Author's Note: Ah! Finally, another chapter. I would've like to have uploaded earlier, but I've been a tad busy, so sorry about that.

Well, this story has hit a milestone! Over 70 followers! That is just ridiculous, I mean, I don't even know 30 people, let alone 70. Big thank you to everyone who's been supportive along the way. You're awesome.

Anyway, something I've done while I was busy, I've got myself a new profile pic. I mean, the old one was cool, but I wasn't sure of its copy-right state, so I didn't want to risk it. I've also made covers for FanFictions I've been planning to do some time in the future.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter, let me know what you think.

(Edit made immediately after posting: In the pop down window that lists the chapters, there was suppose to be a dot in-between the 2, and the 0, but FanFiction wouldn't allow that for some weird reason.)

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO, Apple, or the any actual apples.

Chapter 6

iDream 2.0

Going cross-country on a giant boar gave Percy plenty of time to think. Mostly, his thoughts wondered around that dream he'd had on the train. He'd seen a lot of things in it, but the one thing that stuck out was the Punk-Girl with those glowing purple eyes, and a demented smile on her face.

He'd also decided not to tell the others about the dream, not yet. He wanted to know more about exactly what it had meant.

But right now, the Punk-Girl was sitting right in front of him. Percy wondered if demigods could read minds.

Damn that would be awkward.

The thought kind of came out of nowhere, but Percy was getting incredibly tired. The last serious thought he had for the evening, was just before the dream. A god had apparently visited him in person. One of the others said his name was Apollo.

That was something he couldn't quite get his head around. If it was a god, then… why? What importance could he possibly be to an almighty being? It he couldn't have felt his aura, than Percy could've mistaken him for a person. Not just in appearance. His personality seemed strangely, human, for a being over two thousand years old. He seemed to be a smart ass, and a little sarcastic too, not taking things completely serious. Not traits he'd expect from an immortal deity.

And the last thing he heard him say. Something about an oracle? He didn't know what the god was talking about there.

Now Percy wondered if gods could read minds. Well, If I die of spontaneous combustion , I'll have my answer.

Night fell before their ride was over, and the boar had stopped at a river to drink muddy water and rip up cacti for dinner. They decided now was a good time to slip away, before the boar turned its attention back on them.

Percy saw a sign that said, 'GILA CLAW, ARIZONA'. How far did we travel?

A little down the road, ahead of the squad was series of run-down buildings, but that wasn't what had caught Percy's attention. Beyond them, was the biggest junk yard Percy had ever seen. It stretched on for miles into the horizon. He couldn't see the end of it, nor could he see its end to the left or right.

Percy suddenly had the urge to go dumpster diving, but a gut instinct told him that would not be a smart idea, though he wasn't sure why.

"Something tells me we're not going to find a car rental here," the Punk-Girl said. She looked towards Grover. "I don't suppose there's anymore wild boars around here?"

Grover didn't reply, and was looking nervous. He threw down some acorns, and played a quick tune on his reed pipes, and they arranged themselves into a pattern Percy didn't understand. Grover looked concerned though.

"That's us, those five nuts right there." He said. "That cluster over there, that's trouble."

"A monster?" The Punk-Girl asked.

"I don't smell anything… but the acorns don't lie. Out next challenge…"

He pointed right over to the massive junkyard, with no end in sight.

They'd decided that I would be smarter to go through the junk yard in the morning, so they'd setup a temporary camp across the road from the rundown buildings.

That was fine by Percy. He didn't fancy tripping over and impaling himself on a metal shaft or something. Besides, he felt like he could get tetanus if he just looked at it funny.

The Hunter duo had gotten five sleeping bags seemingly out of nowhere. Percy just turned around, and BAM, there they were. He'd learned by now to stop wondering when any of them pulled things out of thin air. It seemed to be a regular occurrence for the others at least.

The night had gotten very cold, very fast, but it seemed the Punk-Girl had a plan for that. Percy and Grover went over to the old buildings, and pried the wooden boards from the doors and windows. Percy used the silver knife he still had from Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl.

Should probably hand that back soon.

They returned with about seven boards each, and dumped them in the middle of the ring of sleeping bags.

Percy looked to the Punk-Girl. "Alright, so you got matches or something?"

Percy could swear he saw a hint of a smile on her lips. "No, something better."

She extended her arm towards the wood pile, and an arc of lightning splayed out her hand. There was a cracking in the air, but the sound was gone in an instant, and the light was replaced by the dull red glow of the fire that was now building on the wood pile.

Percy would've stood and stared stupidly, but he was getting more and more used to new crazy things. Instead, he said, "Okay, that's pretty epic."

The Punk-Girl was definitely smiling now. "Yeah. The first time I did it, I freaked. I mean, I nearly passed out, but still. It's pretty handy have."

Percy sat down on his sleeping bag. "So what, all demigods get superpowers?"

"No, only a few of us. Those who don't usually have natural talent in one area or another. Hermes' kids make for pretty good thieves; that's one example."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? I'd like to think I could give them a run for their money."

"You sure? I did catch you after all."

"No, I meant it literally. They'd be running after me, because I took their money."

She actually laughed at that, and Percy realised it was the first time he'd actually heard any of them laugh.

No one spoke for a long time. Everyone lay down or sat on their sleeping bags, listening to the roar and crackle of the fire, and the low chirp of insects around them. It was all oddly peaceful, and Percy realised it was really the first time he'd rested properly since New York.

The train ride didn't count, because that dream had given him the creeps.

Finally, Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl spoke. "The stars are out."

"It's beautiful. I've never actually seen the Milky Way."

Percy had to agree with her. He'd lived in cities and large towns his entire life, the only stars he ever saw being a clump of small white lights here and there.

Now?

Now there were millions upon millions. The sky around was pitch black, so you could almost see every single individual star. Percy was captivated. He should have terrified he realised. He's spent the last two days in more life and death situations than some people had in a life time. He'd met a girl who could shoot lightning from her hand, a boy who made maps from magic acorns and was now in the middle of nowhere, not knowing where he would end up by the end of all this.

But part of him didn't really care. He found himself thinking the same thing he'd thought a lot lately.

I don't know why.

"There's something that's been bothering me," the Punk-Girl said, and looked at Bianca. "I want to know, how exactly did you kill that zombie? There might be more out there somewhere, and we need to be able to defend ourselves."

Bianca shrugged. "I don't know. I just stabbed it, and it went up in flames."

No one offered a possible answer.

"We will sort it out later," Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl said, "For now, we should plan ahead. When we get through to the other side, we could hitchhike to the nearest city. I think that would be Las Vegas."

Apparently Bianca was anti-gambling, because as soon as she heard that name, she went wide eyed.

"No! NOT THERE!" She yelled.

Percy flinched at the sudden outbreak.

"Why?" Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl said.

Bianca seemed a little calmer. "I… I'm not sure. It's hazy, but… I think we stayed there for a while. Nico and I. I… can't really remember much. It's weird.

Percy frowned. "Nico? Who's that?

"He's my little brother."

"Oh." Percy hadn't realised that demigods could have siblings. He'd thought that once the god had done what they wanted to, that was it. It would've been a one-time thing.

Grover seemed concerned. "Uh, Bianca… did you stay in a hotel there?"

Bianca frowned. "Yes. That I can remember."

"What was the hotel called?"

"Uh… it was also a casino I think. Lily or something. Named after a plant, starting with L."

Grover swallowed. "Uh… was it called the Lotus Hotel and Casino?"

Bianca's eyes widened. "Yeah! That's the name. How did you know though?"

Grover suddenly seemed very, very concerned. He mumbled, "Oh great. Just great," under his breath.

"Hold on," the Punk-Girl said. "What's this casino?

Grover sighed. "Well, we told you about the incident with your dad's lightning bolt right? Well along the way, I, Annabeth and another camper got trapped in there. We were there for an hour or two, and when we came out again… five days had passed."

Bianca turned extremely pale. "N-no… that's… not possible…"

Ye Olde Hunter-Girl seemed worried. "Along the train ride from Washington, you said things were different. Not as you remembered them." She said. "Bianca, can you tell me the name of the current President?"

She answered, though Percy never had time for politics, so he honestly didn't know if she was right or not. The others seemed to approve though, so that was something.

She asked Bianca another question. "Who was the President before that?"

After taking a few seconds, she answered. "Roosevelt."

Percy never had time for history either.

Ye Olde Hunter-Girl seemed nervous. "Theodore or Franklin?"

"Franklin." She said. "F.D.R"

"Bianca, he was not the last president. That was about seventy years ago."

Percy suddenly realised where all this was going, and well… Percy wasn't so used to crazy things anymore.

Bianca was shaking. "That's not possible. I'm not seventy."

Percy thought he'd recognized something akin to sympathy in the Punk-Girls eyes. Was she from another time as well?

That's right; she said she was a tree. She didn't say for how long.

Percy didn't try to say anything comforting. He was the outsider here. He realised that every one of the people before them has probably had something tragic happen in their life. Percy's had a few rough times, sure, but it didn't sound like much compared to what he'd heard from Bianca or the Punk-Girl.

"Do not worry. We can sort all this out later. We'll find your answers." Ye Olde Hunter-Girl said. "For now, we rest. I will wake everyone before dawn."

No one had any better ideas, so everyone bedded down, and went to sleep.

Everyone except for Percy that is, who was a little restless. The others were all fast asleep around him. He lay on his back with his hands behind his head, looking up at the stars. Despite everything, Percy was still enamoured by them. This was a sight he might not see very often, and he was determined to commit it to memory.

Against his will, he found himself slowly closing his eyes, and getting tired.

With the fire still crackling, and the stars still comforting, Percy thought he might get some good sleep at last.

Nope. Not even close.

His dream happened like last time. A flash of colours and shapes forming images for just a few seconds, and sound warping and distorting, though he could still hear everything, but barely.

The start was almost the same as well. He saw the same swirling pillar of darkness, except the blonde girl holding it was gone. Instead, there was a body Percy's age there instead. He was wearing remarkably familiar clothing too.

Percy that the boy had a mop of brown hair, but… it was slowly turning grey. The colour leaching out of every strand.

Then, the boy lifted his head, and Percy's was horrified. No wonder he seemed familiar.

That's… me…

The scene shifted before he had any chance to regain his composure.

He saw what he'd seen before again, a giant bronze foot, crashing into the ground, making the earth shake. The area around it was the same piles of scrap metal he'd seen awake, in the giant junk yard.

Before the dream faded to black, Percy was vaguely aware of somebody screaming.

It might have been him.