Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. If I did I would have made Nico and Thalia part of the Seven.

This is my first update in quite a while. I apologize, guys, I have a bad case of the stomach virus. Had to go to hospital and everything. I'm fine now, and hopefully I'll get back to regular updates. Time to read, enjoy and of course review!

VII

The one who sees all

The house stood alone in the woods. It was a small stone building with smoke curling upward cozily from a chimney. It was surrounded by tall looming trees. This house belonged to Sybill Masterson. The one who sees all. Jason still wasn't exactly sure how they had found it. They were traveling on a highway in Nevada, their ride in chariot form and the trio seated cross-legged, when Gwen started acting weird. Well, weirder. Since the beginning of their quest, Gwen had been reclusive and secretive. She was usually a happy, bubbly girl, and her recent behavior worried Jason. She asked suddenly for the map he was holding and examined it intently.

"Let's take this road," she said, showing him and Dakota a Roman road that went off the highway.

"Why?"

"I just have a good feeling about it," she said simply.

Sure enough, the crude road led them through a large forest to the stone house.

"How did know this road would lead us here?" Jason asked warily.

Dakota had a wide grin on his face. "It must be your Fortuna luck."

"I guess, I've never really given it much thought," said Gwen. "I just get a good feeling about stuff sometimes."

"Really, then what do we need this Sybill lady for" asked Jason. "Can't you use your power to find the lightning thief?"

"Yeah, when you think of the thief, which road on the map gives you a good feeling?" Dakota was looking at her hopefully.

Gwen's eyebrows knitted together as her eyes fell back on the map. "I don't think that will work. If the thief has successfully managed to hide himself from the gods, then what hope do I have?"

Jason nodded. "You're probably right. Let's just use the lead we have."

They slowly made their way down a snowy path that lead to the front porch.

"Who builds a house in the middle of a forest?" asked Dakota nervously.

"Hillbilly deer hunters and ancient Roman Oracles, apparently."

They climbed the porch steps, and Jason stepped forward and knocked on the wooden door.

"She can't really see all, can she?" Dakota had gone pale. "I don't even think the gods can do that."

"I read somewhere that Apollo can see everything light from the sun touches," said Gwen. "Maybe it's kinda like that."

Jason knocked again, but the door swung open on its own accord. The interior was darker, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. Behind him, Dakota nudged him forward into what was obviously the living room. He pulled Ivlivs from his pocket and closed his knuckles around it, ready for anything. He decided not to flip it. They were technically trespassing on this lady's property.

The room was not what Jason was expecting. He thought he would find a dark room lit by candles with burning incense and altars with stuffed animals like the ones Olivia used for her auguries. Instead he saw a homely room with furniture from the '50s. An old-fashioned black and white television stood before a group of couches. The coffee table was bare except for the white cloth and a few doilies on it. A warm fire burned in a fireplace across the room. Next to the TV was another table with photo frames filled with pictures. There was no one else in the room.

"Hello?" Gwen called. "Is anyone home? Mrs. Masterson?"

There was no answer. Jason moved further into the room, glad to be away from the biting cold. The room was so warm and cozy that he felt his eyelids droop. Weren't there monsters who lured unsuspecting heroes into their comfortable lairs and killed them while they were sleeping?

"There's nobody here, guys," said Dakota. "Should we wait or something?"

But Jason was no longer listening. He stood in front of the table with all the pictures. They were also old-timey and mostly black and white. One had a group of kids in dark shirts, all smiling with their arms around each other. A caption underneath read: second cohort friends, we will always have the memories. So this lady had been in the legion. That was comforting, to say the least, but it didn't necessarily means she was on their side. Another had a dark haired girl in school uniform, standing next to a hippie older woman with much lighter hair. The older woman had a guitar strapped to her back like Dakota's spear, and she was smiling widely while the girl stood in discomfort. Another showed three kids, the girl from the other picture, a blond boy and another dark-haired girl, all smiling and waving. In another photo the blond kid had a hydra head under his arm like he was holding a soccer ball. He held two fingers up in a peace sign. More photos showed an older version of the dark-haired girl, her eyes covered by dark glasses. In the middle of the table stood a frame that was larger than the rest. It was a colored picture of a seventeen year old guy with sandy hair and a playful grin. He looked cool, Jason thought. But something looked off about the picture. It looked...less real.

"Like it?" Jason jumped and turned around as a new voice came from behind him. "It's a painting of my father, Apollo. I painted it from memory. I couldn't exactly use a camera now, could I?"

An old lady stood stood under the doorway, her hands holding a tray with mugs and a pot of tea. She looked about eighty with white hair and a kind smile. She looked like a regular granny, and not at all like an ancient Roman fortuneteller. Her eyes though were unfocussed. She was blind.

"Gwen, Dakota, Jason," she said. "Sit, have some tea. We have a lot to talk about."

They did as she said, but Jason refrained from taking the tea. He didn't know if he could trust the lady. She seemed to know where everything was, despite being blind, as she poured herself a cup. As Jason looked at her closely, he noticed that her mouth kept twitching and wouldn't keep still. She was muttering under her breath very quickly, though Jason couldn't make out what she was saying.

"Mrs. Masterson," he started. "We are looking for the lightning thief."

Her muttering grew louder and her cup shook as she placed it back on the table after a sip. Jason thought he heard a few words from the incoherent rambling, words like Jackson that didn't make any sense to him.

"For sixty years, heroes have come to me on their quests." She took a shaky sip. "I will tell you where to find the thief, for I am the only one who can. When I was still in the legion, I lost my sight to a horrible accident. For days I prayed to my father to restore my sight. Instead of giving me back my eyes, he gave me an even better gift. The power to see everything under the sun."

She took another sip. "I will give you what you seek, but first you have to do something for me. A mini-quest, if you will."

"Okay, what do you need?" asked Jason.

"West of this forest, there grows a plant. A glory seed. It is a purple plant, you won't miss it. I require a fruit from this plant. Take the path that heads west and bring me the fruit."

Jason got to his feet. "This better not be a trick. Come on, let's get going, guys."

"I think one of us should stay here," Gwen said, standing up. "Me and Jason will go."

"Wait, why do I have to stay behind?" asked Dakota with his voice raised.

"You have to make sure she keeps her end of the deal. For all we know, she could be sending us to our deaths."

The old lady turned her face towards Jason. "Have I given you reason not to trust me?"

"It's not you. The last guy we trusted tried to rob us."

"We'll be back soon, Dakota," said Gwen with a reassuring smile.

So Jason and Gwen left the small house to pick the fruit of the mysterious Glory Seed plant. They walked down a narrow path through the tall trees, a chilly wind ruffling their clothes. They walked in silence, Gwen keeping her head down and avoiding Jason's eyes. She seemed especially nervous around him, and for the life of him he couldn't figure out why.

The path ended in a large clearing with small shrubs. In the middle of the clearing was a strange purple-leafed vine like plant with green pods where the flowers should have been. A mysterious hazy fog clung to the ground and the leaves.

"That must be it," said Jason. They weaved through the thorny shrubbery painfully. Gwen was a step ahead of him, and Jason decided he had had enough of the secrecy.

"Look, Gwen. You haven't been the same since we started this quest. I don't know what's going on with you, but you can tell us. You can tell me."

She slowed down, allowing Jason to catch up.

"It's nothing. Really." Her voice sounded shaky.

"We're a team, Gwen. We'll understand, and help you get through this. Even Dakota will, but try telling him when he hasn't had any Kool-Aid."

She laughed softly, then looked nervous again.

"Something happened, before I arrived at camp."

They were among the curled purple vines, and Jason reached up and picked a green fruit. It fitted easily into his palm. It was smooth and hard. He pocketed it and turned to face Gwen, giving her all his attention.

"What happened?"

"Jason." Her eyes were wide in the hazy fog. "I met my mom..."

"Fortuna? What did she-"

He didn't get to finish what he was saying as something grabbed hold of his ankle and yanked him off his feet. His head collided with the ground painfully and he was momentarily dazed. He felt himself get dragged deeper into the purple shrubbery, mist whipping around him fervently. Vines thrashed above him, suddenly alive, and ensnared him in a vicious hold. More vines exploded out of the ground and wrapped themselves around any part of Jason they could get hold of. He struggled and thrashed feebly, his eyesight still swimming. Above him, Gwen drew her sword and slashed at the vines wildly, but more kept coming. She managed to sever the vines entangling him, and with great effort he pulled himself off the ground and onto his feet.

The world spun and Jason's head hurt. Purple vines whipped around his legs and a few managed to get hold of his arms. He tried to reach Ivlivs in his pocket, but more vines wrapped around him. With a sharp tug in his stomach, he willed the air around him to churn and twist, creating a miniature whirlwind. The wind whipped the vines around wildly, but more kept coming . Eventually they pulled Jason back onto the ground and the wind subsided. More vines burst out of the ground and pulled him forward. He twisted his head to the side as he fell on his chest, a dozen more vines wrapping around him tightly. He felt his chest constrict and his breath come in shallow gasps. Somewhere behind him, Gwen gave a great shout and a heavy thud followed. A vine curled around Jason's neck, strangling him. His eyesight blurred, the vines tightening.

A pair of worn sneakers appeared at the corner of his eye. Seconds later the vines loosened, releasing him from their deadly hold. He tore away the remaining ones and steadily got on his feet. Standing before him with an oddly serious look on his face was Dakota.

"You okay, man?" he asked.

Jason nodded and blinked, clearing the spots from his eyes. He turned and saw that Gwen was still on the ground, entangled by purple vines. Dakota extended a hand toward her and closed his eyes in concentration. Immediately the vines loosened and pulled away from her. The rest of the vines thrashed around them, but didn't get any closer. They were suddenly harmless.

Jason helped Gwen onto her her feet.

"Dude, how did you do that?"

"You're not the only one with cool gifts, my friend. The crazy blind lady told me you guys were in trouble, so I came as soon as I could. She said I was the only one who could."

"I guess she was right."

Gwen sheathed her sword and ran toward Dakota. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. A dumbfounded Dakota stood there, his arms hanging limp at his sides.

"You saved us," she said breathlessly.

"Uhh..." he said lamely.

She hung on to him for a few more seconds, then suddenly she let go and stepped backwards quickly, almost treading on Jason's toe. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, refusing to meet Dakota's.

"Alright then," said Jason, breaking the silence. "We've got the fruit, let's get going."

They reached Sybill's house to find her still seated on her old-fashioned couch, muttering softly.

"You lied. You sent us out there to die."

She laughed slowly. "I didn't say it was going to be easy. But I see you succeeded."

Jason handed her the fruit. She took it and felt it under her fingers.

"You have done as I asked, now tell me what you need to find."

"Where can we-"

"Don't be hasty, Jason Grace. I can help you find anything you desire." A milky eye fixed itself on his face, almost as if she wasn't blind. "Don't you want to know what happened to your mortal family?"

Jason's eyes widened. He didn't know anything about his mortal family. Did he have a mother? Any siblings? Maybe a dog? He had arrived at Camp Jupiter when he was very young, and the legionnaires back then had refused to tell him where he came from. If they even knew. He had told himself that when he was old enough, he would try to find his family. Now here was a blind woman who could see all, offering to show him their location. Maybe if he allowed her, he could find information on the lightning thief elsewhere...

"Where can we find the lightning thief?" he asked at last.

Sybill's eyes became unfocused once more as she glanced away into space.

"Be at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis at noon on the 29th. That is where the thief shall be, and he will not be cloaked in darkness."

There was silence as Jason digested the information. Today was the 26th. They had three days to reach St. Louis. It was possible, unicorns traveled much faster than ordinary horses, or even cars. But quests were never straightforward. He hoped they would get delayed too much along the way.

"Wait, I didn't know you can see the future, too."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me," she said mysteriously. "Now move along, young heroes. The gods cannot see as I can. Even my father Apollo's eyes have been clouded by an ancient power. They will come to me for help. You do not want to be here when they do."

They stood and headed for the door.

"Oh, and Jason," said Sybill as Jason turned the doorknob. "Beware. The son of Neptune is abroad, with orders from his father. Fight him alone, and you will lose."

With that she disappeared behind the door. What did she mean, Jason thought. Neptune didn't have any demigod children. But then again, he had countless children with nature spirits. He banished the thoughts to the back of his mind as he climbed onto the chariot. At least now they had a destination. And so they set off, away from the house of Sybill Masterson, toward St. Louis. Where they would find the thief.

A/N: I don't know if you guys noticed, but when Sybill mentioned "Jackson", she was talking about Percy. But Jason doesn't know that. Fun fact, Sybil is an oracle Aeneas came across during his travels. Also, ancient Roman oracles tended to be called Sybil. I'm trying to stick to Roman mythology, but it's kind of hard since there isn't that much of it.

Next chapter, our heroes meet a goddess. Any guesses who? Stay tuned!