A/N: I don't own the rights to any of the Percy Jackson series or it's characters. That right gaoes to Rick Riordan. I also don't own the rights to Animorph including it's title.

I am, however, the person who posted 'The Tales of...' series.

This is not a crossover of the Percy Jackson series with the book/tv series Animorph, despite what you might think from the title. I just thought it be a proper name for the ability to turn into animals since that's why the tv/book series 'Animorph' was called that in the first place.

Also, ever since I got my latest Laptop I been stuck using Google Docs and Copy and paste my chapters and for some reason when I save what I paste any formats I made is turn to normal format. I even have to bold the chapter titles, but as I'm sure you noticed sometimes I forget to do that. So anything I normally itallilize like thoughts come out normal text. A/N at the beginning and end of each keep the format changes because I add them without copying and pasting from google doc.

If you haven't read this yet, read:

Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Stolen Chariot
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sword of Hades
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Bronze Dragon
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Staff of Hermes
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Singer of Apollo

Piper: I Realize I Possess the Power Stronger than the Strength of Hercules

I wanted to run for the elevator.

My second choice: attack the weird princess now, because I was sure a fight was coming. The way the lady's face glowed when she'd heard Jason's name had been bad enough. Now Her Highness was smiling like nothing had happened, and Jason and Leo didn't seem to think anything was wrong.

The princess gestured toward the cosmetics counter. "Shall we start with the potions?"

"Cool," Jason said.

"Guys," I interrupted, "we're here to get the storm spirits and Coach Hedge. If this-princess-is really our friend-"

"Oh, I'm better than a friend, my dear," Her Highness said. "I'm a saleswoman." Her diamonds sparkled, and her eyes glittered like a snake's -cold and dark. "Don't worry. We'll work our way down to the first floor, eh?"

Leo nodded eagerly. "Sure, yeah! That sounds okay. Right, Piper?"

I did my best to stare daggers at him. No, it is not okay!

"Of course it's okay," Her Highness put her hands on Leo's and Jason's shoulders and steered them toward the cosmetics. "Come along, boys."

I didn't have much choice except to follow.

I hated department stores-mostly because I'd gotten caught steeling from several of them. Well, not exactly caught, and not exactly stealing. I'd talked the salesman into giving me computers, new boots, a gold ring, once even a lawn mower, though I had no idea why I'd wanted one. I never kept the stuff. I just did it to get my dad's attention. Usually I talked my neighborhood UPS guy into taking the stuff back. But of course the salesmen I duped always came to their senses and called the police, who eventually tracked me down.

Anyway, I wasn't thrilled to be back in a department store especially one run by a crazy princess who glowed in the dark.

"And here," the princess said, "is the finest assortment of magical mixtures anywhere."

The counter was crammed with bubbling beakers and smoking vials on tripods. Lining the display shelves were crystal flask-some shaped like swans or honey bear dispensers. The liquids inside were every color, from glowing white to polka-dotted. And the smells-ugh! Some were pleasant, like fresh baked cookies or roses, but they were mixed with the scents of burning tires, skunk spray, and gym lockers.

The princess pointed to a bloodred vial-a simple test tube with a cork stopper. "This one will heal any disease."

"Even cancer?" Leo asked. "Leprosy? Hangnails?"

"Any disease. Sweet boy. It can eve heal a fracture mind and soul. And this vial"==she pointed to a swan shaped container with blue liquid inside-"will kill you very painfully."

"Awesome," Jason said. His voice sounded dazed and sleepy.

"Jason," I said. "We've got a job to do, remember?" I tried to put power into my words, to snap him out of his trance with charmspeak, but my voice sounded shaky even to me. This princess scared me too much. I'm certain she's the 'mistress' Hera warned Jason about. What worse, the realization just made my confidence crumble, just the way I'd felt back in the Aphrodite cabin with Drew.

"Job to do," Jason muttered. "Sure. But shopping first, okay?"

The princess beamed at him. "THen we have potions for resisting fire-"

"Got that cover," Leo said.

"Indeed?" The princess studied Leo's face more closely. "You don't appear to be wearing my trademark sunscreen... but no matter. We also have potions that cause blindness, insanity, sleep, or-"

"Wait," I was still staring at the red vial. "Could that potion cure lost memory?"

The princess narrowed her eyes. "Possibly. Yes. Quite possibly. Why, my dear? Have you forgotten something important?"

I tried to keep her expression neutral, but if that vial could cure Jason's memory...

Do I really want that? I wondered.

If Jason found out who he was, he might not even be my friend. Hera had taken away his memories for a reason. She'd told him it was the only way he'd survive at Camp Half-Blood. What if Jason found out of his amnesia and decide to hate me. He might have a girlfriend wherever he came from.

It doesn't matter. I decided, which kind of surprise me.

Jason always looked so anguished when he tried to remember things. I hated seeing him that way. I wanted to help him because I cared about him, even if that meant losing him. And maybe it would make this trip through My Craziness' department store worthwhile.

"How much?" I asked.

The princess got a faraway look in her eyes. "Well, now... the price is always tricky. I love helping people. Honestly, I do. And I always keep my bargains, but sometimes people try to cheat me." Her gaze drifted to Jason. "Once, for instance, I met a handsome young man who wanted a treasure from my father's kingdom. We made a bargain, and I promised to help him steal it."

"From your own dad?" Jason still looked half in trance, but the idea seemed to bother him.

"Oh, don't worry," the princess said. "I demanded a high price. The young man had to take me away with him. He was quite good looking, dashing and strong..." She looked at me. "I'm sure, my dear, you understand how one might be attracted to such a hero, and want to help him."

I tried to control my emotions, but I probably blushed. She got the creepiest feeling the princess could read my thoughts.

I also found the princess' story disturbingly familiar. Pieces of old myths she'd read with my dad started coming together.

She is only a servant who will definitely destroy you, son of Jupiter, just because of your name. Boreas had warned

Heracles didn't know her as a demigod. Zethes advised

Boreas warning and Zethes advise finally made sense. But it can't be right. This woman couldn't be the one I'm thinking of.

"At any rate," Her Highness continued, "my hero had to do many impossible task, and I'm not bragging when I say he couldn't have done them without me. I betrayed my own family to win the hero his prize. And still he cheated me of my payment."

"Cheated?" Jason frowned, as if trying to remember something important.

"That's messed up," Leo said.

Her Highness patted his cheek affectionately. "I'm sure you don't need to worry, Leo. YOu seem honest. You would always pay a fair price wouldn't you?"

Leo nodded. "What were we buying again? I'll take two."

I broke in. "So, the vial. Your Highness-how much?"

The princess assessed my clothes, my face, my posture, as if putting a price tag on one slightly used demigod.

"Would you give anything for it, my dear?" the princess asked. "I sensed that you would."

The words washed over me as powerful as a good surfing wave. The force of the suggestion nearly lifted me off my feet. I wanted to pay any price. I wanted to say yes.

Then my stomach twisted. I realized I was being charmspoken. I'd sensed something like it before, when Drew spoke at the campfire, but this was a thousand times more wonder my friends were dazed. Was this what people felt when I used charmspeak? A feeling of guilt set over me. More importantly, I felt stupid. We were so concern that whatever was greater than the strength of Hercules was some kind of Monster or being, but it wasn't that. It was charmspeaking-the power to make someone do whatever you want.

Which means, I have that power too greater than Hercules too.

I decided to use that as a motivation instead of guilt as I summoned all my will power into my next words. "No, I won't pay any price. But a fair price, maybe. After that, we need to leave. Right, guys?"

Just for a moment, my words seemed to have some effect. The boys looked confused.

"Leave?" Jason said.

"You mean... after shopping?" Leo asked.

I wanted to scream, but the princess tilted her head examining me with newfound respect.

"Impressive," the princess said. "Not many people could resist my suggestions. Are you a child of Aphrodite? Ah, yes-I should have seen it. I knew a female hero like you once. She wasn't a child of Aphrodite, but she was strong will. She wouldn't even let any man push her around. Even when she was the only female on a ship full of men. I even healed her after she was seriously injured. No matter. Perhaps we should shop a while longer before you decide what to buy, eh?"

"But the vial-"

"Now, boys," she turned to Jason and Leo. Her voice was so much more powerful than mine, so full of confidence, I didn't stand a chance. "Would you like to see more?"

"Sure," Jason said.

"Okay," Leo said.

"Excellent," the princess said. "You'll need all the help you can get if you're to make it to the Bay Area."

My hand moved to my dagger. I thought about my dream of the mountain-the scene Enceladus had shown me, a place I knew, where I was supposed to betray my friends in two days.

"The Bay Area?" I said. "Why the Bay Area?"

The Princess smiled. "Well, that's where they'll die, isn't it?"

The sé led them toward the escalators, Jason and Leo still looking excited to shop.

A/N: In case any of you don't know but was curious, Medea was referring to Atalanta, the only female member of the Argonauts prior to Medea making a deal with the original Jason for her help. I looked it up, and Medea did use her magic to heal Atalanta.