Warning: Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Magical Labyrinth' as well as the one shots 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Stolen Chariot' The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Sword of Hades', and The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Bronze Dragon' before reading this story as stuff that happened in them will be mentioned. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed as long as you inform me about it.

My Birthday Ends Better Than It Started

My mom offered to drive us to Camp, but I had to turn it down. The traffic was bad, and by time we get there, it might be too late. If this is Rachel's destiny, then at least I owed it to her to make sure sue survives it. The thing was, Annabeth was still unaware about Rachel's destiny.

"What was she thinking?" Annabeth said as we ran for the river. "She ever get through the defenses; Peleus will eat her."

Ethan and Nico came with us for some reason, but I didn't dare to ask.

Finally we scrambled over the embankment to the shore, I took out the remaining half of my sand dollar and tossed it into the water and prayed for sea life protection from the pollution as I whistled loudly.

Four wake lines appeared in the gray water, and a pod of hippocampi broke the surface. They whinnied unhappily, shaking the river muck from their manes. They were beautiful creatures, with multicolored fishtails, and the heads and forelegs of white stalions. The Hippocampus in front was much bigger than the others—a ride fit for a Cyclops.

"Rainbow!" I called. "How's it going, buddy?"

He neighed a complaint.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," I said. "But it's an emergency. We need to get to camp."

He snorted.

"Tyson?" I said. "Tyson is fine! I'm sorry he's not here. He's a big general now in the Cyclops army."

"NEEEEEIGGGGGH!"

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll still bring you apples. Now, about that ride…"

In no time, Annabeth, Nico, Ethan and I were zipping up the East River faster than Jet Skis. We sped under the Throgs Neck Bridge and headed for Long Island Sound.

It seemed like forever until we saw the beach at camp. We thanked the hippocampi and waded ashore, only to find Argus waiting for us. He stood in the sand with his arms crossed, his hundred eyes glaring at us.

"Is she here?" I asked.

He nodded grimly.

"Is everything okay?" Annabeth said.

Argus shook his head.

We followed him up the trail. It was surreal being back at camp, because everything looked so peaceful: no burning buildings, no wounded fighters. The cabins were bright in the sunshine, and the fields glittered with dew. The place was almost empty.

Up at the Big House, green lights was shooting out all the windows, just like I'd seen in my dream about May Castellan nine years ago. Mist—the magical kind—swirled around the yard. Chiron lay on a horse-size stretcher by the volleyball pit, a bunch of satyrs standing around him. Blackjack catered nervously in the grass.

Don't blame me, boss! He pleaded when he saw me. The weird girl made me do it!

"It's okay Blackjack. You did well," I said.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare stood at the bottom of the porch steps. Her arms were raised like she was waiting for someone inside the house to throw her a ball.

"What's she doing?" Annabeth demanded. "How did she get past the dragon barrier."

"She flew," one of the satyrs said, looking accusingly at Blackjack. "Right past the dragon, right through the magic boundaries."

"I invited her here," Chiron said. "Rachel's vision about the curse of Hades. She believes it may have been lifted once the war was over. She convinced me she deserves a chance."

"A chance at what?" Ethan asked.

"To be the next Oracle," I said. "Lady Hestia Rachel and I talked about it back at Olympus before Kronos' final charge. I had a feeling this would happen so I gave her my blessing to go through with it."

"You did really do that?" Annabeth asked as I nodded.

The Mist swirled around Rachel. She shivered like she was going into shock.

The house rumbled. The door flew open and a green light poured out. I recognized the warm smell of snakes.

Mist curled into a hundred smoky serpents, slithering up the porch columns, curling around the house. Then the Oracle appeared in the doorway.

The withered mummy shuffled forward in her rainbow dress. She looked even worse than usual, which was saying a lot. Her hair was falling out in clumps. Her leathery skin was cracking like the seat of a worn out bus. Her glassy eyes stared blankly into space, and yet at the same time drawn toward Rachel.

Rachel held out her arms. She didn't look scared.

"You waited too long," Rachel said. "But I'm here now."

The sun blazed more brightly. Apollo appeared above the porch, floating in the air wearing a white toga, with sunglasses and a cocky smile. He winked at me but held up his fingers to his lips.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," he said. "You have the gift of prophecy. But it is also a curse. Are you sure you want this?"

Rachel nodded. "It's my destiny."

"Do you accept the risks?"

"I do."

"Then proceed," the god said.

Rachel closed her eyes. "I accept this role. I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future and embraced the past. I accept the spirit of Delphi, Voice of the Gods, Speaker of Riddles, Seer of Fate."

As she said that the Mist thickened. A green column of smoke, like a python, uncoiled from the mummy's mouth and slithered down the stairs, curling affectionately around Rachel's feet. The Oracle's mummy crumbled, falling away until it was nothing but a pile of dust in an old tie-dyed dress. Mist enveloped Rachel in the column.

At first I couldn't see her. Then the smoke cleared.

Rachel collapsed and curled into a fetal position. Annabeth, Nico, and I rushed forward, but Apollo said, "Stop! This is the most delicate part. Either the spirit takes hold or it doesn't."

"And if it doesn't?" Ethan asked.

"Five syllables," Apollo said, counting them on his fingers. "That would be real bad."

At first Rachel was pale and barely breathing. Then her eyes fluttered open and she rose. "I'm all right," she murmured as she pressed her hands to her temples. "The visions—they're a little disorienting."

Apollo drifted down from the porch. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the new Oracle of Delphi."

"You're kidding," Annabeth said.

"I told you," I said.

Rachel manage a weak smile. "It's a little surprising to me too, but this is my fate. I saw it when I was in New York. I know why I was born with true sight. I was meant to become the Oracle. I… Oh no—"

"It started," Apollo announced.

Rachel doubled over like someone had punched her. Then she stood up straight and her eyes glowed serpent green.

When she spoke, her voice sounded tripled—like three Rachels were talking at once:

"Seven half-bloods shall answer the call.

To storm or fire, the world must fall.

An oath to keep with final breath,

And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."

At the last word, Rachel collapsed. Nico and I caught her and helped her to the porch. Her skin was feverish.

"I'm all right," she said, her voice returning to normal.

"Please tell me that's not what I think it was?" I asked Apollo.

Apollo nodded while having a concern face. "We just heard the next Great Prophecy."

Rachel frowned. "I don't even remember what I said."

"No," Apollo mused. "The spirit will only speak through you occasionally. The rest of the time, our Rachel will be as much as she's always been. There's no point in grilling her, even if she has just issued the next big prediction for the future of the world."

I thought occurred to me. "Apollo, the first line, Seven Half-bloods shall answer the call—it wouldn't happen to be connected to what Hal prediction, would it?"

Apollo sighed "Even if it was, Percy, I don't think you should dwell on it."

"But—"

"Remember what Halcyon said, Percy. Knowing too much about the future is dangerous. That's why the oracle's prophecy have to be a mystery. Until the events of the Prophecy happens, I suggest you take the time to relax," Apollo said.

I nodded.

Apollo insisted that Rachel needed rest, and she did look pretty disoriented.

"Thanks, Percy," Rachel said, "What you said to me back at Olympus help gave me the courage to do this."

"I'm just glad you made it out of this alive and sane," I said. "At least now you can enjoy the fun part of Camp Half-Blood when you're not attending Clarion Academy."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Rachel said, "It would be harder to be a normal kid now without worrying about the Spirit of Delphi taking over."

"Right now you need sleep," Apollo scolded. "Chiron, I don't think the attic is the proper place for our new Oracle, do you?"

"No, indeed," Chiron looked a lot better now that Apollo had worked some medical magic on him. "Rachel may use a guest room in the Big House for now, until we give the matter more thought."

"I'm thinking a cave in the hills," Apollo mused. "With torches and a big purple curtain over the entrance… really mysterious. But inside, a totally decked-out pad with a game room and one of those home theater system."

Chiron cleared his throat loudly.

"What?" Apollo demanded.

"Good-bye, Percy," Rachel said. "Maybe now you'll be able to make your mind up."

I blushed with embarrassment as Rachel turned bright red and followed Apollo into the Big House. Thank gods Annabeth was too shock at what just happened to ask what Rachel meant.

The rest of the day was as strange as the beginning. Campers and Hunters—who came for a short visit—trickled in from New York by car, Pegasus, and chariot. Even Tyson got the time off from his new rank as Cyclopes General to visit. The wounded were cared for. The dead were given proper funeral rights. Only a couple of handful demigods who sided with Kronos came to camp, all of which turned out to be demigods who never made it to camp before Kronos recruited them.

During dinner at the pavilion was low-key. The only highlight was the announcement that this time there will be a capture the flag game between Hunters and Campers this Friday, which meant for the Hunters a chance to get back at the campers for beating them during in our last game.

Juniper the tree nymph screamed "Grover!" when she saw her boyfriend and gave him a flying tackle hug. They went down to the beach to take a moonlit walk. They weren't the only ones who disappeared that night. I noticed that Beckendorf and Silena weren't at their divine parent's table.

Mrs. O'Leary romped around happily, eating everybody's table scraps. Nico and Ethan sat at the main table with Chiron and Mr. D, and nobody seemed to think this was out of place. After the meeting with the gods, everyone found out what Ethan did, and Nico impressed everyone with how he fought.

Slowly, the dinner crowd trickled away. Some went to the campfire for a sing –along. Others went to bed. Tyson joined the campers in the sing along so I sat at Poseidon's table by myself and watched the moonlight on Long Island Sound. I could see Grover and Juniper at the beach holding hands and talking. It was peaceful.

"Hey," Annabeth slid next to me on the bench. "Happy Birthday."

She was holding a huge misshapen cupcake with blue icing.

I stared at her. "What?"

"It's August 18th," She said. "Your birthday."

I was stunned. It hadn't even occurred to me, but she was right. I had turned sixteen this morning—the same morning Ethan let us through to stop Kronos, the same morning Luke sacrificed himself. The Prophecy had come true right on schedule, and I hadn't even thought about the fact that it was my birthday.

"Make a wish," she said.

"Did you make this yourself?" I asked.

"Tyson helped."

"That explains why it looks like a chocolate brick," I said. "With extra blue cement."

Annabeth laughed.

I thought for a second, then blew out the candle.

We cut it half and shared eating without fingers. Although this was my sixth birthday in camp—the other five times being when I was a full year camper, tonight felt different, and not because we just survived a war. Annabeth sat next to me, and we watched the ocean. Crickets and monsters were making noise in the woods, but otherwise it was quiet.

"You saved the world," she said.

"We saved the world," I said.

"And Rachel is the new Oracle, which means she won't be dating anybody."

"You sound happy about it," I said.

"No I don't," Annabeth argued.

"Uh-huh."

"So what did Rachel meant back there, about making your mind up?"

I nearly choked on my cupcake when Annabeth asked that.

"Nothing to worry about," I said. "It's in the past."

"Sure—" Annabeth said in a unconvincing tone while trying not to smile.

"You're laughing at me," I said.

"I am not!"

"Yes you are!" I said. "I told you, it's nothing to worry about, and you're laughing."

At this point Annabeth did laugh for real, and put her hands around my neck. "Let's just say I got a way to get the answer out of you."

"Like what?" I asked

Annabeth answered me by kissing me on the lips. When she did, I felt as if time froze again and this time I didn't want it to unfreeze.

Then a voice growled, "Well, it's about time!"

Suddenly the pavilion was filled torchlight and campers and Thalia and Bianca from the Hunters (I later guess they were expecting this). However it was Clarisse that seemed to be leading it.

"Oh, come on, guys!" I complained.

"The lovebirds need to cool off!" Clarisse said with glee.

"The canoe lake!" Connor Stoll jeered.

With a huge cheers. All the campers charged and hoisted both of us onto their shoulders and carried us down the hill as Thalia shook her head muttering idiots, but they kept Annabeth and me close enough to hold hands. Annabeth was laughing, and I couldn't help laughing too, even though my face was completely red.

I quickly figured out that Thalia was calling the campers idiots when they tossed us into the lake, because once under, I had the last laugh. I made an air bubble at the bottom of the lake. The campers kept waiting for us to come up, but hey—when you're the son of Poseidon, you don't have to hurry.

And it was pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time.