Bianca and I stood on either side of Zoe on one end of the ping pong table.

I surveyed the campers cooly, not particularly happy with being here. But Zoe asked, and she was like my older sister, so who was I to argue?

Mr. D had waved his hand, giving us snacks, but no one but the satyr we rescued a few days ago touched them.

"The Hunters must leave immediately," Zoe said. "Our goddess needs us."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

I gave him a deadpan stare. "West. Were you not paying attention to the Oracle?"

Thalia snorted. "You're forgetting something. Five shall go west to the goddess in chains and Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're going to need to work together."

I snorted. "Great idea in theory, but we'll tear each other apart."

"True," Mr. D mused as he swirled his Diet Coke under his nose. "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? When if you fail because you try to cooperate?"

I raised an eyebrow. "One shall be lost. Lost doesn't necessarily mean die, unlike one shall perish. We could lose a member and not see them again until the end." I frowned at the table. "But knowing our luck, that's unlikely."

"We're going to have to work together," Thalia said begrudgingly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoe grimanced and I glared at the ping pong table. Why did she have to be right?

"We cannot delay," Chiron warned. "We have a week till the winter solstice."

Zoe nodded. "Artemis must be present. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Mr. D asked slightly indigeneity.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

I froze. Zoe was going to be in trouble.

But Mr. D nodded. "Just checking. You're right, of course. Carry on."

"I agree with Zoe," said Chiron. "Artemis' presence is critical. We have a week to find her and the monster she was hunting. Now we must decide who goes on this quest."

"Three and Two."

We turned to my brother.

"We're supposed to have five," he explained, looking like we were all stupid. "Three Hunters, two from Camp. That's more than fair."

I shrugged. "I don't care who goes on this thing, as long as we find Artemis."

Zoe picked up a ping pong paddle and studied it like she was deciding who she should wack first. "This monster, the bane of Olympus. I have hunted by Lady Artemis' side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast mighr be."

We all looked at Mr. D who was flipping through a wine magazine. He glanced up and frowned. "Well don't look at me. I'm supposed to be a young god, remember?"

"Chiron," Percy said. "Any ideas?"

Chiron frowned. "I have may, though none of them good. Typhoon and Keto fit this description. But neither of them are stirring or we would know it. I fear this monster would be more elusive. More powerful."

"Hold up," I furrowed my brow, thinking. "Back when I still attended Hogwarts, I ran into a couple centaurs there who gave me some advice. They said," I frowned, trying to think. "They said that Mars was bright that night and that the innocents are always the first victims. At first, I thought they were talking about the war that was brewing over there, but centaurs are more connected to our world. They could have been warning me about this."

Zoe closed her eyes, like she was going through her more painful memories. "There is power in killing innocence. This monster might not be powerful at all. It could be that killing it gives power."

"That's some serious danger you're facing," one of the campers who had guarded the flag said.

"One shall be lost in the land without rain," another guard said. "I'd stay out of the desert if I were you."

"The Titan's curse must one withstand," a daughter of Aphrodite said. "What could that mean?"

Chiron and Zoe exchanged nervous looks.

"One shall perish by a parent's hand," the satyr said. "Who's parent would kill them?"

I snorted. "Lord of Time, anyone?"

I forced myself not to look at Zoe. Knowing her stubbornness, she would go on the quest. And in the end, she would probably die.

"Percy's right," the daughter of Aphrodite said. "Two campers should go."

"Oh I see," Zoe said sarcastically. "And I suppose you wish to volunteer?"

The girl shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters, don't look at me!"

"A daughter of Aphrodite does not wished to be looked at," Zoe scoffed. "What would thy mother say?"

The girl began standing up and I slammed my hands on the table. "Enough!" I barked. "We can talk about this later. Who's going on this thing?"

Zoe stood. "I shall go, of course, and I will take Melody. She is our best tracker."

"You're the one who got the flag?" one of the guards asked. I nodded. "The one who made the decoys?" his brother asked cautiously. I nodded again.

He handed me a silver t-shirt. I smiled at him thankfully before lighting it one fire.

They watched, shocked, as it turned to ashes. I leaned in sweetly. "Here's the thing, boys. I don't accept gifts from strangers. And I most certainly do not accept gifts from boy. Wouldn't want to miss out on the quest because of centaur's blood, would we?"

Their eyes widened. "How...?"

I gave them a deadpan look. "I can read minds."

This much was true. I normally don't do it, but when something suspicious is going on, I broaden my mind, keeping an eye out for any malicious intentions.

Chiron gave the boys a look. "We will be discussing this later," he promised them. I smirked and sat back, motioning for Zoe to continue.

Zoe sighed. "As I was saying, I will take Melody. And I wish Bianca to go."

Bianca's eyes widened. "Me? But... I'm so new, I won't be any good!"

"You will do fine," Zoe insisted. "There is no better way to prove thyself."

"And for the campers?" Chiron asked.

"Me!" the satyr stood up so fast he bumped into the ping pong table. "Anything to help Artemis!"

Zoe shook her head. "You are not even a half blood."

"But he is a camper," Thalia pointed out. "And he's got satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song, Grover?"

The satyr, Grover, nodded. "Absolutely!"

Zoe frowned. "Very well. And the second camper?"

Thalia stood up. "I'll go," she looked at the other campers, daring them to question her.

"Hey, wait, I want to go too," Percy stood up.

Zoe snorted. "No. You are a boy."

"So is Grover," he protested. I waved my hand in dismissal. "He's a satyr. He doesn't count."

"I have to go!" he said.

"Because of Annabeth?" Zoe asked.

"No! Well, partly, but I just feel like I'm supposed to go!" he failed miserably at keeping the blush off his face.

"No," Zoe said flatly. "I will take a satyr if I must, but not a male hero." I could hear her mutter under in breath in Ancient Greek, "Especially one that carries his sword."

"So be it," Chiron concluded the meeting. "Thalia and Grover will accompany Zoe, Melody, and Bianca. You'll leave at first light. And may the gods, present company included, be with you."

...

I was seven. I watched from the shadows as Erik Potter, the boy-who-lived and my idiot twin, beamed for the cameras and unwrapped his mountain of gifts. I looked down at the poorly wrapped children's book from the house elf that had watched me since I was born. I was thankful, of course, but it's hard to not have your mother and father not care.

I was nine. I met my real father for the first time. Poseidon was my dad but not my twin's. Similar to Hercules he told me. He gave me a hair clip that turned to a polished green bow to fight the monsters that came after me.

I was eleven. I recieved my Hogwarts letter. James and Lily (I had taken to calling them that, they weren't my family) were shocked that there was a second letter. They had forgotten they had a daughter. I'll admit, that hurt more than I thought it would.

I was being Sorted. I had already had to shop for my supplies with the small amount of money I had saved up, James and Lily never gave me any money. Now, I had to be Sorted while the rest of Hogwarts jeered at me, Dumbledork told everyone I was a Dark Witch. The Sorting Hat put me in Slytherin, confirming what the old goat had said. No one wanted to be my friend.

I was twelve. I killed the basilisk and was knocked unconscious from the magical energy exerted. Erik Potter woke up from Tom Riddle's Stunning spell and grabbed the sword of Gryffindor from my grasp. We left the Chamber of Secrets and Erik took all the credit and framing me for opening the Chamber.

I was thirteen. I was kicked out of the Dursley's after being taken there after my second year when the Potters had kicked me out. I sat on the curb and struggled not to cry before summoning the Knight Bus. I left for the Leaky Caldron and stayed there the rest of the summer. My third year at Hogwarts was torture. Everyone believed I had opened the Chamber. I was lucky they hadn't expelled me. I was nearly poisoned fifteen times and the hexes and curses in the halls were too violent. The Headmaster had banned me from the Hospital Wing, much to Madam Pomfrey's anger, so I had to learn healing magic on my own. After I passed my exams, I ran away.

I was fourteen. I was hiding in the Forbidden Forest because I was never going back to the Potters, the Dursleys, or Hogwarts. The twang of a bow sounded and I ducked as a silver arrow flew by my head and impaled a tree. A girl with dark hair and a silver circlet covered her mouth. "Oh my gods, I apologize. I mistook you for something else." I waved her apology away. "It's okay," I whispered sadly. "No one cares about me." She studied me for a few minutes before motioning me to follow her. "Come, young one," she smiled. "There's someone I'd like you to meet."

I was fourteen forever. After I took the oath, Artemis destroyed the horcrux in my scar. Now that I was much stronger, I didn't need a wand. I still kept it so I could remember that this was where I belonged. I met my sister and beamed as they welcomed me in. I finally had a family that accepted me for who and what I was.

I was happy.

I shot up with a gasp, panting slightly from the dream. I used my Occlumency shields to push back the bitter memories and focused on the day I joined the Hunt.

I untangled myself out of my silvery sleeping bag and dressed myself in the standard uniform; silver cameo shirt, silver parka, black pants, and silver combat boots. I double checked that everything I needed was in my bag and I left the tent.

The inside of the Artemis Cabin was designed to look like the woods. A stream ran over small pebbles to the west, and the sun began rising east. Squirrels and other small creatures made noises as I walked to the only thing that looked out of place; a free standing wooden door.

It was my theory that Artemis had designed her cabin so that it entered into a protected pocket dimension. The woods went on just about forever, and you could move on both sides of the door.

I met Zoe and Bianca at the dining pavilion along with Thalia. I frowned. "Where's the satyr?" I asked.

Thalia scowled. "The Stolls played a prank on him to get back for something that happened a few years ago. They decided it was time for revenge. Really inconvenient, but that's the Stolls for you." I turned to Zoe. "No replacement?" She shook her head. "I do not want to risk it."

I nodded in understanding and we went to Half-Blood Hill where one of the Camp's vans was waiting.

...

I glanced up at the sky again, frowning.

"For the love of Zeus!" Thalia snapped. "Will you stop doing that?" I raised an eyebrow. "Do what?"

She motioned towards my hands where I was sharpening my twin hunting knives. I shrugged. "Sorry. I do it when I'm nervous."

Zoe's eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. "What is it, Melody," she asked urgently, knowing by know to trust my instincts. "Someone's following us," I informed them. "But it's not anyone on the road that I've noticed. I think... I think it's in the sky."

Thalia immediately squinted up. "There's something there," she announced. "But it's too far away. I can't tell what it is."

"A helicopter?" Bianca suggested. Thalia shook her head. "Too small."

"We will discuss this later," Zoe decided. "Melody, where is our destination?" I dug around in my bag for a small container of a silver dust.

"What is that?" Bianca asked in fascination. I smirked. "A little bit of dust from Lady Artemis' hunting knives. I took some with her blessing when she was sharpening them. I wanted to create a potion that would help the Hunters, but this might do the trick for now."

Thalia frowned. "How will that help us?"

"Artemis has had those knives for thousands of years. They're enchanted to never break and to always return to her. Her knives would have soaked up some of her essence after being around her for that long. Normally, a spell like this would require a hair or a fingernail, but I'd imagine that conversation would go well. 'Lady Artemis, may I please have your divine toenail clipping?'" I snorted in amusement.

I poured some of the dust into the palm of my hand and concentrated. "Point me," I whispered. The dust flew out of my hand and formed words. "Washington DC," I announced. "That's where she went next."

"DC is about sixty miles from here," Bianca said. "Nico and I..." she frowned. "We used to live there. That's strange. I'd forgotten."

"The prophecy said west," Zoe frowned. "I do not like this."

I shook my head. "The spell's never wrong. It was rumored to have been created by Merlin himself. "

Zoe shook her head. "I do not doubt you, Melody, it is just odd." With that, we switched lanes and kept driving.

...

We stepped out at the Air and Space Museum. I cast a critical eye around at the spaceships hanging from the ceiling. "Why did mortals decide they needed to go to the moon? I will never understand mortals." Zoe muttered.

"Because they wanted to prove that humans are the superior race and that everything they see is theirs," I told her. She snorted.

We were walking up a ramp when a random kid pushed past us. "Watch where's you're going," I snapped. Then, I noticed it was Percy. Zoe drew her bow, aiming the arrow at his face. "You!" she snarled. "How dare you show thy face here?"

"Luke," he blurted out. "He's here with a guy named the General and skeleton warriors and gods know what else."

Zoe sucked in a sharp breath and looked like she was about to start shooting arrows for the heck of it.

"But that's not all," Percy hurried on. "This guy, the General, said something about sending a playmate."

A huge growl came out of nowhere and for a second, I thought that one of the rockets had started up. I cursed in Ancient Greek and drew my bow as I caught sight of the monster.

Because right now, I was staring at the Nemean Lion.

...

Hey guys! What did you think? Yes, no, continue, stop? I'll consider any and all suggestions. I accept criticism as long as it's constructive, not rude. That being said, review, review, review!

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