As promised, the double update. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer : I do not own Percy Jackson.

Chapter 8 : Everybody Hates Me Except For the Harpy.

Previously…

"Hazel nodded her head, then looked at me. "Phineas said you know the future. Tell us. What should we do? What'll happen?"

My face became blank. "I… can't say."

"Why not? If you have information that can help us, then we can use it, can't we? We need all the help we can get and you're part of our quest. It's not like you purposely want to ruin it so at least give us some information." Frank finished.

Gods, they're as bad as Percy!

Keeping my voice calm, I tried to placate them. "Guys, there might be stuff that I know, but it's not information that I can share. I mean, I just can't."

"Why not?" Hazel shot back at me.

"Because telling people about the future usually results in people trying to avoid it or change it, and that can cause worse things to happen. Haven't you seen the movies?"

"Yeah, but this isn't the movies, Robert. This is real life, and…" Frank stopped as realization hit him. "If you know the future, then you knew that Hazel was going to get taken by those things."

"I didn't know that specifically but..."

Frank cut me off. "You knew something bad was going to happen." His face turned red. "Yet you didn't say one word. You didn't help us in any way." His voice trembled with rage. "You didn't even have to say 'Oh, Hazel's going to be attacked by wheat things.' You could have just warned us to be on our guard."

Hazel joined in. "Why didn't you?"

"Because my predicting the future thing is unpredictable, OK? It's not even what you think it is, it just…" I trailed off.

"Just what?"

"Guys." Percy pointed at the sky. "That's our harpy."

I sent a grateful look his way but he ignored me. Frank sniffed. "You'll give us answers when we're done with all of this, right?"

"Yeah." I was resigned. Apollo did warn me to tell the truth. I just wished it came up later. A lot later.

We followed the harpy to the elephant and Frank had calmed down enough to make some remarks about how it was Chinese. He was still ignoring me though. Percy fanned the smell of the noodles up into the air and the harpy circled us, looking down. "Hey." He continued fanning the noodles. "Can you come down? Don't worry, we won't hurt you. We just want to talk."

Ella landed on the Chinese elephant and sniffed. "Cheese." She twitched. "Ella doesn't like cheese."

Percy stopped fanning. "You're Ella?"

"Aella. Ella. Harpy. Ella doesn't like cheese." She mussed her hair.

"Break the cinnamon burrito in half and give her some." I said.

Frank didn't react, but Percy did what I asked. He gave the pieces of the burrito to me and muttered, "You seem to know what you're doing."

I held the burrito up. "Look Ella. I know you like cinna…" She swooped down and took the piece, then quickly landed on the elephant. As she started to nibble on it, other harpies came and took the burrito while she tried to cover herself. It was all over in a flurry of feathers. Soon, Ella sat crying. I held out the other half of the burrito. "Here. Eat it quick before the other harpies notice."

She again grabbed it, but this time she made it through the burrito without getting mauled by the harpies. Shuddering, Ella cawed. "Cinnamon. Good for harpies. Tasty."

"Yeah," Percy said in a gentle voice. "We want to be friends Ella. I'll get you more food and…"

"Friends." Ella looked all over before settling on the sky. "10 seasons. A half blood of the eldest gods, shall reach sixteen against all odds." Looking toward Percy, she shivered. "You're sixteen. Page sixteen. Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

Percy's eyes grew unfocused. "What did you just say?"

Hazel's eyes narrowed. "It sounds like something Phineas would say."

Ella squawked and flew off. Hazel stomped her food. "Gods, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. Now we have no idea…"

"Look." We all looked toward a building, some bookstore if I remembered correctly. "Multnomah County Library." Frank read.

Okay, maybe not a bookstore. But I was close.

"Maybe we should go there?" I asked cautiously.

"Don't you already know?" Frank snapped.

Hazel patted him on the back and whispered in his ear. I sighed. "I'm sorry about not telling you about something bad happening to Hazel even though I knew something was wrong. I know I got her into danger and if I had just told you, nothing would have happened."

Frank looked a little bit appeased. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. But I'm still mad, you know."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

Percy stepped between us. "Listen guys, I know you have issues to work out but for right now, can we go into that library?"

We all ran into the lobby. Percy immediately got a dreamy look on his face which was replaced by confusion and anger. He slammed a bookshelf so hard, the librarians looked at us and frowned. Then looking at Hazel's sword, they frowned some more. Getting up from her desk, one of the librarians, an old lady, headed toward us.

"Maybe we should hurry up and go to the roof? Librarian alert." I said just loud enough for my friends to hear.

"Got it." At Hazel's questioning glance, he smiled. "Just dizzy for a bit. I'm fine. Robbie's right. We have to go to the roof." When we found a stairway with access, we quickly slipped through it, avoiding the woman who was now looking for the "girl with the lacrosse stick and her loud friends."

Ella was in the midst of a cardboard shelter filled with books, fluffing her wings and muttering. Percy moved slowly as to not alarm her. We heard her say random paragraphs from random books and Percy's eyebrows raised. "Ella." He picked up a book. Tell me the last sentence on page 45 of Tuesdays with Morrie."

Ella immediately said, "Tuesday would be fine."

"That's… Wow."

Frank nodded in approval. "You are a genius chicken."

Percy started talking to Ella, but she was silent. Turning to me, he said, "Do you want to try?"

"What makes you think she'll answer to me?"

"Just try. I think she likes you."

I kneeled in front of Ella. "So we want to break the curse. Any ideas?"

"Impossible."

"No it's not. We just need help. Do you have anything that can help us beat Phineas?"

She shuddered. "Phineas is bad. He hurts."

"Yeah, I know. We can heal that gash though. Frank hand me some nectar." When he did, I scooted closer, waiting for her to shriek. When she didn't I poured some on her back and watched the gash close. "Isn't that better?" She nodded. I continued. "So, any weaknesses?"

"He sees big stuff. Not small things. Luck. Chance."

Percy paced. "How is that going to help us?"

"We do some kind of game that has high chances. I would suggest the gorgon's blood."

Frank looked at me. "How did you know about the gorgon's blood?"

"Because of this, right?" Hazel held up a book that looked very familiar. "The Son of Neptune." She opened the book and started reading the book flap. "Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep…" Scanning the rest of the flap, she stopped. "Robbie, when you said you knew the future, that's because you read this book."

"We have more important stuff to worry about right now." Percy looked surprised, like he didn't even know why he was defending me. "But don't worry. Rob will tell us everything we want to know once we get back to the ship."

Hazel stared, but thankfully put the book down. "How are you so sure you're going to pick the right vial?"

"I have a plan. Let's go guys. We don't have that much time." Ella flapped her wings and landed on my shoulder. As we leapt out of the stairwell and into the lobby, we almost ran into the librarian. "Excuse me! Running is not allowed in the library. Miss, lacrosse sticks and other sports equipment are strictly prohibited and my goodness! Birds are certainly NOT allowed. I'll have to ask you to leave the premises."

"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am." We all but ran through the doors and started to the parking lot.

Percy laughed. "It's not like we brought guns." He made his voice into a high falsetto. "I'm afraid lacrosse sticks are strictly prohibited."

We all burst out laughing except for Hazel who elbowed him, although she was smiling. "Are we just going to ignore the fact that there is a book about us and our quest?"

"Yes. Because we have something to do right now." Frank answered. "Believe me, I'm beyond pissed at Robbie for not telling us this but…" He trailed off. "You know."

As we went nearer to the lot, we slowed down. My head hurt suddenly and I shivered. "Don't tell me I'm becoming sick!"

"You're sick?" Frank moved away from me.

"I don't know. I just…" I sneezed. "Okay, maybe I'm sick."

"Shut up." Percy looked tense and his hands were white as he squeezed the vials so hard I thought they were going to break.

We reached Phineas and Ella started shaking on my shoulder. I tried to calm her down, but she nervously fluttered her wings. Phineas turned towards the sound. "Well, you've brought me my harpy. Go on then, give her over." He held out his hands. When nothing happened, he lowered them. "What then, have you come to kill me? Don't you demigods ever listen? You need me."

"We came to make a deal." Percy held out the vials of gorgon's blood and explained his "plan." I knew it would work but I still thought it would be risky.

Phineas's fingers twitched. "Sight. One of those vials could give me sight." He grinned. "I accept, but with one condition on my own."

"And what's that?"

"He drinks with me." And I found myself staring at Phineas's finger.

"Uhh," I stalled. Damn it all! I'm not even that important!

Phineas shook his head. "It's either I drink with him or no deal."

Percy gave me a look filled with pity and horror as I slowly made my way to the table. As I sat down, I asked, "Why me?"

"Well, it is your father's fault I got into this whole mess. He Gave me the gift of prophecy."

"But it's your fault for not using the gift wisely. And if it's anyone's fault, it Jupiter's." The sky rumbled.

"Oh well. I'm petty. Let's begin, shall we?" He lined the vials up and did something. I wasn't really paying attention as I was prayinhg to all the gods that I wouldn't choose wrong. Then I turned my mind to Gaea. I'm one of the Nine. And that makes me pretty important. Also, I'm better than Phineas. He can only see the big things. I can see the details. Even he knows that. I'm more valuable than him. I think. That was a great argument, Robbie.

Phineas smiled a triumphant grin. "I choose this one, son of Apollo. Now, let's drink."

My hands were shaking as I took the vial. I'm going to die. Uncorking the vial, I drank. I only made it through a small swallow before my whole body felt like it was burning up. I keeled over.

Faintly, over the pounding of my ears, I could hear everyone calling my name and Phineas start to gloat. Then, the pain stopped. I cautiously sat up. Phineas suddenly screamed. "Gaea! I'm too valuable!" When it became clear that Gaea wasn't going to help him, he gasped, "You tricked me! Curse you! Curse you all!" His body steamed and disintegrated.

Percy was the first one over. "Oh my gods. I really thought you were going to die." Hazel came over and hugged me. "You have no idea how scared we were."

"I really thought so too." A sleepy voice invaded my mind. You are more important than the seer. Your gifts will be useful later. There is much left for you to do.

Frank patted me on the back. "But you're fine now, right? You feel okay, no burning sensations or anything? Do you need nectar?"

"I'm fine. My headache's gone actually. That's good. " Taking the vial, I shook it. There was still some blood left inside. "So this is the one that heals."

Frank shrugged. "I suppose so."

I held it out to Percy. "Take it. You'll need it to get your memories back."

"Are you sure?"

"It's a foolproof way. And it's not like I need any more of it."

He took it and after looking at it reluctantly, he chugged the rest. After a few seconds, he stopped coughing and shook his head. "That is the worst medicine I have ever tasted."

I laughed, relieved to be alive. My laughter was cut short however, when Hazel came walking with a grim face. "We need to get to Hubbard Glacier," she said, showing us the napkin. "Good news? I know where it is."

"What's the bad news?"

Hazel looked at me. "It's really far away. We need to get moving. Let's get on the boat. Then you can tell us everything."

Great.