You don't have to say anything, people, I know you are annoyed with me for not updating.

The reason is because I totally blanked that I was going on vacation from last Sunday to Thursday, and I was planning another update but have been just too busy to do it! My hands have been itching to type for like a week now…

I never thought I would be this busy this summer. Babysitting, vacations, spending times with some faraway friends, I thought I would be able to update more. Plus it's summer, so I tend to be REALLY lazy, unless I'm playing ultimate Frisbee or horse back riding.

Then, of course, Borders had a 40 percent off sale, since they are going out of business, so I have been locked in my room for many hours reading my new books, while my purse feels much lighter then usual =P

So please forgive me for that, I know I have been slacking on the writing department of my life.

I will not able to update next weekend, because I am staying with my BFFF (Love her like the sis I never had!) for the weekend since we live like two hours away from each other. Sadness =( anyways, yeah, I'll try to get in another update during the week for both Bianca and Annabeth, or well, mostly Thalia now…

A Bianca update will also be sometime this weekend so the last chapter should be next week. Sadness, I know =(

roseflorintine Aww, thanks, I'm touched that my writing means so much =)

I'mDifferent-GetOverIt Haha, fanfiction makes time fly for me =) I end up reading so many fanfics =P

Son of The Sea 100896 Haha, yes, tin cans are the worst weapons in the world! O_o they actually do hurt when someone throws a one full of tinned fruit at you… yeah, don't ask, haha!

C-Nuggets N.L Haha, that's the only thing about doing a fanfic on another person's side. There are no cliffies because everyone knows what happens!

Cotix14 Lol, thank you, I thought that part was a stroke of genius for me =) I needed some humor and that was the scene that popped into my head! And no, Katniss doesn't kill Peeta, don't you worry. R u a Gale or Peeta fan? I have to ask!

redlox2 Um, there will be some tidbits of what she's going through, but most of it will be Thalia's I think…

Deviant1 UK Haha, I think this one was a long review too =P And yes, there should be, depending on if my imaginative brain decides that it should be off vacation and get back to work thinking of scenes to write about =) And nah, you're pretty cool for a very shunned English dude =P And I think you rubbed off on me, since I am just so awesome like that =)

twilightstargazer Haha, when I realized that I could make fun of twilight, I leaped at the chance =P

apersonfromflorida Oh, yeah, sorry, I must have made a mistake for that… I'll be writing mostly through Thalia, but there will be some Annabeth in there!

READ THIS: Question, should I make a facebook page? Sometimes life gets in the way of my writing and I won't be able to tell you guys via fanfiction that I can't update or whateves, so I thought facebook would be a good way to do it. I'm too lazy to make a blog of tumblr, so what do you think?

WARNING: THALIA HAS SOME SERIOUS BAD LANGUAGE FOR THIS CHAPTER. I may turn this story to T for language….

Read, Review, and Favorite!

Memories of the Past

Thalia

I froze as I watched Annabeth careen over the edge of the cliff, clinging desperately to the manticore's back.

"Annabeth!" yelled Percy, and tried to run to the edge of the cliff.

Gunfire sounded and holes appeared in the snow. I guess they didn't want us to do anymore cliff jumping.

"Mortals," announced a young girl with auburn hair, who I recognized as Artemis, "Are not allowed to witness my hunt."

She thrust out her hand and the helicopter turned into a flock of crows that flew away into the night.

Damn, I didn't like the Hunters one bit, but it would be totally awesome to have that kind of power!

While I watched the birds fly away, the Hunters stepped closer to Percy, Grover and I. Oh, no, I did not need these… brats meddling with my business.

Zoë (ugh) stepped up and looked at me with a face of disgust. "You."

"Zoë Nightshade," I said, trying to keep my cool and well… not succeeding. "Perfect timing, as usual."

Zoë's eyes scanned us over. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady," she said as if we were nothing more then merchandise to be archiving. Typical Hunters. They always thought they were better then us.

'

"Yes," replied Artemis. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."

"Annabeth!" yelled Percy desperately. "You have to let us save her!"

The goddess of the Hunt turned to him, her face expressionless. "I'm sorry, Percy
Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."

Wait, was Annabeth… dead?

Percy tried to go toward the cliff, but a few Hunters I didn't recognize held him down.

"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," said Artemis coolly.

"Let me go!" yelled Percy as he struggled. "Who do you think you are?"

I mentally face-palmed. Even a kindergartener could tell that she was a god, even if they didn't know who exactly she was.

Zoë stepped forward as if to slap him. Part of me wanted to let her, but I wasn't going to have one of my friends bitch-slapped by a Hunter.

"No," said the goddess before Zoë could bring her hand down. "I sense no disrespect, Zoë. He is simply distraught. He does not understand." She looked up at Percy, her eyes the color of the moon, and just as cold.

"I am Artemis, goddess of the Hunt."

Percy just kind of stared at her for a second, and mumbled something like, "Um… okay."

Idiot.

I was shocked when Grover suddenly fell to his knees and started babbling. "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so… you're so… wow!"

"Get up, Goat Boy," I said, annoyed. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

"Whoa," said a voice from behind me. I turned to see Bianca looking at us as if we were complete freaks. Well, we kind of were, actually. "Hold up. Time out."

Everyone turned to her, and she pointed fingers at each of us. "Who… who are you people?"

Artemis's expression turned slightly softer. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you? Who are your parents?"

I caught a nervous glance between Bianca and Nico. Nico seemed too entranced with Artemis to reply to anything, though. I resisted an eye roll.

"Our parents are dead," said Bianca finally. "There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but…"

Our faces must've shown that we didn't believe her, since it was obvious that she and her brother were a demigod, even if she herself didn't know it.

"What?" Bianca asked. "I'm telling the truth!"

"You are a half-blood," replied Zoë slowly, as if Bianca needed the information in slow-mo to understand. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian… athlete?" she asked with one eyebrow raised.

"No, one of the gods," said Zoë.

Sheesh, Zoë, way to break it to her slowly. Now she probably thinks we are all maniacs.

"Cool!" said Nico.

"No! This is not cool!" said Bianca, her voice shaking.

Nico began doing a little dance, like he needed to use the bathroom or something. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for-"

What the hell was this kid talking about?

"Nico, shut up!" said Bianca hysterically. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

I began to feel bad for the two kids, having just experienced a manticore attack and watching a girl jump off a cliff.

"Bianca, I know it's hard to believe, but the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well… our lives are dangerous."

"Dangerous," repeated Bianca. "Like the girl who fell."

I turned my head away. I still hadn't come to terms with Annabeth being gone.

"Do not despair for Annabeth," said Artemis kindly. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I will find her."

"Then why won't you let us go look for her?" asked Percy.

"She is gone," said Artemis not unkindly. "Can't you sense it, Son of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."

Percy still looked like he wanted to leap off the cliff after her, but he saw the sense in Artemis's words.

"Oo!" said Nico, raising his hand like a little boy in school. "What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! Is he dead?"

"He was a manticore," said the moon goddess. "Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They re-form over and over again and they must be hunted whenever they appear."

"Or they'll hunt us," I added.

Bianca shivered. "That explains… Nico, do you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in D.C.?"

"And that bus driver," Nico continued, "the one with the ram's horns. I told you that real."

"That's why Grover has been watching you," replied Percy, "to keep you safe, if you turned out to be demigods."

"Grover?" said Bianca incredulously. "You're a demigod?"

"Well, satyr, actually," answered Grover, and kicked off his shoes.

I think Bianca nearly fainted.

"Grover, put your shoes back on," I reprimanded him. "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!" complained Grover.

I don't think that was the reason, idiot, I thought to myself.

"Bianca," interrupted Percy, trying to change the subject from Grover's hooves. "We came to help you. You and Nico need training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp."

"Camp?" asked Bianca.

"Camp Half-Blood," replied Percy. "It's where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you like."

"Sweet, let's go!" said Nico enthusiastically.

"Wait," said Bianca hesitantly. "I don't-"

"There is another option," interrupted Zoë.

"No, there isn't!" I retorted. We needed new campers, and I wasn't about to let the Hunters steal yet another girl.

Zoë and I had a little glaring contest. I remembered the first time we met, on the way to Camp Half-Blood with Luke, Annabeth, and Grover…

"Thalia, I could so totally beat you in a fist fight," said Luke with a smirk, his blond hair blowing slightly in the wind.

"As if," I countered, rolling my eyes. "You may have the strength, but you don't have the skill."

"What do you mean, no skill?" he asked incredulously, and proceeded to do a series of complicated moves with his sword, the blade blurring with the speed of the attacks.

"Fist fight, Luke. No swords allowed, in case you hadn't noticed. Plus, you don't have the power to shock people whenever they touch you," I replied.

"Cheater," said Luke, his eyes blazing in challenge. "Without your power, I could pin you down with ease."

"Oh, really? Bring it on, Luke. Bring. It. On."

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" said Annabeth gleefully, and I turned to give her a smile.

Something bashed into me, and I yelped with surprise as I was tackled to the ground by Luke.

"Hey, not fair!" I complained as Luke tried to pin me down, holding my arms to the ground with his strength.

"Life isn't fair, Thal, get used to it," said Luke.

I pulled my legs back, so that they were curled to my stomach, and thrust them out to where Luke was above me, landing solid kicks to his abdomen, successfully knocking the air out of him and pushing him away from me. He staggered away, releasing his hold.

Jumping up, I ran to where Luke was on his knees and trying to catch his breath.

One swift push and he was lying on his stomach. I then proceeded to sit on his shoulders while he struggled to get up.

I faked a yawn and crossed my legs. "Give up yet?" I asked.

"Never," grumbled Luke, his voice muffled by the earth.

"The maiden has won. I would suggest that you stop struggling before you embarrass yourself more."

I started, looking to where the unfamiliar voice had come from.

A girl, about my age, stepped out of the forest, her hair the color of auburn and moon-like eyes, seemingly wise beyond the age of her body. Other girls stepped out from behind her, ages ranging from nine to about fourteen.

Though the auburn-haired girl was not the oldest, there was a sense of power surrounding her, and the way other girls stood around her, you could tell she was their leader.

Luke stopped struggling, staring at the girls before him. I stood up and offered my hand, pulling him to his feet.

His shirt was covered in dirt, turning the white Under Armor shirt a light beige. He tried to swipe it off, but the color seemed to only smudge.

I thump on the ground beside me caught my attention, and I turned to see Grover bowing to the twelve-year-old girl.

"M-Milady, it is an honor! I never thought I would be lucky enough to meet you!" he cried, babbling like an idiot.

"Get up, satyr, I have no wish to be bowed upon at this moment. There is a time and place for everything, and this is not it," said the auburn-haired girl coldly.

"Boys," spat a girl with a silver tiara sort of thing on her head, although it looked more like an ancient Greek head wreath. She glared to where Luke and Grover stood. "Though I don't know if thy satyr counts as a male."

"Hey!" protested Grover. "I am a dude through and through! I can prove it!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, that is something I definitely do not want to see," I interjected before Grover could do anything too mind-scarring. "I'll take your word for it."

I turned to the group of girls, who I now noticed all seemed to be wearing some sort of silver, whether it was their clothes or accessories, and all seemed to have bows strung across their backs.

"Um, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who are you people, exactly?" I asked, appraising them.

I heard Grover give a little gasp of shock, but how in the world was I supposed to know who they were? I only started to learn this Greek stuff a few months ago.

"I, maiden, am Artemis, goddess of the moon and Hunt. These are my Hunters. They help me with tracking and slaying monsters."

I gaped at her. "B-but, you're like, twelve!"

"I prefer the age of my Hunters, so that we may all have things in common. But I can show you another form of myself, if you wish," said Artemis.

I shook my head. "Oh, I believe you all right, but what the heck are you doing here? I mean no disrespect, but don't you have something more important to do?"

"Insolent girl," said the girl with the tiara thing on her head. "How dare thee speak to a god like that?"

"Shh, Zoë, now is not the time for arguing. In answer to your question, Thalia, was it? Well, I am on the constant lookout for new recruits to join me in my eternal hunt. They are hard to come by, since most girls around your age are smitten with boys already. It gives me little time to find them before it is too late."

"And… you're offering me a spot? Just like that?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

"As I said, maidens like you are hard to come by. I must leap at every opportunity, fore every addition counts. You will be immortal as soon as you take my pledge and join my Hunt," answered the goddess.

"Thanks for the offer and all, but think I want to stay here with Luke, Annabeth, and Grover. They'll need me more then ever. Plus think they would miss me too much," I said with a cocky grin toward my little group.

"How dare you refuse an offer so rarely given? You can have immortality, friendship, and a sense of belonging, and you are willing to throw it away without a second glance?" demanded Zoë, her eyes flashing.

"Hey, it's my decision, isn't it? I don't want to be a Hunter. Especially if you continue to say what a mistake I'm making. I have a commitment to my friends, and I intend to keep it. I'm not just going to drop everything and run at you with open arms!" I said, anger beginning to flicker to life inside me.

"You are making a big mistake, half-blood. Joining the Lady Artemis's ranks is an honor that many girls beg to be invited to. Think carefully, fore you may not have another chance," said Zoë with a glare.

"I don't need to think about it. My first priority is to my friends, and getting them to camp where we belong," I said, staring her down with equal hostility.

"You will regret this choice, Daughter of Zeus, for the rest of your miserable life. Nothing is better then being a Hunter of Artemis," she said with finality.

My anger bubbled and I took a threatening step forward. Zoë stood her ground, her hand twitching to where her bow hung on her shoulder.

"Zoë, enough," interrupted Artemis. "She has made her choice. Though I do not agree with it, I will not force her. We will leave."

With a last glare, Zoë turned her back on me and stalked back into the forest, the other girls following her, whispering silently and stealing glances at me. I guess that offer wasn't turned down too much.

Truth be told, there was only one thing that I realized that day, meeting the Hunters. I would always hate Zoë Nightshade. We would always clash, like water and fire.

I was still lost in bad memories when Artemis interrupted my train of thought.

"We've burdened these children enough," said the goddess. "Zoë, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."

"Yes, my lady," answered Zoë.

"And Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you," continued Artemis.

"What about me?" asked Nico.

Artemis looked over the boy thoughtfully. "Perhaps you could show Grover how to that card game you enjoy. I'm sure Grover would be happy to entertain you for a while… as a favor to me?"

Grover leaped up, almost falling over in his haste. Gods, he would jump off a cliff for a "favor" to Artemis if she so asked it. Love-sick satyrs were always the worst. "You bet! Come on, Nico!"

They walked away from us, their fading voices talking about hit points and things that I frankly didn't care about. Artemis led Bianca away, and Zoë gave me one last hateful glare before going to oversee what the other Hunters were doing.

As soon as that… female dog was out of earshot, I stamped my foot. "The nerve of those Hunters! They think they're so… argh!"

"I'm with you," said Percy, "I don't trust-"

"Oh, you're with me?" I interrupted with a flash of fury. "What were you thinking back there in the gym, Percy? You'd take on Dr. Thorn all by yourself? You knew he was a monster!"

"I-"

"If we'd stuck together, we could've taken him without the Hunters getting involved. Annabeth might still be here. Did you think of that?" I went on, letting out my madness and sadness about Annabeth being gone to who-knows-where.

Percy clenched his teeth, and I braced myself for a flurry of words, none of them good, when he looked down to the snow. I saw the worn blue cap that was Annabeth's Yankees cap.

A tear slipped from my eye, and I wiped it, turning and walking away so that Percy didn't see my sadness.

I paced the outskirts of camp, going through what had happened tonight. I had just gotten out of the pine tree, for the gods' sake! Now Annabeth, the little sister who now seemed so grown up, was gone.

I absently pet the wolves that the Hunters used to hunt, their fur the color of silver, just like anything else to do with Artemis.

I don't know how long I sat there, mourning in silence, but when I saw the sky begin to lighten, I knew it was time for me to get over it, and focus on what was going on in camp.

I walked into camp to see Percy, Artemis, Bianca, and Zoë talking quietly. I caught the last sentence Artemis spoke as I got into earshot.

"It's time for you to meet my irresponsible twin, Apollo."

Oh, now this was going to be interesting.

Bianca on Monday! I've got relatives and babysitting tomorrow, sorry!

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