Things are gonna get exciting.

The forest was dark. The moon was bright up in the sky. A light wind blew from the east.

In a clearing, a girl was alone. The moon cast a silvery light on her features.

She glanced up and felt something.

Normally, she wasn't one to pay much attention to such 'feelings', but it was a hunch.

And she had learned to trust her hunches.

She crouched, taking her senses on high alert.

And yet, she was surprised.

Three figures materialised around her, surrounding her.

"Oh, it's you three. Never learn, do you?"

The three figures said nothing.

The time flew by in weeks.

Quirrel, Snape, exams happened. And of course, Percy would never forget the dragon. He had faced drakons, but Norbert was something else.

Percy did well enough, considering that he'd never studied magic before.

However, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was gonna happen. He wasn't fool enough to think that the Fates had sent him here just for a massive joke.

They might be a pain in the neck, but they were still the freakin' Fates.

On all their minds, was the question: would Snape be able to get past that dog Fluffy in time?

"Apparently, Quirrel's still holding up," Hermione informed them one day, in the midst of their exams.

Percy, Harry and Ron breathed a sigh of relief.

"Great," said Ron enthusiastically.

Percy, however, was less optimistic, through experience. It wasn't like him to be pessimistic, but Tartarus had definitely changed a lot in him.

He was a lot more... well dark, now.

He couldn't shake off the feeling something bad was gonna happen before the term ended.

Why couldn't those idiot Fates hand me a booklet or something about how to handle all this? Ha, guess they can't be bothered to listen to someone like me, a lowly demigod.

He felt a familiar anger at his position and the responsibilities that had been thrust upon his shoulders without so much as a by-your-leave.

Meanwhile, there were still things to do.

They had a detention to do.

Percy was kinda looking forward to it.

It had been a long time since he had gone into the forest.

"So, yeah-uh," said Hagrid.

"You," he said, pointing at Hermione and Harry, "yer will go with me, Draco, Percy and Fang will go the other."

Draco looked a bit relieved, but the Hagrid had to ruin it by saying:

"I warn yeh, Fang's a coward."

Malfoy blanched.

Percy grinned.

They set off.

Percy was in mind to do something to Draco.

He deserves what's coming to him.

Something moved, and Draco jumped.

"What?" Percy said contemptuously.

"It was scary!" said Malfoy defensively.

He's behaving like a twelve-year-old. Oh right, he is.

They moved on.

The forest was dark, and despite himself, Percy tensed. He had fought in too many battles by now, and now didn't take anything for granted.

And the forest was unnaturally quiet too...

Percy moved stealthily... as stealthily as it was possible for someone like him, at least. Stealth was not one of his skills, and despite training still rather sucked at it.

He wished he had Riptide. The pen in his pocket was a source of comfort to him.

He chanced a look behind him and saw Malfoy look scared.

Percy had a sudden idea.

"You go up front, I'll stay behind,"

Malfoy looked shocked and was about to protest, but Percy gave him one of his wolf glares.

That shut him up, as Percy knew it would.

That he had practiced a lot.

They moved on for a while, Percy keeping all his five senses on high alert.

In front of them, there was a rustle, as of something scraping over the ground.

Percy froze for a second, then acted immediately.

He grabbed Malfoy and put him behind his body in a protective stance, while his eyes scanned the immediate area.

Nothing.

The rustling had stopped.

Percy tensed even more, convinced that something was going to fly at them from nowhere any second.

He thought of sending up sparks, but that would probably only alarm whoever that made the sound, and would make them likely to attack them.

Gah, if I only had Riptide!

When nothing more happened more for a full minute, Percy relaxed slightly and stepped out form in front of Malfoy.

He was angry with himself, angry with Malfoy, angry with whatever had made the noise, and angry with the Fates for putting him in this position.

He half-wished someone would show themselves right now so that he could fight themselves face-to-face.

But how he could do it without Riptide, he couldn't imagine.

"Whatever," Percy muttered to himself, and stomped ahead.

He was vaguely aware of Malfoy following him quietly.

They came to a clearing. Something was lying on the ground... something silver.

Percy looked closer, and the realization struck him.

It was a unicorn. Dead.

A terrible hatred rose up inside him for whoever had killed the creature, for it had been killed; there were clear marks on its flanks and on the sides of the clearing, for it had evidently managed to drag itself to here before dying.

He was wrenched from his train of thought when a body slammed into him.

"What-can't you-" it was Malfoy.

Malfoy looked over Percy's shoulder, saw the unicorn, and blanched.

"Is that-is that," stammered the kid.

"Yes," said Percy shortly, not inclined to elaborate.

Malfoy looked terrified.

What happened next wasn't quite clear.

There was the same slithering-scraping sound they had heard earlier and Malfoy glanced off-his eyes widened-he opened his mouth-Percy glanced off in the direction where Malfoy was looking-he saw a hooded figure-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAUGHH," Malfoy let out a terrified scream-the figure glanced at them-seemed to notice them for the first time- Percy was seized with a desperate recklessness and wild abandon.

"YAH!" he was sure now that this-this thing- had killed the unicorn. For why else would it bend down as if to suck blood from it in vampire-style? He was going to show whatever-it-was its place, and that you didn't just go about killing unicorns when Perseus Jackson was around.

"YO!," he didn't really know what was driving him, but he did it anyway.

Percy seemed to have attracted the attention of the figure, which was coming straight toward him. In the background, he was dimly aware of a patter of feet-Malfoy seemed to be running away.

When the figure was right in front, Percy launched his left fist, as if to strike it in the stomach. It seemed to notice and raised its right arm.

Yes!

When the time was right, Percy struck.

He struck neither fast nor slow, he struck exactly right, as it should be. In that moment, he felt an almost out-of-body experience.

The figure raised it's arm, as if to block the blow.

Percy grinned savagely.

"YAH!," and he twisted at last second.

The figure's arm faltered, and Percy, as fast as lightning, struck out his right arm and wrenched off its hood.

Percy froze and gasped.

It was an oddly familiar face. One that he would have betted was the least likely to be under that hood.

And the face...

He had not long to muse over that face, though.

There was a sound of hooves, and something slammed into the figure at full force.

There was confused bunch of sounds, and Percy recoiled.

A second later, Percy saw a flank.

A figure loomed large above him.

An oddly familiar shape.

"P-Party Ponies?"

"No. Perseus Jackson.," said the magnificent centaur. "I am Firenze."

Some action.

Thanks for reading.

N.O.Y.E.S