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 Joined the Quest as the Unofficial Fifth Member

Blackjack gave me a ride down the beach, and I must admit it was cool. Being on a flying horse, skimming over the waves at a hundred miles an hour with the wind in my hair and the sea spray in my face—hey, it beats waterskiing any day.

I agreed to let Blackjack fly me to our destination since he knows where to go.

Here. Blackjack slowed and turned in a circle. Straight down.

"Thanks," I tumbled off his back and plunged into the icy sea.

The moment I hit the water I shapeshifted into sailfish form. Sailfish are normally fast for a fish at seventy miles per hour. But I learned how to combine my water powers with my animal forms, and willed the ocean currents to change around me and propel me along, increasing my speed to outswim any fish.

I swam down into the darkness.

Twenty, thirty, forty feet. The pressure was not uncomfortable. If I am in water, no matter what animal form that do not live in deep sea due to water pressure does not affect me. I can still breathe underwater even if I am in mammal form. I can even see underwater clearly even in human form, but there are animal forms that have their uses too. Sadly, not all animals are best forms for traveling through the sea. Most birds cannot move well through sea unless they are built for swimming through water unless they are built for it like penguins. Same goes for mammals and certain reptiles.

As I got closer to the bottom, I saw three hippocampi—fish-tailed horses—swimming in a circle around an overturned boat. The hippocampi were beautiful to watch. Their fish tails shimmered in rainbow colors, glowing phosphorescent. Their manes were white, and they were galloping through the water the way nervous horses do in thunderstorm. Something was upsetting them.

I got closer and saw the problem. A dark shape—animal—was wedged halfway under the boat and tangled in a fishing net, one of those big nets they use on trawlers to catch everything at once. I hate those things. It was bad enough they drowned porpoises and dolphins, but they also occasionally caught mythological animals. When the nets get tangled, some lazy fishermen would just cut them loose and let the trapped animals die.

Apparently, this poor creature had been mucking around on the bottom of Long Island Sound and had somehow gotten itself tangled in the net of this sunken fishing boat. It had tried to get out and managed to get even more hopelessly stuck, shifting the boat in the process. Now the wreckage of the hull, which was resting against a big rock, was teetering, and threatening to collapse on top of the tangled animal.

The hippocampi were swimming around frantically, wanting to help but not sure how. One was trying to chew the net, but hippocampi teeth just are not meant for cutting rope. Hippocampi are strong, but they do not have hands and they are not (shhh) all that smart.

As usual, even in animal form the hippocampus recognized me.

Free it, lord! A hippocampus said when it saw me. The others joined in, asking the same thing.

I shapeshifted back to human form and look at the tangled creatures. As useful as animal forms are, I came to know there are few things I can do better in human form. At first, I thought it was a young hippocampus. I had rescued several of them before. But then I heard a strange sound, something that did not belong underwater:

"Moooooooo!"

I got next to the thing and saw that it was a cow. I mean I had heard of sea cows, like manatees and stuff. I learned what I can on them. But this really was a cow with the back end of a serpent. The front half was a calf—a baby, with black fur and big, sad brown eyes and a white muzzle—and its back half was a black-and-brown snaky tail with fins running down the top and bottom, like an enormous eel.

This was no mortal creature. I can tell that much. It is mythological.

"Whoa, little one," I said. "Where did you come from?"

The creature looked at me sadly. "Moooo!"

But I could not understand its thoughts, but I can tell from looking at its eyes its scared and sad. Something in its eyes seems like it is much older, but still a baby.

One of the beauties of turning into animals is even if I cannot speak their language, I am able to empathize with them by studying their eyes. There was an old mortal saying that eyes are gateway to the soul. Although I can also sympathize with mythological creatures who do not really have souls like Cerberus, that is really the best way I can describe it.

We do not know what it is, lord, one of the hippocampi said. Many strange things are stirring.

"Yeah," I murmured. "So, I've heard."

I uncapped Riptide, and the sword grew to length in my hands, its bronze blade gleaming in the dark.

The cow serpent freaked out and started struggling against the net, its eyes full of terror. "Whoa!" I said. "I'm not going to hurt you! Just let me cut the net."

But the cow serpent thrashed around and got even more tangled. The boat started to tilt, stirring up the muck on the sea bottom and threatening to topple onto the cow serpent. The hippocampi whinnied in a panic and thrashed in the water, which did not help.

"Okay, okay!" I said. I put away the sword and started speaking as calmly as i could so the hippocampi and the cow serpent would stop panicking. I did not know if it was possible to get stampeded underwater, but I did not really want to find out. "It's cool. No sword. See? No sword. Calm thoughts. Sea grass. Mama cows. Vegetarianism."

I doubted the cow serpent understood what I was saying, but it responded to the tone of my voice. The hippocampi were still skittish, but they stopped swirling around me quite so fast.

Free it, lord! they pleaded.

"I'm thinking," I responded. "I was hoping to use Riptide to cut the ropes quickly, but I guess I'll have to use animal form instead. But first we need to move the boat.

I focused and my body expanded as fins sprout from my mouth as I formed of an Orca—or Killer Whale. Using this form and three hippocampi we pull and push the boat out of the way.

Then came the net. I focus and shapeshifted my body became slick as fins formed and a single horn protrude from my nose, as I took form of a Narwhal. Thankfully, the cow serpent does not seem disturbed by the horn from my head as it was with my sword. It seemed like the creature seen swords before and knew how dangerous they were.

I cut the ropes with ease with my horn finally I cut the last rope and the cow serpent zipped through the water and did a happy somersault.

The hippocampi whinnied with joy. Thank you, lord!

"Moooo!" the cow serpent nuzzled me and gave me the big brown eyes.

I shapeshifted back into sailfish form and swam to the surface. I broke the surface and changed back to human form. Blackjack zoomed down and let me catch hold of his neck. He lifted me into the air and took me back toward the shore.

Success, boss?

"Yeah. We rescued some mythological creature."

Blackjack was glad to hear that, but this did not boost my mood. How was I able to get to sea creatures and yet not able to help Annabeth.

As Blackjack flew back toward my cabin, I happened to glance at the dining pavilion. I saw a figure—a boy hunkered down behind a Greek column, like he was hiding from someone.

It was Nico, but it was not even dawn yet. Nowhere near time for breakfast. What was he doing up there?

I hesitated. The last thing i wanted was more time for Nico to tell me about his Mythomagic game. But something was wrong. I could tell by the way he was crouching.

"Blackjack," I said, "set me down over there, will you Behind that column."

…

I almost blew it.

I was coming up the steps behind Nico. He did not see me at all. He was behind a column, peeking around the corner, all his attention focused on the dining area. I was five feet away from him, and I was about to say What are you doing? real loud, when it occurred to me that he was pulling a Grover: he was spying on the Hunters.

There were voices—two girls talking at one of the dining tables. At this ungodly hour of the morning? Well, unless you are the goddess of dawn, I guess.

I thought of shapeshifting but then wind reminded me it was still freezing cold, rendering some of my animal forms useless. Then I remember I had Annabeth's cap of invisibility. I took Annabeth's magic cap out of my pocket and put it on.

I did not feel any different, but when raised my arms I could not see them. I was invisible.

I crept up to Nico and sneaked around him. I could not see the girls very well in the dark in human form, and I am not in enough danger for my hyper-senses to kick in. But I knew their voices: Zoë and Bianca. It sounded like they were arguing.

"It cannot be cured," Zoë was saying. "Not quickly, at any rate."

"But how did it happen?" Bianca asked.

"A foolish prank," Zoë growled. "Those Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin. Centaur blood is like acid. Everyone knows that. They sprayed the inside of that Artemis Hunting Tour T-shirt with it."

"That's terrible!"

"She will live," Zoë said. "But she'll be bedridden for weeks with horrible hives. There is no way she can go. It's up to me… and thee."

"But the prophecy," Bianca said. "If Phoebe cannot go, we only have four. We'll have to pick another."

"There is no time," Zoë said. "We must leave at first light. That's immediately."

"What about Percy?" Bianca asked. "They say he's good at scouting and he was able to be overhear Dr. Thorn without being heard."

"I rather not team up with a boy," Zoë said.

"We might not have a choice," Bianca said.

"You don't understand Bianca, it's not just the oath. I… I cannot explain, but it would be too dangerous. They would meet an end worse than Phoebe's."

Bianca silent. "You should tell Thalia the rest of your dream."

"No. It would not help."

"But if your suspicions are correct, about the General—"

"I have thy word not to talk about that," Zoë said. She sounded really anguished. "We will find out soon enough. Now come. Dawn is breaking."

Nico scooted out of their way. He was faster than me.

As the girls sprinted down the steps, Zoë almost ran into me. She froze, her eyes narrowing. Her hand crept toward her bow, but then Bianca said, "The lights of the Big House are on. Hurry!"

And Zoë followed her out of the pavilion.

…

I could tell what Nico was thinking. He took a deep breath and was about to run after his sister when I took off the invisibility cap and said, "Wait."

He almost slipped on the icy steps as he spun around to find me. "Where did you come from?"

"I've been here the whole time. Invisible."

He mouthed the word invisible. "Wow. Cool."

"How did you know Zoë and your sister were here?"

He blushed. "I heard them walk by the Hermes cabin. I do not… I don't sleep to well at camp."

"Dreams?" I asked. Nico nodded. "I hate to tell you this, but no matter where you go, those dreams will happen now that you are aware you are a half-blood. So, what else happen?"

"I heard footsteps, and them whispering. And so, I kind of followed." Nico explained.

"And now you're thinking about following them on the quest," I guessed.

"How did you know that?"

"I have a brother, and if he were going on this quest, I'd be thinking the same thing. But you can't."

He looked defiant. "Because I'm too young?"

"Because they won't let you. They will catch you and send you back here. And… yeah, because you are too young. You remember the manticore? There will be lots more like that. More dangerous. Some of the heroes will die."

He shoulders sagged. He shifted from foot to foot. "Maybe you're right. But you can go for me."

"Say what?"

"You can turn invisible and turn into animals. You can go!"

"You heard them! The Hunters don't like working with boys," I reminded him. "If they find out—"

"Don't let them find out. Follow them invisibly. Keep an eye on my sister! You must. Please?"

"Nico—"

"You're planning to go anyway, aren't you?"

I wanted to say no. But he looked me in the eyes, and I somehow could not lie to him.

"Yeah," I said. "I have to find Annabeth. I have to help, even if they don't want me to."

"I won't tell on you," he said. "But you have to promise to keep my sister safe."

"I… that's a big thing to promise, Nico, on a trip like this. Besides, she has got Zoë, Grover, and Thalia—"

"Promise," he insisted.

"I'll do my best. I promise that."

"Get going, then!" he said. "Good luck!"

It was crazy. I was not packed. I had nothing but the cap, the sword, wristwatch-shield, and the clothes I was wearing. I was supposed to be going home to Manhattan this morning. "Tell Chiron—"

"I'll make something up." Nico smiled crookedly. "I'm good at that. Go on!"

I put on Annabeth's cap and morphed into Peregrine falcon only invisible. I flew to the top of Half-Blood Hill in time to see the camp's van disappearing down the farm road, probably Argus taking the quest group into the city. After that they would be on their own.

Not good. The nearest greyhound bus station is too far for me to fly without rest.

Then I heard the beating of huge wings. Blackjack landed below me. He began casually nuzzling a few tufts of grass that stuck through the ice.

Hey, boss, need a ride? I heard Blackjack asked.

I landed on the ground and morphed back to human form, taking off the cap. "You think you can handle the trip?"

Not a problem, boss, Blackjack said.

A lump of gratitude stuck in my throat, but I managed to say, "Yeah. Let us fly."

Interesting Animal Facts: Although Orcas are also known as killer whales, they're actually oceanic dolphins. In fact, there even been hybrids of Orcas and Dolphins.

Also Narwhals are commonly known as the Unicorns of the sea because of their single horns.