A/N: I don't own the rights to any of the Percy Jackson series or it's characters. That right goes to Rick Riordan. I also don't own the rights to Animorph including it's title.

I am, however, the person who posted 'The Tales of...' series.

This is not a crossover of the Percy Jackson series with the book/tv series Animorph, despite what you might think from the title. I just thought it be a proper name for the ability to turn into animals since that's why the tv/book series 'Animorph' was called that in the first place.

If you haven't read this yet, read:

Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters

I get a Salt Water Fountain for Early Christmas

I had never seen Camp Half-Blood in winter before, and the snow surprised me.

See, the camp has the ultimate magic climate control. Nothing gets inside the boarders unless the director, Mr. D wants it to, or if Zeus was taking out his anger on the Camp for whatever reason, or the boarders were failing. But Zeus was not showing signs of any anger as there would be storms if he were not, and the borders been strong since the Golden Fleece been empowering the boarders. So naturally you expect warm and sunny.

Instead the snow had been allowed to fall lightly. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights, except they seemed to be balls of real fire. More lights glowed int the woods, and weirdest of all, a fire flickered in the attic window of the Big House, where the Oracle dwelt, imprisoned in an old, mummified body. I wonder if the spirit of Delphi was roasting marshmallows up there or something.

"Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Yeah," I said. I remember having to climb the cliff at Polyphemus cave. I carried Annabeth in a form of a Mountain Goat, but I am sure if I had not had my powers, I would have had to climb that cliff as human. "Sometimes in quest we have to rock climb, so the climbing wall help us learn how."

"Then why is there lava pouring down it?"

"Little extra challenge. It also clashes with each other to shake and cause rock slides, if we don't climb quick enough," I explained. "Come on. I will introduce you to Chiron. Zoë, have you met—"

"I know Chiron," Zoë said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way," Grover offered.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It is easy to get lost here, if you do not"—he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking— "Like my old daddy goat to say! Come on!"

Zoë rolled her eyes, but I guess the hunters were used to this from satyrs, and there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. As Bianca di Angelo was leaving, she leaned over and whispered something in her brother's ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Nico just scowled and turned away.

Yep. We will need to keep an eye on Nico to make sure Kronos does not start visiting him in his dreams and manipulate Nico into joining him.

"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. He winked at me. "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you son."

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, he hopped back in the bus. "Later, Thalia," he called. "And, uh, be good!"

He gave her a wicked smile, as if he knew something she did not. Then he closed the doors, and revved the engine. I turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When I look back, the lake was steaming. A red Maserati soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight.

Nico was still looking grumpy. I wondered what his sister had told him.

"Who's Chiron?" he asked. "I don't have his figurine."

"Our activities director," I said. "He's… well, you'll see."

"If those Hunter girls don't like him," Nico grumbled. "that's good enough for me. Let us go."

…

The second thing that surprised me about camp was how empty it was. I mean, I knew most half-bloods only trained during the summer. Just the year-rounders would be here—the ones who did not have homes to go to, or would get attacked by monsters too much if they left. But there did not even seem to be many of them either.

I spotted Charles Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin stroking the forge outside the camp armory. The Stoll brothers, Travis, and Connor, from Hermes cabin, were picking the lock on the camp store. A few kids from Ares cabin were having a snowball fight with the wood nymphs at the edge of the forest. That was about it. Even my old rival from the Ares cabin, Clarisse, did not seem to be around. Which is odd. Last I heard Clarisse was a year-round camper. I wonder what changed.

The Big House was decorated with strings of red and yellow fireballs that warmed the porch but did not seem to catch anything on fire. Inside, flames crackled in the hearth. The air smelled like hot chocolate. Mr. D, the camp director, and Chiron were playing a quiet game of cards in the parlor.

Chiron's brown beard was shaggier for the winter. His curly hair had grown a little longer and shaggier for the winter. His curly hair had grown a little longer. He was not posing as a teacher this year, so I guess he could afford to be casual. He wore a fuzzy sweater with a hoofprint design on it, and he had a blanket on his lap that almost hid his wheelchair completely.

He smiled when he saw us. "Percy! Thalia! Ah, and this must be—"

"Nico di Angelo," I said. "He and his sister are half-bloods."

Chiron breathed a sigh of relief. "You succeeded, then."

"Well…"

His smile melted. "What's wrong? And where's is Annabeth?"

"Oh, dear," Mr. D said in a bored voice. "Not another one lost."

I had been trying not to pay attention to Mr. D, but he was kind of hard to ignore in his neon orange leopard-skin warm-up suit and his purple running shoes. (Like Mr. D had ever run a day in his immortal life.) A golden laurel wreath was tilted sideways on his curly black hair, which must have meant he had won the last hand of cards.

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked. "Who else is lost?"

That is when it clicked in my mind. "It's Clarisse, isn't it?" I asked. "That's why I didn't see her in camp, isn't it?"

Thalia looked at me confused. Although, Thalia did meet the daughter of Ares who made sure to bring the Golden Fleece back to camp that led to Thalia's revival, I didn't know if she was aware Clarisse was a year-round-camper like I was since she was able to attend school in Brooklyn.

Before Chiron could answer, Grover trotted into the room, grinning like crazy. He had a black eye and red lines on his face that looked like a slap mark. "The Hunters are all moved in!"

Chiron frowned. "The Hunters, eh? I see we have much to talk about." He glanced at Nico. "Grover, perhaps you should take our young friend to the den and show him our orientation film."

"But… Oh, right. Yes, sir."

"Orientation film?" Nico asked. "Is it G or PG? 'Cause Bianca is kinda strict—"

"It's PG-13, but it's recommended for all new campers to watch it," Grover said.

"Then why didn't I see it?" I asked.

Chiron shifted around in his wheelchair, as though he almost forgot I never got to see the orientation film, or he was hoping I did not bring that up with Nico right there. Possibly both. "Your case was special, Percy. Normally, when campers arrive here, they are more aware of the mystical world than you were, and the orientation film is more of something to fill in the remaining gaps."

Oh right. I forgot when I came here, I knew almost nothing about the mystical world despite already surviving two monsters, shapeshifted twice, and met the Fates. In fact, Chiron was hoping to keep me ignorant from the mystical world so I would mature more. But the Fates, Kronos, and Hades already had other plans for me.

Nico did not seem to care as he followed Grover out of the room. I think he was just excited to be allowed to watch something rated pass PG.

"Now," Chiron said to Thalia and me, "perhaps you two should sit down and tell us the whole story."

When we were done, Chiron turned to Mr. D. "We should launch a search for Annabeth immediately."

"I'll go," Thalia and I said at the same time.

Mr. D sniffed. "Certainly not!"

Thalia and I started complaining, but Mr. D held up his hand. He had that purplish angry fire in his eyes that usually meant something bad and godly was going to happen if we didn't shut up."

"From what you have told me," Mr. D said, "we have broken even on this escapade. We have, ah, regrettably lost Annie Bell—"

"Annabeth," I snapped. She had gone to camp since she was seven, and Mr. D pretended not to know her name.

"Yes, yes," he said. "And you procured a small annoying boy to replace her. So, I see no point risking further half-bloods on a ridiculous rescue. The possibility is very great that this Annie girl is dead."

I wanted to strangle Mr. D. It was not fair Zeus had sent him here to dry out as camp director for a hundred years. It was meant to be a punishment for Mr. D's bad behavior on Olympus, but it ended up being a punishment for all of us.

"Annabeth may be alive," Chiron said, but I could tell he was having trouble sounding upbeat. He had practically raised Annabeth all those years she was a year-round camper before she had given living with her dad and stepmom a second try. "She's very bright. If… if our enemies have her, she will try to play for time. She may even pretend to cooperate."

"That's right," Thalia said. "Luke would want her alive."

"In which case," said Mr. D, "I'm afraid she will have to be smart enough to escape on her own."

I got up from the table.

"Percy." Chiron's tone was full of warning. In the back of my mind, I knew Mr. D was not somebody to mess with. Even if you were an impulsive ADHD kid like me, he would not give you any slack. But I was so angry I did not care.

"You're glad to lose another camper," I said. "You'd like it if we all disappeared!"

Mr. D stifled a yawn. "You have a point?"

"Yeah," I gave one of my signature animal growls. "Just because you were sent here as a punishment doesn't mean you have to be a lazy jerk! This is your civilization, too. Maybe you could try helping out a little!"

For a second, there was no sound except the crackle of the fire. The light reflected in Mr. D's eyes, giving him a sinister look. He opened his mouth to say something—probably a curse that would blast me to smithereens—when Nico burst into the room, followed by Grover.

"SO COOL!" Nico yelled, holding his hands out to Chiron. "You're… you're a centaur!"

Chiron managed a nervous smile. "Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for, ah first encounters."

"And, whoa!" He looked at Mr. D. "You're the wine dude? No way!"

Mr. D turned his eyes away from me and gave Nico a look of loathing. "The wine dudes?"

"Dionysus, right? Oh, wow! I've got your figurine."

"My figurine."

"In my game, Mythomagic. And a holofoil card, too! And even though you have only got like five hundred attack points and everybody thinks you are the lamest god card; I totally think your powers are sweet!"

"Ah." Mr. D seemed truly perplexed, which probably saved my life. "Well, that's gratifying."

"Percy," Chiron said quickly, "you and Thalia go down to the cabins. Inform the campers we'll be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening."

"Capture the Flag?" Thalia asked.

"Annabeth told me about this. It's tradition that whenever the hunters come to visit, we have a friendly hunters-vs-campers game of Capture the Flag," I explained.

"Yeah," Thalia muttered. "I bet it's real friendly."

Chiron jerked his head toward Mr. D, who was still frowning as Nico talked about how many defense points all the gods had in his game. "Run along now," Chiron told us.

We headed out of the Big House, especially before Dionysus could remember that he wanted to kill me.

…

"First Ares, now Dionysus. Are you trying to make enemies on Olympus?" Thalia asked.

"Not all of them. Just those that annoy me," I responded.

We stopped by the armory and looked across the valley, toward the top of Half-Blood Hill. Her pine tree was still there, the Golden Fleece glittering in the lowest branch. The tree's magic still protected the boarders of camp, but it no longer used Thalia's spirit for power.

"We'll get Annabeth back," I promised. "I don't know how, but we'll get her back."

Thalia did not respond, but her tone was so sad, I felt sorry for her. With her ragged black hair and her black punk clothes an old wool overcoat wrapped around her, she looked like huge raven, completely out of place in the white landscape.

"First I found out that Luke is lost," she said. "Now Annabeth—" She straightened up. "But you're right. We'll find a way."

Over at the basketball court, a few Hunters were shooting hoops. One of them was arguing with a guy from Ares cabin—Mark, I think. Mark had his hand on his sword, and the Hunter girl looked like she was going to exchange her basketball for a bow and arrow any second.

"I'll break that up," Thalia said. "You circulate around the cabins. Tell everybody about capture the flag tomorrow."

"All right. You should be team captain."

"No, no," she said. "You've been at camp longer. You do it."

"Then how about we be co-captains," I suggested. "That way we both can show the hunters what the children of Zeus and Poseidon can do when we work together."

"I'm sure some of them already have, Percy, but fine," Thalia agreed as she headed to the court.

I had the feeling she was talking about WWII when she said that. Although none of the hunters look like it, if they are immortal, then there is no telling how many hunters been around since son of Zeus: Franklin D. Roosevelt and son of Poseidon: Winston Churchill were both alive.

If FDR and Churchill can get along, enough to fight a common enemy, so can we—I hope, I often tried to remind myself after Thalia and I had an argument.

"Hey, Thalia!" I called.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about what happened at Westover. I should've waited for you guys before scouting."

"'S okay, Percy. I probably would have gone straight in and attack Dr. Thorn." Thalia admitted. "You know, you asked about my mom and I kinda snapped at you."

"It's fine, Annabeth snapped at me first few times I brought up her dad before she finally opened up," I explained. "I get it, not every half-blood is fortunate to have a mortal parent like my mom."

"That's true," Thalia agreed. "It's just… After seeing Annabeth getting along with her dad despite what she went through, I decided to try to find my mom after seven years, and I found out she died in Los Angeles. She, um… she was a heavy drinker, and apparently she was out driving late one night about two years ago, and…" Thalia blinked hard.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well. It is… it is not like we were ever close. I ran away when I was ten. Best two years of my life were when I was running around with Luke and Annabeth. But still—"

"That's why you had trouble with the sun van."

She gave me a wary look. "What do you mean?"

"The way you stiffened up. You must've been thinking about your mom, not wanting to get behind the wheel."

I was sorry I had said anything. Thalia's expression was dangerously close to Zeus's, the one time I had seen him get angry—like any minute, her eyes would shoot a million volts.

"Yeah," she muttered. "Yeah, that must've been it."

She trudged off toward the court, where the Ares camper and Hunter were trying to kill each other with a sword and a basketball.

I really should ask Chiron how FDR and Churchill manage to get along to join sides.

…

The cabins were the weirdest collection of buildings you have ever seen. Zeus and Hera's big white-columned buildings, Cabins One and Two, stood in the middle, with five gods' cabins on the left, and four goddesses plus Dionysus on the right, so they all made a U around the central green and the barbecue hearth.

I made the rounds, telling everybody about capture the flag. I woke up some Ares kid—Sherman Yang—from his midday nap and he yelled at me to go away. When I asked him where Clarisse was, he said, "Went on a quest for Chiron. Top secret!"

"Is she okay?"

"Haven't heard from her in a month. She is missing in action. Like your butt's gonna be if you don't get outta here!"

I decided to let him go back to sleep. With Clarisse gone, I wonder who is acting as cabin counsellor of Ares' kids here. Most cabins decide counsellor based on age, seniority, and number of quest completion, unless you are the only camper in a cabin. Ares Cabin, however, decide their counsellor by who is the strongest of their cabin and without all of Ares kids' presence, I doubt it is easily settled.

Finally, I got to Cabin Three, the cabin of Poseidon. It was low gray building hewn from sea stone, with shells and coral fossils imprinted in the rock. Inside, it was just as empty as always, except for my bunk. A Minotaur horn hung n the wall next to my pillow.

I took Annabeth's baseball cap out of my backpack and set it on my nightstand. I would give it to her when I found her. And I would find her.

I took off my wristwatch and activated the shield. I have not had a chance to inspect any damages since my battle with Dr. Thorn. I spiraled out. It was scratched and a bit dinged up, but maybe Beckendorf can ding them out. The beautiful metal pictures that my brother had crafted were banged up too, but I see worse damage after a night of capture the flag.

I should have gave Beckendorf my shield when I was telling everyone about the game. He might be able to fix it up before tomorrow's game. But I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow. Until then I hanged it up on a hook next to the Minotaur's horn. We normally do not hold Capture the Flag until after dinner, so Beckendorf might still be able to work on the shield before the game.

I was staring at the shield when I noticed a strange sound—water gurgling—and I realized there was something new in the room. At the back of the cabin was a big basin of gray sea rock, with a spout like the head of a fish carved in stone. Out of its mouth burst a stream of water, a saltwater spring that trickled into the pool. The water must have been hot, because it sent mist into the cold winter air like a sauna. It made the room feel warm and summery, fresh with the smell of the sea.

I stepped up to the pool. There was no note attached or anything, but I knew it could only be a gift from Poseidon.

The surface rippled. At the bottom of the pool, coins shimmered—a dozen or so golden drachmas. I realized what the fountain was for. It was a reminder to keep in touch with my family.

"Thanks, Dad," I said.

I opened the nearest window, and the wintry sunlight made a rainbow in the mist. Then I fished a coin out of the hot water.

"Iris, O Goddess of Rainbow," I said, "accept my offering."

I tossed a coin into the mist and it disappeared. Then I realized I did not know who to contact first.

My mom? That would have been the "good son" thing to do, but she would not worried about me yet. She was used to me disappearing for days or weeks at a time by now.

I do not even know if half-bloods could Iris message their godly parent so that leaves out my father. Besides, it had been way too long, almost two years since I talked to him.

One person did come to my mind. I am sure dad would let me contact him at least. After all, dad was the reason the two of even met in the first place.

"Show me Tyson," I requested. "At the forges of the Cyclopes."

The mist shimmered, and the image of my brother appeared. He was surrounded in fire, which would have been a problem if he were not a Cyclops. He was bent over an anvil, hammering a red-hot sword blade. Sparks flew and flame swirled around his body. There was a marble-framed window behind him, and it looked out onto dark blue water—the bottom of the ocean.

"Tyson!" I yelled.

He did not hear me at first because of the hammering and roar of the flames.

"TYSON!"

He turned, and his one enormous eye widened. His face broke into a crooked yellow grin. "Percy!"

He dropped the sword blade and ran at me, trying to give me a hug. The vision blurred and I instinctively lurched back. "Tyson, it's an Iris-message. I'm not really here."

"Oh." He came back into view, looking embarrassed. "Oh, I new that. Yes."

"How are you?" I asked. "How's the job?"

His eye lit up. "Love the job! Look!" He picked up the hot sword blade with his bare hands. "I made this!"

"That's really cool."

"I wrote my name on it. Right there."

"Awesome. Listen, do you talk to Dad much?"

Tyson's smile faded. "Not much. Daddy is busy. He is worried about the war."

"What do you mean?"

Tyson sighed. He stuck the sword bade out the window, where it made a cloud of boiling bubbles. When Tyson brought it back in, the metal was cool. "Old sea spirits making trouble. Aigaios, Oceanus. Those guys."

I sort of knew what he was talking about. He meant the immortals who ruled the oceans back in the days of the Titans and maybe even those before that. All I could figure were it was before the Olympians took over. The fact that they were back now, with the Titan Lord Kronos and his allies gaining strength, was not good.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

Tyson shook his head sadly. "We are arming the mermaids. They need a thousand more swords by tomorrow." He looked at his sword and sighed. "Old spirits are protecting the bad boat."

"The Princess Andromeda?" I said. "Luke's boat?"

"Yes. They make it hard to find. Protect it from Daddy's storms. Otherwise he would smash it."

"Smashing it would be good."

Tyson perked up, as if he had just had another thought. "Annabeth! Is she there?"

"Oh, well…" My heart felt like a bowling ball. Tyson thought Annabeth was just about the coolest thing since peanut butter (and he seriously loved peanut butter). I did not have the heart to tell him she was missing. He would start crying so bad he had probably put out his fires. "Well, no… she's not here right now."

"Tell her hello!" He beamed. "Hello to Annabeth!"

"Yeah, I'll do that when I see her," I responded.

"And, Percy, don't worry about the bad boat. It is going away."

"What do you mean?"

"Panama Canal! Very far away."

I frowned. Why would Luke take his demon-infested cruise ship all the way down there? The last time we had seen him, he had been cruising along the East Coast, recruiting half-bloods, and training his monstrous army.

"All right," I said, not feeling reassured. "That's… good. I guess."

In the forges, a deep voice bellowed something I could not make out. Tyson flinched. "Got to get back to work! Boss will get mad. Good luck, Brother!"

"Ok, tell Dad—"

But before I could finish, the vision shimmered and faded. I was alone again in my cabin, feeling even lonelier than before.

…

I was miserable at dinner that night.

The food was excellent as usual. The torches and braziers kept the outdoor pavilion warm, but we all had to sit with our cabin mates, which meant I was alone at the Poseidon table. Thalia sat alone at Zeus table, but we could not sit together. At least Hephaestus, Ares, Aphrodite, and even overfilled Hermes cabins had few people each. Nico sat with the Stoll brothers, since any new camper that has not been claimed yet got stuck in the Hermes cabin. The Stoll brothers seemed to be trying to convince Nico that poker was a much better game than Mythomagic. I hoped Nico did not have any money to lose.

The only table that really seemed to be having a good time was the Artemis table. The Hunters drank and ate and laughed like one big happy family. Zoë sat at the head like she was the mama. She did not laugh as much as the others, but she did smile from time to time. Her silver lieutenant band glittered in the dark braids of her hair. I thought she looked a lot nicer when she smiled. Bianca seemed to be having a great time. She was trying to learn how to arm wrestle from the big girl who had picked a fight with Mark on the basketball court. The bigger girl was beating her every time, but Bianca did not seem to mind.

When we had finished eating, Chiron made the customary toast to the gods and formally welcomed the Hunters of Artemis. The clapping was halfhearted. Then he announced the "good will" capture the flag game for tomorrow night, which got a lot better reception.

Afterward, we all trailed back to our cabins for an early, winter lights out. I was exhausted, which meant I fell asleep easily. That was the good part. The bad part was I wished I shapeshifted before I fell asleep as it normally blocked the nightmares, and tonight the nightmare was a whopper.

…

Annabeth was on a dark hillside, shrouded in fog. It almost seemed like the Underworld, because I immediately felt claustrophobic and I could not see the sky above-just a close, heavy darkness, as if I were in a cave.

Annabeth struggled up the hill. Old broken Greek columns of black marble were scattered around, as though something had blasted a huge building to ruins.

"Thorn!" Annabeth cried. "Where are you? Why did you bring me here?" She scrambled over a section of broken wall and came to the crest of the hill.

She gasped.

There was Luke. And he was in pain.

He was crumpled on the rocky ground, trying to rise. The blackness seemed to be thicker around him, fog swirling hungrily. His clothes were in tatters and his face was scratched and drenched with sweat.

"Annabeth!" he called. "Help me! Please!"

She ran forward.

I tried to cry out: He is a traitor! Do not trust him!

But my voice did not work in the dream.

Annabeth had tears in her eyes. She reached down like she wanted to touch Luke's face but at the last second, she hesitated.

"What happened?" she asked.

"They left me here," Luke groaned. "Please. It's killing me."

I could not see what was wrong with him. He seemed to be struggling against some invisible curse, as though the fog were squeezing him to death.

"Why should I trust you?" Annabeth asked. Her voice was filled with hurt.

"You shouldn't," Luke said. "I've been terrible to you. But if you do not help me, I'll die."

Let him die, I wanted to scream. Luke had tried to kill us in cold blood too many times. He did not deserve anything from Annabeth.

Then the darkness above Luke began to crumble, like a cavern roof in an earthquake. Huge chunks of black rock began falling. Annabeth rushed in just as a crack appeared, and the whole ceiling dropped. She held it somehow—tons of rock. She kept it from collapsing on her and Luke just with her own strength. It was impossible. She should not have been able to do that.

Luke rolled free, gasping. "Thanks," he managed.

"Help me hold it," Annabeth groaned.

Luke caught his breath. His face was covered in grime and sweat. He rose unsteadily.

"I knew I could count on you." He began to walk away as the trembling blackness threatened to crush Annabeth.

"HELP ME!" she pleaded.

"Oh, don't worry," Luke said. "Your help is on the way. It is all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not to die."

The ceiling of darkness began to crumble again, pushing Annabeth against the ground.

…

I sat bolt upright in bed, clawing at the sheets. There was no sound in my cabin except the gurgle of the saltwater spring. The clock on my nightstand read just after midnight.

Only a dream, but I was sure of two things; Annabeth was in terrible danger. And Luke was responsible.