. He blinked. Why was he here? Didn't he have somewhere else to be? Something else to do?

"Oh, Percy, why are you still standing there?" his mother's voice echoed out. He turned. Sally smiled at her son from over the countertop of the kitchen. "Come help me set the table."

Slowly nodding, Percy entered the kitchen of the apartment, grabbing utensils and plates for the table. He looked around the kitchen, seeing a tremendous amount of delicious-looking prepared dishes, still hot and fresh.

"What's going on?" Percy asked, unsure of what was happening.

"Perseus Jackson. How could you forget?" Sally teased, still finishing the mixture for one of the sauces. "It's your birthday. Everyone's coming to celebrate."

Percy 'ohh-ed' at the statement, and started carrying the utensils and plates over to the dining table. There were six chairs at the table already, so Percy set out six sets of utensils and plates, putting the rest back. His mother already began coming out with some of dishes of food, laying them out. After helping with that, Percy marveled at how much food there was.

"Wow, this looks really good. Thanks mom," Percy said, smiling. His mother laughed a little and waved it off.

The doorbell rang, and Percy quickly slid over to open the door. It swung open to reveal a smiling Paul, as well as a few others behind him.

"Hey there, kiddo," Paul affably said, placing a hand on Percy's shoulder. "Happy birthday. Got off work early today, but it seems like I've bumped into all of our guests as well." He pointed to the group standing behind him. Paul walked past, revealing the guests that had been invited.

"Dad?" Percy said, eyes wide. Poseidon smiled, placing a hand just like Paul did on Percy's shoulder.

"Of course, Percy," the sea god replied. "Why wouldn't I come to my son's birthday?"

Like Paul, Poseidon moved past. Behind him stood two of Percy's best friends.

"Grover, Annabeth!" Percy exclaimed in delight. "Glad you guys could make it!"

"Ah, would never miss it," Grover replied, smiling and moving past Percy. Behind him, Annabeth also smiled.

"Well, seaweed brain, happy birthday! Looks like you're on your way to adulthood."

Percy laughed, leading Annabeth into the apartment. She walked past him into the kitchen. Percy looked back to the open door for a few seconds, staring at the empty space with a sense of longing. Shaking his head, he closed the door and headed towards the dinner table.

The food was delicious. Everyone sitting around the table – Percy, Sally, Paul, Poseidon, Grover, and Annabeth – enjoyed the food as they laughed at Poseidon's jokes and engaged one another in conversation.

Percy was happy. He was with his family – with his adopted father or biological father, both fathers that he liked – and friends. There was good food and peace – the stuff of legends. Even so, there was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. There was something missing.

There was someone missing.

Percy squinted his eyes as he looked around the table. Who was it? What was that feeling that tugged at his heart and gnawed at his mind? What was he forgetting?

The sound of the outside world turned to silence.

He breathed.

"Thalia."

Everyone at the dinner table stopped eating and talking, and five sets of eyes turned on Percy.

"Where is Thalia?" Percy asked, standing up.

"Percy," Sally started uncomfortably, but Percy quickly continued.

"Where is she? Why wasn't she invited?"

No one replied.

Percy shook his head and left the dinner table, returning to the living room. There were a multitude of thoughts running through his head. What was going on? Why wasn't she here? Sally knew what Thalia meant to him, so why wasn't she invited?

He groaned as he put a hand on his forehead. There was more. Something he was forgetting. Thalia and he… they had been in danger. There was something. A building. Darkness. There had been an enemy. A monster.

"Eidolon," Percy muttered, coming to a realization. As he did, the world faded away, crumbling into pieces as it disappeared into the same nothingness it had come from. It wasn't real. It had never been real.

He stood in darkness now. But there was something. A glimpse of light. He waded his way through the void towards it. It grew brighter and stronger until it overwhelmed his vision and encompassed everything he saw.

Percy opened his eyes.

He was in a small house. It was warm and cozy, and just a few meters from him, three figures sat a small table, eating.

Percy walked over to them. The first was a woman around his own mother's age, but he did not recognize her. She had an interesting poofy blonde hairstyle, but even as he walked by the table, she did not react to his presence. The second person was a blond male around Percy's own age, but like the woman, he did not acknowledge Percy.

The third person caused Percy to freeze.

"Thalia," he said, looking at the one he loved sitting at the table. She paused while lifting her spoon to her mouth, but promptly continued.

"Thalia," Percy said again, moving over and taking hold of one of her shoulders. She turned around, blank eyes staring at him.

"Who are you?"

Percy felt his breath be stolen from him, but he shook his head, refusing to give in to the Eidolon's manipulations.

"It's me, Percy. Thalia, I need you to remember." A flicker of understanding went through her blue eyes.

"We're in danger. This isn't real. Please, I need you to trust in me like I did in you. You got me out of here once; I'll do it for both of us this time." He reached down and drew her into a hug, trying – hoping – to convey what he could not through brief words.

She didn't respond. He could feel her breaths on his neck, but she was silent.

Percy's heart froze. Seconds passed.

"Percy," Thalia whispered into his ear, before she nuzzled her head against his shoulder. He breathed a sigh of relief and joy.

The world fell away once more.

But this time, they were together.

Percy opened his eyes, ignoring the dull throb in his head. The Eidolon was still standing there, though now, its hideous face was contorted in a snarl. Beside Percy, Thalia also came to her senses, looking at the monster with a degree of fury.

Their weapons were still on the ground, some feet behind them, but Percy ignored that. Instead, he reached out a hand and willed his powers to manifest. A small deluge of water drenched the Eidolon, forcing it to the ground even as it cried in pain.

"How?" it shrieked, anger and confusion in its voice. "How did you both break free?"

Thalia didn't bother to verbally reply. Reaching out her own hand, she closed her eyes as thunder rumbled outside. With a flash of light and a loud blast, the Eidolon disappeared with a scream, a black scorch mark on the wooden floor being the only reminder that it was ever there. Moonlight crept through the hole that was cleanly blown through the roof.

"Because you didn't anticipate something," Percy whispered, as much to himself as to the destroyed Eidolon. "You thought that because you could ensnare each of us individually you could do the same for us both."

"But you can't separate us," Thalia continued, staring at the scorch mark where the Eidolon had stood. She looked at Percy with a smile, who returned one of his own.

The moonlight fell on them.

"We should probably find a place to stay, kelp head," Thalia whispered, as they hugged each other.

"Probably," Percy admitted, but he still leaned in for a kiss instead. As did she.

A/N: Well… hello. I'm sorry for the super late update, but a lot of things happened that hindered me from writing and getting this chapter out. I hope you all enjoyed it. The next chapter should be out in two weeks, though depending on how things go this semester, that may be moved to three weeks.

All three arcs of this story were supposed to be roughly the same length – about 11 or so chapters apiece and a total of a hundred thousand or so words. However, after thinking about the development of the plot more, I've realized that this will need more than that. The second arc may be the longest, and I think that when all is said and done, this story will probably be a fair amount longer than my original estimate. Why am I talking about this? Well, this is kind of to lay out some scheduling so you know how long this story will take to be complete. I hope to finish it this year, but it's possible I may not.

Another thing I want to add is that I will be revising the first few chapters of this story. At one point, this story was going to be more a series of one-shots than an actual story, but at some point, I changed the style to being a proper multi-chapter story. As such, I will be revamping those first few chapters to fit. When this chapter is posted, the first chapter will also have some revisions. This will be an ongoing process, and I will also possibly revisit one chapter more than once.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling. Please favorite, follow, and review, and stay tuned for the next chapter!