Clara POV

I woke up in the middle of the night and looked around. Renee was asleep, but someone wasn't in her bed.

"Ruby," I whispered. "Go back to sleep."

"I can't, Clara, I'm having bad dreams about the harpies. Not, like, dreams or anything, I'm just scared."

"The harpies won't bother you, Ruby. I promise."

"You weren't there. You didn't hear him."

"Who? Tantalus? What did he do now?"

"He said he would have the harpies to enforce curfew."

"Dang, really?"

"I think."

"I'm sorry."

"After you left, he told a scary story about some god or something. I guess I forget."

"Good. I'm glad you forget. Why don't I tell you a better story to help you fall asleep."

"Okay."

"Okay. Once upon a time there was a girl who lived in a big castle with her friends. They learned there and studied there, and they played games and wrote in a journal together. But one day, the girl fell into a deep sleep."

Ruby looked at me strangely. "This girl doesn't get saved by a boy, does she? Because that's gross. And boring."

"No, quite the opposite." I smiled. "So, in her sleep, the girl was taken to a snake's lair to be killed. But the killer was really hoping to meet the girl's best friend."

Ruby shuddered. "Are you sure this is a happy story?"

"Positive. Can I keep going?"

"Of course."

"Okay. So the girl's best friend was not afraid of snakes, so she came down to the lair to save the girl. Or maybe she was afraid, but her best friend mattered more. So she came down to the chamber, and she pulled a magical sword from a hat. Together with some friends, the best friend killed the snake and got rid of the bad guys. And the girl woke up."

"Did they live happily ever after?" Ruby asked sleepily.

"I don't know. But both girls are safe, and in fact, they are in this very room."

"You? Which one were you? I bet you were the best friend."

"Actually, I was the hurt girl. Well, we were both hurt, but you know what I mean."

"Who was your friend?"

I pointed at the girl on the bed next to me, and Ruby frowned. "She's not supposed to be here."

"No, but she didn't want to see Drew tonight. I figured I owed her that."

"Yeah. Do you think Diamond would ever do that for me?"

"Definitely."

The younger girl smiled and closed her eyes, her strawberry-blonde bangs covering her face.

"Goodnight, Clara."

"Night, Ruby."

Now I was having trouble sleeping. I decided to take a walk by the ocean, even though I knew the harpies were a threat. It was strange, because I never went to the ocean. But I felt like something was waiting for me there.


Renee POV

I woke up suddenly, disoriented. The walls weren't pink here, and I definitely wasn't in my four-poster in the Slytherin dorms either.

Then, I remembered. Clarisse, the quest, Drew, Clara….Clara! I was in the Apollo cabin. And she wasn't. I would need to look for her.

I put on my shoes quickly and snuck out, hoping nobody would see me. Thankfully, I was able to slip out unnoticed.

The first thing I heard was Annabeth's voice, from somewhere closer to her cabin. "Percy, where are you?"

"Annabeth?" I asked. "Annabeth? Clara?"

"Percy!" said a different voice.

"Tyson?"

"Annabeth?"

I heard a sound like something big was moving through the trees, stepping on branches. "No, Tyson, I'm right here, it's Renee."

Tyson started to run. "Stay there, Tyson, you'll make too much noise. I'm coming."

"Percy?" Annabeth called

"I knew I heard Annabeth. Renee, Percy left."

"I gathered. Clara did too."

"We will find them."

"Yes. Come on. Clara, Percy, where are you?"

"Percy?" Annabeth sounded further away now.

"Come on, let's follow her voice. Percy? Clara?"

"Renee?" She appeared three feet in front of us.

"Curse you and your stupid hat, Annabeth. Where's Percy and Clara?"

"I don't know. Is Clara gone too?"

"Yep."

"I'll scout ahead, invisible. You two follow behind. I bet he went to the sea. And hopefully Clara's there too."

I nodded. We walked into the clearing, where Annabeth yelled, "I found them!"

"Are you sure?"

"Have you ever noticed Clara's hair glows in the dark?" Strangely, I actually hadn't. "That's them."

I nodded. Percy and Clara looked up. They looked like they'd been in a heated discussion, and I felt a twinge of jealousy. Apparently, Annabeth did too, because she looked at them in disgust.

"Clara! What in Hades….?"

"Percy? What the hell?" Annabeth and I were almost in sync.

"Percy, you left me!"

"Clara! You left me!"

"We have to go, the harpies will be here any second."

"Harpies, Percy? And go where? And what are those for?" I had just noticed the duffel bags.

"Just….grab one, and let's go. Hermes said you two could sunbeam, and he said Dad would help the three of us."

"I tried to tell him, I can't sunbeam in dark-"

But a beam had, apparently, picked her up. She reached for my hand and I took it. "You underestimate yourself, Clara. Like, a lot."

"You think so?"

"Duh. This is nice. I've never taken a sunbeam before."

"There will be more. Once I've learned to master it, we could travel to Hogwarts this way."

I laughed. "Hey, look. Percy and his, um….I don't remember what they are, they're traveling to that boat. I guess we should follow them."

"I can't turn. I don't know how." Clara was suddenly panicked.

"Yes, you can. You didn't think you could sunbeam at night, but you could. What's a simple turn? I'd say lean left."

Clara nodded and leaned, and I did too. I spotted Tyson's water horse doing flips in the water and pointed it out to Clara, and I guess she was feeling ambitious, because she leaned further left. "Lean right, Wren. Let's see what this will do."

Soon we were laughing and splashing the water. I guess we realized that was the last fun we'd have in a while.

We landed by the ship, and Annabeth frowned at us. "Come on. We don't have time for this. Or that."

She pointed. Tyson was getting emotional about leaving his-hippocampus, that's what they were called! "Bye, Rainbow. Percy, why can't Rainbow come with us?" Tyson said tearfully. I rolled my eyes.

"Tyson," I said. "Rainbow, well, he can't…."

"Climb ladders," Percy said as a rickety rope ladder appeared off the boat."

"He could go with Clara and Renee." He looked at us pleadingly.

"Sorry, Tyson. Maybe you'll see him again sometime."

"That's the Hufflepuff I know and love," I joked.

"Shut up."


As we ascended the ladder, I noticed something amiss. The ship's name was written, but like Clara, I was somewhat dyslexic, so it took me a minute to understand.

I didn't think I liked ships very much after last year, but this one seemed way too much like the Andromeda Jean. A minute later, I was able to read the sign, and I realized why.

"Clara, this ship is the Princess Andromeda. I have to admit I'm feeling a little singled out," I whispered.

She gripped my hand. "You fought a giant snake. It will be okay."

The ship was almost completely empty as we got on. "I don't like this. This is a ghost ship, I'm sure of it," Annabeth said.

Tyson shook his head. "No. Bad smell."

"I don't smell anything."

"Annabeth, Cyclopes have heightened sense of smell. Isn't that right?" I looked at Tyson.

"Yes."

"Well, what is it?" Annabeth demanded.

"Something bad."

"That clears things up."

I rolled my eyes and tried to take in the ship. There were many entertaining things, like a climbing wall, a mini golf, and a full-fledged water park. It made me sick and reminded me of the Lotus Casino Cruise Branch. And yet there was no sign of life anywhere.

And yet there was something dangerous and familiar here too. It kind of reminded me of going into the chamber as well.

"We should find a place to hide and sleep," Clara said after a while. We nodded. It would be easier to figure this place out in the morning.

There was an empty suite on the ninth floor. Luckily, it had two bedrooms. I was surprised to see the door was open. There were chocolates and mints in a bowl on the table, and sparkling cider in a glass bottle.

We opened the duffel bags and found that Hermes really had thought of everything. There were tons of extra clothes, camp rations, a sack of food, nectar, and ambrosia, a purse of coins, and a little leather pouch full of golden drachmas. He had also packed Tyson's metals and our wands, although I had no idea how he'd managed to get those. It made us feel slightly better.

"Come on, you two," Annabeth said, looking at me and Clara. "We'll be next door, Percy. Don't eat or drink anything!"

"You think this place is enchanted?" I asked as we got our pajamas on.

"I don't know. I don't like it."

That night, I had trouble sleeping. I heard voices that sounded like they were whispering warnings, but that couldn't be right. We had walked around the whole ship and seen no one.

For once, I slept easily and without any dreams.


I was woken up by a guy on the loudspeaker with an Australian accent who sounded way too happy. "Good morning passengers! We'll be at sea all day today. Excellent weather for the poolside mambo party! And don't forget million-dollar bingo in the Kraken Lounge, and four our special guests, disemboweling practice on the Promenade."

I sat up and looked at Clara. "What?"

The other two girls were wide awake as well. "Disemboweling practice?" Annabeth asked incredulously. She was already pulling her Camp Half Blood t-shirt back on. Clara was closer to the duffel bags, and she tossed me a tank top and a mini skirt, which would have been cute if they weren't green and silver, the colors of Slytherin. She had a similar outfit, with a tank and mini skirt of Hufflepuff's colors.

"Who plans this?" I asked, annoyed.

"Your mom, probably."

I nodded. That was something she would do. Annabeth had a t-shirt and jeans. "You're lucky. You weren't given stupid outfits that resemble aspects of your personality," I grumbled.

"Oh Wren, lighten up."

"Easy for you to say, Miss Sunshine."

"Miss Sunshine? Nobody calls me that."

"Well, I do now," Annabeth added. "Percy's Seaweed Brain, and you're Miss Sunshine."

"And you're Wise Girl," Clara retorted, but she was smiling. "And….hmmm….Snake Charmer."

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? You killed the basilisk, and you have Charmspeak."

"I guess."

"And you're a Slytherin."

"Okay, okay, I get it. Snake Charmer it is. Come on."

We pounded on Percy's door. "Seaweed Brain," Annabeth called.

"They didn't say bowling, did they?" Percy asked, frowning.

"Fraid not. We should go, this isn't right."

Percy and Tyson got up. After we were dressed, we made our way down to the deck. Surprisingly, there were many people milling about. Yet nobody paid us any attention, and something seemed off.

A family headed to the pool passed us. "We are on a cruise," the dad said. "We are having a good time."

The children nodded mechanically. "Yes. We will have fun in the pool." Their expressions were blank.

"Good morning," a crew member told us. "We are enjoying ourselves aboard the Princess Andromeda. Have a nice day."

He walked away, and we left in the other direction. Five minutes later, we saw the first monster, a Hellhound. It was putting its paws up on the diner counter and burying its face in the eggs, but the odd thing was, there was a couple ordering breakfast right behind it, and they didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

"This is weird," Annabeth muttered as we kept walking.

"I'm not hungry anymore," said Tyson

A reptilian voice came down the corridor. "Sssssixx more joined yesssterday."

"Hide!" Clara gulped, and pulled us into the nearest room. It was a girls' restroom, and she, Percy, and Tyson didn't look too thrilled.

"I don't like snakes. Or creepy girls' bathrooms."

I nodded. If they bothered me, well, let's just say I know what she'd been through. "Clara, it's going to make you too uncomfortable to call me the Snake Charmer. Let's think of a better nickname, but not right now."

Clara nodded. A second reptilian voice said, "Yesss. He drawss them. Sssoon he will be strong." I had never heard snake laughter before, and I really didn't want to hear it again.

Annabeth looked at us. "We have to get out of here."

"You think I want to be in a girl's restroom?" Percy asked.

"She means the ship, Seaweed Brain," Clara said.

"Yes," Tyson agreed. "We should leave this ship. Smells bad and dogs eat all the eggs."

But just then we heard something that almost made Clara collapse. "...only a matter of time. Don't push me, Agrius!"

Percy caught her before she hit the floor. That was Luke Castellan, no doubt about it.

"I'm not pushing you." If bears could talk, that's what the second voice would have sounded like. "I'm just saying, if this gamble doesn't pay off-"

"It will pay off," Luke snapped. "They'll take the bait. Now come on, we've got to get to the admiralty suite and check on the casket."

"Leave now?" Tyson whimpered.

The four of us exchanged a look and came to a silent agreement. "We can't," Percy told his brother.

Clara caught on. "We have to find out what Luke's up to."

"And if possible, we're going to beat him up, bind him in chains, and drag him to Mount Olympus," Annabeth agreed.


Clara POV

Annabeth volunteered to go alone, because she had her cap of invisibility.

"I'll go with you, We can make a quick getaway with my sunbeams if we need it."

"No, you two aren't going alone. It's too dangerous!" Renee said. She and Percy blocked the doorway.

"Either we all go, or nobody does," Percy added.

"Nobody?" said Tyson quietly. "Please?"

But in the end, he agreed to go with the rest of us.

We stopped at the cabin long enough to gather our stuff.

"Clara. Come here a sec." Percy motioned over to me.

"What's up?"

"Do you think Hermes meant….Luke?"

"Luke? For the saving more than one person on this trip? No….maybe. I still….I can't stand the thought of him. I mean, he tried to kill you with a scorpion. Honestly, I'm a little scared."

"It'll be okay. We're going to bring him down, Clara. One way or another."

I nodded and we left. Annabeth scouted ahead with her hat and we followed close behind. I wouldn't use my sunbeams just yet, I didn't know just how much of an issue they could be.

As we came up to deck thirteen, where the admiralty suite was supposed to be, Annabeth hissed, "Hide!" and pulled us into a supply closet.

We heard two sets of footsteps coming down the hall. "Did you see that Aethiopian drakon in the cargo hold?" One asked.

"Yeah. So cool, man."

I gasped. That was Chris from the Hermes cabin!

"We've got two more coming tomorrow," Chris said as their voices faded. "They keep arriving at this rate….man, no contest."

Once we were sure they were gone, I motioned to the others. Annabeth looked like she had realized it was Chris as well, and Percy had a puzzled look on his face, like he was trying to figure it out. Renee just looked confused.

"Guys, that was Chris Rodriguez, from cabin eleven. The one in the car with Luke and Clarisse when we escaped the Mug-the mortal school."

I had been about to say Muggle, but I didn't want Tyson hearing. It would just confuse him more.

"Oh, the Mexican one?" Renee asked.

"I believe he's Colombian," Annabeth said.

"Does it matter? Anyways, I can't believe he's here!"

"It's really worrisome," Percy agreed. "Come on, we have to keep moving."

We rounded the corridor and came to a hallway that led to an important-looking set of double doors. Renee gasped.

Below us, on the Promenade, which was a little mall, there were various monsters assembled, all watching something in the candy shop. There were giants, Hellhounds, and a few odd women who had scales and snake tails.

"Those must have been the ones we heard earlier," Percy said.

"Scythian Dracaenae," Annabeth supplemented. "Snake women."

Renee looked ready to faint. The monsters were gathered around a boy attacking a dummy with a sword. I flinched when I saw the dummy had a Camp Half-Blood shirt on.

"I hear voices," Tyson said, looking down the hallway.

"You can hear that far?" Renee demanded. "What I wouldn't give…."

"Shut up, Wren. Tyson, go on, please," I told her."

"...the prophecy ourselves. The fools won't know which way to turn," He said in Luke's voice.

"You really think the old horseman is gone for good?" Tyson had changed voices; he now sounded like the guy we had heard with Luke outside the cafeteria.

Tyson laughed Luke's laugh. "They can't trust him. Not with the skeletons in his closet. The poisoning of the tree was the last straw."

"Stop that, Tyson!" Annabeth complained. "It's creepy. How do you do that?"

"No." I glared at Annabeth. "Keep going, please. We need to hear what they're saying."

"Quiet!" Tyson hissed in the second man's voice.

"Are you sure?" Back to Luke again.

"Positive. Right outside."

I groaned, finally realizing what had happened. "Run!" Percy whispered as I tried to summon a sunbeam. But it was too late.

"Well, well, well," Luke said, coming out to meet us. "If it isn't my four favorite heroes."


Hey guys. Meant to make this chapter longer but I'm really busy and also cannot find inspiration these days. I might do a bit of a filler or maybe update Love Letters to my Roommate but I don't really plan on doing much until about a month from now. School finishes on May 26th, so I am expecting I will have a lot of time in the summer. How did you like it? Please review.

Hufflepufferfish