Epilogue- Flight of the Tides

Hey, guys. I know it's been a while but you wouldn't believe the workload I've had since school started. Sorry about that. This is the final chapter of this story. I'm so sad to see it go. I started working on it three years ago. I can't believe it's over. Don't worry; still planning the sequel, but this is a milestone that I can't believe I've reached.

"Like the ocean I wave. Hello and goodbye are the same, when I talk with my hand."- Jarod Kintz

Max POV

Saying goodbye was harder than I thought it would be. Despite my guards and principles, I'd grown to care for Percy and some of the others. I'd never be as close to him as I was Fang or Iggy, but Percy was my brother by blood, no matter how much I hated that connection. I cared about him. I didn't want to see his face when I left. So I put it off until last.

I said goodbye to Grover first. It was easy. The goat-boy was cool, but we hadn't exactly been close during the quest. In fact, Will was the one who I had a hard time leaving. I was surprised how much it hurt to say goodbye, not really knowing if I was going to see him again. During my time at Camp Half-Blood, he'd been the one to show me the ropes. He was nice to me when everyone else turned to Annabeth as their leader and scorned me as she did, which is why, when the time came, I surprised myself with my reaction.

"Ha!" I exclaimed as my arrow hit the center of the dummy. After Artemis had blessed me, she'd allowed me to keep the bow Zoe had given me. Of course, I'd experimented with other weapons while at camp and found I really preferred a dagger to any long-range weapon. I'd never liked guns because I felt like they gave an unfair advantage to the user, but arrows weren't so bad. I still favored hand-to-hand combat over anything though.

"Don't get cocky," Will said from behind me. "That was a lucky shot." I turned incredulously to see him with a teasing smile on his face.

"Lucky my ass!" I responded with a smirk. "Didn't you hear? I'm blessed."

"Blessed with infinite arrogance," he snorted. "I still have no idea how that happened, by the way. The gods don't take well to rejection, especially when they offer you something as big as an eternal leadership position in their ranks."

Truth be told, I didn't get it either. When Artemis had asked me to be lieutenant alongside Thalia, I'd been shocked and, well, flattered. A real, live goddess wanted me by her side for all eternity as a warrior? That kind of stuff only happens in movies. But, gratifying as it was, I knew I couldn't accept the offer. I was expecting to be turned into an antelope when I'd voiced it, but instead I'd been blessed. Actually blessed. Hollywood has nothing on this.

"Me too. I guess she was just impressed by my mad sky-holding skills," I shot a grin his way.

"Well, whatever it was, it wasn't as creepy as whatever the Big Three wanted from you," his expression growing serious. "I thought Hades was going to kill you when he came over."

I shrugged. "I don't know. He seems more the torture type. Prolonged pain. Zeus, now, he would've killed me, probably. Just as quick as a bolt of that lovely lightning he's so fond of." I smirked. "You know I can't talk about that."

"Yeah, I know," he said with a rueful smile. "So, are you thinking about staying?"

My face fell. Somehow, unexplainably, Will had become my friend in a matter of the few days I'd been at camp. I found myself not wanting to leave him, despite my family back in Colorado. "No," I said. "I have people who need me back home. I've been gone too long as it is."

He smiled sadly. "I get that." It was silent for a couple minutes while I shot a few more arrows, each one hitting the center of my target. "Are you planning on coming back in the summer?' He asked.

I shrugged. "Maybe," I replied, even though I knew it wasn't likely. Will may have been my friend, but the Flock was my priority, and being away from even for the past week had been a nightmare. "We'll see how it goes."

"You need to train," he said. "Even the unclaimed have to fight monsters."

I turned and grinned at him. "I know how to fight," I smirked. I'd been fighting all my life. The only thing that had changed was the enemy.

"Besides," I continued, firing off another arrow, "You're the only one here who likes me."

"That's not true!" Will protested.

"No?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him while I picked up more arrows from the table. "Because Annabeth glares at me every time she sees me and calls me the evil scum of the Earth, people avoid me because she's been spreading rumors around camp that I'm spying for the Titans, and everyone's been giving me suspicious looks since the minute I got here."

"Well, what about Percy, then?" he pushed. "You know he cares about you!"

I sighed. "Yeah, Percy." I couldn't deny that he cared. He'd been talking to me nearly every minute since I'd gotten to the camp about how excited he was to finally have someone else and how great it was going to be to have a sister around. I hadn't exactly returned the feeling. I cared about him, of course, but I'd much rather have Iggy around as my brother than a guy I'd met a week ago.

"See? You do have someone."

"Honestly, Will, I don't know. I'm really busy a lot of the time. Not to mention, I can't leave my group, and they're all mortal."

"Well, either way, keep in touch after you leave, okay? Whether you come during the summers or not," he said giving me a hopeful look.

"Okay," I said, reluctantly. It wasn't good to grow attached. I couldn't afford to have connections in places where the School could track me, but Will was so earnest and nice, so I decided it was worth it.

"So when are you planning on leaving?" he asked after a few more shots.

"Tonight," I said. It would be best to leave at night, so no one saw my wings. "While everyone's at the campfire."

He looked at me sadly. "I'm going to miss you, Max."

"You too," I said. Then, because as in all sappy moments, affection must be shown, he pulled me into a hug. I stiffened for a moment before relaxing slightly and wrapping my arms around his back loosely. We stood there for a while before the dinner bell rang and we separated, gathering our weapons, and heading to the mess hall.

As hard as parting with Will was, I knew Percy would be harder, so I put it off as long as I could. I ate dinner at the Hermes table, with the unclaimed kids, plus two guys named Travis and Connor who sent a pang in my chest as they pulled pranks that reminded me of my own two tricksters back home. When Percy tried to approach me afterwards, I snuck off to the cabin to grab my bag. Will had supplied me with enough ambrosia and nectar to get by for a while in case I got attacked by any monsters and needed healing, but he warned me that any mortal who consumed it would burn up. I decided to take his word for it.

It wasn't until the campfire that I decided I'd waited long enough. I caught Percy's eye across the fire and jerked my head towards the woods, before walking in that direction, expecting him to follow me. When I reached a spot where I thought we were out of hearing range, I stopped and turned to wait for him to catch up.

"What's up, Max?" Percy asked with a slight smile on his face.

"I'm leaving," I said bluntly.

"Wh-what?" He asked, shocked. "But- when?"

"Now," I swallowed, seeing his downtrodden look. "I need to get home soon."

"I- I don't want you to leave." His voice cracked sadly and I felt a lump in my throat.

"I know, Perce," I said softly. He didn't really get it. The campers were his family. He didn't have someone states away that depended on him. "I can't stay."

He pulled me into a hug and I didn't hesitate before wrapping my arms around him.

I have been doing way too much of this recently.

"I'm going to miss you so much," he murmured into my shoulder.

"I'll miss you too," I whispered, resting my cheek against his chest. "But I'll Iris Message you, I promise. You're not getting away from me that easily."

We pulled apart and he sniffed, rubbing his sleeve across his face. "You better."

I chuckled, surprised to find tears forming in my eyes. "Gods, Percy. You're so demanding. Is this what I missed out on? The bossy older brother? Because, if so, I'm glad I did and I want to send you back to wherever you came from."

He laughed with a choked sob in the motion, a sad sound that made me want to hug him again. Instead I stepped back and straightened myself up.

"Don't worry, Jackson, you'll be sick of me eventually," I promised. "I'll see you later, Percy."

"Bye, little sis."

"I am not little!" I screamed, running off into the woods to a cliff looking out over the beach where I jumped off, unfurling my wings and flying off to the West.

To the Flock.

To home.

There were no lights on in the E-House when I arrived. I assumed that in my absence, Fang had put the Flock to sleep. But I knew he would be up, waiting for me. I did the same when he was gone. I went three days without sleep to watch the skies for him to return, so it wasn't surprising that when I touched down on the roof, he was there, blending into the darkness of the night, his black eyes

"Hey," I said, awkwardly. We hadn't exactly ended on a good note before I left. He lifted his head and I flinched at his stare. He said nothing, as he normally did, keeping up the silent image that he normally dropped with my. I bit my lip. "So, um… I'm back."

He glared at me, unimpressed, raising an eyebrow fractionally. Really?

I sighed at sat down next to him. "I didn't mean to be gone so long. My friend needed some help."

"Your friend?" He asked skeptically. "And what friend is that? You've never met anyone outside of the Flock and the School."

"I met him when I was gone," I said. "At the Hoover Dam."

"And you just decided to hang out?" He asked angrily.

"No!" I protested. "It wasn't- it wasn't like that. His friend had been kidnapped by-" I choked. My hand flew to my throat and I struggled to breathe.

I swear on the River Styx to never tell anyone that I am an avian hybrid or that I am the daughter of Poseidon.

My own voice hissed in my head, like a ghost haunting me. My vision became dark and I heard Fang yell my name in panic before it all disappeared just as fast as it came.

Okay, okay. Message received, I thought. No talking about the Greeks around Fang.

Apparently, the Styx bites.

"Alright?" Fang asked, looking at me with dark, concerned eyes.

I met his gaze and swallowed. "Yeah, I- I'm fine."

"What was that?"

His voice was full of concern and anxiety, a rare sign of emotion from my usually- stoic best friend.

Then again, if it had happened to him, I'm not sure how calm I'd be either.

"It- it was nothing. Just a headache," I forced out, praying he didn't see through my lie.

He looked at me skeptically. "Must have been some headache."

"It was," I said, begging him to let the subject drop. Mercifully, he did. Unfortunately, he decided to return to the previous topic.

"So then what? Where were you the past week?" He was angry again.

"I told you," I said. "I was helping a friend."

"Well, I'm glad everything is okay in Amity Park," he said caustically.

"Fang, -"

"The Flock comes first, Max. It always has. You told us that. Maybe you should listen to your own advice." His eyes burned into mine. I stepped back, feeling as if I'd been slapped.

"You know the Flock means more to me than anything!" I exclaimed, defensive. "If I'd thought you were in trouble, I would've been here! And it's not like you can talk! You left, too!" I knew the instant I said it that I'd gone too far, but I didn't care. Fang had basically insinuated that I didn't care about the Flock, and that was way out of line. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, trying to calm myself.

"Look," I said, more controlled and less harsh, "We both screwed up. Neither of us should have left and we both said some things we shouldn't have." I watched him as I spoke and saw an unidentifiable emotion cross his face, quickly cleared. "I really don't want to fight with you, Fang. Not today. " Not ever.

He relented, nodding slightly. "You're our leader, Max. You can't leave. Without you, we'll fall apart."

I sighed and walked over to the couch, unceremoniously flopping myself down, curling my legs up underneath me. Fang came over and sat next to me, wrapping an arm around me and rubbing the sensitive spot between my wings. "I won't leave, Fang, but neither can you," I sighed, resting my head on his shoulder. "I may be the leader, but you're my right-hand man. I need you with me, too." I pulled my head up to look at him. "Okay?"

"Okay," he replied, looking at me with deep, dark eyes. The anger had faded away, replaced with a-well, I didn't want to say vulnerability, because, come on, this was Fang, but there was an almost-tender emotion in his eyes. I leaned my head back on his shoulder.

"So," I said after a moment of comfortable silence. "How was your week?"

He groaned. "I don't know how you do this every day, I caught Iggy and Gazzy with three bombs. Nudge absolutely refused to go to bed when she was supposed to, and Angel wanted me to play dolls with her every minute if every day. It was exhausting," he complained.

I grinned at the image of Fang playing dolls with a little, five-year-old girl. "Please tell me someone took pictures of that."

"I never said I did it," he said with a smirk.

"Yeah," I replied with a viscous smile, "But you can't resist those little Bambi eyes any more than the rest of us."

He rolled his eyes and shoved me, nearly knocking me off the couch before I laughed and pushed back; glad our relationship was back to normal.

I was running through the woods, panting and exhausted but unable to stop. There was something following me. I didn't know what. A monster.

I heard a growl and turn to see a two-headed dog behind me. I gasped and backed up several steps only for my back to slam up against a tree.

I was trapped.

The dog's two heads growled again, baring its huge, sharp canines. Ouch, I flinched, thinking about the ways those teeth could rip apart human flesh like it was nothing. This thing probably ate bigger creatures than me for breakfast. The dog-creature moved forwards and I lunged to the side, rolling out of the way of the beast, narrowly avoiding being munched on.

I looked up to see that the dog had a snake instead of a tail.

Perfect, I thought. A two-headed, snake-tailed dog. My favorite.

I turned tail and rain sideways, deeper into the forest that seemed to be getting thicker and thicker the more I ran. The dog was right on my heels. I was running out of breath but there wasn't any time to stop. If I even paused, I'd be dead. I kept running.

I came upon a cliff and skidded to a stop then turning on my heels and darting to the left, around the edge of the cliff, knowing that if I wasn't fast enough, it would catch me and I'd be dinner. I sprinted down the cliff's side, stumbling over rocks, jagged edges, and sliding through pebbles.

Crap, crap, crap, I chanted in my head. If I didn't find a way out of here now…

I got stuck on one of the ledges and pulled down to the ground, skidding across the rough surface and tearing at my skin, leaving jagged scrapes, cuts, and bleeding wounds behind.

No! I looked up to see the two-headed dog looming over me, baring his teeth and leaning down. I closed my eyes, wishing I were somewhere, anywhere, else. Somewhere safe. Somewhere where there weren't bloodthirsty monsters out to eat me for dinner.

All of a sudden, I felt something inside me shift, become colder. The darkness around me got thicker and the air icier. I felt like I was being closed into a dark container. I began freaking out and the world disappeared around me. Then, without warning, it became bright again. I looked around to see I was in an alleyway leading out into a crowded city where everyone riding mopeds and bicycles. They had distinctly Asian features. I spotted a sign a couple hundred yards away with foreign writing on it. I mean, I was a demigod, so most languages looked foreign, but this wasn't even a romance language, so there was no way to read it at all.

Am I in Asia? I asked myself. I began to get up to walk away and figure out what happened before I was overcome with nausea. I opened my mouth to throw up-

And woke up on my bed, gasping for air, my lips curled in a scream.

A/N: That's it, guys! The end of my story! Can you believe it? It's been years in the making. I'm proud of what I wrote, but I can't wait until I write the sequel, seeing as it deals with the majority of the angst I'm so fond of. Seriously, thank you all for sticking with me to the end, and to my lovely pushy reviewers for reminding me of my updates when I had left it alone for months at a time. I'm not going to be writing the next one for a couple of months. I need to get out of this semester before I do anything else. My exams start the 7th of January and continue through the 16th. So I'll probably post the next story in February.

Thank you so much! For one last time,

Review please!

Abby