Hey guys! I'm actually surprised I updated this today; I was planning on updating soon, but I'm currently on a week-long vacation visiting my sister and her husband. But, they just had a baby(two days ago), so we've had a lot of down time. So, thanks to my reborn love of this story, I've practically been trying to binge-write it lately. It is my goal to finish this story soon- it's been sitting unfinished for too long. So, hopefully I can get back into the mood I had with Athlon and finally finish this story, because for the past few years it's seemed like that would never happen. So here's the next chapter; I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine!
Song I'm listening to right now: 'Rainbow Connection' by Tori Kelly and Kermit the Frog(I've been listening to this a lot for the past few days; I love it…)

Chapter 14

Narrator's P.O.V.

It was late in the evening in Moaverra's Capital; dinner had just finished as the sun slowly started to set. Inside the Chaos palace in one room stood one of the soldiers. About one hundred fifty yards in front of them stood a target, with around a dozen arrows sticking out of it. Now, just looking at it you would be incredible confused at the soldier's shooting. But, stepping back and letting the lines and circles disappear, the arrows made a perfect spiral from the edge of the target to the center, where four arrows sat in a circles, just centimeters apart.

Reaching up, she pulled a black and silver arrow out of her quiver, setting it in her bow and shooting it to finish the outer part of the spiral. The bow and arrows she carried, were exact replicas of Zayden Blaze's set; it was made of the blackest material ever seen with silver lines running up the bow, ending at the curled ends. The arrows; black, with silver lines leading up to pure silver arrows. They were clearly both created by the same person.

The woman moved on to the next target after her quiver magically refilled. She reached up to grab another arrow, but paused as someone spoke in what had once been an empty room, excluding her.

"Amazing shot as always, Zoë." Turning, the former huntress saw a boy standing there against the back wall. He was about sixteen, wearing a blue long sleeved shirt and black jeans paired with tennis shoes. The boy had black hair, tanned skin, and dark blue eyes. A sword hung on his right hip and a pitch black shield strapped to his back. She relaxed and smiled.

"Thy compliment is appreciated, my Lord." Zoë answered with. Chuckling, the true form of Chaos stood back from the wall and made his way to the soldier. Not many knew that this was his real form- most people thought his older look was the real one. But, when Chaos first appeared he was a sixteen year old boy. Like Juliana, he could change his form, but this would always be his true form. Most wouldn't believe it was really Chaos if he took to this form and walked through the city-it made it really easy to find out information throughout his army, and baffle his soldiers with his 'all-knowing' ways. Only the seven guardians knew- it was not something he spoke of or revealed often.

Plucking one of her arrows out of her quiver, he studied it. Zoë raised an eyebrow at that.

"Is there a reason on why thee came here?" Zoë wondered. Moving his eyes up from studying the arrow, Chaos smiled slightly.

"Yes." Putting the arrow back in the quiver he met Zoë's glance, "I interrupted the Olympian Council Meeting tonight. My offer was that I would bring another group in to protect Earth, specifically Atlantis. They accepted." Chaos revealed. Nodding, Zoë spoke.

"And I'm guessing thy decision is to send me and the rest of my group?" Zoë figured.

"The Iuominen would be the perfect group for the job; you're the only group I have that is powerful enough to go without a guardian- as you have for so long before Zayden came in." Chaos theorized.

"What other angles are thee using?" Zoë inquired casually, sliding her fingers up and down the smooth sides of her bow. Chaos raised an eyebrow before he slowly grinned.

"Ok. I do have prior motives." Chaos confessed.

"And?" Zoë prompted.

"And those motives will remain unknown." Chaos countered, mischief glinting in his eyes. Sighing, Zoë changed the topic.

"When will thee be sending us?" Zoë wondered, planning over what would be needed.

"Whenever you are ready." Chaos reassured. He paused here, concern flashing through his eyes, "You will be on Earth again though. I know that that will be hard for you...and the other Iuominen soldiers who come from Earth. You will be in constant contact with the other members of the army stationed around the mythological world, travelling from each place. You will especially be in contact with Zayden, of course." Chaos paused here, smiling slightly at how Zoë's face lit up at his name.

"But, Zayden is stationed with the hunters." Chaos finally revealed. Zoë stilled at that, her face carefully blank.

"Just Zayden?" At Chaos' nod, Zoë grew concerned, "Are the hunters treating him alright? I more than anyone know how...tough they can be on any male." Zoë added, thinking back to how she had treated Percy when she first met him.

"He's surprisingly gained a friend in the Daughter of Hecate, Jessica(A/N: yes, her new name in Jessica. I forgot to mention that last chapter in the AN. It just felt strange having the guardian Julia and then the huntress Julia- both main characters. So I changed her name)." Chaos answered, causing Zoë to smile. She remember sweet little Jess- so kind and unsure. Ever since her passing and joining Chaos' Army, she made sure to watch over her sisters; to get to know every single new one and learning what had changed about the old ones.

She had a hard time during the Second Giant War when she found out that they had been chasing after Orion- someone she had personally chased and that she despised. She was just thankful that they came out of the war with only a few casualties- for a while, she had worried that the hunter ranks would be completely decimated.

"I'm glad; I'm also assuming he is slowly becoming an older brother to her?" Zoë guessed, remembering when Jessica told everyone her backstory.

"It seems he is." Chaos confirmed, "In my musings, it seems that the hunters have changed over the years. They aren't as close-minded." He grinned here at the glare Zoë sent him for using that word, "They still believe that there are some truly evil men out there, but now they see there are good men as well. I've also noted that the jackalope population has taken a significant drop in the past five centuries." He hinted, a half smirk on his face. Rolling her eyes at his subtle poking, Zoë spoke.

"Aside from that- I shall make it my personal mission to make sure they treat Zayden with respect." There was a dangerous inflection in Zoë's voice at such a thought.

"And how do you know they will even listen?" A glare was answer enough, but Zoë still continued to get her point across.

"I may not be lieutenant anymore, but I would hope my 2,000 years of service would still hold some sway over them." She dryly figured. Chaos nodded at that, stepping back.

"Well, I better take my leave now, so that you can inform the other Iuominen soldiers and start packing." Standing straight, Chaos bowed formally to Zoe, eyes to the ground, before slowly straightening.

"Goodbye Zoë." Zoë was still for a moment before bowing her head, eyes to the ground.

"Goodbye, my Lord." With that, Chaos turned and left out the door, closing it gently behind him. Now that he was gone, Zoë lifted her head- the only difference from before being a slight tinge of pink decorating her cheeks. If Zoë sensed this change, she made no show as her eyes rest intently on the once again closed double doors, a slight smile lightening her expression.

~~~~~~Hunter's Camp-The next morning~~~~~~

A yawn escaped Jessica's mouth as she climbed out of her tent early that morning. The rest of the hunters were still asleep, not due to wake up for another hour. Usually Jessica would still be asleep, but when Zayden got back from the Council meeting last night, he asked if she would wake up early with him and go out on a walk. So, excited, she agreed and here she was. Walking over to the campfire, she smiled half-heartedly at Zayden who was sitting on one of the logs surrounding the put out fire.

"Hey Jess. Ready to go?" Zayden greeted, standing up. Shaking the last bit of sleep off herself, she smiled and nodded.

"Yup! I'm ready to go." With that, the two set out into the forest, talking and laughing as they ambled along. Their steps crunched as they continued to, what seemed to be, no location to Jessica. But, they soon stopped as they reached a lake, maybe a mile away from camp. Walking up to the shore of the lake, the two sat down on the rocky ground. Silence grew as the two stared out at the lake, lost in thoughts and watching the small ripples and waves.

"I've always had an obsession for water. I was not good at many things when I was a kid; teachers said i was a slow learner and couldn't sit still enough to really learn. But, my ADHD and dyslexia made it hard for me. One good thing I had was swimming. My mom used to say that I was born to be in the water; she had a beach that she would often visit; it was actually where she met my dad."

"Growing up, she often took me there. I'd walk along the beach, racing into the surf before racing out. It was the one place that I felt like I truly belonged; that I wasn't just a mistake." Zayden's voice was soft, a vulnerability to his words that Jessica had never heard before. She kept silent, excited to learn more about her newest friend.

"I guess it was fitting that, when I came to camp, I was claimed by Poseidon." Jessica stilled at that, definitely not expecting Zayden to reveal his godly parent- especially that it was one that was so powerful. Well, Zayden is powerful himself, but there were so few big three demi-gods then- it was a big identity reveal. I mean, from what Jessica remembered, there were only two Sons of Poseidon born five hundred years ago. One was killed; the other...well, let's not get into him...Already having a hint of who Zayden was, Jessica decided to stay silent though- he would tell her when he was ready.

"I had maybe a week or so in the Hermes Cabin before I was sent to Cabin 3. Now, having a cabin to yourself sounds great in theory. I didn't have to share with anybody. I had plenty of room for my stuff...I got to sit at my own dinner table, pick all my own activities, call 'lights out' whenever I felt like it, and not listen to anybody else. And I was absolutely miserable. Just when I'd started to feel accepted, to feel I had a home in Cabin Eleven and I might be a normal kid-or as normal as you can be when you're a half-blood-I'd been separated out as if I had some rare disease." (A/N: lightning thief, page 127) Zayden admitted, picking up a rock next to him and rubbing his fingers along it.

"Life got complicated for a while, but when it had finally slowed down- I finally had somewhere that I belonged, and I had friends." Zayden stated, "Life continued like that for year after; life would get busy- I'd be so focused on that and surviving, and then things would end and life would slow down." He sighed here, "I fought in two wars, from age twelve until a few weeks before I would turn eighteen. I thought everything was over then; that I would finally be able to relax and actually live instead of just surviving. The day after the war, we had our celebration on Olympus. I wished for Hestia and Hades to join the council. A few days later, Daniel Gates joined camp." Zayden's hands clenched at that.

"Everyone quickly fell in love with him. There were no bad omens surrounding his arrival at camp, like mine did." Zayden muttered, "He was good at picking out what people liked and acting like that person. He had dozens of different personas with all the campers. At one point he was shy and stuttering; the next he was confident and self-assured. He tried it on me, but I quickly saw through it. He didn't like that very much."

"Each day camp slowly changed; no longer did they focus on the seven. Instead, Daniel was the new hero- despite the fact that he had never even killed a monster." Zayden reached up and tossed the rock he had been holding into the lake as far as he could, "When my birthday came around, I immediately took the opportunity to escape camp. I wasn't going back to school- I never actually finished high school. I planned to, but…" He trailed off at that before strengthening his tone, "I wanted to take a break from responsibilities for a year, so I because a year-long camper. But I spend my birthday with my mom and dad. And everything was great that day. But when I got back to camp, Daniel was even more in control. Soon, he started to put innocent rumors out, posed as questions that slowly made people suspicious of me."

"He was determined to pull me to the ground so he could be the only Son of Poseidon at camp that people looked up to. Soon, the rumors got to Olympus and on the fourteenth of Olympus, they called a trial." Zayden chuckled darkly here, "Everyone had expected me to be surprised, but I wasn't. I had had a lot of gods visiting me in the last few weeks before the trial, who kept reassuring me of their support. I even had two Olympians come down and apologize for the votes they would be making against me."

At Jessica's shocked look, Zayden nodded, "Yeah; Athena came down and apologized; she was going to vote for me for Annabeth and the rest of her children as that was what they were praying for her to do. The next was Hades, who said that the Fates had visited him and said he was destined to vote against me- as that was how the future must go. He promised me though, that the second Daniel came to the Underworld, he would make him pay." Zayden laughed here, "When I brought up the fact that they may make him immortal, he declared that he would get Daniel in his domain sooner or later, even if he had to kill him himself." Zayden's grin slowly faded as the weight of the conversation rested back on his shoulders.

"So they vote came in, and I was killed." Zayden shortly stated, making Jessica flinch, "Chaos stopped my soul though, and I accepted to join his army as his first guardian. And with that, I created a new identity: Zayden Blaze." Silence grew as Zayden finished speaking, lost in the memories of everything that had happened back then.

"So, you really are Percy Jackson?" Zayden nodded, reaching up and pulling his hood back to reveal his face, "B-But why are you telling me? I mean…" Grinning, Percy turned and met Jessica's eyes.

"Because you showed me kindness- you didn't look at me and see someone inferior. Well, at first you did." Zayden joked before continuing, "But, you've become like a little sister to me. So it felt right. Plus, there is someone I want you to meet." Percy hinted at.

"Who?" Jessica wondered, eyebrows crinkling in confusion.

"My little sister." Percy stated, standing, "If you want to." Jessica didn't even pause, jumping up.

"Where are we going?" Jessica asked as Percy pulled his hood back up.

"You'll see."

~~~~~~Camp Half-Blood~~~~~~

Jessica stumbled slightly as she stepped out onto solid ground.

"Woah." She muttered, "I mean, I've been shadow travelling before with Colette, but that was a lot different than that..." She stated, bring up the Daughter of Hades in the Hunt.

"Yeah. It took me a while to get used to it too." Zayden remarked.

"So...Camp Half-Blood?" She pointed out.

"Yup. This is where my sister is." Without saying anything else, they started through camp. As the sun had only just risen, most of the camper were asleep. The ones that were awake were in the bathrooms getting ready. Walking up to the Poseidon Cabin, Zayden knocked before opening the door; stepping inside and closing the door after Jessica had followed him. Slipping on her last shoe, Ayla stood up from her bed ready for the day.

"Hey guys!" She exclaimed, having been told by Percy last night that they would be visiting her in the morning.

"Hey Ayla." Percy greeted, stepping forward- Jessica hesitantly following him, "So, I figured it was time that my two little sisters met each other. Ayla meet Jessica Connors, Daughter of Hecate and a member of the hunt since the seventeenth century." she beamed at her in greeting, "Jessica meet Ayla Jackson, Poseidon's Immortal Camp Counselor."

"Hey." They both chorused.

"And, you both know my true identity- so there is no need to act awkward around the other." Percy added, pulling back his hood.

"So he told you?" Ayla asked Jessica.

"Yeah; just this morning. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that fact…" She muttered. Ayla laughed.

"It took me a while too. I never thought I would be meeting my older brother." She added, smiling at Percy who smiled back.

"Well, Jessica and I need to get back to camp soon, but why don't we walk around the forest first?" He wondered. At their agreement, he pulled his hood back up and the three left the Poseidon cabin. Ayla and Jessica spent the next twenty minutes getting to know one another and instantly clicked, as Percy knew they would. But, if the two stayed any longer, the hunters would get suspicious. So, saying goodbye and promising to meet up again soon, Percy brought himself and Jessica back to the lakeside.

"Why are we back here?" She inquired.

"Well, since I figured we would be out later than an hour, I told Artemis that I would hunt for breakfast. And as you usually accompany me…" He trailed off here.

"They wouldn't wonder where we disappeared to." Jessica continued for him. Percy nodded.

"Luckily, we are only about thirty minutes after the hunters all woke up. So we're right on time; just missing one thing." Using his powers, Zayden made a deer appear out of thin air a little bit down the shore. Pulling out a bow and an arrow, he shot and killed the bewildered deer. Walking over, he picked it up and the two ran back to camp.

Arriving, they saw the hunters walking about, finishing the last bits of their morning routines. Each one they passed glanced up at the two briefly before going back to what they were doing, used to the two of them being together now. Walking over to the table, Zayden used his magic to prepare the deer for dinner, making other foods appear on the table as well. Once everything was finished, the hunters slowly made their way over to them and sat down at their designated spots. Zayden and Jessica once against sat separate from the others. It was still strange, but Jessica enjoyed sitting next to Zayden, having their own quiet conversation. As everyone settled down, Artemis spoke.

"Good morning hunters, Zayden." They all chorused good mornings, "Tonight we will be joining the gods and others in the daily Olympian Council Meetings. I have also decided that we will be moving camp today. We have stayed in this spot too long."

"Where will we be heading, milady?" Clare wondered.

"We will be heading to Maine, as there has been rumors around the demi-gods there that monster sightings have been increasing recently." She explained, "All of you are to take up your regular obligations when it comes to packing up." After talking to the hunters and getting agreed acknowledgment, she turned to Zayden, "As the hunters have everything handled, I need you to come to Olympus with me. I have a few things I need to take care of. And I'm sure you would like to confer with the two Guardians watching over Olympus." Zayden nodded in obedience at that. With that said, they all started to eat.

"I really like Ayla." Jessica murmured. Zayden smiled.

"I'm glad; she seemed to really like you too." Zayden added.

What's it like in Chaos' Army?" Jessica wondered.

"It's amazing. I mean after…" He lowered his voice here, "After what happened to me, I felt so confused. Being betrayed by all the people I thought were my family and friends. And having to leave the people who stayed by my side and supported me. I was lost. But, the army has become my new family; they all know about my past- we all know every person's past and accept every part of it." He explained.

"That's kind of like the Hunt. I mean," Her voice also lowered here, "Many of us have had tough pasts, but here we start a new life- we have a new purpose. I've been more happy as a hunter these past nine hundred years than the first sixteen years of my life." Jessica confessed.

"It's amazing how so many people from different walks of life, of different times and, in the army's case, different planets can have so much in common." Zayden remarked. It was at that point that Jessica finished her food.

"I better go get started on packing." And with that, she left to her tent. Zayden continued to slowly eat, waiting for Artemis to finish. After a few minutes she and the other hunters had. As the table emptied, both Artemis and Zayden stood.

"I have to pack up my tent first, then we can go." Artemis stated.

"If you would allow it, I could help you pack?" Zayden formally offered. Artemis swiftly nodded at that and the two made their way to the main tent of the cabin. Following inside, Zayden looked around the room. Against the right wall, headboard to the corner sat Artemis' bed. A bear rug lay on the floor, brown in color.

Next to the door sat a desk covered in maps and papers, the chair pushed in. In the back of the left wall, touching the corner of the tent. On the wall parallel from the door, in between the corner and the bedside table, were maps pinned to the wall. Dots of different colors decorated each one, a few pins decorating them as well. In between the book shelf and the computer desk was a wardrobe with figurines and things that Artemis had collected throughout the centuries sitting on top.

"Just pick up anything lying around the room and put them in their proper places: papers; in the desk, books; on the shelf." She explained, "After that, I'll teleport all my things to my palace and take down the tent." Nodding in understanding, Zayden walked over to the bedside table and picked up the few books that were sitting there, placing them on the bookshelf. Artemis was picking up clothes and tossing them in the basket in between the wardrobe and desk- presumably the laundry. After picking up all the books, Zayden walked over to the desk and started to pull all the papers into a neat pile. Opening one of the drawers, he was suddenly stopped as Artemis yelled, "no!" and shut the drawer closed. Looking at her and raising his eyebrows, he watched Artemis blush brightly.

"Sorry, it's just- that's my personal drawer." She admitted, "Just put the papers in the drawer below it." Understanding her reaction now(he himself had his own private drawer in his room at Chaos' palace and never let anyone see in it), he pulled open the drawer below it and placed all the papers in there. Accepting the maps that Artemis had quickly taken down from the tent wall, he put them in the drawer before closing it.

Soon, the room was clean and, with a wave of her hand, the room was empty. Following Artemis outside the tent, Artemis cancelled all the magic surrounding it before taking the cover off. Soon, the tent was just a pile of folded covers and tent poles. Rolling them up in a bag and zipping it closed, they were finally done. Watching the hunters packing up around them, the ones with magic or travel of some sorts sending the inside objects to Artemis' Palace. Saying goodbye to the hunters, Artemis turned to Zayden.

"Meet me at my palace." And with that, she burst into her true form. The hunters quickly looked in a different direction, but now that Percy was no longer just a demi-god, he could see a being's true form without disintegrating. Her truth form was a swirl of glinting silver, but mixed in was some sea-green- it was beautiful. After she had disappeared, Zayden shook his head slightly, trying to get over the daze he felt(strange, he had never felt such a daze before, when seeing someone's true form…), he teleported himself onto Olympus.

~~~~~~Mount Olympus~~~~~~

Arriving in Artemis' palace, Zayden looked around. The walls were a light grey, with white lines depicting scenes of forests, the hunters, and all of Artemis' domains. Right now, Zayden was standing in the living room was a dusty pink couch and pair of loveseats. In the middle of the three pieces was a glass table, surrounded in pure white wood. On top of the table sat some decoration and right in the middle was a vase of green and white flowers- some books lying underneath the glass. And right where the tv usually was, hung an off-white projector screen- the actual projector nowhere to be found. Dark brown wooden floors flowed throughout the palace hallways, even in the kitchen and bedrooms.

The dining room table had a weathered birch look to it, with elegant chairs of the same wood. Already set and ready to be have food placed in the middle. In the updated kitchen were grey countertops, white backsplash, dark cupboards, and appliances spaced around.

"Not what you expected?" A voice sounded from behind him. Turning around to face Artemis, Zayden shook his head.

"I guess I just expected all the Olympian Palace's to be like the extravagant temples on earth." Zayden confessed. Artemis just shrugged.

"Most are. But I like having a comfortable house, not just a bunch of stone." She stated. It was silent between the two for a minute.

"So, you have business here in Olympus?" Zayden wondered.

"Yes. In about two weeks we have an annual celebration coming up. The council over that celebration is getting together. It'll probably last about an hour. We'll meet back here than." Artemis explained, making her way to the door. Zayden raised an eyebrow, curious at the topic Artemis had breached.

"And what is being celebrated?" Zayden inquired, resting her hand on the door handle, she turned to face Zayden.

"Well, it's three events in one, really. The first is the end of the Second Titan War, the Second is the end of the Second Giant War, and the third is the birthday of the Hero Perseus Jackson, celebrated on August 18th." Artemis casually answered, before opening the door and heading out onto the streets of Olympus, leaving a shell-shocked Zayden Blaze behind her.

Was my birthday really in two weeks? Percy wondered to himself. Usually Percy was pretty good at keeping track of his birthday; life had gotten really busy since Percy joined Chaos' army and since he was so old now, they kind of lost their meaning- But Percy and the guardians still celebrated each of their birthdays. I guess with the knowledge of this new war, my birthday got pushed to the back of my mind. I can understand celebrating the end of the two wars, but to celebrate me? What has changed in the past five hundred years to have everyone agree to celebrate it?

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, and deciding to think about it later, Zayden left Artemis' temple and made his way through the streets of Olympus, ignoring all the curious and shocked looks sent his way. Focusing on the connection all the guardians shared, Perseus saw that they were actually together in a side room of the Main Olympian Palace. Reaching the Palace, Zayden made his way inside, soon reaching the room. Knocking, he heard someone inside, a familiar female voice, yell for him to, 'come in!'. Stepping inside, he saw Ziana and Jordan sitting at a table, a map spread out in front of them. Looking up, the two grinned at their leader.

"Zayden! What are you doing outside of the Hunter's camp?" Jordan exclaimed, the two sharing a bro hug. Ziana smiled, hugging Zayden tightly- saying hello.

"Well, the hunters are all packing up to move camp and Artemis needed to come here for a...meeting." Zayden paused here, remembering what the meeting was about, "So, she said I could come up here and visit you two. How is everything on Olympus going?" With that, Ziana proceeded to ramble excitedly about all the architecture and beauty here, and all the security plans that have been created and the problems that have been fixed, Jordan occasionally adding a bit here and there. Zayden tried to focus, but he found his mind slowly drifting back to the information Artemis had shared with him. So, he hoped that his two fellow guardians could excuse him for the rudeness, as he interrupted Ziana in the middle of her sentence.

"Do you two know anything about the celebration happening here in two weeks?" Zayden wondered. The two shared a confused look at that, wondering why Zayden was bringing this up.

"A little. Most people on Olympus are talking about it- we haven't heard much, but everyone's excited. Why?" Jordan questioned. Using his powers to see if they were having a completely private conversation(they were), Percy continued.

"Apparently they are celebrating the end of the two wars, and my birthday ." He slowly admitted. At their surprised looks, Percy sighed, "I guess I'm just confused? Why would they be celebrating me? I mean, they definitely weren't planning to do that five hundred years ago." Ziana and Jordan seemed to share a look for a while, face changing as they argued back and forth. These two really need to get together…Percy thought to himself as he watched the connection the two shared. Seeming to come to a decision, they turned to face Percy.

"There's something we need to show you Percy." Ziana stated. Confused, but nodding, Percy stood up with the three. Ziana grasped his and Jordan's hands before teleporting them somewhere else. Blinking his eyes, Percy was shocked by the blackness of the building they stood in. The building was empty except for the three guardians. Looking around, Percy was amazed by the green light images covering the walls. The boy in all of them(some with friends, others just him) looked just like…

"This is a monument building centuries ago as a tribute to the Hero of Olympus, Perseus Jackson." Jordan evenly stated. Percy swallowed the knot in his throat.

"A tribute?" He carefully repeated. The two guardians nodded, watching him carefully. Looking at the walls around him, Percy slowly realized what each scene depicted- finding the different parts of a quest he went on. His eyes zeroed in though, on the middle of the room. Walking forward, eyes wet, he stopped right before what he was looking at.

My shroud... He mentally whispered, so that only Ziana and Jordan could hear him- the other guardians busy with their missions.

It's beautiful, isn't it? Ziana carefully complimented. Percy could only nod, not able to believe the sight right in front of him. Percy was unfortunate to have seen many shrouds created, because of the two wars he went through as a demi-god, but this was the most beautiful one he had ever seen.

"They really did care..." He carefully whispered, keeping his eyes on his very own shroud that he never was honored with at his death.

"It seems they did." Jordan agreed. Stepping back from the shroud slowly, Percy made his way towards the two guardians.

"I-I don't…"He trailed off, not able to express his thoughts. Ziana and Jordan seemed to share another look before coming to an agreement.

"There's something else we need to show you as well." Jordan confessed. Turning to them, he grabbed their offered hands without another word, not knowing if he could handle the next thing on top of what he had just found out. Opening his eyes, he was welcomed to another dark room. But suddenly, white lines and words lit up from behind him, leading across walls and through corners, stopping before they touched the wall in front of him.

His eyes moved to Ziana as she walked over and touched a part of the line made by words that was behind him. Head snapping around. Percy watched in amazement as the wall lit up like a projector. And with that, his memories started to play. He watched his twelve year old self sitting in class; defeating the fury; going to Montauk; losing his mom; defeating the Minotaur; getting to camp. His whole first quest played out right in front of him, filling Percy with a surreal feeling of reality.

Here he was, watching his younger self struggle to survive and understand this new world he had fallen into, and yet he sat here- having been through all that and even more. I don't think my younger self could believe even a third of the things we end up going through, Percy thought to himself. I definitely didn't know what I was getting myself into…

"H-How?" Percy muttered as he watched all his quest unravel before his eyes.

"It's another tribute to you." Ziana stated.

"But why another one?" He wondered. The two shared a look from the chairs they were sitting in(there was another chair as well, probably for Percy, but he couldn't seem to move from where he stood).

"Percy, how is everything going with the hunters?" Jordan questioned, seemingly out of the blue. Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, he focused on the hunters.

"Umm...Ok I guess, I mean they still don't trust me, but I'm hoping I'll get through to them soon." He explained, "Why?"

"And how is everything between you and Artemis?" Ziana carefully inquired. Percy's eyebrows shot up in surprise at that.

"Good I guess. I mean, I don't know…"

"Were you two ever friends? Or close?" This was starting to feel like a completely random interrogation.

"Ah, no, we weren't. Sure, we ran into one another on quests and respected each other, but we were never friends." Percy awkwardly answered. The two guardians shared a look before continuing.

"So you never had any type of connection with or towards Artemis?" Percy was glad no one was listening or watching this conversation, because at that moment Percy was incredibly embarrassed right now and sure his face was as red as it could get.

"Well…" Ziana gasped and jumped up, startling Percy.

"You're blushing...You're blushing!" She exclaimed, making Percy blush even more and awkwardly rub the back of his neck.

"You had feelings for Artemis." Jordan realized. Ziana shook her head vividly at that.

"Not just had. Has!" She exclaimed, beaming at the incredibly embarrassed leader.

"Yes, I did." Percy admitted, "But I never even acted on them- I was more focused on Annabeth considering Artemis is a maiden goddess who despises men." Percy confessed. The two nodded in understanding.

"Of course." They chorused.

"But that still doesn't explain…" Jordan suddenly muttered. Ziana furrowed her eyebrows, turning to face Jordan.

"I guess it doesn't." She seemed to realize.

"Doesn't explain what?" Percy demanded, getting frustrated at being so out of the loop. Sighing, Ziana walked over to the wall.

"It doesn't explain this." She stated, pointing to the small, barely noticeable white print next to the door. Most people wouldn't have noticed it, but as guardians they had amazing eyesight and could easily notice it. Walking over, Percy read the writing. 'Dedicated to the greatest demigod who ever lived. Your memory will forever live on in here, even a part of you that most never saw, yet I saw every time in one of our seaside adventures. I will miss you forever dear friend - Artemis'.

"I mean, according to you, you two weren't close. Yet here she calls you a dear friend. And seaside adventures? I mean, you did go across seas and oceans on quests…" Ziana theorized, "But, I thought the only quest Artemis was involved was the one to save her and Annabeth, and the end of the Second Giant War with her brother. At least with you personally."

Percy said nothing, eyes only focused on three words of that whole sentence: 'our seaside adventures'. Now, Percy was obsessed about the ocean, so he had went to it often with a lot of different people. But there was only one person in his memories that he ever called them 'seaside adventures' with, and they pretty much disappeared off the face of the planet when Percy was twelve years old. Percy had often wondered about Lily throughout all his quests; especially when he went to Greece. He had hoped to somehow run into her.

But, for the little while he was in Greece and not fighting for his life in Tartarus or battles, he never saw anyone looking like Lily. Percy could never forget Lily; she was his first friend; the first person he told everything to. She was also his first ever love- and you can never forget your first love. Most people, when they would hear that, would think he was naive- thinking he was in love at such a young age. But Lily and he had had such a special connection since they first met. Lily held a special place in his heart that neither Annabeth or anybody else could fill.

Seeing that quote mentioned, something that had only been known between the two of them(not even Sally knew), made Percy determined. Artemis clearly created this building as a tribute for him, and as they never really knew each other, she must have done it for someone. Someone that she cared about enough to go to such lengths. And someone she got this quote from, writing her name instead to keep that person hidden. Artemis has to have known Lily- and been close to her. They were so alike; it was a big reason Percy fell for Artemis so quickly: her and Lily were so similar. Maybe she knows what happened to her, Percy thought to himself.

It killed Percy to have so many unanswered questions about his oldest friend; to have not known what had happened to her after she had moved away. It has been a little more than five hundred years since he had last seen Lily- she was long dead now. But he would like to pay his respects; maybe plead with Hades to let him see her one last time to get some close. Hades sure owed him at least that for the wishes that helped Hades after each war. But the key to finding Lily; it was Artemis. A new goal in mind, Percy was determined to find out the truth about what happened to his old friend- and for that, he would need to get closer to Artemis and find a non-suspicious way to breach the subject.

~~~~~~An hour after reaching Olympus: at Artemis' Palace~~~~~~

Walking up the streets towards Artemis' palace, Zayden calmed himself. He couldn't act like something was different. He would have to be patient- to find some way to bring up Lily in a way that would not give his identity away. He didn't care how long it took; days, weeks- he would find out what happened to Lily and finally get some closure. Inside the temple, sitting at the kitchen bench, Artemis was silently drinking hot cocoa. Gods didn't have to eat much, but Artemis enjoyed mortal food.

Thinking over the meeting she had just went to, Artemis sighed. It was hard to sit there, and talk about Percy in such a platonic way. They had grown to know each other and respect each other through quests where they ran into each other, and before the trial came Artemis often visited Percy at camp. But, she could never work up the courage to actually begin a relationship with him. Instead, they gained a mutual understanding and respect for each other.

To this day, Artemis cursed her younger self for being such a coward- if she had only revealed herself as Lily to Percy, life could've been different. She didn't think the outcome of the trial would've changed, but at least they could've spent time like they used to when they were younger. She could've lightened his burden and created at least some peace in his life before the trial's results came into being.

Shaking her head to get rid of all the 'could've done this, would've done that', Artemis focused her mind on a different topic: the hunt she was planning. The hunters were probably almost done packing. If Zayden had stayed back and helped they would've gotten it all done sooner. But, Zayden hadn't been alone with the hunters, without her, at all. She doubted they would be cruel to him; though they all thought they were keeping it secret from her, Artemis knew that they didn't hate boys as much as they used to. But, they were still mistrustful towards boys.

Thalia was the worst of all; ever since Percy's death, she had closed up. It was quite the shock as Thalia used to be the most understanding of the hunters. She regretted not being there to help Percy. Before everything at camp had happened, Thalia had left on a solo mission to trail and kill a group of monsters that was creating havoc in Russia. She was gone for two months, tracking the monsters.

We had absolutely no contact with Thalia- only she could send messages out, being so out of signal. She got back about two weeks after Percy's trial and nearly destroyed our camp in her anger and grief. She cut off all contact with the Olympians and camp. Every time we went to camp when I had to got to Olympus or on a mission, she stayed in our cabin and hunted for her own food- just to stay away from all the traitorous campers.

The only camper and boy she still talked to was Nico Di Angelo who had taken Minos' place as a judge in the Underworld and spent most days and nights in the Underworld. He only ever really returned to camp then for weekends and was the only one to stand up for Percy and hang out with him: He even promised Percy that, no matter what happened, he would still believe him and would make Daniel's life absolutely terrible. They quickly became best friends; Thalia became Nico's new big sister and Nico became another little brother. Thalia and Jason's relationship became shaky after everything with Percy, but soon they started slightly rebuilding their sibling bond.

She looked at Zayden, so mysterious and secretive, and instantly hated him. The other hunters may be civil to Zayden for Jessica's sake, but Thalia would not be able to contain her hate and things would get ugly. So, she brought Zayden up here- things were already stressful because of this war, they didn't need it to get any worse. Artemis shook herself from her reverie and stood as a knock sounded on the door. Setting down her cup in the sink, she walked over to it and opened it to see Zayden.

"Ready to go?" She questioned, closing the door behind him. At his nodded, they teleported back to the hunter's campsite. Without saying goodbye, the two headed away- Zayden to where Jessica was, and Artemis to Thalia. About five minutes later, they had grabbed all their gear and things and started running east, hoping to reach their destination in the next few days. After about an hour of walking it was soon lunch time and, after Zayden and Jessica gathered up the leftover heated meat from this morning, and Zayden created food on the table, they all delved in.

Once again, Jessica and Zayden sat apart from the rest of the hunters, immersed in their own conversation(Artemis couldn't hear though, as she assumed Zayden was using his powers to make it so) as small conversations ran around the hunters. After cleaning up, the all grabbed their gear and things and continued their travels to Maine. Finally, about an hour before the meeting tonight, they made camp about halfway into South Dakota.

After putting up their protection wards around the area to keep everything out, they built a campfire and had a dinner with the last bits of the deer from this morning. Once they were all finished, they cleaned up and Artemis and Zayden flashed everyone to Olympus a few minutes before the meeting started. Arriving there, the hunters walked up to Artemis' throne and sat at her feet. Zayden departed from them and headed to the only empty seat left for the guardians.

The room was loud; as it always was. Some people were bickering, some were silent, and others were just conversing with one another. The room was even louder today, considering the surplus of members they had gained. Looking over at the camp counselors, Zayden grinned at Ayla who smiled back, turning and slightly waving to Jessica(who shyly waved back).

Zayden smiled when he saw Thalia look towards the campers and beam at Nico and Ayla, giving Jason a slight smile. Zayden was shocked though at the cold stares and glares she sent to the other campers from their time, who only looked down in guilt. He knew that Thalia could hold a grudge, but it has been five hundred years since their mistake. But, it seemed that Thalia had also changed since then, just like Percy had.

Deciding it wasn't something he should focus on now, he looked around the room, analyzing all the people. The camp leaders from Camp Jupiter were silently sitting in their chairs, avoiding the eyes of Julia and her group, to Zayden's amusement. He saw Reyna, Frank, and Hazel as well as a few old friends, but he didn't feel the same pang with them as he did with Camp Half-Blood friends. They weren't a part of the followers of Daniel- Daniel only affected Camp Half-Blood and Olympus. But, they definitely had some mistakes to make up for with Julia and her group- they were a tough group to earn respect from when you lost it before.

"Welcome everyone!" Zeus exclaimed, calling the room to silence, "Hello to everyone knew to our meetings to discuss the war we are currently facing." Everyone looked around and gave slight smiles, the mention of the war weighing on shoulders, "I don't know if many of you know, but last night Lord Chaos showed up and announced that he would be bringing the Iuominen group, Zayden's group, to help protect Atlantis." Turning to Poseidon, he continued, "Do you have anything to report about that?"

"Yes. They just arrived a few hours ago. They are unpacking tonight and will be scoping out Atlantis all of tomorrow so they can immediately get started with plans. They plan to join us in these meetings in two days." He announced. Everyone nodded at that. With that, we went around the room, the new people mentioning their name before they added something in. Zayden was so close to walking up to a wall and banging his head against in multiple times in the meeting, as when people from his past introduced themselves, the Chaos Army members would glance from him to them, and back and forth.

People were starting to get nervous though, as nothing seemed to be happening. Since the first day, there hadn't been a single battle. Most knew that it was the calm before the storm and they worried about just when that storm would start and how bad it would be. Finally, the meeting was coming to an end, but Zeus had one more thing to announce.

"I have been thinking lately and have been debating something back and forth. I know many will not take it well, but I believe it is the best thing to do." Zeus slowly started. At everyone's looks, he sighed and continued, "Though I have absolute faith in Zayden, the hunter's, and Artemis' abilities, I believe that they should head to Camp Half-Blood and remain there for the remainder of the war." Zeus was right about some people not taking it well, as the hunters exploded; the camp leaders at Camp Half-Blood sharing unsure looks.

"Father, we are perfectly capable of defending ourselves!" Artemis exclaimed.

"And I know you are, daughter, but you can't deny that have more numbers together is better than being separate. If you stay at camp, the enemy will have to combine forces that were previously split between the two of you. Your chances are much better at Camp Half-Blood; and Camp Half-Blood will be much safer with you around." Zeus explained.

"But Father, we already have a scheduled mission to Maine." Thalia concluded, "Right now that mission is our priority. It is the point of the hunt to trail monsters and stop them from hurting mortals. If we are at camp, we can't go through our missions." She seemed slightly happy, sure this would change Zeus' plans. But it didn't seem like that would happen.

"For now until further notice, the hunt's missions will be put on hold." The uproar at that was even worse than before, "Though I know how upset you are at this news, you are all just too unprotected travelling from place to place as you usually do. We are facing an enemy force we have never faced before." Other hunters tried different methods of arguments, trying to change Zeus' mind; but Zeus was firm.

"I know you don't like it, but you will all be heading to Camp Half-Blood for the duration of the war." He finalized.

"Very well father. As New York is halfway between where we are and Maine, we will continue to hike there and arrive at camp in a few days." Thalia devised, determined to push off this trip to Camp Half-Blood as much as she could. But, Zeus saw right through what she was doing.

"No. You will still be unprotected for days before reaching camp: I can't have that. So, I would ask that, once you arrive at your temporary campsite, Artemis and Zayden teleport you straight to camp." His eyes softened when he looked at Zayden and Artemis, "I know it will take a toll on your power reserves, but I feel in the end it will be much safer." The room grew silent at that, the tension thick as ever as hunters glared at the Camp Half-Blood leaders, who refused to meet their eyes, "If no one has anything else to add, then the meeting is over and you are all dismissed."

No one had anything to add, so everyone went back to what they were doing beforehand. As they packed up their things, Zayden reflected on just what the next while would bring, now being somewhat a part of the hunt, instead of camp- as well as dealing with his former friends and the memories that are sure to resurface at camp.

Song I'm listening to right now: 'Cosmic Love' by Florence and The Machine(part of a Captain Swan Playlist on Spotify…)

That's that chapter done! I'm so surprised I was able to update so soon after the other one. This one was(according to Microsoft Word) 8,630 words(not including the author notes). I am determined to finish this story soon(and hopefully I will do that). I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I know there was not much action. But my muse took over and created this chapter. But, there will be action in the next chapter, I promise! Well, good luck in life until then!