PIPER

When Chiron came into my cabin and woke me up at 4am I didn't expect it to be good news. Seeing most of the Seven and Nico in the War Room made me think that it was really bad news. I was not expecting the history of magic and a quest to come out of it. By the time Hecate left it was 7:30am and I had one killer headache. Who knew that there were such things as witches and wizards? And guess who gets to go help save them all, me and my friends, the Seven of the Second Great Prophecy, Nico di Angelo and two of our most trusted friends.

After saying goodbye to Reyna, Frank and Hazel we prepared to head back to our cabins so those of us who had to travel into the city for school get dressed and could eat breakfast in order to get to class on time.

Chiron asked if Annabeth or I wanted to go and visit our families before tomorrow evening and I had wanted to say, "Hell yes!" Unfortunately for me, dad is a Vancouver guest starring on the TV show Supernatural. They'd practically begged him to come up and be in a couple episodes. Supernatural was one of my favorite shows so I told him to go for it. If I'd updated my passport on time I'd have spent a few weeks with him while he was there. Luckily, though he and I got to talk last summer about who I am and everything that comes with it. I could Iris Message him later when he gets done shooting and is relaxing in his trailer.

Annabeth was able to secure a flight to California at lunch with a return flight for tomorrow at the same time. Percy wanted to go with her but Chiron convinced him that to drop her off and pick her up would be enough. As we all headed out of the Big House we were met by Apollo (Apollo was our new Camp Director. After having been part of the start of all the craziness of the Second Giant War (and also responsible for letting the Oracle at Delphi become overrun by Gaea's offspring) Zeus decided to grant Dionysus a pardon and put Apollo in his place. (The one thing that Zeus still allows Apollo to do is drive the sun chariot in the morning.).

He greeted us cheerfully and made his way to the Dining Pavilion. If there was one thing most of us were grateful for, it was that Apollo was much more invested in our training than Dionysus had ever been, and even had taken up teaching archery to assist those not sired buy himself. Dionysus would never have lifted a finger if he could have helped it. But not even the smiling face of the god of music could lift my thoughts out of the dark pit they'd been drawn into. Even though I'd volunteered to take this quest, I couldn't help but think it may have been a mistake. I looked around at the place I'd called home for the last year and a half. The camp was still quiet with few people wandering around. Not many of the campers had decided to go back to school. The ones who did were milling about headed to the pavilion for breakfast. I couldn't help but smile at the memory of when I decided I'd go back to school.

Percy was going to be repeating eleventh grade, much to his chagrin, and Annabeth would be repeating it with him. Annabeth, the daughter of Athena that she was, encouraged me to go back to school too. I'd be at Goode with her and Percy and since they would be repeating eleventh grade I'd be able to be in a lot more classes with them.

"Piper, you'd be with me and Percy in a lot of classes and Will made Nico send in a letter as well! It'll be great! At least think about it some more before you say no." That's my Annabeth, always the diplomat. I'd mentioned it to Jason and he had gotten a bright look in his eyes and picked me up twirling me around in the air.

"Of course you should go! You've been hinting at the possibility of going back to school for a week now. If you want to go to school, then go!" He'd been so proud of me when I brought him the letter from the Principal and they'd read it together. Jason had wanted to go, but his duties to both camps, Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, would keep him busy all throughout the year. He'd been named Pontifex Maximus and was able to go in between camps to ensure that all the gods had either a shrine or a cabin dedicated to them or their demigod children.

Even though Jason had told me that he'd probably hate having to travel all the time I knew he loved having the chance to have a life at both camps. He definitely sided more with the Greek side of things, but he'd never let his Roman family know that. I was definitely proud of him too.

But even remembering how excited my boyfriend was after he'd completed the first of many shrines and temples to the minor gods in New Rome couldn't keep a smile on my face for longer than a moment. Annabeth caught up with me and we headed towards our cabins to get ready for school.

"Worried about the quest?" Of course she knew I was worried, she was probably worried too.

"Did we make the right choice? I know that the world is at stake, again, but this kid is fifteen. I know that all of us know what it's like to be the key to a prophecy, but he has to die. I don't know if I want to let him just sacrifice himself like that. I just...he's a kid, Annabeth! He should be enjoying his magical education! He should be finding a girlfriend and laughing with his friends. He shouldn't have to-"

All of a sudden I had an armful of Annabeth. She'd given me a look and instead of admonishing me like I thought she would, she pulled me into a hug. I stopped walking and wrapped my arms around her as tightly as I could without hurting her. Over the last year and a half Annabeth and I had become nearly inseparable. She was the best girl friend that I'd ever had. As close as we'd become on the Argo II, we were so much closer now. Percy sometimes complained that when Annabeth and I were together it was like the two of us were dating instead of the two of them. He didn't really mean it but Annabeth always made sure to give him a friendly punch to let him know he'd been heard. I only ever needed a look or a her hand on my arm to know that she was with me and that she shared my fear or my thoughts. I needed this hug.

As I pulled away I kept walking and answered her unspoken question. "I needed that, thanks." She smiled,

"Hey, what are best friends for? I'll meet you at the pavilion in ten minutes so we can grab breakfast to go. We'll get Argus to drive us." I nodded and she ran past the Aphrodite and Artemis cabins on her way to Athena's. I took a deep breath and made my way inside to get ready for school. I didn't expect that many of my siblings to be awake this early, but I was pleasantly surprised to see Lacy awake and making her bed. She looked up as I came in and gave me a curious look.

"Where did you come from? I just looked and saw you in your bed. I thought I was going to have to wake you so you weren't late for school." I gave her a smile and a chuckle.

"The Mist works on demigods sometimes too. Chiron has been showing me how to bend it to my will." It wasn't the whole truth, but it was good enough for her. She looked impressed and smiling, went back to fluffing her pillows and making sure her sheets were neat.

Ten minutes later I headed out the door to meet Annabeth. I didn't look my best, but then I had never really cared to do that anyway. She had tried to brush her hair but apparently it hadn't wanted to cooperate. She hid the bulk of the mess in a beanie and her curls fell around her face. Despite not being totally put together, she looked great. We shared a smile and headed off to get some breakfast. We didn't talk on the way, but it wasn't an awkward silence.

"Piper! Annabeth! Wait up!" We turned to see Nico and Will running to catch up with us though not very fast as they were holding hands. Even though they'd been together for a while, it was still weird to see them publicly displaying any indication that they were a couple. Nico was old fashioned and easily embarrassed. Being from the 1940s that was totally understandable. Back then people who were gay were carted off to places where the homosexual disease could be cured or prayed out of them. I was happy to see that he finally trusted his fellow campers enough to know that no one here would look at him differently because of his relationship.

After they caught up with us, we continued to head to breakfast. "So, Nico, did you get a chance to talk to Will?" He knew immediately what I meant, but from his wince he hadn't. I immediately felt bad for spilling the beans. He sent a glare my way and sighed,

"No, but I was going to. I just didn't have time this morning." Will looked supremely confused and I had to chuckle a little. But Annabeth saved me from having to answer.

"Nico, if you're worried about him going with you, you shouldn't be. I wouldn't that bet." Nico sent a very small yet very grateful smile her way.

"Well, I have no idea what you three are talking about, but I'm sure that I'll be convinced to do whatever it is after Death Breath here gets back from school." Nico sighed and rolled his eyes at the nickname, but there was a smile on his face. He may act like he hated it, but it was obvious that having a nickname meant a lot to Nico. Annabeth and I had to laugh. They were a great couple.

STILL PIPER

Being a demigod was hard. Dealing with monsters and wars and whether or not your godly parent wanted to acknowledge your existence just came with the territory. Being a demigod trying to fit into regular society was worse than anything the gods or the monsters could throw at you. Every demigod always has two learning disorders: ADHD and Dyslexia (well every demigod except Frank Zhang, the lucky µπάσταρδος). Trying to pay attention to the pre-calculus equations the teacher was trying to drill into our heads with a life-changing quest hanging over your head is nearly impossible.

When the bell rang signifying that my lunch period was starting, I would have said it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard (ok, yes, I'm exaggerating a lot but at this point in time I wasn't exactly sane). Annabeth had decided to leave fifteen minutes before class had ended in order to make it to the airport in time to catch her flight home and Percy had taken her. As soon as I got my salad and my sad school tofu taco (the school's lunch ladies had nothing on Leo's tool belt) I started looking for Nico and Thea, the one friend I'd made this year at school. I found Nico easily enough. He was the only student who wore all black no matter what day of the week it was. When he got close I shouted his name and he acknowledged me with a wave. I smiled back noticing that his mouth was full. I was perfectly happy without him spewing his food in my face trying to say hello. When I spotted Thea I stood and waved her over. As she wound her way through the lunchroom I started on my tacos.

Thea had been one of the first girls other than Annabeth and Hazel that I'd ever gotten along with. I counted my blessings that Nico got along well with her. I love him like a brother, but when he pulls out the death humor it can get really depressing really fast. "Hey, Nico! Hey, Piper! Annabeth and Percy skipping today?"

I laughed, "You are talking about our Annabeth, right? Because if Percy ever even thought about skipping you know she'd pound him into next week." Thea laughed and smirked,

"Well, before Annabeth got here Percy missed a lot of school. He was gone for almost the whole school year last year. I honestly don't know how he passed eleventh grade." I didn't really know what to say to that. I hadn't known Percy then and when I first came to Goode Annabeth and I thought that it might be a little strange if I knew them all of a sudden. So to Thea, Annabeth and I had only "known" each other for six months.

"He didn't pass the eleventh grade. He's having to repeat it. And despite what you may think, Percy and Annabeth were both here this morning. She said something about going to California to see her parents and I guess Percy took her to the airport." Nico to the rescue.

All I had to do was put the icing on the cake. "I didn't see her, but I did see Percy and he asked me to get him something and give it to him in fifth period. " I hoped that my lie was close enough to the truth that I didn't give myself away. I don't have any classes with Annabeth until after lunch, but I have two with Percy before. Nico had one with both of them first thing in the morning.

"Well, I hope he's not late to Blofis. It just looks bad when you can't make it on time to your own stepdad's class.

Percy didn't make it back to school in time for the start of English. Mr. Blofis gave him a pink slip with a note to his mother on it but I suspected that it was just Paul letting Sally know that Percy indeed made it back to school safe from the airport. I'd only met Paul and Sally outside of school and school related functions a few times, but I had been able to see what perfect parents they were on the spot. Paul was even a mortal who'd been thrown into the world of the Greek gods and their children and he was always the first to get excited when a monster came after us. How much more supportive could a step-dad be?

And Sally, she was the embodiment of support. No matter how many times Percy had been asked not to return to a school (and I think the number is twelve) she would tell him that it was ok and that he'd do better next time. Knowing exactly who he was, a demigod, made her acceptance of his bad grades and random accidents more understandable, but most parents would not have been as genuinely compassionate to their children who'd been kicked out of twelve schools. Even though I was supposed to be listening to Mr. Blofis talk about our next big project, reading the Twelfth Night and recreating a scene using various mediums, I was smiling to myself as I recalled the love and familial acceptance that Paul and Sally had pouring off of them.

Percy offered to drive us back to camp after school. He did need to make a stop at his mom's apartment to give her the pink slip, but Nico and I loved visiting Percy's mom so neither of us was worried about that at all. I could probably text my dad from Sally's phone (seeing as having one of my own would have brought every monster in a ten mile radius straight to us) and ask him when I could IM him later.

As I had expected Paul's note to Sally wasn't the usual pink slip note. I didn't see it, but when Percy handed it to her she laughed and rolled her eyes. Gods of Olympus, if only we all could have parents like Sally Jackson. "Sally, would it be ok if you texted my dad for me? I need to know if I can IM him later. I don't want to freak out anyone he's working with up in Canada." She smiled and asked what the number was. After getting confirmation that I could IM my dad in an hour, Percy, Nico and I said goodbye to Sally and headed back to camp