A/N – Sorry it's taken so long to update. I suddenly realised I need an education.

Disclaimer – I do not own the Percy Jackson series or characters. I do on the other hand, own Amelia Sheridan.

Early Birthday Present

My brother. I have a brother. Oh my Gods.

"Hi," I said, surprised, my voice high pitched. I coughed. "Sorry. Hi." I took his hand. He looked nothing like me, but I could see myself in him. Being children of Hades, I guess that was a given. He smiled at my nervousness, but shook my hand all the same.

"I'll leave you guys to it." Percy said, grinning. He turned around and started walking towards the hearth in the centre of the camp area. There was a girl there; she couldn't have been more that 12 years old. She was wearing a little brown dress; her hair was up in a ponytail. She was sitting down, tending to the flames. When Percy reached her, he bowed, then sat beside her and began to talk. I turned to Nico.

"So, I have a brother." It was an understatement; he was right in front of me.

"And I have a sister again." He smiled and, from my expression, continued. "I did have another sister, called Bianca, but she left shortly after becoming a Hunter of Artemis."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks."

"She died in battle, then." He nodded.

"How did you know?" He asked. It was time I revealed just how much mythology I knew.

"Well, a Hunter of Artemis is immortal. The only way you can leave the Goddess' service is if you fall in love or you die. If she'd fallen in love, she'd be here, so I'm guessing that she died." I ranted with an apologetic look on my face. We sat down on our porch, the green light from the torches illuminating us like a pumpkin would on Halloween.

"She did. I don't really know much about it though. Percy does, he was there."

"Why don't you ask him?"

"Well," He paused. "I don't really want to know. I mean, Bianca was my sister. It hurt to loose her. I even blamed Percy for her death for a while." I widened my eyes at that. "It's okay. You can be ashamed of me for that. I am."

"I'm not ashamed." I told him honestly.

"You're not?"

"No. You lost you're sister. It's to be expected. Everybody wants to know the reason why they lost somebody they love. They want someone or something to blame. It's only natural." Nico smiled.

It was dark now. The stars were out. They looked beautiful. I couldn't decide which constellation was my favourite. But then I saw the hunter. It was a girl. I felt a strange connection to those stars and a name passed through my head. 'Zoë.' It was Zoë Nightshade. I knew it instantly, but I didn't know how or why.

"Come on you two, inside and sleep." Chiron said, coming round the corner. He stopped in front of me and held out a few pieces of clothing for me to take. "From Piper and Annabeth." I smiled and took them.

"Thanks." Then I realized that I still looked like a gothic Princess and asked, "How long am I going to remain like this?"

"As long as your father wants you to." Chiron replied.

"Great and how long is that going to take?" I retorted, pissed.

"Knowing Dad? A long time." Nico said, grinning.

I stood up, holding onto the clothes. I knew the pissed expression was still on my face, so it was no surprise that Chiron made a comment on it.

"You look like a destroying angel. Quite fitting, you're very powerful Amelia, you just don't know how powerful."

"He doesn't even know me and I just hate the fact that he's trying to change and control me already."

"He's a God and he's your father. There is nothing you can do. Come on, bed. Both of you." We did as Chiron told us.

Inside our cabin was not what I was expecting. I was expecting dark and depressing, but it was comforting and homey. There were 4 beds, each one different to the one before it. The one Nico sat down on had a simple wooden frame, a large head board and chocolate colored covers. The one next to it was simple but very luxurious; it had silk sheets and pillows in a deep green and gold color. The one opposite Nico's bed was fancy and rich. It had white sheets, sun yellow pillows and mosquito netting. The last one spoke to me, I knew it was mine. It was calming and simple with crisp red sheets and black and grey throw pillows. On the bed was a package… and a note, with my name on it.

"Nico?" I said, standing by the bed, looking down on the package, frozen.

"What is it?" My brother asked, not looking at me. (I have a brother!)

"Before you came out to meet me and Percy, was there a package on this bed?"

"No. Why?" He said, finally looking up.

"There's one here now." I told him. "And it's got my name on it." He got up and rushed over to me. I picked up the note. My name was written in gothic script. "Is that Dad's handwriting?"

"Yeah… You better read it."

My fingers shaking, I slowly opened the note. It was written on aged parchment. It read…

"Amelia,

Now that I have claimed you, you will face trials beyond your measure.
When outside of the camp, do not trust anyone you meet, especially if they address you as 'Princess', believe me when I say that they will be no friend to you.

Inside the package you will find something to help you in your quest. Only use it in dire needs of distress.

No one will be happy that I have claimed you. My brothers especially. Zeus, Poseidon and I have resented each other ever since we took over control from our father, Kronos.
Whatever they may say to discourage you about me, know that I only ever wanted what was best for you. I tried to keep you safe away from this world, but there was only so much I could do. I'm sorry.

If you ever need me, your cousin, Percy will know where to find me. Nico does too, but I don't want him getting involved with what you must do. I can not tell you anymore at this point. Visit the Oracle.

Your Father."

It was the first time my father had ever really spoken to me, I know it was in letter form but it was still a first.

I refolded the note and put it down on the red sheets, then picked up the package. Something to help me in my quest. What quest? And I was only to use it when I was in distress. I was in distress every other day, and now I knew why. I, the daughter of Hades, am a threat. But to who?

It was light and the size of a jewellery box. My father would never send me anything dangerous, (with the exception of 'Nightshade'), but he said it would help me, so, slowly and carefully, (you can never be too careful), I lifted the lid.

Inside was a beautiful, silver bracelet. The detail on it was delicate and woven, like a spider's web. Situated inside the middle of the web was a ruby. There was no note saying what it did, or what I should do with it. It came with no instructions. Just the bracelet.

"We should take it to Chiron." I said, staring at the gem.

"Yeah, bring the note too." Nico agreed. I snapped the box shut, grabbed the note and Nico and I ran out of the cabin. I found the adrenaline of receiving something so unexpected from my father was overriding the fact that I couldn't breath in my corset.

Chiron was just extinguishing the flames of the torches on the porch of the big house when Nico and I ran up the steps towards him. He looked at us in surprise.

"I thought I told you two to go to bed." He said. I rushed through my explanation, without taking a breath.

"We were, but this was waiting for me on my bed. It's from my Dad." I thrusted the note into his waiting hands and opened the box for him to see the bracelet. As Chiron was reading the note, Mr. D. came out of the house to see what was up.

"What's going on?" He started to say, but he faltered when he saw the bracelet in my grasp. "Well, Miss Sheridan. You keep on surprising me." His eyes were trained in on me, never blinking.

"What do you mean?" I asked. What had Hades given me? Chiron answered my internal question.

"This is the Bracelet of the Espirades. Well one of them. This one in question that Hades has given you, had the same owner as your hairclips."
"Zoë Nightshade."

"Correct. I'll let Dionysus here tell you about them." I turned to Mr. D. He frowned but explained the Bracelets to us.

"The Bracelets of the Espirades are very rare." Mr. D. began. "There are only 5 in existence. Four still reside with the sisters. But as you know, the fifth is in your hands. It belonged to Zoë Nightshade. When the Hunter of Artemis died all she was and all she owned returned to the stars." The constellation. I knew I felt a connection. "Zoë must have trusted my Uncle enough to allow him to retrieve your hairclips and the bracelet to give them to you. The Bracelet protects the wearer when they press the ruby in the centre web."

"How would it protect the wearer?" I asked, staring dreamily at the mentioned Ruby.

"It all depends on the wearer; if they are strong enough to wear the bracelet... Wear the bracelet and not go mad, let alone survive." That was enough to tear my eyes away from the gem to look into his. "The bracelet will tap into your thoughts and discover your most deadly power, and make it happen."
"What would happen if I put it on?"

"I don't know. You might die… which I doubt. You are very strong. You might go mad… which I also doubt. Or, you could become the most powerful Demigod to ever live since Heracles."

"Me? I'm just ordinary." I said, uncertain.

"I really doubt that, Amelia. Mr. D. could be right. I told you earlier you didn't know how powerful you really are." Chiron contradicted.

"All I can do is, speak Greek, fight with my Sai Blades and I can…." I stopped quietly.

"Go on," Chiron encouraged.

"I can tell peoples lifelines."

"What? What do you mean? You can tell people's lifelines?" Nico asked, a little worried.

"I can tell when somebody is going to die."
"Anything else?" Mr. D. asked, anxious. Though why, I had no idea. But as he's a God, he needed to feel anxious for any new Demigod with a powerful ability that can overthrow his own Demigod children.

"If I concentrate hard I can.."

"Yes?"

"I can see how it's going to happen." I said, reluctantly. I already felt like a freak. But admitting this made me feel like more of one. I mean, yes some people can see the dead and some people can communicate with those who have passed and yes I can do that as well, but who on this earth can see how and when some body is going to die? Nobody.

"Chiron!" Shock crossed Mr. D's features as well as his voice.

"I know, Dionysus."

"I have to see my Father." Mr. D. announced. "Tell her the prophecy, then take her to see Rachel."

"Rachel?" I wondered. Who was Rachel? What's going on?

"The Oracle." Mr D. said before taking a card out of his pocket and throwing it into the air. It floated in front of his face then expanded into a doorway big enough for him to step through, he looked at me once more then left. I turned to Chiron.

"Okay, what is going on?"

"I think we'd all like to know that." Nico commented and turned to Chiron, like me, to get answers. "Why are you looking at Amy like you've never seen her before?"

"In truth, young Nico, we have been expecting Amelia for quite a few years."

"What are you talking about?"

"Sit down." Nico and I both did as we were told and took seats at the Pinochle table. We looked at each other and the same thought ran through our heads. 'This is serious'. "Through out the history of this camp, the Oracle has made three major Prophecies. The first one was made in 1946 shortly after Zeus, Poseidon and Hades made their oath over the River Styx to not sire anymore children. The Prophecy went as thus,

"A Half-blood of the eldest Gods,
Shall reach sixteen against all odds,
And see the world in endless sleep,
A hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap,
A final choice shall end his days,
Olympus to preserve or raze.

"As you know, that Prophecy was about Percy defeating Kronos and stopping him from taking over the world and creating the new and dreaded 'Golden Age', keeping the Olympians in power." Nico nodded, obviously he was around then. "That Prophecy happened 64 years after it was predicted. Shortly after that one was complete, Rachel, our new Oracle made a new Prophecy. It went like this.

"Seven Half-blood's shall answer the call,
To storm or fire, the world must fall,
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the doors of Death.

"This Prophecy pertains to Percy, Jason, Leo, Piper, Hazel, Frank and Annabeth defeating Gaia and stopping the world from ending as we know it. That Prophecy however, began a month after it was predicted."

"What does this have to do with me?" I asked. I knew this was serious and I just wanted him to get to the point.

"A Prophecy was made in 1981, it scared the Gods into submission so much they hoped it would never come to pass."

"That's why Mr. D. reacted that way? Why he went to see Zeus?" I tried to confirm.

"Yes. The only God who wasn't fazed by it, was your father, Hades. It seems he finally took action. When were you born, Amelia?" He enquired.

"Eighteen years ago, tomorrow, in fact."

"Hades has been planning this for eighteen years?" Nico tried to understand.

"It seems so." Chiron nodded.

"What was the Prophecy?" I wondered.

"For me to tell you, we'll need to hold a War Council. Nico? Go and get Rachel from her den." He nodded, stood up and with a last look and comforting smile at me, he left. "Amelia, go round the cabins and retrieve the other head counsellors."

I stood up, not quite believing what was going on, nodded and walked down the porch steps. I walked past my own cabin and knocked on the one next door.

The cabin had Grape vines crawling over every surface, so I knew this to be Dionysus's cabin. A boy of 19 answered, I told him about the War Council and he said he'd be there in 2 minutes.

I left to knock on all the other Cabin doors. Pollux came from Dionysus' Cabin. Conner and Travis were the heads of the Hermes cabin. No one came from the Artemis Cabin because the Goddess was a sworn Maiden. Her twin brother, Apollo, on the other hand had quite a few kids, Lee Holloway was the Head of that Cabin. Next I stopped off at the Aphrodite Cabin, Piper, from earlier answered the door.

"Amelia, Hey!"

"Hey, Piper. Sorry about this, but Chiron wants a War Council… like now."

"No worries, I'll be there in 30 seconds." She assured me, grabbing her coat then set off for the big house. I too left and crossed over to the Hephaestus Cabin. A boy named Leo Valdez opened the door, raised his eyebrows, shrugged then left towards the big house. I didn't even open my mouth. He left the door open, so I turned to one of his siblings.

"Don't worry about it. Leo's always like that. War Council?" One of his sisters said. I nodded, then went straight to the Ares Cabin. Before I could get to the door, it opened and a girl wearing a camouflage jacket came out.

"Don't tell me. War Council meeting?"

"Yeah. My fault. Something about another Prophecy." I confessed.

"Eh, no worries. I'm Clarisse."

"Amelia. Um, is there anyone in the Hera Cabin?"

"No that's empty. I'll get Katie from the Demeter Cabin and head down." Clarisse said.

"Okay, thanks."

She nodded then left. I knocked on Percy's door, but it wasn't Percy who opened it. He was who I was expecting, not this person. It was a Cyclops. But he was like a child in the way he smiled at me.

"Percy! New cousin is here!" He yelled. I heard Percy's voice from inside.

"Okay Tyson."

"Tyson?" I speculated. He nodded, excitedly. Then Percy came to the door.

"Hey Amy!" He smiled, then as if he remembered that I was new to camp introduced me to the Cyclops standing beside him. "This is Tyson, my half brother."

"Wow. Really?" He nodded. "It's nice to meet you Tyson." I held out my hand. He took it eagerly, but softly so as not to injure me.

"Nice to meet you too." He said, enthusiastically, grinning. "You're pretty."

"Thank you." I said and I could tell that I blushed because Tyson's grin became wider. "Percy, we have a War Council."

"Okay. Tyson, you back inside, I'll be back soon." Percy instructed his brother, who did what he was told and shut the door.

Percy walked down the steps with me and accompanied me to the Athena Cabin. Annabeth was already standing on the porch steps watching all the other Demigod counsellors leave for the big house.

"What's going on?" She asked us.

"War Council." I said. "My fault."

"Probably the 1981 Prophecy." She mused. I was shocked. She knew more about my Prophecy then I did.

"How did you know?" I asked, the expression plain on my face.

"I knew you'd bring it about." She jumped from her spot on the porch to next to Percy who took her hand.

"Is that everybody?" He turned to me.

"No, I still have to knock on Zeus' Cabin. I'll catch up."

"Okay." He smiled. They both walked away towards the big house while I walked in the other direction to the last remaining Cabin. A boy, who I knew to be Jason was waiting in the doorway.

"Save me for last?" He joked. He had Blonde hair and blue eyes that seemed to flash like his fathers lightening.

"Funny. We have a War Council."