Hey, look who is back! I really missed this, and I'm kind of sad from the lack of reviews. But the thing is, reviews really help motivate me as I'm kind of a lazy update-once-in-a-month writer.

And a shout out to my she-who-must-not-be-named friend who helped me with the prophecy and gave me the idea of the most crucial line, 'twin blades shall complete the curse', because really, she asked me not to name her.

So? Review, pretty, Aphrodite pretty please?

She ran as fast as she could, what with the dead weight of her friend over her shoulder. Her other, male friend-or guide, from what he claimed-ran in front of her, almost too fast for it to be possible. From what she'd seen in school, he'd had a disease in his legs from a young age, and required crutches wherever he went. Now, though, he ran like it was falafel day in the school cafeteria.

His baggy trousers were cut in a million places, from when they'd been attacked by those weird mega serpents with crazy rotating horns-what had Mr. Leg Disease called them?-right, cerastes. They had been extremely flexible and in control, which was strange for, well, already strange creatures.

The 'guide/protector/leg disease guy' friend had told them of a camp, which was where they were going, running from some more of those snakes. Her own long auburn hair was coming undone from its braid, and her currently-being-carried female friend's fiery dark red strands were flying into her face. Some of her hair blew into her face as she prepared to jump a fallen log, and she realized her mistake too late.

Her foot caught on the tree root and she fell flat on her face, the air being knocked out of her lungs. Her female friend rolled onto the ground, still unconscious.

The auburn-haired sixteen year old groaned as she sat up, finding the leg disease friend whirl back in alarm, staring at her with wide eyes.

No, not at her.

Behind her.

She sucked in a sharp breath as she turned around, slowly and tentatively, trying to ignore the sinking, and cold feeling in her stomach. Her eyes met the dark of the woods, and a pair of sinister yellow eyes with slit pupils stared back into hers. Shit.

She blinked back the dryness in her eyes as she slowly rose to her feet, and started backing up ever so slowly. A few steps later, her right sneaker landed on something brittle-feeling. Deciding against moving her foot, she stepped on it.

Crack.

Double fuck, she thought as she realized it had been a fallen twig. As if in a blur, everything seemed to slow down as the monsters slimy, reptilian body lashed out at her, its silvery-gray horns gleaming like knives.

Knives.

Her mind responded with lightning speed, her hands only milliseconds slower. Her fingers closed around the handles of two throwing knives she'd slid into her belt after her male friend-whom she just realized had goat hooves-had given her after the earlier monster attack.

The serpent hissed and bared its fangs, pulling back and throwing itself forward to attack. Her arms moved as if on their own, both moving in perfect synchronization as the knives freed themselves from her hold and jerked forward, one embedding itself into the monster's eye, the other slicing through its horn.

The snake hissed and exploded into yellow dust, settling over the forest floor. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she let down her arms, and then the burning hit her.

Her right calf was letting out a stream of thick red blood, the jeans leg torn. It hurt like someone had set fire to it, like acid eating at her flesh. Frowning through her dizziness, she looked at the sticking tree root over which she had stumbled.

Yellow dust had taken its place.

The monster's other head.

The last thing she heard was the leg disease friend calling her name as the darkness closed around her.

Line Break

She was starting to grow on Percy.

And by she, he meant the Daughter of Poseidon, Alex Shaw, even though he'd never say that out loud. They both shared a love of swimming and swordplay, and not just because of their similar parentage. The fact that he loved her sense of humor; and her sarcastic comments and comebacks, which reminded him weirdly enough of Annabeth, were admired by even the children of Hermes.

When she stormed off, no not literally, in the middle of the meeting, Percy felt a worry in his heart that confirmed the fact that the raven-haired girl, his half-sister, had made a special place for herself in his heart. Alex was a loyal and true hero under her cocky and biting cover, and it told Percy that he didn't know her as well as he thought he did.

He liked that he wasn't completely alone in his cabin now, and that he completely and wholly enjoyed her company, and he respected that the fact that she was almost as good as he at sword fighting did not give her arrogance. It actually benefited him, as she was definitely the second-best in the camp, and he finally had a good partner to spar with. Frankly, Percy Jackson considered Alex Shaw an amazingly skilled and well-equipped with humor, demigod.

He was still confused and a little jealous of her existence, as his father, The Earthshaker, had personally told him that his mother was a 'Queen among women', offered her a palace and the gift of immortality, and still decided to have a fling with another woman, and have another demigod kid so mind-shatteringly close to Percy's own age. Maybe even his exact age.

Malcolm had surely done his placating job well, though; as Alex entered the cabin three doorway, a little white-faced and kind of breathless, not even bothering to bang the door shut behind her as she sat down next to Percy.

He frowned. "You…okay? You ran all the way here?"

She shrugged a little, drawing her brows together. "I was at the lake."

Percy nodded in understanding. He went to that place multiple times when he was upset; it seemed that that place called to all the children of Poseidon. "Yeah. Malcolm met you there?"

She hesitated before nodding slowly, and then something like realization dawned on her face. "Oh, I almost forgot. There's a commotion at the pavilion; apparently two new demigods have been guided here today. Running from a cerastes, it seems. Oh, by the way, I was wondering if you'd like to go canoeing tomorrow morning, while Chiron watches over the new demigods. I wanted to…talk to you."

Percy looked at the ceiling and nodded before rushing out of the cabin, Alex at his heels, calling his name. It seemed that a lot of demigods were finding their way here in this week. The gods must be feeling generous these days.

He breathed in the fresh night air before turning back and walking into the cabin again, not feeling so hungry now.

Great time to be generous, Percy thought, almost snorting out loud, Right after you give us a prophecy about death and curses and the dead rising from their grave.

It was so pathetic, that if it had been a real war, they would've had a Pyrrhic victory.

Line Break

Alex sat uncertainly in the boat, wondering how to tell Percy the…thing…she was about to tell him. Malcolm had gone white, then had sighed and told her to tell her brother, when she related her life to him. She wasn't sure Percy would like what she had to tell him.

They had had fun canoeing, getting up early, walking through camp when only a couple campers were awake. They had laughed and joked as they pulled the oars, enjoying the warm sunshine and the calmness of the morning fog. Almost feeling like they were normal siblings on a normal day.

Then Alex decided it was time.

"Percy?"

He looked up at her, eyes shining with mirth, quickly turning into a frown as he noticed her serious expression. "Something wrong?"

She dug her teeth into her lower lip. "I wanted to tell you something…something about my…name."

"Your name?"

"Um, yeah."

He looked uncertain. "Okay."

She leaned back a little as she pulled on the oars. "It's not, um, it's not Alex Shaw."

Percy laughed, shaking his head a little as he leaned forward, pushing his oars. "I thought so. Whatever you may say, I know it's Alexis. Don't worry, though. I hate being called by my fall name too."

She raised her eyebrows.

He shrugged. "Seriously, though, that's all you wanted to talk about? Not like I'm not enjoying this, though. It has been a lot of time since I spent some good time with a close friend. Even though you're technically my half-sister."

Alex clenched and unclenched her jaw, feeling frustration setting in. "That's what I wanted to talk about. I'm not you're half-sister."

He simply raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "That's hilarious."

She huffed in exasperation. "It's not a joke."

"Then you must really hate me."

She leaned forward, pushing the oars. "My name is…Alex-"

"Shaw, I know." He leaned back, pulling. "I'm getting irritated now."

She sighed. "I'm Alex Jackson. You sister. Your twin sister. Your full-blooded sister."

Percy must've been surprised; because he leaned so far back he fell into the lake.

He came up, gasping in shock, his eyes disbelieving as he climbed back into the canoe. "Liar."

She shook her head. "No. And that's not all."

He leaned forward, curiosity and still-receding shock swirling in his sea-green eyes. "Then tell me." He said, pulling back. "Tell me everything."

Ta-da! Who was expecting this? Read and review and I love you guys.

PWT