Dreams. Always with the dreams. The moment my eyes closed my body was pulled into dreams.

The great expanse of Camp shimmered into existence. I blinked in the fading sun, the sunset was beautiful. Bright pink and orange and yellows. The landscape was empty though. There weren't anyone around to pick strawberries, the tetherballs hung lamly, volleyballs and basketballs lay discarded. I stood at the top of the hill by Thalia's tree. Peleus circled around the base of the tree.

I walked down the hill, and like someone pressed fast forward I zoomed down the hill through the fields and passed the dinning pavilion a s through the cabins. I came to a stop and saw the ash heap that used to be a small shed. The remains of the wood structure sat nestled beside a patch of trees that sat at the edge of the forest by the canoe sheds.

Standing in front of the ashes unmoving was a someone who I didn't think I would see again. His huge shoulders were tense. He had taken his shirt off, it was tucked into his back pocket, he had the flat of the sword leaning on his shoulder. He held his shield in his hand, but it hung loosely beside him.

He didn't move from the spot. I slowly walked up beside him. Clearly he couldn't see me or feel my presence. Or maybe he could and he just chose to ignore me. I looked up at Raph. His eyes were glassy and vacant. His jaw was clenched and the muscle twitched slightly.

He dropped the shield and sheathed his sword, and from the pocket of his jeans pulled something out. I glanced over and sucked in a sharp breath. He unfolded the worn and weathered paper. It was the silly doodle of a Sun and sunflower i made last year and then gave to him last second when he was on his way back to camp. The picture he held while his mind struggled with Eos's Lovesickness. The picture he had taken and got tattooed over his heart.

The knife in my own heart twisted. I heard footsteps approaching. I turned to see Argus marching up to him. Every eye was narrowed and directed at Raph. If it made him unnerved he didn't show it. Argus just stopped in front of him and held something out.

"What's this?" Raph asked.

Argus didn't say anything. Just held the folded paper out. Raph frowned. The knife in my chest twisted some more. It was the letter I wrote. The one telling him we were ove, he chose his side and I chose mine.

Why, why of all the things I had to see, why this? I felt the sob in my chest rising. I watched with tears in my eyes, as Raph stretched out a hand and took the paper and unfolded it. Argus nodded once and turned and walked away.

Raph looked down at the paper. He ran a finger over his name. My writing was sloppy and I always hated it. Writing was always so hard for me, trying to get the letters right, even trying to read ancient greek was hard for me. I wished I had cute writing. But I didn't. I watched as his jaw muscle clenched again as he opened the folded paper. With a sharp pain in my chest I watched his face falling as he read the shorg paragraph.

The crease between his eyebrows grew, the corner of his lip turned down. I had to look away. I closed my own eyes and felt the tears break from my lashes and fall down my cheeks. When I opened my eyes again, I saw a tear form in his eyes, and one escaped and slid down his sweaty face.

He crumpled the note in his hand as his knees hit the earth. He let out a loud horrible scream, straight from the depths of his soul, from the pit of his gut. It ripped through him and echoed around the deserted camp.

"Why, Sunshine? Why?" He finally sobbed.

He stayed on his knees for a long time, staring at the heap of a shed, the setting sun reflected off the melted gold from the chariot.

The scene shifted.

I was still at camp, but standing in the middle of the dinning pavilion. I saw Raph and Clarisse facing each other and the remaining campers circled around them. They were clearly in the middle of yelling at each other.

They turned and marching up the hill was Combat Barbie, Selina herself. Glitter walked beside her looking as majestic as ever. Despite the pink combated outfit and blond hair and makeup she marched with such a determination and fire in her kylitascope eyes the Ares cabin moved out of her way.

"What? Selina?" Clarisse sputtered. "what are you doing here?"

"That's Nora's horse. Why are you riding Nora's horse? What happened?"

Selina flicked her eyes around to them all, to everyone one standing here.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves." Her voice was so quiet they all had to lean it. "We're risking our lives to save the world, and your all sitting here. Shameful a cabin if warriors sits back and let's Aphrodite kids fight monsters and giants-"

"It's a matter of respect and pride!" Clarisse interrupted.

"Oh bull. Give it up Clary! That chariot belonged to Eos. She was terrible."

"Wait! That was Eos's?" Raph asked. His voice was dangerously quiet. His eyes also flashed. A few campers stepped away. He radiated power and anger now. He rounded on his sister.

"What in Hades is actually going on?" He hissed. Big bad Clarisse actually gulped under his gaze. "I know someone has messed with me. Someone is still messing with.y head, but you better explain right this minute. Or I swear to the gods...!"

The scene changed.

Selina and Raph stood by Thalia's tree.

"Are you sure?" He asked her.

She nodded her head, a look of determination, "if she doesn't listen by tonight, then yes, drastic measures Raph."

He looked down at her. His huge arms folded across his chest armor. "I still don't like it."

"Too bad." She said. She glared at him for a second before she looked away, blinking tears away. "I- I have to do this, Raph. For Charlie. For Nora... for the rest of camp...I need to do this. Trust me. Please."

"Fine. But be safe." He relented.

"Always. Now go get your girl. She needs you."

The scene changed.

Now I was clearly under the water, in the undersea palace of Percy's father, Posiden. An enemy army was close, entrenched only a few hundred yards outside the palace. The fortress walls were completely destroyed. The temple Posiden had used as his headquarters when I ease dropped on last time was burning with Greek fire.

I zoomed in on the armory, where I saw Tyson and some other Cyclopes were on lunch break, eating from huge jars of Skippy extra-chunky peanut butter. As I watched, the outer wall of the armory exploded. A Cyclops warrior stumbled inside, collapsing on the lunch table. Tyson knelt down to help, but it was too late. The Cyclops dissolved into sea silt.

Enemy giants moved toward the breach, and Tyson picked up the fallen warrior's club. He yelled something to his fellow blacksmiths- probably "For Poseidon!" - but with his mouth full of peanut butter it sounded like "PUH PTEH BUN!" His brethren all grabbed hammers and chisels, yelled, "PEANUT BUTTER!" and charged behind Tyson into battle.

Then the scene shifted again.

I was with Ethan Nakamura at the enemy camp. This time I felt another presence with me. I knew Percy was there somewhere also watching this. I turned my eyes back to the dream around me.

What I saw made me shiver because the army was so huge.

We were in the backwoods of New Jersey, on a crumbling road lined with run-down businesses and tattered billboard signs. A trampled fence ringed a big yard full of cement statuary. The sign above the warehouse was hard to read because it was in red cursive. It took me a while to read it and when I did I shivered: AUNTY EM'S GARDEN GNOME EMPORIUM.

Percy had told me about this place. It belonged to Medusa. Him and Annabeth and Grover had been trapped and eventually beheaded her. Percy in his indignant wisdom and imoertanince shipped the head to Olympus. Eventually, somehow he got it back and Sally had used Medusa's head to kill her husband, Smelly Gabe and then used the money his statue got to pay for collage and start her book. (Sally was my ultimate hero. My dad, Paul gulped slightly when she told us the story at the dinner table.)

The statues were broken and spray-painted with graffiti. A cement satyr, had lost his arm. Part of the warehouse roof had caved in. A big yellow sign pasted on the door read: CONDEMNED.

Hundreds of tents and fires surrounded the property. Mostly I saw monsters, but there were some human mercenaries in combat fatigues and demigods in armor, too. A purple-and-black banner hung outside the emporium, guarded by two huge blue Hyperboreans.

Ethan was crouched at the nearest campfire. A couple of other demigods sat with him, sharpening their swords. The doors of the warehouse opened, and Prometheus stepped out.

"Nakamura," he called. "The master would like to speak to you."

Ethan stood up warily. "Something wrong?"

Prometheus smiled. "You'll have to ask him."

One of the other demigods snickered. "Nice knowing you."

Ethan readjusted his sword belt and headed into the warehouse. The warehouse gave me the creeps; statues of terrified people stood frozen in midscream. In the snack bar area, the picnic tables had been moved aside. Right between the soda dispenser and pretzel warmer stood a golden throne. Kronos lounged on it, his scythe across his lap. He wore jeans and a T-shirt, and with his brooding expression he looked almost human- like the younger version of Luke I'd seen in the vision, pleading with Hermes to tell him his fate. Then Luke saw Ethan, and his face contorted into a very inhuman smile. His golden eyes glowed.

"Well, Nakamura. What did you think of the diplomatic mission?"

Ethan hesitated. "I'm sure Lord Prometheus is better suited to speak-"

"But I asked you."

Ethan's good eye darted back and forth, noting the guards that stood around Kronos. "I...I don't think Jackson will surrender. Ever."

"What about his sister?"

"The girl? If you found the right button." He paused frowning slightly. "But she's just as stubborn as Jackson. So I doubt it."

Kronos nodded. "Anything else you wanted to tell me?"

"N-no, sir."

"You look nervous, Ethan."

"No, sir. It's just ...I heard this was the lair of-"

"Medusa? Yes, quite true. Lovely place, eh? Unfortunately, Medusa hasn't re-formed since Jackson killed her, so you needn't worry about joining her collection. Besides, there are much more dangerous forces in this room."

Kronos looked over at a Laistrygonian giant who was munching noisily on some french fries. Kronos waved his hand and the giant froze. A french fry hung suspended in midair halfway between his hand and his mouth.

"Why turn them to stone," Kronos asked, "when you can freeze time itself?"

His golden eyes bored into Ethan's face. "Now, tell me one more thing. What happened last night on the Williamsburg Bridge?"

Ethan trembled. Beads of perspiration were popping up on his forehead. "I...I don't know, sir."

"Yes, you do." Kronos rose from his seat. "When you attacked Jackson, something happened. Something was not quite right. The girl, Annabeth, jumped in your way. And then his sister became upset."

"The girls wanted to save him."

"But he is invulnerable," Kronos said quietly. "You saw that yourself."

"I can't explain it. Maybe they forgot."

"They forgot," Kronos said. "Yes, that must've been it. Oh dear, I forgot my friend is invulnerable and took a knife for him. Oops. Tell me, Ethan, where were you aiming when you stabbed at Jackson?"

Ethan frowned. He clasped his hand as if he were holding a blade, and mimed a thrust. "I'm not sure, sir. It all happened so fast. I wasn't aiming for any spot in particular.'

Kronos's fingers tapped the blade of his scythe. "I see," he said in a chilly tone. "I
What of the girl?"

"What about her...sir?"

"You saw her fight."

"Yes. She seemed to be unstoppable. But you said ..you said sir, she's part Titan."

"Hmm. I did say that." Kronos nodded with a slight smile.

"I think she is more powerful than Jackson, she didn't seem to have any weaknesses."

"Everyone has a weakness. You just need to...press to find it." His golden eyes flashed with a wicked smile. He stepped forward but spasmed, his face broke for a second, and his glowing gold eyes dimmed, he flinched like he was in pain.

"Sir?" Ethan asked stepping forward. "are you okay?"

"This cursed mortal body!" He straightened up shaking himself out. "Now, if your memory improves, I will expect-"

Suddenly the Titan lord winced again harder then before. The giant in the corner unfroze and the french fry fell into his mouth. Kronos stumbled backward and sank into his throne.

"My lord?" Ethan started forward again.

"I-" The voice was weak, but just for a moment it was Luke's. Then Kronos's expression hardened. He raised his hand and flexed his fingers slowly as if forcing them to obey.

"It is nothing," he said, his voice steely and cold again. "A minor discomfort."

Ethan moistened his lips. "He's still fighting you, isn't he? Luke-"

"Nonsense," Kronos spat. "Repeat that lie, and I will cut out your tongue. The boy's soul has been crushed. I am simply adjusting to the limits of this form. It requires rest. It is annoying, but no more than a temporary inconvenience."

"As...as you say, my lord."

"You!" Kronos pointed his scythe at a dracaena with green armor and a green crown. "Queen Sess, is it?"

"Yesssss, my lord."

"Is our little surprise ready to be unleashed?"

The dracaena queen bared her fangs. "Oh, yessss, my lord. Quite a lovely sssssurprissse."

"Excellent," Kronos said. "Tell my brother Hyperion to move our main force south into Central Park. The half-bloods will be in such disarray they will not be able to defend themselves. Go now, Ethan. Work on improving your memory. We will talk again when we have taken Manhattan."

Ethan bowed, and my dreams shifted one last time. I saw the Big House at camp, but it was a different era. The house was painted red instead of blue. The campers down at the volleyball pit had early '90s hairstyles, which were probably good for keeping monsters away.

Chiron stood by the porch, talking to Hermes and a woman holding a baby. Chiron's hair was shorter and darker. Hermes wore his usual jogging suit with his winged high-tops. The woman was tall and pretty. She had blond hair, shining eyes and a friendly smile. The baby in her arms squirmed in his blue blanket like Camp Half-Blood was the last place he wanted to be.

"It's an honor to have you here," Chiron told the woman, though he sounded nervous. "It's been a long time since a mortal was allowed at camp."

"Don't encourage her," Hermes grumbled. "May, you can't do this."

With a shock, I realized I was seeing May Castellan. She looked nothing like the old woman I'd met. She seemed full of life- the kind of person who could smile and make everyone around her feel good.

"Oh, don't worry so much," May said, rocking the baby. "You need an Oracle, don't you? The old one's ben dead for, what, twenty years?"

"Longer," Chiron said gravely.

Hermes raised his arms in exasperation. "I didn't tell you that story so you could apply. It's dangerous. Chiron, tell her."

"It is," Chiron warned. "For many years, I have forbidden anyone from trying. Even Apollo the god of prophecy does not know what has gone wrong, and warns those maidens who want to try. We don't know exactly what's happened. Humanity seems to have lost the ability to host the Oracle."

"We've been through that," May said. "And I know I can do it. Hermes, this is my chance to do something good. I've been given the gift of sight for a reason."

I wanted to yell at May Castellan to stop. I knew what was about to happen. I finally understood how her life had been destroyed. But I couldn't move or speak.

Hermes looked more hurt than worried. "You couldn't marry if you became the Oracle," he complained. "You couldn't see me anymore."

May put her hand on his arm. "I can't have you forever, can I? You'll move on soon. You're immortal."

He started to protest, but she put her hand on his chest. "You know it's true! Don't try to spare my feelings. Besides, we have a wonderful child. I can still raise Luke if I'm the Oracle, right?"

Chiron coughed. "Yes, but in all fairness, I don't know how that will affect the spirit of the Oracle. A woman who has already borne a child- as far as I know, this has never been done before. If the spirit does not take-"

"It will," May insisted.

No, I wanted to shout. It won't.

May Castellan kissed her baby and handed the bundle to Hermes. "I'll be right back."

She gave them one last confident smile and climbed the steps. Chiron and Hermes paced in silence. The baby squirmed.

A green glow lit the windows of the house. The campers stopped playing volleyball and stared up at the attic. A cold wind rushed through the strawberry fields.

Hermes must've felt it too. He cried, "No! NO!"

He shoved the baby into Chiron's arms and ran for the porch. Before he reached the door, the sunny afternoon was shattered by May Castellan's terrified scream.

I sat up with a scream of my own. It was silent of course, but my heart was slamming, my body was headed with sweat and my body had the weird glow showing off the weird ancient Greek and Roman words and symbols. As I sat up I slammed my forehead into someone's nose.

"Will!" I signed. "What in Hera's underpants are you doing?!"

"You need to get up, and come with me. Now!" He signed back.

He looked frantic. But I couldn't understand what was going on, but I scrambled off the bed and was standing trying to grab my armor. Will was shoving me into the bathroom before I understood what was going on. He had a toothbrush and hairbrush that he shoved in my hand.

"Hurry up!" He signed and then snapped the door closed.

Confused and half asleep I just followed his directions. I washed the sweat and blood and dirt off my face. I brushed my teeth quickly and ran a brush through my gross hair. I just threw it back up into a messy bun. I pulled the door open and Will grabbed my hand and pulled me from the room.

"What's going on?" I signed with my one free hand.

"You'll see." He signed back.

🔆

Ooo. What's happening now?