It's a tough decision to make. Was that person wrong? Not completely. The gods aren't the nicest beings in this universe. They've done a lot of stuff wrong, have punished some people who haven't really deserved it. And they've ignored most of their children also. Would it really be a bad thing for somebody else to take the reins? Fix their faults? Make a better world?

Plus, I can get Thalia and Jason back. I know it sounds selfish if I go through with it. But it's just…I lost two of my blood related family members. Jason was only four when he disappeared. After running away, Thalia and I searched for him until it was obvious to us that there was no way he could've survived. I mean what four year old can survive alone in the woods for months?

This is a tough decision to make for me. I'm…still thinking about it.

I was up for a while with Grover and Annabeth. We were currently having breakfast (which were just corn chips from Aunty Em's; Grover was eating the actual bag, not the corn chips) while we were waiting for Percy to wake up. In Grover's lap he had a pink poodle which he found in the woods. Grover can talk to animals so he thinks we can use the poodle to go west.

Apparently the poodle's name is Gladiola. I told Grover that was a girl's name and the poodle is a boy, but then Grover said that Gladiola said that I'm very closed-minded. Anyways, I was then forced to say hello to it.

Finally, Percy woke up.

"Well," Annabeth said. "The zombie lives."

Percy was trembling, he looked like he'd just gone through the most terrifying thing. "How long was I asleep?"

"Long enough for me to cook breakfast," Annabeth said, tossing a bag of corn chips to Percy. "And Grover went exploring. Look, he found a friend."

Percy looked at Grover, who had Gladiola in his lap.

Gladiola yapped at Percy.

"No, he's not," Grover said to him.

"Are you…talking to that thing?" Percy asked

Gladiola growled.

"Apparently," I said. "That thing is our ticket west. Isn't it Grover?"

"Yes, I'd appreciate it if you guys would be nice to him," Grover said. "Percy, meet Gladiola. Gladiola, Percy."

"You can talk to animals?"

Grover ignored him. Percy looked at both Annabeth and I as if he expected us to laugh because we were playing a joke on him. Nope. We're dead serious.

"I'm not saying hello to a pink poodle," Percy said. "Forget it."

"Percy," Annabeth said. "I said hello to the poodle. Alaster said hello to the poodle. You say hello to the poodle."

Percy looked at Gladiola. "Hello, poodle."

Grover had found Gladiola in the woods. It turns out that Gladiola had run away from home from a local rich family, who'd posted a 200 reward for his return. Gladiola didn't really want to go back to his family, but he was willing to do it if it meant helping Grover.

"How does Gladiola know about the reward?" Percy asked.

"He read the signs," Grover said. "Duh."

"Of course," Percy said. "Silly me."

"So we'll turn in Gladiola, get some money, and we'll buy tickets to Los Angeles. Simple," Annabeth said

I asked why we can't just the mortal money I already have but then I took it back. I said that we might need some extra money later in the quest so it's best to get as much as we can.

"Not another bus," Percy said warily.

"No," Annabeth agreed

She pointed downhill, toward train tracks. "There's an Amtrak station half a mile that way. According to Gladiola, the westbound train leaves at noon."

We spent a total of two days on the Amtrak train, heading west through hills, over rivers, past amber waves of grain. During that time I had a lot of time to think. Get the bolt. Bring it to the Underworld. Give it to whoever that was. And I get my siblings back.

But that kept bringing up the question. Would Thalia and Jason even want that? I think if they were alive then we'd all want each other to be together again, but would it be at the cost of the current world. This person or thing is promising me something, but they could very well just be tricking me, using the love of my siblings to manipulate me.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm trying to put it all together. A very ancient voice, one that even exceeds the gods. Very cold, and evil. I wouldn't have felt that way if that thing or person or whatever it is was genuinely good. It said that it was betrayed by its own son. One that has a vendetta against the gods…

I put the pieces together, and I can remember one being who can match that.

I didn't want to believe it. But it's not out of the question. I can feel it, there's something more to all of this. I don't know what but there's something.

I tried my best to sleep for those two days. But each time I tried I only managed to get a couple hours. No monsters attacked us for those two days so that was actually nice, we had time to relax, at least somewhat relax. Our reward money for returning Gladiola would only get us as far as Denver.

Our seats were all facing each other. Annabeth and Percy on one side, Grover and I on the other. Grover was snoring and bleating in his sleep which kept Percy, Annabeth, and I awake also, so combined with the sudden insomnia it didn't really help. He started shuffling around so much that he shook his fake foot off, Percy and Annabeth rushed to put it back on before anybody could notice.

I could have just manipulated the mist around us to disguise Grover's hoof but I was way too tired to focus on it. I learned to control the mist years ago on my ninth birthday from Chiron. It was silent for a short while.

"You look miserable," Annabeth said to me.

"Well we're on a quest to save the world," I said. "There's a lot of life riding on this. Of course I'm miserable and stressed. I've been having dreams too, dreams that are kind of scaring me, I guess."

"You're having dreams too?" Percy asked

I nodded. "You were talking in your sleep. You were saying stuff about 'I won't help you'. Who were you dreaming about?"

Percy looked reluctant. But he spoke. "I was in a pit, and there was this voice speaking to me. Then Mom appeared. He offered to trade her if I gave him the bolt. He was laughing too. Do you guys think it's Hades?"

Percy and I had a similar dream, again. If what I was thinking is true…then he's talking to both of us. Trying to get us both on his side. He's using our loved ones to sway us over to him. Annabeth and I locked eyes, it looked like she was thinking close to the same thing I was.

"That doesn't sound like Hades," Annabeth said. "He always appears on a black throne, and he never laughs."

"He offered my mother in trade. Who else could do that?"

"But if it really was him, then why would he ask you to bring him the bolt if he already has it?" I asked him.

He shook his head in response. Grover snorted in his sleep, muttering something about vegetables and turned his head. I adjusted his cap so it would cover his horns.

"Percy," I said. "You can't barter with Hades. He's cruel, vindictive, he's the lord of the dead. You can't trust him. His Kindly Ones might not be as aggressive as last time-"

"Last time?" Percy asked. "You mean you've run into them before?"

I fiddled with the black earring in my right ear. "Let's just say the Lord of the Dead isn't my favorite person. You can't be tempted to make a deal with him."

"Alaster, what would you do if it was your Mom? How about you Annabeth? What if it was your Dad?"

"I'd leave him to rot," Annabeth said

"Same thing. My Mom and I never had the best relationship." I told him.

"You guys aren't serious?"

"My Mom was a self-absorbed, attention-seeking person," I said. "She was already that way, but meeting my Dad increased that. Her ego inflated, she was able to attract the King of Gods, not once, but twice. When Dad left, she took it out on us. She was neglectful. Thalia had to be the primary caretaker before she was even ten years old. Then another guy came along and started dating Mom. I didn't know what it was about that guy, he felt familiar but different at the same time. Then that;s when my little brother Jason came along. Thalia, Jason, and I were close. Then one day when we were on a family camping trip. Thalia and I were looking for Jason, then when we found Mom she was crying. She told us that he was dead. We tried looking for him everywhere we could until Mom dragged us home while we were kicking and screaming. Thalia called the cops, Mom wasn't arrested. There were a lot of arguments. Then Mom told us that we betrayed her. In the middle of the night Thalia woke me up, she had gotten some food, water, and snacks from the kitchen and told me that we were leaving. I didn't think twice about it then. Mom was already passed out on the couch so she didn't hear us leave,"

Percy looked shocked and disgusted at the same time. Before he could speak, Annabeth spoke up.

"My dad's resented me since the day I was born, Percy," She said. "He never wanted a baby. When he got me, he asked Athena to take me back and raise me on Olympus because he was too busy with his work. She wasn't happy about that. She told him heroes had to be raised by their mortal parent."

"But how? You weren't born in a hospital?"

"I appeared on my father's doorstep, in a golden cradle, carried down from Olympus by Zephyr the West Wind. You'd think my dad would remember that as a miracle, right? Like maybe he'd take some digital photos or something. But he always talked about my arrival as if it were the most inconvenient thing that had ever happened to him. When I was five he got married and totally forgot about Athena. He got a 'regular' mortal wife, and had two 'regular' mortal kids, and tried to pretend I didn't exist."

Percy stared out the window. Annabeth and I telling him our issues with our mortal parents must've really had an affect on him. "My mom married a really awful guy. Grover said she did it to protect me, to hide me in the scent of a human family. Maybe that's what your dad was thinking."

"He doesn't care about me," Annabeth said, pinching a hold college ring that was on her beaded necklace.

At Camp Half-Blood we are given an empty leather necklace that we wear. After each summer at Camp you are given one bead that has an illustration of something major that happened that year. Annabeth, Luke, and I have been at camp for five years, even longer than a lot of the counselors at camp, and some of them are in college. So the three of us have five beads on our necklaces.

"His wife-my stepmom-treated me like a freak. She wouldn't let me play with her children. My dad went along with her. Whenever something dangerous happened-you know, something with monsters-they would both look at me resentfully, like, 'How dare you put our family at risk'. Finally, I took the hint. I wasn't wanted. I ran away."

"How old were both of you? When you ran away?" Percy asked

"Five," I said

"Seven," Annabeth said

"But…you guys couldn't have gotten all the way to Half-Blood Hill by yourselves. Especially with two children of Zeus together, right? Wouldn't every monster in the area head your way?" Percy asked

"Monsters didn't start attacking us until Thalia turned twelve," I said. "But until then we were on our own. Living on the food we had, getting any money that we could. I don't remember a lot of details, I was still very young. I only remember the major parts."

"Athena watched over me, guided me toward help. I made a couple of unexpected friends who took care of me, for a short time, anyway," Annabeth said

It wasn't that long before I was drowned in sad memories. I looked out the window, it was raining again. I wiped away a tear before it could be noticeable to anybody else. I can get Thalia and Jason back…but does that mean I should?

Toward the end of our second day on the train, being June 13, eight days before the summer solstice, we passed through some golden hills and over the Mississippi River into St. Louis.

"I want to do that," Annabeth pointed to the Gateway Arch.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Build something like that. Have you ever seen the Parthenon, Percy?"

"Only in pictures."

"Someday I'm going to see it in person. I'm going to build the greatest monument to the gods, ever. Something that'll last a thousand years."

Percy laughed. "You? An architect?"

Annabeth's cheeks flushed. "Yes, an architect. Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down, like a certain god of earthquakes I could mention…sorry, that was mean."

"It's fine," Percy said. "What about you, Alaster? Any dreams?"

I took a deep breath. "I have had a dream before. People like us, demigods, unless we intend on staying at Camp Half-Blood for the rest of our lives we have to go out in the world and risk being attacked by monsters, potentially killing us. That's why there's not that many at camp. One day I want to make a place that demigods can go to where they won't have to be afraid of getting attacked. A place for us to go to live the rest of our lives and not be attacked by monsters, like camp, but bigger. Maybe a town or a city."

"That's a big dream," Percy said. "You guys have very similar aspirations."

"Well I just don't want people like us to live in fear for the rest of our lives, live in fear of losing what we've worked hard to build. A career, a family, anything like that," I said.

"Look," Percy said. "Can't we all just work together a little? Haven't Athena and Poseidon worked together before? And hasn't Zeus and Poseidon helped each other when it came to beating their father?"

"I guess…the chariot," Annabeth said. "My mom invented it, but Poseidon created horses out of the crest of waves. So they had to work together to make it complete."

"And Zeus saved his siblings, including Poseidon. Then they joined him against the Titans," I said.

"Alaster, you and I don't see eye to eye all the time. We don't have to be friends, but can't we just try to get along for the sake of the quest? If our parents can cooperate then we can too, right?" Percy asked.

We rode into the city, Annabeth kept watching until the Arch disappeared behind a hotel. "I suppose."

I crossed my arms. "Sure."

We pulled into the Amtrak station downtown. The intercom told us we'd have a three-hour layover before departing for Denver.

Grover stretched out and yawned.

"Food," Grover said before he even fully woke up.

"Come on, goat boy," Annabeth said. "Sightseeing."

"Sightseeing?"

"The Gateway Arch," she said. "This may be my only chance to ride to the top. Are you coming or not?"

Grover, Percy, and I exchanged looks.

Why not?

Grover shrugged. "As long as there's a snack bar without monsters."

The Arch was a mile from the train station. Which turned out to be pretty good since by the time we got there the lines weren't that long. We went all the way through the underground museum, looking at covered wagons and other junk that were from the 1800s.

Annabeth kept telling us facts about how the Arch was built, Grover passed Percy jelly beans, and Percy passed me twizzlers.

Percy kept looking around, he spoke to Grover. "Do you smell anything?"

Grover sniffed. "Underground. Underground air always smells like monsters. Probably doesn't mean anything."

Yeah, right. I'd bet.

"We haven't been attacked in two days," I said. "I think now that we've stopped moving and are not on the train that we're now at risk of getting attacked more than ever. Who knows what's gonna try to take a shot at us next?"

"Guys," Percy said. "You know the gods' symbols of power?"

"Yeah," Annabeth and I said in unison.

"Well, Hade-"

Grover cleared his throat. "We're in a public place. You mean, our friend downstairs?"

"Um, right," Percy said. "Our friend way downstairs. Doesn't he have a hat like Annabeth's?"

"The Helm of Darkness," I said. "That's his symbol of power. It was next to his seat during the winter solstice council meeting."

"He was there?" Percy asked

"It's the only time he's allowed to visit Olympus-the darkest day of the year. But his helm is a lot more powerful than my invisibility hat, if what I've heard is true…"

"It allows him to become darkness," Grover confirmed. "He can melt into shadow or pass through walls. He can't be touched, or seen, or heard. And he can radiate fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. Why do you think all rational creatures fear the dark?"

"But then…how do we know he's not here right now, watching us?" Percy asked

Annabeth, Grover, and I exchanged looks.

"We don't," Grover said.

"Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better," Percy said. "Got any blue jelly beans left?"

After that the four of us got shoehorned into the car with a big fat lady and her dog, a Chihuahua with a rhinestone collar. None of the guards said a word about it, so maybe it's a seeing-eye Chihuahua.

We started going up.

"No parents?" The lady spoke to us.

The lady had beady eyes, pointy coffee-stained teeth, a floppy denim hat, and a denim dress that bulged so much, she looked like a blimp.

"They're below," Annabeth told her. "Scared of heights."

"Oh, the poor darlings."

The Chihuahua growled.

"Now, now, sonny. Behave," The lady said. The dog had vicious and intelligent eyes.

"Sonny," Percy said. "Is that his name?"

"No."

Ok. Weird.

When we finally got to the top of the arch I felt great. My exhaustion was gone, I felt rejuvenated. Like I had taken a great nap. All my energy was back!

It most likely had something to do with being six hundred feet in the air. I'm at my most powerful when I'm high in the air or when I'm in the sky.

The view felt great. Annabeth kept talking about structural supports, and how she would've made the windows bigger, designed a see-through floor. After a while Percy steered Grover, Annabeth, and I toward the exit. But two other tourists were already inside. Grover and Annabeth were able to get in but Percy and I could not.

"Sorry kids, next car," The park ranger said

"We'll get out," Annabeth said. "We'll wait with you."

"Nah, it's okay," I said

"We'll see you guys at the bottom," Percy said

The only people left on the observation deck of the arch were me, Percy, a little boy with his parents, the park ranger, and the fat lady with her Chihuahua.

Not too long later the fat lady's Chihuahua started yapping at us.

"Now, now, sonny," the lady said. "Does this look like a good time? We have all these nice people here."

"Doggie!" said the little boy. "Look, a doggie!"

His parents pulled him back. The Chihuahua bared his teeth at us, foam was dripping from his black lips.

"Well, son," the lady sighed. "If you insist."

"Um, did you just call that Chihuahua your son?" Percy asked

"Chimera, dear" the lady corrected. "Not a Chihuahua. It's an easy mistake to make."

Wait…Chimera?

I pulled Percy back. "I think we have some trouble."

The lady rolled up her sleeves, revealing the skin of her arms which was scaly and green. She smiled, her teeth were now fangs. The pupils of her eyes were now slits, like a reptile's.

The Chihuahua barked louder, with each bark it grew and grew, and the barks became roars. The little boy screamed, his parents pulled him back toward the exit, straight into the park ranger who stood paralyzed in fear.

The Chimera was now so big and tall that its back rubbed against the roof. It had the head of a lion, a blood-caked mane, the body and hooves of a giant goat, and a serpent for a tail, a ten-foot long diamondback growing right out of its shaggy behind. The dog collar was hanging around its neck, and the plate-sized dog tag was now much much easier to read:

CHIMERA-RABID, FIRE-BREATHING, POISONOUS-IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL TARTARUS-EXT. 954.

I grabbed my chapstick and flicked off the cap, it turned into my spear. I pressed down on the ring and it turned into Aegis. "Percy, now would be a pretty good time to bring out your sword."

"Be honored, Percy Jackson and Alaster Grace. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test heroes with one of my brood, especially two children of the Big Three. For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!"

"Oh, so my Dad sent you…isn't that great?" I said sarcastically.

"Isn't an Echidna a kind of anteater?" Percy asked.

She howled, her face turned brown and green with rage. "I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me. For that, Percy Jackson, my son shall destroy you first."

The Chimera charged at us. I dove out of the way and Percy leaped aside to dodge its bite. I turned and charged at the Chimera. It turned toward me and launched a stream of fire at me. At the very last second I went down to my knees and slid across the floor and slashed its leg. It let out a pained roar. I launched myself high and thrusted my spear into its side.

It cried out in pain again and it didn't take long for it to shake me off with my spear. I hit the floor hard. And got up before it could trample me.

The Chimera shot out another stream of fire at Percy.

BOOM!

There was an explosion, Percy was able to dive out of the way and from where he was standing there was now a hole in the side Arch, melted metal was steaming around the edges.

Percy slashes its neck as the Chimera turned. Sparks flew off its collar and before Percy could even regain his balance the snake tail sunk its fangs into Percy's leg. I ran up to it and kicked it in the face, when it turned back to shoot fire at me I slashed its nose.

The Chimera sent its large hoof my way. I was able to block it with Aegis but it sent me flying away and sliding across the floor. The moment I got back up to my feet I saw Percy jumping out of the hole at the side of the Arch.

"NO!" I yelled.

I looked back at the family and the park ranger. The only thing standing in between them and the Chimera is me. I have to protect them. I rushed at them, spear in hand, crying out a battle cry.

It shot out another stream of fire. I couldn't dodge it as quickly now so I held Aegs in front of me. I felt the heat on my body, the moment it stopped I charged. The Chimera charged up another stream of fire, so I dove down underneath it and stabbed its underbelly with my spear. It roared in pain again.

I used my powers over the wind to launch it upward into the roof and I dove out the way when it came back down. It broke parts of the roof but most of it was still intact. Then it fell down, I really hope that my chapstick spear isn't broken and just returns to my pocket later.

I took out my black earring and Hero sprung to life. I then ran to Echidna. She swung at me but I ducked under it and slashed her heel. She shrieked in pain. I propelled myself upward with wind and stabbed her in the head, once, twice, three times!

Then I flipped over and stabbed her in the eye. She shrieked and fell down in golden dust.

Directly after that I felt something dig into my leg. I grunted and looked back, it was the serpent tail. It bit me. But then…I felt nothing. The Chimera's poison is supposed to kick in not too long after you've been bitten.

I took a step forward toward it and the serpent tail lunged at me again and bit me in the side. Nothing. It kept biting and biting. Knee. Nope. Arm. Didn't work. Even neck…not at all.

I smirked in triumph. "You underestimated me. You don't truly know who I am."

Blue electricity began to surround me. "You can't poison me. YOU'RE IN MY DOMAIN!"

I shot electricity at the Chimera, it took it full force and fell to the floor. As quick as lightning I was on top of it and stabbed my sword into its head and didn't hold back as I let out an eruption of lightning into its head. The Chimera, just like Echidna, turned into golden dust.

I sighed, Hero turned back into an earring, I put it back into my ear. I checked my pockets, no chapstick in either of them. I sighed, it was gone. The family and the park ranger looked at me in fear.

I ran toward the hole in the arch, and I looked down.

I had a crazy idea. I probably should've taken the elevator but I was on a high.

So I jumped out of the hole and into the air.