I know it took a while to set up this chapter, but hey, I did do it after a while. So thanks to all those people sticking with me and my story.

P.S. I don't own Rick Riordan's Olympian series, but I do own Ryley, Max, Ben, Alyssa, Aryryn and everything else that isn't in the books :P

Enjoy!

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I woke up from the dream shivering and completely panicked.

Okay, first thing was the adrenaline pumping through my veins. It could only be a monster, most likely one that was following Max's aura. We got into tons of trouble due to that, and it was unbelievable how many times I'd had to dig us out of trouble.

But it wasn't only that. It was the fact that I'd dreamed of the night I'd met Max, Ben, and Alyssa. Back when we were all innocent and cute. All of us were fifteen now, and completely in tune with our demigod powers. I couldn't shake the feeling of dread stealing over me.

"Ben, wake up," I hissed as I rolled over in the utter darkness.

"Wha?" he said sleepily.

"It's a monster. Wake Lyss and Max." I heard the sleeping bag crackle as he pushed himself up. The dread feeling was growing in the pit of my stomach.

That's when I heard the cry.

"Max!" Alyssa yelled.

Wonderful. We had been discovered.

I launched myself up out of my sleeping bag. Aryryn was already cool against my skin, and I hefted the strap up over my back and drew it.

The giant looked down at me, squinting its tiny, beady eyes. It gripped an unconscious Max in one hand, and a struggling Lyss in the other. Ben stood behind it, electricity gathering around his sword.

Aryryn reacted, its blade glowing with light. I brought it down on the monster's arm, slicing it off. Max fell at my feet, still unconscious. I closed my eyes, imagining a flickering flame in my mind.

Fire raced up the giant's side, causing it to bellow in pain. Ben swung at it from behind, and I relaxed as the body dissipated into dust. Lyss landed hard on her back as the hand dropped her.

I leaned over Max, examining him. His eyes were closed.

"Is Max okay?" Lyss was demanding as Ben looked her over for injuries. "He better be."

"We'll see," Ben answered, his worried eyes rising to meet mine.

I looked back down at Max, my eyebrows coming down over my eyes in a v. His aura was gone.

"Max…?" I asked, hoping with all my heart.

No answer.

"No. No no no no no…" I whispered frantically. "Don't die on me, Max."

A cold stare pierced through my back.

"This is all your fault, Ryley. If you had been faster…" Alyssa said icily.

I was still in shock when I felt the ground disappear beneath me. Aryryn slipped through my hand as I fell through the air.

"Stop, Alyssa!" Ben cried. That brought me out of shock real quick.

"If you want a fight," I said quietly, "You'll get one." I closed my eyes and concentrated, focusing on the earth. It responded to me, and I found myself back on the surface, standing right behind Alyssa.

"Hello," I said slyly.

She spun around, astonishment mixed with hatred. Ben was trying to get between us, and though I appreciated his efforts, this was only between Lyss and me.

"You honestly think I told you the truth when I met you?" I asked incredulously.

"You LIED? You never seemed that clever," Alyssa said, baiting me.

"You don't know anything about me," I snarled. I felt a weight on my back; Aryryn had come back to me. I saw real fear in Lyss's eyes.

"I'm a daughter of Hades," she growled at me. "No one is more powerful than that. No demigod is stronger than me!"

I jumped back as she swung her sword at me, feeling the sting that came off the blade. She hadn't even touched me, and still I felt as though she had just cut me.

"Are you ready to die, Ryley? I'll use your life to trade for Max's. My father told me how much your soul is worth; you've escaped death lots of times, right?"

I ignored her as I concentrated on the wind. It roared as it slammed into Alyssa, blowing her back a couple feet.

But not before she had gotten a swing at me.

I felt blood trickling down over my right eye. If I wiped it away it would just come back, and my healing ability wouldn't work if I was still bleeding.

"STOP!" Ben yelled, his voice not carrying over the wind. I doubted Alyssa would hear; she was too immersed in trying to kill me.

"Ben, stay out of this!" I yelled back.

He answered, but my instincts had taken over, so it really didn't matter. Lyss was not the first person to try to kill me and collect the bounty on my soul, nor would she be the last. But unfortunately this time I had let myself get attached, had begun to even trust.

And that's a big mistake when you've survived a couple hundred years and are trying to survive a couple more.

"Who…is…your…god…parent?" Alyssa hissed as she tried to get to me. The wind was pressing against her as I tried to keep her away from me. But she was still gaining ground despite my efforts.

"Like I'll tell you!" My feelings were beginning to show through my words, and it was only my iron will that held it in check.

"Poseidon, help me," I whispered.

Very well.

Water swirled around my head, mixing with the wind and creating a hurricane.

Part of the prophecy came back to me.

The sea god gives his consent.

This didn't have anything to do with Alyssa, did it? I was pretty sure Kronos was part of the prophecy, as well as something about the Big Three. But I'd only ever heard the first verse; only the Oracle knew the rest.

That meant I'd have to find her. Great.

But first, I had to take care of Alyssa.

And apparently take on her mini skeleton army. I'd forgotten all about the Hades policy, never fight your battles alone when you can have long dead warriors fight them for you. I wish Pan had some cool policy like that, but unfortunately we don't.

The ground responded as I cried out to it. All living creatures within a mile dashed to my side, and I felt a whole lot better when I saw that it included a Hellhound and a Pegasus. I nodded politely to the Hellhound, surprised when he snarled at Alyssa. Hades had always had a pact with the Hellhounds, and it hit me hard when I saw that they would rather stand by Pan than Hades.

I met Alyssa's eyes.

She was furious, her pitch black eyes glaring at me. I briefly remembered the fatal flaw of Hades, holding grudges.

I knew my fatal flaw as well.

My father had told me that it was compassion. When I was young I had no idea what compassion was. And my father was no longer around to tell me the real flaw of Pan. And whose fault was that? It was the fault of those stupid Olympians.

Wait. My father hadn't been dead back then.

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That terrible night has been etched into my memory from the very beginning. My beginning, when I was only fifteen, not centuries old. And my final memory of Lyss bit deep into my heart, because I had cared for her so much. I had let myself fall into a trap, and that was what Hades had wanted all along.

I opened my eyes, glad to finally be rid of the memory.

I scanned the park, searching for any radiating icy waves. There were none; the park was safe, for now anyway.

I considered what I had been thinking about the night I had faced Lyss. I was wondering where to find the Oracle. And that was my mission now. I knew where to find her NOW, but there was a huge problem.

She was at Camp Halfblood.

And I was a hundred percent sure that the gods would not appreciate me messing with their children's camp. Their hatred of me would be able to overpower their conscience, and they would try to scour me from the earth just like they had my father. They had let him die, and they would eagerly watch my death as well.

Not exactly appealing. The only god who didn't completely hate me was Poseidon, but he had owed my father his life on several occasions. I doubted he ever wanted to mess with us again.

I sighed.

"What's wrong?" A voice asked me. I jumped and instinctively reached for Aryryn, but I stopped just in time. Who knew what the Mist would show?

I opened my eyes again.

A girl with reddish hair and a bright grin was looking at me as she settled down on the bench next to me. I smiled back, but it didn't reach my eyes.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

The girl looked up at the stars, and nodded. "Me too."

An awkward silence followed. Then the weirdest thing happened.

The girl turned to look at me, and their was no evidence of the girl I had met five seconds earlier. The eyes were old and ancient.

I jumped up and was just pulling Aryryn out when she spoke.

"Sit down, Rylin. I hear you were looking for me."

"Oracle?" I whispered, half expecting this to be a joke.

That hope died out when she nodded solemnly, her eyes watching me. They were old and lifeless, but they weren't the same color they had been seconds ago. They had turned from green to pitch black.

"Um…yeah, I was looking for you."

"To ask me for the rest of the prophecy." There was no use in asking her how she knew. I had long ago figured out that people who were 15 times as old as you never revealed their secrets. I suppose that's where magicians got the saying from.

I nodded. "Could you tell me?"

Instead of answering, her voice went monotone.

Four demigods shall go,

Onto death's row,

One by one

They will fall

Till there's only one left.

That part had already happened. I was the only one left. But not of four; I didn't understand that.

The ancient lord of time's power shall grow,

And then he will know.

Know. Know what?

The sea god gives his consent,

To the very one broken and bent

The King's daughter shall rise.

To be despised.

Oh, that part was so lovely. Broken and bent, AND despised?

The Oracle raised a finger. "Beware of the gods," she warned. "They don't like to be overshadowed."

"Tell me something I don't know," I muttered.

"I'm not done."

Death reversed,

Enemies turned allies,

Allies turned enemies,

Everything is not is as it should be.

"I added that last part; do you like it?'

"You should stick to the visions, old lady."

She studied me. "I hope that attitude gets you killed, demigod. I came here to help you."

"I suppose I should thank you, then."

She huffed at me, her pitch black eyes practically melting right through me.

"Don't underestimate yourself, Rylin. When the time comes, you'll know."

I was already opening my mouth to utter a confused "Huh?" when she suddenly shook her head, the eyes flashing back to green. Like she had just woken up or something.

"Sorry; were you saying something?" The girl asked, blinking her eyes a few times.

"Yeah," I lied. "What's your name?"

"Rachel Dare. Yours?"

I looked at her, and I mean really looked. She seemed nice and all, and she was the Oracle. But something was blocking me from her aura, and I felt that although she wasn't a demigod or anything like that, she could sense what I was. Call me crazy, but I'm just paranoid like that.

So I said "Rylin Becker."

I gave myself a mental kick to the shin.

Rachel tipped her head. "Rylin?" She said it like it was an exotic or foreign word, like she was uncomfortable with the feeling of it on her tongue.

"I'm usually just plain old Ryley."

"Oh. Nice to meet you, Ryley."

"You too." We sat in silence, gazing up at the clear night. I thought of Lyss, and my deep instinct that she wasn't even close to being dead. Would I consider her an enemy? She probably thought I was hers, since she blamed me for Max's death.

But I still wished her well, wherever she was. Inside myself I knew I would never really let go of our friendship. But if she tried to kill me again, I didn't know what I'd do.

"So," Rachel commented quietly. "What are you doing in New York City?"

"Looking for someone," I replied, trying to keep my voice light. To be honest, I didn't even know what I was standing here talking to her for. I had gotten what I wanted to know from the Oracle, and right now I should have been trying to get away from New York City.

New York City was the Olympian's base of operations, as Mount Olympus was floating right above Manhattan on top of the Empire State Building. I was positive they weren't happy that I was right below them. Right where Zeus could zap me with a bolt of lightning and end my struggle in a second.

But something about Rachel held me there. And I found out soon enough what it was.

I heard light footsteps on the sidewalk, and I tensed, biting my lip. My hand strayed unconsciously to Aryryn.

"Rachel?" A voice called quietly as a shadow came into view. "Percy wants to-"

The person stopped as soon as she saw me. Yeah, I knew it was a girl. Her voice just had that ring to it.

"Who's this?" she asked as she came into view. And my heart sank even more.

She was a Hunter.

Her dark hair hung just above the shoulder, right at her throat. A heavy looking necklace hung there, sparkling in the light of the stars. Her eyes were dark blue, and they gazed at me with such interest that I almost ran away right then and there. A bow was slung over her left shoulder, along with a quiver loaded with arrows.

I flinched, drawing my gaze to the ground. Clearly Zeus thought his daughter Artemis could take care of me.

Even Rachel sensed the tense atmosphere. Her hand fluttered near her hair as she pretended to fuss with it. I turned my attention from her to the Hunter. I gazed levelly back at her questioning blue eyes.

"This is Ryley." Rachel finally said. She finally looked up, and she seemed to be trying to send the Hunter a signal with her eyes.

I gripped the armrest of the bench as I stood up. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. It was nice meeting you."

The Hunter was suddenly there, blocking my way.

I was saved from saying anything by the sudden movement of the earth. It rocked under my feet, and I instinctively slowed it down. It was as if something had landed in the park.

The icy waves radiated over me. It was as if the things in my life couldn't get any worse.

I restrained myself, and it took almost everything I had.

The monster thudded onto the path, and I saw its beady eyes lock on me. The Hunter stepped in front of me, and I'm sure I saw the strange look she gave me. Rachel was looking at me frantically, and I suddenly realized that they both thought I was mortal. They thought I couldn't see the monster standing in front of me, that all I was seeing was something the Mist had distorted into something that passed as normal. I almost laughed.

The Hunter quickly drew an arrow, and set the shaft along her bow, releasing it instantly. It was a beautiful shot, darting directly at the heart of her target. Suddenly the monster raised its hairy paw and crushed the arrow into the ground.

Well that just confirmed my fears that it wasn't an ordinary monster. And it wanted me, at the very moment when I wouldn't let myself fight back.

I felt Rachel grab my arm and pull me back.

"Let go," I hissed, and I felt her recoil as if I had bitten her.

I tried to push myself in front of the Hunter. That was where I belonged. And I could feel my hold on my instincts slipping. Aryryn was pushing me as well. It longed for battle, and I could feel my heart longing along with it. I couldn't just sit and do nothing, no matter how much I wanted to hide who I was.

I ran out from behind Artemis's Hunter, launching myself down the path in the direction of the monster.

"Ryley!" Rachel yelled after me. "Come back!"

"Get back here!" the Hunter growled.

I ignored them.

"Come and get it, butthead." I murmured, locking my eyes on its angry ones. I recalled the first time I had said that to a monster. It was the battle I had fought and won for Max, Alyssa, and Ben. The memory brought back with it a rush of adrenaline. I grinned manically at the monster as it advanced on me.

The Hunter had apparently given up on me as a lost cause; a fletched silver arrow flew over my head. The monster, its instincts going crazy at the very scent of me, didn't notice as the arrow sank itself deep in its forehead. It kept dragging itself toward me down the path, disintegrating as it went. When it finally reached me it was nothing but a wisp of dust on the wind.

I blew lightly on the cloud of dust, and the particles scattered. 'Thanks for the memories," I whispered.

I turned around to see the Hunter and Rachel staring at me.

"You have the sight?" The Hunter asked, ready to block me should I try to escape.

"I guess you could say that."

Rachel suddenly turned her gaze on the Hunter. "Thalia, I think she saw me have a vision. I blacked out for a moment and woke up with her looking at me thoughtfully."

Thalia turned to me. "We'll ask Percy about what to do. You-" she directed at me "are coming with us."

I almost groaned. Why did my powers have to act up? Aryryn, I thought. The sword stirred up the fight in me. Making me think it was me who wanted the fight. But why I couldn't say; Aryryn was one of the most powerful relics left over from the Olympian's days of glory. That was the only explanation.

Thalia grabbed my arm in a grip like iron. I glared at her, the fury in my blue eyes burning. Rachel walked at my side.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know that-"

"Like it's something I would advertise in the newspaper," I grumbled. "Hey, guess what everybody? I see weird monsters that nobody else can see! There's nothing creepy at all about that, is there?"

She fell silent, and I instantly regretted snapping at her. She was only trying to help.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," I muttered back to her. My eyes were roving over the landscape, memorizing every tree and hill that we passed. I needed to know where I was going if I was going to escape.

"Do you know the story behind the monsters?" Rachel asked me, her eyes lighting up.

"Rachel, she doesn't need to know any of that." Thalia growled, and I swore she gripped my arm even harder. "She's only mortal."

"Well so am I!" Rachel protested.

"Not anymore. You're the Oracle; act like it."

Rachel slumped into a stewing silence, and I scrabbled my feet against the path, already feeling like a prisoner.

Finally I saw something. A tent rose out of the darkness, pitched under the dark shade of a tree. It barely caught my eye. I was surprised. Didn't Artemis have too many Hunters to fit in one tent?

"Percy!" Thalia called loudly. Her nails dug into my arm, and I squirmed.

A guy came out of the tent, and Thalia released me. I instantly hid the cuts on my arm, for once not proud of my accelerated healing rate.

Green eyes examined me carefully, like I was something being put on show. I glared back, one of the many reasons being that I had been dragged here against my will, and the fact that Zeus could kill me at any second. Where was Artemis? Couldn't she just kill me already?

That was about when I remembered that Artemis refused to travel with boys, or even accept them.

So Thalia wasn't taking me to Artemis?

I looked at the kid named Percy. He had dark brown hair, the kind that could be considered chocolate if one was in a positive enough mood. His arms were crossed, and I could see how well muscled he was. No escape option there; he would tackle me before I took a single step.

A second guy came out of the tent, and I immediately noticed the similarities between him and Lyss. The black hair, the brooding black eyes. And a dark aura.

"What'd you bring back now, Thalia? We ask you to get take out and this is what you got?" The black haired kid said, a small smile on his lips.

"I didn't have time for Chinese, Nico. This girl was being attacked by a monster."

"So why did you bring her back?" Percy asked sensibly. I immediately eyed him, because I felt uncomfortable with his pleasant manner. Something was coming.

"She could see it."

"And?"

"She saw Rachel spout a prophecy."

Rachel glanced quickly in my direction. I could tell by the tip of her head that she wasn't happy with what was going on.

"Her name is Ryley, and she's standing right there." Rachel said angrily. "Ask her how she feels."

All their eyes were instantly on me.

"Well?" Percy asked.

I really wished Rachel hadn't told Thalia about the prophecy; there was no way I could cover that up.

"I feel like I just want to go home," I sighed, drawing out my breath. "And get away from all gods until I'm sure they won't zap me with lightning."

Thalia and Rachel looked at me in amazement.

"And as for you," I said, turning toward Thalia, unable to just stop my thoughts "Don't just assume I'm nothing, because that nothing turns into something awful quick."

She gaped at me, and I smiled sweetly.

"That's what I think." I said to Percy. "Aren't you glad you asked?"

Silence. Then, "Are you working for Kronos?"

I stared icily back at him. "Like I'd work with that murdering-"

"Okay, okay." Percy held up his hands and I stopped, finally glad I had gotten my point across.

"Are you a demigod?" Nico asked, his pitch black eyes looking coolly at me. Up close, he was actually kind of hot.

I bit my lip as I considered my options. I couldn't afford to tell anyone who I was.

"No," I said. "But you are." I looked at him with one eye closed. "Hades, I'd say."

I saw the glance that passed between the three of them, the Hunter, the Son of the Dead, and Percy.

Rachel was looking at me, smiling.

"Thanks, Rachel." I whispered, grinning back.

"All in a day's work," she laughed, winking at me. I laughed along with her. She was just so easy going. I was glad she was here with me.

Then it hit me.

The prophecy mentioned the Big Three. If one of them was here, what did that make the other two?

They had to be the children of Zeus and Poseidon.

"Look," I said, breaking up the demigods' conversation. "I'm done here. I just want to go home."

Percy eyed me. "The Quest mentions a fifth."

"Yeah, so?" Nico replied spitefully. "She's mortal."

Thalia was glaring at me.

Suddenly I found myself longing for a battle, a quest like the old days.

"I don't have a home to go to," I found myself saying. "I live on the streets."

"No family?" Rachel asked sadly.

"No."

"Then will you join us?" Percy inquired politely. With Nico and Thalia groaning in the background, I nodded. And Aryryn felt lighter on my back, sending jolts through my system. At last.

And maybe, just maybe, I'd finally be able to find Lyss.

Things are finally looking up.

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Sorry about all the confusion in this chapter- R&R and tell me what you think!