CHAPTER TWENTY

CAMP WARS

Jason was cold, colder than he could ever remember being in his life. He shivered slightly which was so strange because it was the middle of summer.

The crescent moon came back to life and cast it's light down upon the dark valley. He got a good look finally at everything and everyone. The valley near Camp Jupiter was nearly trashed and the campers all looked rough, but the ones in purple shirts stood aloft, kneeling before the glowing Diana.

"You have done well, demigods," she called. "But the battle is long from over. I am afraid that you are no longer at my mercy."

"Artemis," said Annabeth.

The goddess's eyes softened. She looked up to the sky and frowned. "She approaches. I must leave before she arrives."

"Who she?" asked Piper.

But Diana didn't respond. She looked at us, "Be strong!" And with those parting words, she disappeared.

"Dakota," called a boy that Jason recognized immediately: Bobby. "You we're amazing! That arrow…oh my gods! The trajectory and arch of the diagonal line…"

"Not now, Bobby," sighed Gwendolyn, putting a finger to her temple, rubbing it. "We just got out of a serious battle and I need a makeover."

"Who are you?" a voice rang out, coming through the crowd.

Jason paused momentarily. It was her. The redhead girl, Reyna.

"I am Reyna, praetor of the twelfth legion," she announced. "Who are you and why you have entered…?" But her voice faltered as her eyes fell on Jason. He managed a weak smile and said, "Hello, Reyna."

"Jason," her voice was small, almost in shock. She looked near faint.

"I found him in the east," supplied Dakota. "I found them in the east." She nodded to the campers of Camp Half-Blood. "Greeks."

Immediately, the Romans raised their weapons in defense.

"Stop!" yelled Percy. He ran out from their group and stood in front of Jason, stretching is arms out shielding them. "You can't. Their my friends! I know…I know it's faint. But I remember her. I know Annabeth because we come from the same place."

"Percy," whispered Annabeth. Her gray eyes were shimmering with tears, but she blinked them back.

"Move, son of Neptune," said Hazel. "Or face our wrath."

"No!" Piper's voice rang out. She stepped forward, beautiful, confident, and a little intimating. "We are here on a quest. A way of peace."

"Peace," repeated Dakota, shaking her head, vigorously. "Yes, peace. Reyna, they aren't our enemy. They are allies to battle Terra...I mean, Gaea and her Giants! Remember, the Prophecy of Seven.

"We've fought together this entire way west," Piper said, her voice rich in tone and forceful, "and it's because the other demigods lie in our camp. Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood must unite."

The purple-shirt campers nodded their heads, like they we're starting to believe that these newcomers weren't the enemy after all and that they just might be helpful.

"Juno," said Jason. And like on cue, a radiant light exploded in between the two camps.

A seven foot tall, beautiful woman hovered above their heads. She had a goatskin cloak around her shoulders and a long shimmering gold gown. Her black hair was pulled back and her lights were fierce and foreboding. In one hand was a golden rod with a lotus flower on top, and her other hand was clamped over her heart.

"My brave, heroes," said the goddess. "My brave, family."

All the campers kneeled instantly.

"Rise up," Juno announced. "The campers of Camp Half-Blood have traveled far to ally themselves with that of Camp Jupiter. You have succeeded in you're quest presented by the Oracle and now the next, crucial part is at hand. Seven must sail to Greece and confront the Giants on our ancient homeland."

"What about my memory?" shouted Percy. "Hera, you told me, I would get it back if I did what you ask."

"So did I," said Jason.

"The two brave leaders needed to be switched," said Juno. "You needed to come into each other's respective camps with a blank slate, without any inference but influence by the demigods you surrounded yourself with. Percy, at Camp Jupiter, you learned to trust you're instincts, you learned strategy and discipline….something you desperately lacked in your old life."

"Hey!" Percy said, indignantly.

"You learned," Juno continued, "to be a Roman soldier. And my dear, Jason, as you're patron I found it more important than anything to send you to Camp Half-Blood. Camp Jupiter taught you all the things that Percy himself has learned….but there, you learned resourcefulness, friendship, and compassion. The two of you needed to learn from the others' weaknesses to make you're armies stronger than before."

"So, we've learned," said Jason. "Now what?"

Juno waved her staff. The air around them began to shimmer. Lupa the wolf appeared, standing next to Chiron. Suddenly, the Camp Half-Blood campers were there as well: Clarisse, Connor and Travis Stoll, Miranda Gardiner, Will Solace, Jake Mason, Lou Ellen, and Clovis. All of them were dressed for combat.

Chiron looked like he was attending a funeral and Lupa's eyes were alive with malice.

"What's going on?" Clarisse demanded. "Where are we?"

"How did we get here is a better question," said Will.

"Directors," said Juno, looking at Chiron and Lupa, "now is the time to decide which of you're campers will be the chosen seven."

"What?" said Annabeth. "You can't force a prophecy! We already know Jason, Piper, and Leo are the first three!"

Juno regarded her coldly.

"Daughter of Athena," she said, "you should know the war between Gaea and the Giants will be more destructive than the war between my father, Saturn had ensued on you're city. The Doors of Death must be closed and death unleashed to our enemies. Only the best shall do so, only the best shall rise, and only the best will conquer as the heroes of Olympus."

She waved her hand over the crowd.

A thick fog….no Mist….obscured Jason's vision. And then a pain behind his eyes increased so bad, forcing them shut. His breathing began to slow like a large hand was constricting his thought. Then, suddenly images, thoughts, and ideas seemed to be downloaded into his brain, which gave him a serious headache.

When he opened his eyes, blinking, the Mist had vanished. He was standing with his fellow campers in the valley, wearing a purple-shirt and his Roman battle armor, gladius, gripped tightly in his hand. The goddess, Juno, hovered above them. He noticed his camp director, Lupa standing nearby with a centaur on the opposite side.

He waited.

"This is you're final test," said Juno. "May the gods be with you." With those final words, she vanished.

Jason stared out at the opposite crowd. His eyes narrowed. His anger rising at the thought that these Greek invaders were trying to gain entrance to his beloved Camp Jupiter.

"I am Jason," he announced, "praetor of the First Legion, son of Jupiter, child of Rome! Who are you?"

"I'm Percy Jackson," said a guy at the front. He sounded friendly, but Jason knew better than to trust him. "Son of Poseidon, from Camp Half-Blood."

Greeks….they are our enemy, Lupa said, her mouth not moving. Kill them!

"With pleasure," said Jason. He pointed his sword and yelled to his army, "ATTACK!"

"Plan Alpha-Omega," said Chiron, his voice void of any emotion.

The guy, Percy, nodded in reply, raising his bronze sword in defense.

And Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood ran to meet in each other at the center of the valley and clashed into an epic battle over the Prophecy of Seven….

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hope you all enjoyed my version of the Son of Neptune…the story is officially complete in a very Rick Riordan-style ending…hope you make sure to get your copy of the real Son of Neptune, Oct. 4th, and continue to read! Look out for my next Percy Jackson fanfiction too!