A/N: I don't own the rights to any of the Percy Jackson series or it's characters. That right gaoes 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.
Also, ever since I got my latest Laptop I been stuck using Google Docs and Copy and paste my chapters and for some reason when I save what I paste any formats I made is turn to normal format. I even have to bold the chapter titles, but as I'm sure you noticed sometimes I forget to do that. So anything I normally itallilize like thoughts come out normal text. A/N at the beginning and end of each keep the format changes because I add them without copying and pasting from google doc.
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
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Stolen Chariot
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sword of Hades
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Bronze Dragon
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Staff of Hermes
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Singer of Apollo
Piper: My Mother Is Not Who I had Hoped
The whole campfire idea freaked me out. It made me think of that huge purple bonfire in the dreams, and my father tied to a stake.
What I got instead was almost as terrifying: a sing-along. The amphitheater steps were carved into the side of the hill, facing a stone-lined pit with yet another plaque that read: Hearth of Hestia. Fifty or sixty kids filled the rows, clustered into groups under various banners.
I spotted Jason in the front next to Annabeth. Leo was nearby, sitting with a bunch of burly campers and cyclopes under a steely gray banner emblazoned with a hammer.. Standing in front of the fire, half a dozen campers with guitars and strange, old fashioned harps⎯lyres?⎯were jumping around, leading a song about pieces of armor, something about how their grandma got dressed for war. Everybody was singing with them and making gestures for the pieces of armor and joking around. It was quite possibly the weirdest thing I had ever seen⎯one of those campfire songs that would've been completely embarrassing in daylight; but in the dark, with everybody participating, it was kind of corny and fun. As the energy level got higher, the flames did too, turning from red to orange to gold.
Finally the song ended with a lot of rowdy applause. A guy on a horse trotted up. At least in the flickering light, I thought it was a guy on a horse. Then I realized it was a centaur⎯his bottom half a white stallion, his top half a middle-aged guy with curly hair and a trimmed beard. He brandished a spear impaled with roasted marshmallows. "Very nice! And a special welcome to our new arrivals. I am Chiron, camp activities director, and I'm happy you have all arrived here alive with most of your limbs attached. In a moment, I promise we'll get to the smores, but first⎯"
"What about capture the flag?" somebody yelled. Grumbling broke out among some kids in armor, sitting under a red banner with the emblem of a boar's head.
"Yes," the centaur said. "I know the Ares cabin is anxious to return to the woods for our regular games."
"And kill people!" one of them shouted.
"However," Chiron said, "until the dragon is brought under control, that won't be possible. Cabin Nine, anything to report on that?"
He turned to Leo's group. Leo winked at me and shot me with a finger gun. The girl next to him stood uncomfortably. She wore an army jacket a lot like Leo's, with her hair covered in a red bandanna.
"We're working with the Cyclopes in catching it," she said and sat down..
A lot of yelling and complaining soon follow, which caused the fire to sputter chaotically. Chiron stamped his hoof against the fire pit stones⎯bang, bang, bang⎯and the campers fell silent.
"We will have to be patient. But I have decided to hold annual chariot races for the time being," Chiron said. "In the meantime, we have more pressing matters to discuss."
"Percy?" someone asked. The fire dimmed even further, but I didn't need the mood flames to sense the crowd's anxiety.
Chiron gestured to Annabeth. She took a deep breath and stood.
"I didn't find Percy," she announced. Her voice caught a little when she said his name. "He wasn't at the Grand Canyon like I thought, but we have found clues on his disappearance, but until we know further I can't tell you what exactly it is in case it's another mislead." The way Annabeth said it though it was clear it was promising than she let on which made me wonder just what the lead is. "Meantime we have teams everywhere looking for him. Grover, Tyson, Nico, and the Hunters of Artemis. We will find him. Chiron's talking about something different. A new quest."
"It's the Great Prophecy, isn't it?" a girl called out.
Everyone turned. The voice had come from a group in the back, sitting under a rose-colored banner with a dove emblem. They'd been chatting among themselves and not paying much attention until their leader stood up: Drew.
Everyone else looked surprised. Apparently Drew didn't address the crowd very often.
"Drew?" Annabeth said. "What do you mean?"
"Well, come on." Drew spread her hands like the truth was obvious. "Olympus is closed. Percy disappeared. Hera sends you a vision and you come back with three new demigods in one day. I mean, something weird is going on. The Great Prophecy has started, right?"
I whispered to Rachel, "What's she talking about⎯the Great Prophecy?"
Then I realized everyone else was looking at Rachel, too.
"Well?" Drew called down. "You're the oracle. Has it started or not?"
Rachel's e yes looked scary in the fire light. I was afraid she might clench up and started channeling a freaky peacock goddess again, but she stepped forward calmly and addressed the camp.
"Yes," she said. "The Great Prophecy has begun."
Pandemonium broke out.
I caught Jason's eye. He mouthed, You all right? I nodded and managed a smile, but then looked away. It was too painful seeing him and not being with him.
When the talking finally subsided, Rachel took another step toward the audience, and fifty plus demigods and almost as many cyclopes leaned away from her, as if one skinny redheaded mortal was more intimidating than all of them put together, which is saying something if what I read about cyclopes strength and power are true.
"For those who have not heard it," Rachel said, "the Great Prophecy was my first after immediately after becoming oracle. It arrived in August. It goes like this: Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall⎯"
Jason shot to his feet. His eyes looked wild, like he's just been tasered. Then he chanted: "Ut cum spiritu postrema sacramentum dejuremus. Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam necem."
An uneasy silence settled on the group. Even Rachel seemed caught off guard. I could see from the faces that several of them were trying to translate the lines. I could tell it was Latín, but I wasn't sure why my hopefully future boyfriend was suddenly chanting like a Catholic priest.
"You just... finished the prophecy," Rachel finally stammered. "⎯An oat h to keep with a final breath/And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. How did you⎯"
"I know those lines." Jason winced and put his hands to his temples. "I don't know how, but I know that prophecy."
"In Latín, no less," Drew called out. "Handsome and smart."
There was some giggling from the Aphrodite cabin. God, what a bunch of losers, I thought. But it didn't do much to break the tension. The campfire was burning chaotic, nervous shade of green.
Jason st down, looking embarrassed, but Annabeth put a hand on his shoulder and muttered something reassuringly. I felt a pang of jealousy. It should have been me next to him, comforting him.
Rachel Dare still looked a little shaken. She glanced back at Chiron for guidance, but the centaur stood grim and silent, as if he were watching a play he couldn't interrupt⎯a tragedy that ended with a lot of people dead onstage.
"Well," Rachel said, trying to regain her composure. "So, yeah, that's the Great Prophecy. We hoped it might not happen for years, but I fear it's starting now. I can't give you proof. And like Drew said, some weird stuff is happening. The seven demigods, whoever they are, have not been gathered yet. I get the feeling some are here tonight. Some are not here."
The campers began to stir and mutter, looking at each other nervously, until a drowsy voice in the crowd called out, "I'm here! Oh... were you calling roll?"
"Go back to sleep, Clovis," someone yelled, and a lot of people laughed.
"Anyway," Rachel continued, "we don't know what the Great Prophecy means. We don't know what challenge the demigods will face, but since the first Great Prophecy predicted the Titan War, we can guess the second Great Prophecy will predict something at least that bad."
"Or worse," Chiron murmured.
I don't think he meant for everyone to hear him, but they did. The campfire immediately turned dark purple, the same color as my dream.
"What we do know," Rachel said, "is that the first phase has begun. A major problem has arisen, and we need a quest to solve it. Hera, queen of Olympus, has been taken."
Shocked silence. Then fifty demigods started talking at once.
Chiron pounded his hoof again, but Rachel still had to wait before she could get back their attention.
She told them about the incident on the Grand Canyon skywalk⎯how Gleeson Hedge had sacrificed himself when the storm spirits attacked, and the spirit had warned it was only the beginning. The y apparently served some great mistress who would destroy all demigods.
Then Rachel told them about my vision, thankfully not bringing up how I passed out, just what I told her what Hera said. Finally Rachel told them about Jason's vision in the living room of the Big House. Many campers started muttering when Rachel mention Jason being blessed with the strength of Heracles⎯which explain how Jason was able to pick up a Chariot with ease.
The message Hera had delivered at the Big House was so similar that I got the chill. The only difference: Hera had warned me not to betray her: Bow to his will, and their king shall rise, dooming us all. Hera knew about the giant's threat. But if that was true, why hadn't she warned Jason and exposed me as an enemy agent?
"Jason," Rachel said. "Um... do you remember y our last name?"
He looked self-conscious, but he shook his head.
"We'll just call you Jason, then," Rachel said. "It's clear Hera herself has issued you a quest."
Rachel paused, as if giving Jason a chance to protest his destiny. Everyone's eyes were on him; there was so much pressure, I thought I would've buckled in his position. Yet he looked brave and determined. He set his jaw and nodded. "I agree."
"You must save Hera to prevent a great evil," Rachel continued. "Some sort of king from rising. For reasons we don't yet understand, it must happen by the winter solstice, only four days from now."
"That's the council of the gods," Annabeth said. "If the gods don't already know Hera's gone, they will definitely notice her absence by then. They'll probably break out fighting, accusing each other of taking her. That';s what they usually do."
"The winter solstice," Chiron spoke up, "is also the time of greatest darkness. The gods gather that day, as mortals always have, because there is strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic, older than the gods. It is a day when things... stir."
The way he said it, stirring sounded absolutely sinister⎯like it should be a first degree felony, not something you did to cookie dough.
"Okay," Annbeth said, glaring at the centaur. "Thank you, Captain Sunshine. Whatever is going on, I agree with Rachel. Jason has been chosen to lead this quests, so⎯"
"Why hasn't he been claimed?" somebody yelled from Ares cabin. "If he's so important⎯"
"He has been claimed," Chiron announced. "Long ago. Jason, give them a demonstration."
Jason seemed uncertain what he meant. He stepped forward nervously, but I couldn't help thinking how amazing he looked with his blond hair glowing in the firelight, his regal features like Roman statues. He glanced at me, I'm guessing hoping I had suggestions. I honestly don't know what Chiron expected since we all know Jason had the strength of Heracles. Still I nodded encouragingly and mimicked flipping a coin.
Jason reached into his pocket. His coin flashed in the air and when he caught it in his hand, he was holding a lance⎯a rod of gold about seven feet long with a spear tip at one end.
The other demigods gasped. Rachel and Annabeth stepped back to avoi point, which looked sharp as an ice pick.
"Wasn't that..." Annabeth hesitated. "I thought you had a sword."
"Um it came up tails, I think," Jason said. "Same coin, long-range weapon form⎯I think to be more use for my strength."
"Dude I want one!" yelled somebody from Ares Cabin.
"Better than Clarisse's electri c spear, Lamer!" one of his brothers agreed.
"Electric," Jason murmured, like that was a good idea. "Back away."
Annabeth and Rachel got the message. Jason raised his javelin, and thunder broke open the sky. Every hair on my arm stood straight up. Lightning arced down through the golden spear point and hit the campfire wit h t he force of an artillery shell.
When the smoke cleared an ringing in my ears subsided, the entire camp sat frozen in shock, half blind, covered in ashes, staring at the Hearth of Hestia where the fire no longer burn. Cinders rained down everywhere. A burning log had impaled itself a few inches from the sleeping kid Clovis, who hadn't even stirred.
Jason lowered his lance. "Um... sorry."
Chiron brushed some burning coals out of his beard. He grimaced as if his worst fears had been confirmed. "A little overkill, perhaps, but yo u've made your point. And I believe we know who your father is."
"Jupiter," Jason said. "I mean Zeus. Lord of the sky."
I couldn't help smiling. It made perfect sense. T he most powerful god, the fat her of tall t he greatest heroes in the ancient myths, including Heracles himself⎯no one else could possibly be Jason's dad.
Apparently, the rest of the camp wasn't so sure. Everything broke into chaos, with dozens of people asking questions until Annabeth raised her arms.
"Hold it!" she said. "How can he be the son of Zeus? The Big Three... their pact not to have mortal kids... how could we not have known about him sooner?"
Chiron didn't answer, but I got the feeling he knew. And the truth was not good.
" The important thing," Rachel said, "is that Jason's here now. He has a quest to fulfill which means he will need his own prophecy.
She closed her eyes and swooned. Two campers rushed forward and caught her. A third ran to the side of the amphitheater and grabbed a bronze three-legged stool, like they'd been trained for this duty. They eased Rachel onto the stool in front of the ruined hearth. Without the fire, the night was dark, but green mist started swirling around Rachel's feet. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing. Emerald smoke issued from her mouth. The voice that came out was raspy and ancient⎯the sound a snake would make if it could talk:
"Child of lightning with strength of hHeracles beware the earth, The giants' revenge the seven shall birth, by choice one life shall change, thanks to shadows you face the banes, The forge and dove shall break the cage, and death unleash through Hera's rage."
On the last word, Rachel collapsed, but her helpers were waiting to catch her. They carried her away from the hearth and laid her in the corner to rest.
"Is that normal?" I asked. Then I realized I'd spoken into the silence and everyone was looking at me. "I mean... does she spew green smoke a lot?"
"Gods, you're dense!" Drew sneered. "She just issued a prophecy⎯Jason's prophecy to save Hera! Why don't you just⎯"
"Drew," Annabeth snapped. "Piper asked a fair question. Something about that prophecy definitely isn't normal. If breaking Hera's cage unleashes her rage and causes a bunch of death... why would we free her? It might be a trap, or⎯or maybe Hera will turn on her rescuers. She's never been kind to heroes."
Jason rose. "I don't have a choice. Hera took my memory. I need it back. Besides, we can't just not help the queen of the heavens if she's in trouble."
A girl from Hephaestus cabin stood up⎯Nyssa, the one with the red bandanna. "Maybe. But you should listen to Annabeth. Hera can be vengeful. She threw her own son⎯our dad⎯down a mountain just because he was ugly."
"Real ugly," snickered someone from Aphrodite.
"Shut up!" Nyssa growled. "Anyway, we also got to think⎯why beware the earth? Why do you need the shadows? Who are the banes you are to face? And what's the giant's revenge? What are we dealing with here that's powerful enough to kidnap the queen of the heavens?"
No one answered, but i noticed Annabeth and Chiron having a silent exchange. I thought it went something like:
Annabeth: The giants' revenge... The banes... no, it can't be.
Chiron: Don't speak it here. Don't scare them.
Annabeth: You're kidding me! We can't be that unlucky.
Chiron: Later, child. If you told them everything, they would be too terrified to proceed.
I knew it was crazy to think I could read their expressions so well⎯two people I barely knew. But I was absolutely positive I understood them, and it scared the jujubes out of me.
Annabeth took a deep breath. "It's Jason's quest," she announced, "so it's Jason's choice. Obviously he's the child of lightning with the strength of Heracles. According to tradition, he may choose two companions."
Someone from the Hermes Cabin yelled. "We;;, you obviously, Annabeth. You got the most experience."
"No, Travis," Annabeth said. "First off, I'm not helping Hera. Every time I've tried, she deceived me, or it's come back to bite me later. Forget it. No way. Secondly, I'm leaving first thing in the morning to find Percy."
"It's connected," I blurted out, not sure how I got the courage, "You know that's true, don't you? This whole business, your boyfriend's disappearance⎯it's all connected."
"How?" demanded Drew. "If you're so smart, how?"
I tried to form an answer, but I couldn't.
"Piper is right," Annabeth said. "Both Jason and Percy inherit a power of an Argonaut. Jason has the strength of Heracles and Percy the shapeshifting powers of Periclymenus."
Periclymenus. I remember that name. He was an argonaut with the power to turn into any animal. Too hear Annabeth's boyfriend had the same power was a surprise to say the least.
"But because Percy and Jason maybe connected, doesn't mean I'm about to rush off to Hera's rescue. I'll search for answers from the other end by looking for Percy," Annabeth said. "But there's another reason I can't go. The prophecy says otherwise."
"It says who I pick," Jason agreed. "The forge and dove shall break the cage. The forge is the symbol of Vul⎯Hephaestus."
Under the Cabin Nine banner, Nyssa's shoulders slumped, like she'd just been given a heavy anvil to carry. "If you have to beware the earth," she said, "you should avoid traveling overland. You'll need air transport."
I was about to call out that Jason could fly. But I thought better of it. That was for Jason to tell them, and he was volunteering for information. Maybe he figured he'd freaked them out enough for one night."
"The flying chariot's broken," Nyssa continued. "And the pegasi, we're using them to search for Percy. But maybe Hephaestus cabin can help figure out something else to help. With Jake incapacitated, I'm senior camper. I can volunteer for the quest."
She didn't sound enthusiastic.
Then Leo stood up. He'd been so quiet, I had almost forgotten he was there, which was totally not like Leo.
"It's me," he said.
His cabin mates stirred. Several tried to pull him back to his seat, but Leo resisted.
"No, it's me. I know it is. I've got an idea for the transportation problem. Let me try. I can fix this!"
Jason studied him for a moment. I was sure he was going to tell Leo no. Then he smiled. "We started this together, Leo. Seems only right you come along. You find us a ride, you're in."
"It'll be dangerous," Nyssa warned him. "Hardship, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive."
"Oh." Leo seemed to have lost his excitement until he remember everyone was watching. "I mean... Oh, cool! I love suffering! Let's do this."
Annabeth nodded. "Then, Jason, you only need to choose the third quest member
"It's me," I said. "I had a vision of Hera too."
"Oh, please, Dumpster girl. Anyone can have a vision, you were just at the right place at the right time," Drew said. "The prophecy mention a dove⎯which is the symbol of Aphrodite. Everyone knows that. I can be very persuasive. I could help a lot. I'm totally yours."
The campers started murmuring about how Drew was pretty persuasive. I could see Drew winning them over. Even Chiron was scratching his beard, like Drew's participation made sense to him.
"No!" my own voice sounded strange in my ears⎯more insistent richer in tone. "I'm supposed to go. I was there with Jason in the beginning just like Leo."
Then the weirdest thing happened everyone started nodding, muttering that hmm, my point of view made sense too. Drew looked around, incredulous. Even some of her own campers were nodding.
"Get over it!" Drew snapped at the crowd. "What can Piper do?"
I tried to respond, but my confidence started to wane. What could I offer? I wasn't a fighter, or a planner, or a fixer. I had no skills except getting into trouble and occasionally convincing people to do stupid things.
Plus, I was a liar. I needed to go on this quest for reasons that went way beyond Jason⎯and if I did go, I'd end up betraying everyone there. I heard that voice from the dream: Do our bidding, and you may walk away alive.
I also remember the line: By choice one life shall change. I couldn't help but think the choice was mine but I don't know whose life I would change but it didn't say it was for the good or for the bad. Does it mean I would have to chose between helping Jason or saving my dad? I don't like it.
Suddenly there was a collective gasped. Everyone stared at me like I'd just exploded. I wondered. I wondered what I'd done wrong. Then I realized there was a reddish glow around me.
"What?" I demanded.
I looked above me, but there was no burning symbol like the one that had appeared above Leo's head. Then I looked down and yelped.
My clothes... what in the world was I wearing? I despised dresses. I didn't own a dress. But now I was adorned in a beautiful white sleeveless gown that went down to my ankankles, with a V-neck so low it was totally embarrassing. Delicate gold armbands circled my biceps. An intricate necklace of amber, coral, and gold flowers glittered on my chest, and my hair...
"Oh, god," I said. "What's happened?"
A stunned Annabeth pointed at my dagger, which was now oiled and gleaming, hanging at my side on a golden cord. I didn't want to draw it. I was afraid of what I would see. But my curiosity won out. I unsheathed Katoptris and stared at my reflection in the polished metal blade. My hair was perfect: lush and long and chocolate brown, braided with gold ribbons down one side so it fell across my shoulder. I even wore makeup, better than I would ever know how to do myself⎯subtle touches that made my lips cherry red and brought out all the different colors in my eyes.
I was... I was...
"Beautiful..." Jason exclaimed. "Piper, you... You're a knock out."
Under different circumstances, that would've been the happiest moment of my life. But now everyone was staring at me like I was a freak. Drew's face was full of horror and revulsion. "No!" she cried. "Not possible!"
"This isn't me," I protested. "I⎯don't understand."
Chiron the centaur folded his front legs and bowed to me, and all the campers followed his example.
"Hail, Piper McLean," Chiron announced, gravely as if he were speaking at my funeral. "Daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love."
A/N: I hope you like the addition I put to the prophecy. It took me a while to decide on what to add if not change something. I even put to use how prophecies have a double meaning in one of the new lines.
