Please note: I do not own Percy Jackson or related characters. This story is just an opportunity for me to play around with these characters and my creativity. I love getting feedback and you all deserve the best stories, so feel free to review so I can be the best storyteller I can be! Thank you!

Percy

Percy sprung out of the sleeping bag. He had to wrestle himself out of its grip, as it held him snugly in place. As he stood, he found that he was the only one left in the mess hall. Sleeping bags were strewn throughout the area, but there weren't any demigods sleeping in them.

Percy headed to the Argo III bathroom and washed his face. He thanked the gods that there was extra toothpaste and toothbrushes that he was able to use. Once he moved into his final phases of waking up, he made his way to the cockpit. He found most of the crew there, having recycled their old clothes from yesterday. Piper, Hazel, and Frank's clothes looked wrinkled, while Leo's looked fresh-pressed. The only problem was that Leo's clothes looked much too small for him. His shirt gave off a slight amount of steam. The skin around the entrances to the shirt looked red, like it was hurting Leo's skin every second he had it on.

Hazel caught Percy looking, and mouthed, Dryer malfunction.

Percy nodded, and watched her look back out to the windows. They were flying over a few fields, with the baby-blue The Big House looking radiant in the sunlight.

He looked towards Piper. Somehow, her hair looked wavy and expertly curated today. "How long did I sleep?"

"For a while," Piper said, as she snacked on some trail mix. There were no M&M's to be found, though, so Percy didn't know if it was truly trail mix. "It's nearing about three o'clock or so," she said.

Percy almost choked. "Three o-clo-" He looked at Hazel, who shrugged and nodded her head.

"You seemed tired," she said as she clicked a few buttons around her. "So we let you sleep."

Silence took over the cockpit once more. Percy suspected that the rest of the crew had late mornings as well, as they seemed to be in their last phases of waking up as well.

The roar of the propellant exhaust became deafening, overtaking all the ambient noise in the cokcpit. Percy's mind raced to his dreams, like it couldn't wait to get him to overthink again.

He usually dreamed of other people, of situations, of things that may happen in the future, and occasionally of abstract visions that seemed to symbolize something more. However, he had never quite had a dream of someone having a dream. He never entered someone else's dream or even dreamed about them dreaming about him at the same time. That was like dream-ception, and it gave Percy a headache the longer he thought about it.

It was weird to see Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth as a happy little family.

It was pretty cool to see the memory of Thalia and Percy sparring, even if it did make him cringe a few times.

However, he couldn't shake the image of Thalia standing among the ruins of Olympus, charged with the multi-colored energy of the power of the slain Ophiotaurus. She was strong enough to overcome Hades easily, even when he tried to get the drop on her. To get to that power, it seemed like Thalia had sacrificed Bessie. Once she did so, she could overpower the gods, get the sword of Hades, and bring Annabeth back.

Even though nearly all of his heart wanted to see Annabeth again, he couldn't let Thalia go down that road. Not at that cost.

Festus roared past Half-Blood Hill. The ship flew over Thalia's tree, glittering in the sunlight. The Golden Fleece hung on it like a pendant. Peleus stirred and looked up at them. Festus barked at Peleus, convincing him to go back to sleep.

Festus continued to fly over the valley. Percy looked towards Leo, who was fast asleep at the wheel.

"Leo," Percy said. "Leo!"

Leo jolted up, hitting his knee on the dash. He winced and grabbed it as he turned to Percy. "What, dude?"

"Did you Iris-Message Chiron to let him know we're coming?"

Leo nodded and beckoned towards Piper. "Yeah, she ended up doing it this morning."

Percy exhaled. It was a general rule that ambushing Camp Half-Blood was not always the best idea.

Festus stopped flying on a dime, and Leo pressed a button. "All right, buddy, let's land."

The Argo III landed slowly, but loudly, shaking until it landed in a meadow by the Big House. Leagues of green hills went on for miles from their side of the Big House. Even in the Argo III, Percy smelled the breeze. It came through the air conditioning, and made the cockpit smell faintly of strawberries. The hills were covered with fruit trees, and brightly-colored grass.

Piper stood up, stretched, and looked at Hazel. "Grover and Calypso in position?"

Hazel nodded. "They're ready to go at the back entrance."

Frank punched a button on the Argo III dashboard. A harsh beep sounded through the entire ship. In one of the external cameras, Percy saw Grover and Calypso transporting a line of mattresses, linked together by a taut chain. The Hunters' bodies were resting peacefully on the mattresses. Grover pulled the mattresses towards the Big House from the front. He looked like he was straining with the weight.

Calypso held it from the back, without breaking a sweat. An invisible magical force also supported the line of mattresses from the middle, so the assembly line of beds managed to not touch the ground.

Percy watched them. "That's…you all got it."

Piper laughed and looked at Hazel, who was packing up her stuff. "You ready to go?"

"We don't always need your help, Percy," Frank said, lightly pushing Percy's arm. "You can rest sometimes."

Frank left the room. Hazel nodded at Piper and grabbed a few items. The two of them then headed out.

"Come on, Leo," Piper said on her way out.

Leo got up and headed out the cockpit. "You joining, dude?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah."

Percy and Leo headed through the Argo and stepped out through the back exit.

The two of them were greeted by a small crowd of campers, who lined the porch and the grassy fields around the Big House. They were pointing at Festus and whispering. Some were giggling as they saw Leo, while others were pointing to Percy.

Percy didn't know if it was just him, or if the campers seemed to be getting younger. They all looked like they belonged in middle school, with the oldest ones just entering high-school age. He wished he could say that he never looked that young and innocent. Then again, he just got the opportunity to see a younger version of himself last night.

As Percy walked around to the Big House entrance, he saw the numerous cabins built with ancient Greek architecture and style. The number of cabins had nearly tripled since the last time he was a camper there.

He saw the amphitheater, the pavilion, and the combat arena that he had seen in his dream. Each building was supported by radiant white marble columns. The volleyball courts were suspiciously empty, but Percy figured that most of the kids playing volleyball had ran to the Big House to see the huge bronze dragon land with the demigod adults exiting. Percy didn't blame them- he probably would've done the same thing.

Canoes crawled across the lake. It was beautiful. Percy took a second to enjoy being back at Camp Half-Blood- it had been a while since he was really here. Percy thought back to his first time at Camp. He had collapsed on the porch, tired, dehydrated, and traumatized. When he came to, he saw Chiron and Annabeth, preparing to bring him into this new world.

He's the one, Annabeth had said. He must be.

Percy felt a chill on the back of his neck. He looked behind him to see a young camper, in armor so big that it was hanging off him. He looked to be about eleven. His brown skin reminded Percy of polished wood, and his golden eyes held a million secrets. The kid's hair was twisted in curls that shone in the sun. The camper looked floored, like he was looking at a celebrity.

The kid made Percy think about his first time at Camp Half-Blood and meeting people like Luke and Beckendorf. It helped Camp seem cooler, and expanded the world they were living in. There were demigods that actually grew to be older, demigods that went off to college, and demigods that became familiar with this huge world. This kid was still young, though, and was still probably trying to wrap his head around the fact that his parent was a Greek god.

Grover was right- these kids were the new generation of demigods. Demigods like him wouldn't grow up to be older, wiser, and stronger if they ended up facing a threat they couldn't beat. A terrifying vision flashed through his head of this kid being dispatched to stop an all-powerful Thalia, and meeting his end at her hands. He probably wouldn't stand a chance against Thalia at her base level.

Percy knew he had to stop Thalia. He needed to stop her. Not only because it was the right thing to do, but also because he needed to protect those coming after them. Percy nodded at the kid, who nodded back slowly.

Percy then stepped out of the warm outdoors, and into the Big House. As he did, he saw Chiron speaking with Leo, Piper, Hazel, and Frank. Calypso lingered off to the side, watering the plants in the building. Percy approached as Grover returned from the infirmaries. Grover gave Percy a smile.

"He lives," the satyr exclaimed. "You know how long you slept for?"

"Don't remind me," Percy grumbled.

He looked at Chiron. The hair on Chiron's head was cut neatly this time, a stark change from the messy hair he had before. His beard was flourishing, slightly rippling from the fans blowing in the room. Chiron's white stallion half was a little dirty, like he had just rushed back from coaching a sparring session in the arena. His tail was still when he was speaking with the demigods, but began to strike back and forth when he saw Percy.

"Ah, Percy! How have you been?"

Percy ran a hand through his hair. "Not great. You?"

Chiron nodded, looking so deep into Percy's eyes that it was like he was watching a replay of his dream last night. "I have been better," Chiron finally replied. "We are all mourning the loss of Annabeth, I believe."

Leo, Frank, Piper, and Hazel hung their head, while Percy looked towards the infirmary.

"How are they doing?" Percy asked.

Chiron followed Percy's line of vision. "They will be okay. Some rest and some ambrosia should heal them up. Some of them are already stirring, to my knowledge."

"That's good," Percy muttered. "That's good," he repeated softer. Even though the Big House was a comfortable room temperature, Percy felt like he was feeling a chill. The sunlight even seemed cold today.

Chiron regarded him for a second, and raised his voice. "Will you all excuse me? I'd like a moment with Percy and his keeper."

Percy caught Grover blink like someone snapped in front of his face. Grover's expression elicited a smile from Percy- it had been a long time since Grover was referred to as someone's keeper or protector.

"Of course," Hazel said. She beckoned towards the door and the group followed her. On the way out, Leo grabbed Calypso's wrist and pulled her out so hard that she let out a yelp.

Percy trained his attention to Chiron. "What's going on?"

Chiron sighed. "Perhaps that is a question that is best answered by you two. What happened? Why is there an influx of Hunters that need medical attention?"

Grover looked at Percy nervously. "Uh…well, it's Thalia," Grover explained. "She has kind of…gone off into a dark place. I think she's trying to throw herself into something fairly dangerous. None of us know what she's up to."

Percy tried to mask any kind of reaction to the statement, but Chiron seemed to catch on.

"Percy, do you perhaps have any idea, notion, or theory of what Thalia is doing?"

Percy hesitated. One wrong word could result in Chiron getting Mr. D on an Iris-Message, in turn alerting the gods about Thalia's whereabouts.

"No," Percy lied. "I don't know what she's doing or trying to do. I know that she seems to be affiliated with the Triumvirate Holdings now. The Hunters tried to intercept Thalia on a Holdings ship, and ended up-"

Percy gestured towards the infirmaries. "-resulting in this."

Chiron stroked his beard. "I am concerned about her ability to process Annabeth's murder. She seems to be on a dark path, one that will lead to harsh judgment from the gods."

"Yeah," Grover said. "She's lost a lot in her life. Part of me feels like she's tired of losing, you know? She wants to win at something for a change."

Chiron hummed quietly. "Perhaps. Whatever she's doing, we need to stop her before she does something that causes more trouble than she can rectify."

He looked at Percy. "Percy, if you had to put yourself in her shoes, what would you be doing if you were having trouble processing Annabeth's death?"

Percy felt like he was back in class again, with Mr. Brunner targeting him for a hard question. "Why are you asking me and not like…Piper? Or Rachel?" Percy complained. He assumed he sounded as young as the campers.

"You and Thalia are very much alike in multiple ways," Chiron said simply. "Is it hard to think about what you would be doing if you were having trouble processing Annabeth's death?"

"Not at all," Percy grumbled. He felt like he could've taken Annabeth's death a little better than he has been. However- if his mother had died, Estelle was dead, Paul was gone, no one there for him, everyone thought that he had gone off the deep end, and Annabeth was killed…he wouldn't put it past himself to head to the Underworld and demand her soul back.

"But, I guess if I was Thalia…I'd probably be trying to find a way to bring her back."

For a second, all they could hear was the fans blaring. The ping-pong table stood peacefully in the corner.

Chiron closed his eyes like he expected such an answer. "That is concerning, for lack of a better term. If you find any hint or indication that Thalia is planning such a plot, you must be the one to stop her, Percy."

"Me?"

"You are one of the few people alive who know her. The two of you look at life through similar lenses. I once told you that one of her problems is that she is a little too sure of herself. Right now, she may be doing something that she's sure of. She needs someone, who understands her, to tell her that what she's doing is dangerous."

Percy frowned and folded his arms. "And what if she doesn't listen to me?"

Chiron didn't break eye contact. "Then you must convince her."

Grover's eyes flashed from Chiron, to Percy, and back to Chiron. He seemed to put together that there was a conversation happening that was not being explicitly said. "Are you saying that he needs to fight Thalia? I don't know how well that would go for Percy."

Percy put his hands out. "Dude!" he protested.

"Sorry," Grover muttered.

Chiron shook his head. "Boys, enough. I'm not necessarily saying that Percy must engage her in combat, but, like it or not, you have a lot of bargaining power in this situation, Percy. You have a friendship with her, you know her, you know what she's lost, and you know what angers her. As a result, you know how to get through to her. If it comes to blows, then so be it. But bringing a soul back from the Underworld is too dangerous to pursue, even it is-"

Chiron's voice wavered. "-our Annabeth."

A group of campers from the Apollo Cabin rushed in, heading towards the infirmaries. They held medical appliances, and other unfamiliar trinkets.

Percy couldn't help but feel anxious. The image of Thalia at full power blasted through his mind once more. He didn't know how he was supposed to stop that. Chiron may be right, though. He may be able to stop her from reaching that point in the first place. And if he stopped her, no one else would have to later.

"All right," Percy said. "If I see any sign of that happening, I'll head out to try to stop her."

Chiron put a hand on Percy's shoulder. "Good. If you hear anything, it would probably be better to do it sooner rather than later."

Percy nodded. Grover glanced at Percy, looking confused once more.

"Be safe, Percy," Chiron said. "It was good to see you. Truly."

Percy didn't like the way Chiron was talking, with a tone of finality underlining each of his words. It was like Chiron was already envisioning what color shroud he would pick for Percy's funeral pyre.

Percy turned to head to the infirmary, but Chiron wasn't finished.

"Ah, and Percy? I find that stopping by a body of water before any kind of quest can be cleansing for the soul. It may help provide some inspiration, meditation, and reflection. Perhaps stop by the Sound before you go?"

"Before he goes?" Grover asked. "Percy's not going anywhere soon, is he?"

Grover turned to Percy as if to ask, Are you?

"Nah," Percy said, a little too quickly. "I'll be here for a little bit, at least until the Hunters heal up."

"Right," Chiron said. "And, ah, you're more than welcome to stay here as long as you need. Your old bed is still available, in Cabin Three. It was just a piece of advice for Percy to consider."

Percy and Chiron exchanged a meaningful look with one another, which only confirmed that Chiron knew more than he was letting on. He at least seemed to know that Percy was hiding something about Thalia.

Percy walked into the infirmary, and checked the rooms until he saw Reyna. She was propped up slightly, on a faded blue mattress. She stirred as he walked in. The strength seemed to have returned to her body. A tall glass of what looked like apple juice stood on the stand by the bed. It had a blue straw and a parasol stuck through a berry. Frost covered the glass, like the juice was cooled before given to Reyna.

Reyna smiled weakly once she saw Percy. The room was almost uncomfortably warm, like it was designed to put people to sleep. It was bare, except for a lone window and a blue rug positioned at the foot of the bed.

Percy returned the smile. "How's it taste?" he asked, nodding towards the drink.

Reyna looked to her side, and blinked like that was the first time she noticed the drink. "I don't know," she mumbled. She reached for it, and almost knocked it down.

Percy moved quickly to catch it. Miraculously, only a few drops spilled onto the ground, melting into golden vapor. Percy handed it to Reyna, who held it delicately. She put it to her mouth and drank a little.

"Not too much," Percy whispered as Reyna brought the glass from her mouth.

She swallowed and blinked. She then focused on Percy. Her eyes looked a lot more focused, and her body even looked a little stronger. Her gaze took on new strength as well. "It tastes like…"

She regarded Percy like she just noticed who she was talking to.

Her eyes narrowed for a bit, but eventually softened. "…my father's enchilada de pollo," she shared wistfully. "It used to be our favorite dish growing up. At least, until…"

Reyna trailed off. Percy decided not to push. Instead, he nodded. "Yeah, ambrosia has that effect, taking on the taste of something familiar to you. It makes you feel right at home, even in situations that may not feel like home."

Reyna raised her eyebrows. "You speak like you are referring to a memory, Percy Jackson."

"I guess I am," Percy said.

Reyna nodded. "Then I trust it." Reyna drank some more, and sat up straighter. "What happened?"

Percy pulled up a chair to the bed. "You and the Hunters tried to stop Thalia, I think. You let Hazel know when she Iris-Messaged you. We tried to get to your position in the Atlantic, before what happened…happened."

Reyna winced, like she was remembering a painful memory. "Ah, yes."

She looked Percy up and down. "Where is she now?"

Percy looked into Reyna's dark eyes and sighed. "I don't know."

Reyna narrowed her eyes. "If Argentum and Aurum were here, they'd devour you. You're a bad liar, Jackson."

Percy felt his face getting hot. "I think she's headed to Olympus," he admitted.

Reyna cursed. "We need to stop her."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "We don't need to do anything."

Reyna looked at Percy like he had just belched loudly. "Are you saying that you're going to go alone? To stop Thalia?"

Percy shrugged. "Why not?"

"She's quite formidable in a fight."

"Why is everyone saying that? I'm formidable too! At least, kind of."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Reyna's face. "And your claim has some credence to it. But you're out of shape, Percy."

Percy looked down at his stomach. "I haven't put on that many pounds."

"Out of practice, I mean," Reyna corrected, looking at her sheets. "You haven't fought in a while. Thalia has been fighting and training nonstop since we stopped Gaea. And she's angry. Opponents who fight out of anger are dangerous adversaries."

She gave Percy a strong side-eye. "Are you angry?"

Percy made the so-so motion with his hand. "Not really. I mean, I'm a little worried. But not angry. I want to stop her before she does something horrible. Like, I don't know if any Hunters died in-"

"Three," Reyna said, scowling at the ceiling. "We lost three Hunter lives."

Percy and Reyna sat in silence. Percy didn't know who was lost, but he prayed that they would be judged fairly and sent to Elysium for their service. While he was praying, he decided to send some love to Annabeth. He figured that Hades wouldn't package love and send it to her, but it was worth a shot.

"Alas," Reyna started. "I still care for Thalia. She deserves a chance to turn back from all this."

Percy nodded. He decided to not mention his dream, or the late-night conversation that he shared with Thalia. In both of those instances, Percy offered Thalia an out- a chance to stop going down this path. She rejected him each time, like even asking it was an insult to her.

Reyna sighed. "Do not fight out of anger, Percy. Not unless you have stood where she's stood. It's good that you are not angry. She deserves to face someone that does not harbor any resentment towards her."

Percy looked at Reyna, who was staring out the window.

"That person is not me," she said under her breath.

"And…that person is me?"

Reyna nodded, still looking outside. "You knew her before I. You must go. But, know that an army is generally better than one soldier."

Reyna looked at Percy like she had just shared a nugget of wisdom. Percy didn't quite get it, though. He didn't feel like admitting it, though.

Instead, he stood. "All right. I'll go."

Reyna sighed. "I know you will. Make Annabeth proud in your combat. She was a strong warrior."

Percy looked at Reyna to see her maintain eye contact. "I'll be sure to honor her."

That seemed to do the trick. She nodded, slumped down in her bed, and closed her eyes.

Percy left the Big House and made his way to the Sound. He tried not to stop off at any of the places that were on the way there, as he didn't have time to reminisce. Chiron rarely minced or wasted words, and he told Percy to stop there on purpose.

Percy arrived at the beach and sat near the surf. He was glad that it wasn't after curfew- he didn't feel like explaining to the harpies that he was actually a Camp Half-Blood alumni and that he wasn't as tasty as a result.

As the waves coursed onto the beach, Percy thought about his dad. He could use some guidance. Or some advice. Or a sign. These types of situations were hard to navigate.

He didn't know if fighting Thalia was the right thing, or if he should just talk to her without fighting.

If he just let Thalia do her thing, she may succeed. She wasn't someone who would quit. And if she succeeded, Annabeth would be back in this world. She'd be able to be sitting right here, by him, overlooking the Long Island Sound.

If he asked Chiron, he may be putting Thalia in even more trouble. Now, Percy had to get to Olympus without others noticing, and stop Thalia.

He wished he had a Coke. The caffeine would calm his hyperactive mind down and stop him from thinking about the bugs crawling into his clothes, the seawater breeze that took him back to Montauk, and the three Hunter lives that were lost.

A wave crashed suspiciously close to Percy, like it was trying to get his attention. Percy stood and walked closer to the Sound, trying to notice any message it was trying to give him. He doubted there would be instructions drawn in the surf, but he needed to be ready if there were.

Percy stood there for a few minutes, only to see nothing. He sighed and put his hand into the water. The cold current went around his hand and attacked his shins. Percy felt a little calmer, and a little stronger.

A larger-than-normal wave crashed on Percy's hand, coinciding with a strong breeze that slapped Percy in the face. When both receded, Percy found that he was gripping something. The grip was familiar, wrapped in leather. Percy pulled it out of the ocean to reveal a shimmering, double-edged bronze sword. Its leather hilt was decorated with gold studs. It felt perfect in Percy's hands, like it was right at home.

Riptide was back. Beads of seawater clung to the blade while other drops fell back into the ocean.

Percy looked out to the Sound and nodded sarcastically. "Thanks, Dad."

A huge whoosh and a wing flap sounded above Percy. It was Blackjack, landing behind him. His pure black body looked smooth, besides a scar from an old arrow wound courtesy of Orion. His wings, however, looked full, healthy, and somehow even larger than the last time that I saw

Hey, boss man!

Percy smiled. "Hey, Blackjack. I was hoping to not bother you with my problems any more, but I guess…I guess we have to one last time."

No worries, boss! The big boss told me to tell you that it's time.

Percy frowned. "The big boss?"

The sea dude! Your dad!

"Dad asked you to come here?"

And to tell you that it's time. Apparently, there's more at play than what you think.

Percy felt like he was going to stumble. The gods already knew about Thalia, and what she was doing. He didn't know what they were planning, nor did he know what was going on. But he knew that Thalia was heading to Olympus to make her vision a reality. It could be a trap- the gods could be there just waiting for her. He needed to get there before either Thalia did anything to Bessie, or the gods did anything to Thalia.

Percy hopped on Blackjack. He thought for a second before designating a place.

He heard Reyna's advice in his head, that an army is better than a soldier.

"Let's go to the Big House, first, big man. We need to talk to some friends. I have a plan."

A plan? Nice! Where will it take us?

"To Olympus."

With a huge flap, Blackjack took off towards the Big House, their first and last stop before Olympus.