Hi friends! Thank you so much for your readership and kind reviews! The sheer number of favs/follows this story has just sorta dawned on me a few days ago. When I started writing this, I never could have imagined how much attention it would get. So thank you so much for your continued support of this story, your wonderfully insightful reviews, and your awesome personalities. You guys rock!
Just a quick notice, I went back and edited chapters 6 and 8 ("Love's True Motives" and "The Mirroring Worlds") because I didn't like some of the character development in there. I didn't change any major plot points or anything, so you won't be lost if you don't reread them. However, I strongly recommend you do go back and take a look (especially chapter 8)! I think you'll like them better now than you did before. Anyway, thank you guys again, and please read, enjoy, and review!
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HoO. All rights go to Rick Riordan.
Previously:
Perseus taped the note to his bedroom door and turned to Hestia, "Please make sure she's safe tonight and that she sees the note tomorrow."
"Of course," Hestia said, looking sadly toward the bedroom, "Right now, I have to take you to Poseidon. And maybe, you'll see Annabeth again someday."
"Maybe," Perseus said as Hestia teleported them away in a flash of fire.
-:-:-:-
Later that night, a minute before midnight, seven-year-old Percy Jackson woke with a start in his New York City apartment, wondering what his strange dream was all about. He vaguely recalled the moon, a blonde girl his age, a girl with eyes like a dying flame, and a man who smelled like the sea. Dismissing it with a shrug, Percy yawned, rolled over, and drifted back to sleep.
The next morning, as he ate one of his mom's delicious blue cookies and glared at Smelly Gabe, he couldn't even remember having the dream in the first place.
Familiar Faces
December, 2007: Westover Hall Military Academy, Bar Harbor, Maine
The monster - Vice-Principal Dr. Thorn - snarled and shot off a round of poisonous spikes. Percy felt a burning pain shoot up his arm as he was thrown back against a tree. The two new demigods, Bianca and Nico, were huddled together in fear.
Dr. Thorn sneered, dragging Percy back to their merry band of hostages, and purred, "Percy Jackson… I was told to capture you alive. But that doesn't mean I can't have a bit of fun first!"
He cackled and was reaching to grab Nico when Percy grunted, "Why would you want two untrained demigods?"
"This was at the request of my employer. If it were up to me, I'd have eaten these two brats the first chance I got."
"W-Who's your employer?" Bianca asked fearfully.
"Luke," Percy snarled. That traitor.
"Luke?" Thorn spat, "As if I'd do anything that weakling said. No, I answer to the General."
"The General?" Percy asked.
Thorn ignored him. The monster was too busy staring at the horizon. "Our ride is here," he grinned evilly. A moment later, Percy heard the sound of helicopter blades. He paled. Thorn had backup.
"What are you going to do to us, you monster! What makes you think we'd join whatever it is you're doing?" Bianca asked. Percy applauded her bravery.
"Silence, you stupid girl!" Thorn snapped, "If you don't join our army, then we can put you to even better use. We monsters need to eat more than ever, now that the Great Stirring is underway. Monsters are waking. Ancient monsters. Including the one that will bring Olympus to its knees."
As Thorn monologued, Percy was looking around for anything that might help their situation. He knew the ocean was right there, and the only thing they had to do was jump. But he wasn't sure he trusted his powers enough for that. His father would have to be in an especially generous mood if he wanted all three of them to survive.
"The waking of Lord Kronos has truly begun! Now we shall seek revenge upon the gods and Ouranos himself! The Sky has been stirring for centuries already, but it will all be for nought in a few short years," Thorn lectured on. Percy closed his eyes in concentration. He stretched out his senses to feel the pull of the water. He could sense the waves lapping at the jagged rock of the cliff, and he felt hope stir faintly in his gut. Percy slowly stretched out his arm toward the sea, both to avoid capturing Dr. Thorn's attention and to preserve his focus. He couldn't fail now.
However, as these things tend to do, nothing went as planned. Instead of a column of water slowly rising up as Percy had wanted, a localized hurricane burst to life, bearing down on the helicopter, and a tsunami crested over the cliff. Dr. Thorn, noticing the motion of the storm, quickly shot another round of spikes at Percy. As two more caught him in the arm and leg, Percy's concentration broke. The hurricane dissipated rapidly, leaving a completely unharmed helicopter in its wake. The tidal wave stopped dead in its tracks and splashed limply back into the sea. Dr. Thorn narrowed his eyes and stalked over to Percy threateningly. Percy clutched his sword, Riptide, nervously. He hoped it wouldn't come to this, but he wouldn't go down without a fight.
"Hey! Vice-President Monster!" a taunting voice rang out. Percy barely had time to feel relief wash over him before his newly-arrived friends engaged Thorn in battle. Thalia, the girl who had yelled at Thorn, charged the monster with her fearsome spear and shield imprinted with Madusa's face. Annabeth expertly slashed at him with her knife, a unique silver hunting knife she had gotten as a child. Their satyr friend Grover was frantically playing his reed pipes. However, despite their efforts, none of the teens could land a hit on the monster. After a moment of agile blocking and dodging, Thorn became impatient and yowled like a cat. His body began morphing. His face stayed human, but his body elongated and sprouted fur, and he dropped to all fours. As the grotesque transformation ended, Thorn snarled at them, pacing back and forth. His large lion paws barely made a sound as they touched the ground, and his spiked scorpion tail lashed back and forth in anticipation.
Annabeth's jaw dropped in disbelief, and she breathed, "A manticore."
Thorn snarled and unleashed a volley of spikes from his tail. Thalia barely managed to block the projectiles. She was thrown against a tree a moment later after the manticore swiped her with his large, orange paw. The monster then launched another wave of spikes, knocking Grover down.
"It's pointless to fight!" Thorn laughed, gesturing from himself to the heavily armed backup helicopter, "You can't win!"
Suddenly, the air was pierced by the sound of a hunting horn. The monster froze, fear showing on his face for the first time. "No, impossible," he murmured. A silver streak shot through the air, and Thorn howled in pain. A glowing silver arrow, like a piece of the moon, stuck out of his side. Not a moment later, a dozen more arrows showered down on Thorn from the forest.
"The Hunters of Artemis," Annabeth breathed. Thalia snorted in distaste.
"The who?" Percy asked. His answer stepped from the treeline as he spoke. It was a group of about a dozen girls, none of whom looked to be older than fifteen. They all wore silver parkas and were carrying bows in their hands. One of the older girls, wearing a silver circlet that made her look like a Persian princess, looked at Thorn with disgust, "Permission to kill, my lady?"
"What? No! The Ancient Laws prohibit direct interference!" Thorn wailed.
A twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and silvery-yellow eyes stepped forward. Percy's breath caught in his throat. Vaguely, he registered the girl's striking beauty, but that thought was quickly wiped out as she turned her silver eyes on him. As soon as their eyes met, Percy felt a sharp stab of pain shoot through his head. He screwed his eyes shut at the sudden onslaught of pain and doubled over, clutching his head in his hands. The mystery girl's silver eyes were imprinted in his mind's eye, but something was wrong. In his head, they were in some sort of forest, and he was looking up into her eyes as she bent over him. The girl herself was older in his mind. As the silver eyes haunted his thoughts, Percy felt his heart constrict painfully in his chest. A wave of emotions crashed over him, from happiness to love to heart-stopping longing. Percy gasped through the baseless physical and emotional pain. Those were neither his memories nor his emotions.
The girl, whose eyes had widened as they landed on his, faltered with concern as she noticed him doubled over in pain. However, seeing Thalia already heading toward Percy, she refocused on the immediate threat without skipping a beat and scowled at Dr. Thorn, "Maybe so, but hunting wild beasts is one of my domains. And you are one of the most foul wild beasts I have ever seen. Permission granted, Zoe."
The manticore freaked out. He roared and lunged at Percy and Thalia.
"No!" Annabeth screamed. She threw herself onto the monster's back and tried to stab him. She managed to drive her knife into the manticore's mane. The monster yowled and reared back.
The Hunters hesitated when they saw the demigod in their line of fire. Percy almost didn't think they would attack. Then Zoe commanded, "Fire!"
"No!" Percy yelled, shaking away the last dregs of pain and lunging for Annabeth. But it was too late. A dozen arrows flew at the manticore, hitting their target with deadly accuracy. The monster, already reared up and unbalanced, was thrown over the cliff, taking Annabeth down with him. "Annabeth!" Percy screamed.
He made to run toward the cliff, but he was stopped by gunfire from the helicopter. The strange twelve-year-old girl narrowed her eyes and said, "Mortals cannot witness my hunt." With a snap of her fingers, the helicopter exploded into a flock of ravens that flew off into the sky.
Everything was silent until Thalia and Zoe started arguing, but Percy wasn't paying attention. "Annabeth. We have to save Annabeth! What are you wasting time for?"
The twelve-year-old looked at him, and a strange look passed over her face. The expression passed, and she said flatly, "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is gone."
Percy growled and tried to race toward the cliffs again, but he was held back by several Hunters. "Let me go!" He roared.
"Enough. You are in no condition to throw yourself off a cliff," the auburn-haired girl.
"I don't even know you. What makes you think you can tell me what I can or cannot do?" Percy snarled. His head pulsed, and there was a niggling thought that his statement was not entirely true. He ignored it and glared at the strange girl. Zoe looked murderous. She stepped forward menacingly.
"Stop, Zoe," Artemis said, "He's just scared and worried for his friend. He didn't mean to disrespect me." Turning her gaze to a still struggling Percy, she said firmly, "I am Artemis, Goddess of the Moon and Hunt."
There was a sharp jabbing pain in Percy's head, almost like his brain was punching itself for its stupidity. For once, Percy had to agree with his strangely expressive headache.
December, 2007: Camp Half-Blood, Long Island, New York
After sending her Hunters and the group of Campers off with her annoying brother, Artemis quickly teleported to Camp Half-Blood. She had meant to go on her hunt for the Ophiotaurus immediately, but there was something she desperately had to ask Chiron. There was something strange and alarmingly familiar about Percy Jackson. Artemis knew exactly who he reminded her of, and she had to figure out the truth.
"Chiron!" she called as she appeared in the Big House. Dionysus looked up from his game of pinochle with Chiron to scowl in annoyance at his half-sister.
"What do you want?" the God of Wine grouched, "Don't you see you're interrupting something here?"
Artemis narrowed her eyes at the god, "I would watch your tone if I were you, Dionysus. I am only here to speak to Chiron."
Dionysus glared back at her for a moment, but he folded and grumbled, "Fine, but make it quick."
Artemis scoffed and turned to Chiron, "Do you mind if we go to the war room?"
"Not at all," the old centaur said, leading the way, "Now, what is it you need to talk to me about, Lady Artemis?"
Artemis smiled at him. She always had a soft spot for Chiron. "I came to inform you that my Hunters will be staying here for the duration of my hunt. I unfortunately have been ordered to do it alone. Apollo will be arriving with them and your group of Campers soon."
"Of course," Chiron said with a nod and a brief aside, "Maybe my Campers might win our game of Capture the Flag this time."
Artemis heard his comment and smirked, "Don't bet on it."
Chiron sighed, "Ah, well, this old centaur can dream. Thank you for returning young Percy and his friends safely as well." Artemis' throat went dry, thinking about the daughter of Athena who had been captured and was most likely being tortured as they spoke. She was about to tell Chiron about what happened, but the old centaur continued, "So what else did you wish to speak to me about?"
Artemis frowned, deciding that having Percy, Thalia, and Grover deliver the news about Annabeth would be more fitting. Instead, Artemis dove straight into her own question, "Who is Percy Jackson?"
Chiron blinked, "I beg your pardon?"
"Who is he? Is he really a son of Poseidon? I'm sure you've noticed the resemblance to..." Artemis trailed off, unwilling to say the name. This had been bothering her the moment she saw Percy the night before.
Chiron understood to whom she was referring as he nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, yes I have noticed the resemblance. But I cannot say anything for certain. As much as he resembles our old friend, he resembles Poseidon as well. Also, Poseidon himself claimed young Percy two years ago. I believe that is ample proof of his parentage?"
Artemis conceded that all signs pointed to Percy being a son of Poseidon, but there was still a niggling suspicion at the back of her mind. "Could he be a legacy, then?"
"It is possible," Chiron mused, "But we have never had a child of Lord Perseus at this camp, even before his banishment, and I am quite certain Lupa has not had one either. It is unlikely a child of such a powerful god would have survived long enough without proper training to have children of their own."
"What about amongst the unclaimed?" Artemis said in frustration, "Might you have had one here without realizing it?"
Chiron sighed sadly, "Again, it is possible, but nobody can be sure. However, if it helps, Lord Perseus does not seem like one to sire any half-bloods, or any children for that matter."
Artemis trusted Perseus to remain loyal. He was her best friend, and she knew him well. As if in response, the last note he left her - "Forever yours" - rustled in her pocket as she paced back and forth. Yet there was still something about Percy Jackson that seemed to point to her best friend with large neon signs and flashing lights. She had to get to the bottom of it. Both to keep Perseus safe, and to potentially see him again after such a long time.
With a thoughtful frown, Artemis said, "I am well aware of Perseus' character. That is not what worries me. I just can't shake the feeling that Percy Jackson is connected to him somehow. Will you keep an eye on Percy for me please, Chiron?"
"Of course, Lady Arte-" Chiron was cut off by a ground shaking boom coming from the direction of the lake and a wave of heat that easily seeped into the rooms of the Big House.
Artemis rolled her eyes, "It appears my idiot brother has arrived. I must be off. Thank you for your time, Chiron." She teleported away in a flash of silver.
"It was my pleasure," Chiron said distractedly, heading in the direction of the crash with concern.
December, 2007: Superior National Forest, Minnesota
Artemis walked quietly along the frigid shore of Lake Superior, frustration quickly building in her. She could sense the Ophiotaurus nearby, yet she hadn't caught even a glimpse of it in the hours she had been there. It didn't make sense. As the sun slipped gradually lower in the sky, Artemis sighed and decided to return to her camp for the night.
As she expertly navigated the forests surrounding the Great Lake, her mind wandered unbidden to Perseus. She had thought of him countless times since his banishment, wondering about his safety, his whereabouts, his actions. The sense of longing in her heart never faded.
But just as she had blocked out the now-familiar ache in her chest, Percy Jackson had waltzed onto the scene. He was the closest thing she had as to a clue pointing her to Perseus, but she couldn't decide how. It didn't make sense. Percy was neither a demigod of Perseus nor a legacy. At least, Artemis assumed he was not a legacy. Perseus had much too strict a moral code to even think about entering a casual relationship anyone. What she loved most about Percy was his commitment to his ideals. He never wavered. Grabbing the crescent moon pendant on the necklace around her neck, her mind wandered again to Perseus' parting letter: Forever yours. She felt her heart break a little more.
The rustling of leaves a distance away shook her from her thoughts. Artemis was immediately on guard, pulling out her bow and nocking an arrow. She slowly moved herself to the center of the clearing, senses on high alert for any signs of danger. As the seconds ticked by, Artemis relaxed a bit, brushing the noise off for an animal.
Suddenly, a large form charged out of the trees in the periphery of her vision. Artemis whirled around and loosed an arrow at her assailant. The projectile struck true and hit her opponent straight in the chest. However, it didn't seem to phase him in the slightest. He simply paused a moment, gave her a nasty sneer, and yanked the arrow out without so much as a flinch.
Artemis quickly abandoned her bow in favor of her knives. As her enemy paused, she managed to get a good look at him and paled. Black hair, cruel slate grey eyes, height about that of a small tree.
"Atlas," she snarled, pointing her knife at him, "How did you get freed from holding the sky?"
Atlas laughed coldly, "Foolish, naive little goddess. There are great powers awakening. Even you must know that. And we have many willing, and unwilling, subjects to help our cause."
"What do you want, Atlas?" Artemis hissed.
"Oh, why you, of course," Atlas smirked evilly.
"And you think I will go with you willingly?" Artemis asked, lowering herself into a fighting stance. If she could take Atlas out before he could threaten anyone else, she would.
"Not at all," Atlas said, "That's why I brought a few friends."
The Titan snapped his fingers, and a swarm of monsters flooded the clearing. Artemis' eyes widened as she saw the sheer numbers, and she cursed herself for not realizing they were there. Atlas must have disguised them somehow.
The monsters slowly closed in on her. A quick look around told Artemis there were hellhounds, Empousai, cyclops, Laestrygonian giants, and a few other monster species. Artemis' gaze hardened, but dread filled her. She had no hope of defeating all those monsters and Atlas. If she had faced Atlas alone, she would have won, but as it was, she was vastly outnumbered. The shimmering around the tree line told her Atlas had blocked off teleportation. "You coward," Artemis snarled, "You're too scared to face me yourself, knowing you would lose."
Atlas bared his teeth at the insult, "I could defeat you, puny goddess, with my eyes closed. I have a mission, and I will do whatever it takes to complete it. Attack!" Atlas pointed his javelin at Artemis, and the crowd of monsters surged forward as one. Artemis ducked as a Laestrygonian swung his club at her head. A quick slash of her knife felled that particular monster, but she didn't have time to celebrate her victory. Whirling around, she narrowly avoided being ripped to shreds by an Empousa's claws and a hellhound's fangs.
Artemis fought. She fought with every ounce of strength she had. Monsters disintegrated into golden dust almost as quickly as they could be replaced by more monsters. Artemis sliced through her opponents with deadly accuracy, taking out monster after monster without a wasted stroke. Thirty monsters fell. Then fifty.
Just as the wave of monsters started to thin, there was a blur of celestial bronze in her peripheral vision. She barely managed to look around and register it as the butt of Atlas' javelin before a splitting pain shot through her head, and the world dissolved into darkness.
Ok, ok! The plot's picking up! We'll stick with the Titan's Curse for a while, but plot-wise, it's not going to be exactly the same. I will keep certain elements, change others, add several, and omit some altogether. The reasons for this are simple: I unfortunately don't have a copy of the book so I'm just working off the summary on the PJO Wikia. Also, I don't think you would appreciate just rereading the entire Titan's Curse book again as a fanfic. So, starting next chapter, there will be changes. Anyway, thanks for reading! See you next time!