"Scatter," Zoe said. I shot an arrow that had a rope tied to the end of it. It hit a spaceship on the other side of the room. I used my bow to slide down the rope and made it to the ship. I fired arrows at the lion, trying to find it's weakness, but each arrow kept bouncing off. Hercules had wrestled it to death, but we didn't have that kind of strength.

"Target the mouth!" Percy shouted. "I can't get a clear shot" I yelled. "It knows to keep its mouth shut! It's smart like that!"

The lion leapt onto one of the spaceships, causing one of the wires holding it up to snap. It leapt to the next ship and I cursed as I missed again. Why wouldn't the bloody lion die?

"This is no time for souvenirs, boy!" I heard Zoe shout.

Percy ran into the room carrying strange silver packets. "Hey!" he yelled before throwing his sword.'

The lion opened it's mouth enough so that Percy threw one of the packets into its mouth. It choked, looking like it had swallowed a hairball. Percy threw more packets into its mouth, making its mouth widen. I took my chance, shooting arrow after arrow into its mouth with Zoe and Bianca.

The lion thrashed before going still. It melted until it was the size of a normal lion's pelt.

"Take it," Zoe told Percy. "It is a spoil of war. It is rightfully thine."

"We have to go. Now." I pointed to the skeleton warriors outside.

"Go," Percy ordered us. "They'll be hunting me. I'll distract them."

"No," Zoe said. "We go together."

Percy stared at her like she had grown a second head. "But you said-"

"You're a part of the quest now," I interrupted. Zoe nodded."I do not like it, but there is no changing fate. We do not leave anyone behind."

...

We drove down the highway like someone was chasing us, which was pretty accurate, all things considering.

A helicopter followed us overhead. "They know the van," Percy pointed out. I nodded. "We have to ditch it."

"There," Bianca pointed out a parking lot. At our faces she added, "Trust me." Zoe shot across two lanes and Bianca led us down a staircase. "Subway," she explained as we bought our ticket to go south. A few minutes later and we were on a train, breathing a sigh of relief as the helicopter didn't follow us.

"Nice job," I congratulated my sister. She looked pleased with herself. "Thanks. I remembered seeing it when Nico and I passed through here. It hadn't been there when we were living here as kids."

I frowned. "It was new? But that place looked pretty old."

"Bianca, how long..." Zoe started when we heard the helicopter. "We're changing trains," Percy announced. No one argued.

After we got off our third train, we ended up in an industrial area with nothing but tracks and a homeless man with a fire that gave off a ton of power. I could have sworn he hadn't been there before.

I watched the man carefully as he exchanged words with the rest of my quest members. I watched as he shimmered out of existence, taking his fire with him. "Thanks, uh..." Thalia trailed off as she realized he was gone. I caught sight of the train we were taking, and I realized it was Apollo.

Zoe, Bianca, and, I claimed the Lexus. My sisters fell asleep and I messed around with my Patronus for a bit.

A rush of power entered the car and I frowned. "You're not supposed to be here," I told the god we had seen minutes ago. Apollo shrugged. "Eh. We need to talk."

He sat down in the seat next to me and conjuered a drink. "It's about the Wizarding World," he started. I raised my hand. "Imma stop you right there. My answer is no. I'm not going back."

Apollo shook his head. "Just let me talk, please? Okay, here we go. Riddle made seven horcruxes. You were one of them." My had subconsciously went to my hip where the old lightning scar used to be.

"Five others have been destroyed by Dumbledork, but he doesn't know what the seventh is. I do. It's Riddle's personal snake, Nagini. You need to kill the snake and kill Riddle." I raised an eyebrow. "So you're giving me a quest?"

He nodded. "Yeah. You'll save my sister first, of course, but you need to go. After you're done, you don't ever have to go back after, but you have to stop Riddle. Word on the block is he's gonna team up with Gramps. So it'll be our own problem sooner rather than later."

I nodded. "I'll do it."

Apollo beamed before frowning. "One more thing, Melody. Dumbledore is corrupt. He plans on sacrificing the Chosen One and swooping in, killing Riddle himself so he ca have more fame, money, and power. You're going to need to be careful, Melody. I don't want my favorite Hunter to die."

He dissolved into sunlight before I could answer. I settled back into my seat, falling asleep.

Gods were weird.

...

Cloudcroft was empty. That was really the only way to describe it.

Zoe and I left for coffee as the rest of our quest members wen for directions. We met Percy and Bianca at the general store. Bianca was giving Percy looks and I frowned. Something was up.

Zoe turned to me after we finished our food. "We should do the spell again." I nodded and was about to dig out my container of dust when... something came over me. I staggered into Zoe who tried to hold me up as I gasped.

Warm air flowed into Cloudcroft, smelling like wildberries and that feeling I get watching the stars at night. The rubber rat next to Percy scampered off. "Zoe," I whispered.

"Hey!" Thalia shouted as she ran down the street. "What's up with Melody?!" "She is very susceptible to magic and other types of power," Zoe explained. "She reacted this way the first time she entered the Hunter's camp. Artemis' power overloaded her senses."

"Whatever it is, it must be huge," Percy said.

"Get her up!" Thalia said. "We need to go." "I'm fine," I managed to gasp out. "I just needed a second to get used to this." I stood up shakily, forcing my limbs to move.

The necklace around my neck glowed, absorbing power around me. It was a safety mechanism I had made during my third year. I had been in so much danger then that I used my entire magical core in one day. I made the necklace to carry extra power. It soaks up huge excess amounts of power in the air.

I straightened up as I acclimated to the power in the air. "I'm good," I said. "Let's go."

We made it to the edge of the town before the first two skeleton warriors appeared.

We drew our weapons and aimed. One of the warriors raised a cellphone and said something that sounded similar to someone blowing their nose.

I stumbled again as a fresh wave of power entered the town. My necklace grew to be so bright it looked like a small star. I forced myself to straighten up as Percy swung his sword.

The skeleton clattered to the ground and immediately began moving, putting itself back together. The other two skeletons shot him in the back, pushing him into the snow. Thalia screamed and Percy pushed himself up. His coat from the Nemean lion was bullet proof.

My sisters and I began firing arrows as Thalia charged. There was no way to stop them.

One got too close to Bianca and she stabbed it in the chest, causing it to dissolve int ashes. Ashes... that gave me an idea. As Zoe asked Bianca what she did, I put away my weapons and held out my hands.

Fire gathered in my palms as I concentrated. I threw fire balls at the warriors, burning bones and weapons alike. Before I could destroy all of them, a mighty roar sounded and the largest pig I have ever seen came crashing onto the road.

"REEEEEET!" it squealed and raked the remaining skeletons away with its tusks. Thalia raised her spear but Zoe yelled, "Don't kill it!"

"I don't think we can!" I shouted. "Scatter!"

"It's a gift," Zoe tried to explain. We ran in different directions, and for a moment, the boar was confused. I charged Bianca and pulverized the Cloudcroft sign. We kept moving and the boar went for Thalia and my idiot brother.

We followed the boar who followed our friends, who decided to jump off a cliff.

This day just kept getting better and better.

"Hello?" I called down. "Is everyone alive?"

A few minutes later and we joined them in the ditch. We watched the boar struggle in the snow for a while before Zoe decided we needed to use it.

"Fun," Percy said. "Like... pig cowboys." I raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment.

We sat on the back of the Boar Express with me in the front. I used magic to keep an apple in front of its snout, controlling it to go west.

...

We road the boar until sunset, until the mountains were gone and we were in the middle of a desert. As we got off the boar, Zoe and I exchanged nervous looks. One would be lost here. There was an off chance that we would see that person alive again, but it was a very slim chance.

Ahead of us, we saw mountains of junk. I tensed as... something penetrated the area. I dug out the dust and used the tracking spell. I frowned at the words that appeared and put the dust back.

I knelt on the ground and drew a map with a stick in the dirt. "This is us," I pointed to a series of dots on one side of the junkyard. "This is the way we need to go. But..." I pointed to a clump that looked like a sad face on the other side of the junkyard. "Our next brush with danger is gonna be over there."

"Are you sure?" Thalia asked. I nodded. "Yeah. The dust doesn't lie. It can't. That's what happens when it's been around the sister of the god of truth for millenia."

We decided to camp for the night and go dumpster diving in the morning. Zoe, Bianca, and I produced mats for all of us. I got a fire going and dug around for some food.

I tilted my head back as I was laying down, watching the stars. I thought about the Astronomy classes I used to take at Hogwarts. I would always be exhausted the next day, but it was worth is to see the beauty of the night untainted my mortals and muggles alike.

As I watched the stars, I raised my hand, forming figures out of mist shapes. "What is she doing?" Bianca whispered to Zoe. Zoe hushed her as the figures became more distinct.

Many of my sisters in the Hunt loved it when I did this. It was something I would only do on a special occasion, like when a sister joined or Christmas, or when there was a lot of begging involved. I sat up and played with the figures for a bit.

"Which one?" I asked.

"Bianca gets to choose," Zoe said. "She's new."

I nodded and waited for her to tell me. "What?" she asked. "Choose a myth," I told her. "Any myth."

Bianca though for a minute before deciding.

As she opened her mouth to say what story she wanted to hear, we were hit with a blazing light down the road. The headlights of a car appeared out of nowhere. We grabbed our sleeping bags and got out of the way as a deadly white limousine slid to a stop in front of us.

I didn't even bother drawing my knives as I saw who stepped out. Percy was held at sword point, but then again, it was his fault for ticking off Ares.

The god of war snapped his fingers and my friends' weapons dropped to the ground. "At ease, people."

"This is a friendly meeting. Of course I'd like to take your head for a trophy, but someone wants to see you. And I never behead my enemies in front of a lady," Ares told Percy.

"What lady?" asked Thalia.

"Thalia, daughter of Zeus," he mused. "I heard you were back."

"What's your business?" she demanded. "Who's in the car?"

Ares smiled cruelly. "Oh I doubt she wants to meet the rest of you, particularly not them," he jutted his chin out towards Zoe and Bianca. I frowned, confused. I was a Hunter too. Why would this mystery lady, who I suspected to be Aphrodite, not care about seeing me?"

"We will not leave him alone with thee, Lord Ares," Zoe said.

Ares snapped his fingers and the abandoned taco place nearby blazed to life. "Go get some tacos," the god ordered. "Melody and Percy'll stay here."

I blinked. Okay. Sure, why not?

"Get inside, punk," he ordered Percy as our friends went to get tacos. "And mind your manners. She's not as forgiving of rudeness as I am."

Percy stumbled inside and the door closed with a snap.

As I waited outside next to the god of war, he would laugh periodically. I didn't know if he was listening to something or as just plain crazy, but I wasn't about to ask.

I fiddled with a strap on my parka, trying to ignore the aura of rage Ares gave off. I had a feeling that if I was around him to much, I might do something stupid.

Ares opened the limo and Percy was pulled out. I cautiously stepped into the limo and blinked.

Aphrodite's face kept shifting from girls in the Hunt. Artemis, Zoe, Phoebe, Jasmine, Jackie, Joanne, Cassie, Bianca, Taylor, Isabelle, Eliza, Bonnie, Astrid, Katie, Alice, Hailey, and Ana, over and over and over again. It gave me a headache.

"Hi," I said slowly, extremely confused why the goddess of love wanted to see a girl who swore off romance.

But whatever I was expecting, it certainly wasn't for her to squeal and throw her arms around me in a hug.

I tensed up at first but relaxed when I realized she wasn't attacking me. Then she leaned back and clucked her tongue in disappointment.

"No, no," she said sternly. "No granddaughter of mine looks like that. It's preposterous!"

She grabbed her brush and took out my braid, running the bristles through my hair.

When she was done, she did my hair, braiding it down my back before twisting it into a low bun at the base of my neck.

"Excuse me," I said timidly. "But did you say I was your granddaughter, or do I need to get my ears checked?"

Aphrodite laughed, a sound similar to a bell. "Why of course, dear," she smiled. "Why do you think your mother was so breathtaking? Why do you think you're breathtaking? I was horribly saddened to hear dear Lily only passed my gifts onto one of her children and the other one was a fat pig, and that she ignored you! And then, to hear she abused you and hated you, why, it was horrendous! It got so bad that you joined the Hunt!"

She turned me around and dug out a makeup kit. "It was just simply horrible. You know, I haven't gotten rid of the Hunt because family love is still love. And in your own way, you have found love, which is what I want for all of my descendants. So I'm not mad at you, Melody. In fact, I'm very happy for you and I wish you luck finding Artemis."

Aphrodite finished my make up and leaned closer. "Be careful in my husband's junkyard, dear."

The goddess of love gave me one last hug before snapping her fingers. The world went spinning and I appeared in the middle of the junkyard next to my friends.

When Percy saw my face, he burst out laughing. My brother was quickly joined by Bianca and Thalia, while Zoe looked at me in amazement. "Lady Aphrodite managed to my make up on thee?" she asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Well apparently I'm her granddaughter."

Zoe chuckled. "Of course."

"She said not to touch anything," I told them. "She said to be careful. Don't touch anything, no matter how small."

They nodded and we began walking.

Some of the stuff was too cool to not pick up. I tried to ignore all of it, but I looked at a few things like a car with the back end melted off or a crushed statue of a familiar looking witch. I tried no to touch anything.

We came across a weird statue of toes but didn't linger. Who was creepy enough to build toes?

We made it to the edge of the junkyard and Percy sighed with relief. I whacked him upside the head. "Ow!" he complained. "What was that for?"

"Do you want the Fates to curse us?" I asked angrily. Behind us, a huge statue rose from the junk.

"Talos," Thalia said. I shook my head. "It's too small. Maybe a prototype."

"Run!" Percy shouted as it started towards us.

"Great idea in theory!" I shouted back, my British accent coming back slightly in my fear.

It's been twelve years, my accent is strictly American now, thank you very much.

Zoe fired arrows at Talos, but they shattered harmlessly against the metal. I thrust out my hand, sending a magical shockwave aimed at the joints. The force of the exertion made me collapse and I struggled to move as Talos turned its metal face towards me. I flicked my wrist and the telephone poles nearby flew out of the ground and tangled the automation, giving me time to move.

"GET IT TO RAISE ITS FOOT!" Percy shouted. Zoe fired arrows and Bianca ran from view. Just as it was about to kill Thalia, it paused.

Talos cocked its head and punched itself in the face. "Go, Bianca!" Percy shouted.

I paled in realization and tried to move faster.

The automation turned around and started running, falling apart as it moved. "BIANCA!" I screamed. "BIANCA!"

Talos finally stopped and we ran through the different parts, shouting her name. When the sun rose, Zoe and I sat down and began crying.

One shall be lost in the land without rain.

We were in the desert and Bianca di Angelo was gone.

...

So? Questions, comments, concerns? Review, review, review! Thank you to all who favorited, reviewed, or followed! You guys are insane! The numbers on this story are triple on any of my other stories when they were at this point! I am in awe, you guys are so sweet!

I take criticism as always, as long as it's constructive, not rude. I'll consider all of your suggestions, so keep them coming!

Birfy1210: okay, yes, I did explain this a little in the second chapter in her memories when she met Poseidon for the first time. In the original myth of Hercules, he had a twin brother who was mortal. It happened when Zeus impersonated Hercules' mom's husband one night, and the next night it really was her husband. I know, weird and confusing, but that's mythology for you! So Melody's brother, Erik, is mortal. Well, as mortal as you can be when your grandmother's Aphrodite. Thank you for reviewing!

Keep reviewing!

~mirasecret