Look at this people. I'm trying to do two chapters, and Piper's part in one chapter! Get out your copy of the book and see how well I do!

*General PoV*

Piper was supposed to be looking for Thalia. Key word, supposed to. Instead, because the Aphrodite cabin had a reputation for doing absolutely nothing in a fight, she was dragged along by Silena and the rest of the Aphrodite kids to a clearing in the woods with a clear pool of water in the center, boulders sized perfectly for sitting around it.

Silena took her to one of the rocks along the water's edge.

"Um, shouldn't we be back at the fight?" Piper asked. She wasn't entirely sure that was a good idea, seeing as she didn't have Katropis yet, but it would be easier to sneak away.

"No, sweetie." Silena said. "We Aphrodite kids aren't very good fighters. Besides, you haven't met everyone yet, and now's a good time!"

Piper was pretty sure that wasn't true, but there was an unfamiliar face among the campers seated around her. The first night she was introduced to everyone, so Piper wasn't quite sure that was possible.

Silena called someone up. "Cameron!" Then she turned to Piper. "This is Cameron. They were in the infirmary, so that's why you haven't met them yet! A nasty fall from the climbing wall. They're nonbinary."

Cameron held out a hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Are you sure we shouldn't be helping?" Piper said, rising to her feet.

"Yes, sweetie." Silena switched the topic to one of recent camp gossip, and Piper realized she probably wouldn't be leaving.

They were called away by Chiron's horn, and Piper finally got a chance to search the woods. She had to sneak away from the group, and she searched as much as she could for any trace of Thalia.

She returned just in time to watch fire flicker up Leo's arms as he threw a massive fireball at the hellhound, watch Percy get healed by the water, and both get claimed. She watched as the Hephaestus cabin cautiously welcomed Leo, and Chiron lead Percy away to talk about what his claiming meant.

She was ushered away by Silena to the campfire, and the next few days passed slowly as they waited for Percy to get his quest. The only highlight was when Silena took her to the weapons shed.

Silena explained she might not even get a weapon, that most Aphrodite kids relied on knives if anything, so she seemed surprised when Piper returned to where Silena was checking her reflection in a shield, carrying a light sword similar to the style of the one she had gotten from her journey on the Argo II and Katropis. She would have preferred to leave the prophetic knife behind, but it might come in handy. Silena tried to convince her to leave it behind by telling her the tragic story, but Piper stood firm.

Silena was reluctant about the sword, but Piper convinced her to let her keep it. She took her to the arena where Luke was fighting with Percy one-on-one. She explained Piper would be needing sword lessons, to which Luke looked shocked. He seemed even more surprised when Silena explained the need for knife lessons too.

In the end, she was training alongside Percy.

Thalia was lurking around camp, hoping to catch Annabeth to explain her plan. She had decided to either sneak along with the quest, or stay behind and convince Luke to stay on the gods' side. Her decision hinged on whether Annabeth would let her use her Yankees cap to sneak out with them.

Percy was called to the big house the same stormy day Thalia managed to talk to Annabeth, although he didn't know it.

He was fed the same story, Zeus throwing a temper tantrum because someone took the bolt, Poseidon having too big of an ego to convince Zeus he didn't do it, and how if he didn't find the bolt, the whole world would go BOOM. (Not in those exact words.)

Then Percy was sent to the Attic of Doom, to consult the Mummy of Prophecy.

He expected to get the same doom-and-gloom sentences, but instead, three raspy voices he knew instinctively belonged to the Fates croaked out a different message.

Yes, I'm stopping there. I'd call that the only chapter that ends in an actual cliffhanger.

Now, Thalia's fate! I have closed my who-goes-on-the-quest poll, the winner being the original trio, and opened a new one, where you will be voting on whether Thalia goes on the quest! I'm planning on closing that poll on Saturday, so vote now while you have the chance!

Ok, a couple questions for you guys, did I do Silena right? What do you think about Piper getting a sword? I know she gets one from wind spirit whatever-his-name-is, but I don't own a copy of whatever book that is, so it's a bit lacking in what actually happened. But I just feel like Piper would hate Katropis, but would still get it for its prophetic abilities. So she would also get a sword she would actually use, if that makes sense. It probably doesn't my sleep deprived brain is writing this author's note at 1:30 A.M. and I'm just glad it's spelled right.

Everyone who actually got out the books and followed the progress will realize I did half of a chapter. I only planned on doing a short bit on Piper, but y'all can tell that didn't happen, so yeah. Oops. But there is still 746 words of something there.