A/N Wassup people? Leonidas here with another section for you guys (jeez, you're like hungry animals or something). This will be an interesting chapter, so enjoy.
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Packing for the quest took Percy all of fifteen seconds. That was thanks to the Hunters' magic backpack which could carry any number of necessary items. Percy put his pack by the door and laid down in his bed. The second time in three weeks where he was packing up to go on some kind of journey. This time however, there were no goodbyes. Percy found his mind turning toward his sister's in the Hunt. Zoe, Phoebe, Kayla, Andromeda, Cassandra, Amanda, Andrea (whom he'd barely had time to get to know).

Percy shook his head, "They wouldn't want me dwelling on the past." He told himself.

Percy rolled over and tried to get some sleep, but his brain kept turning the quest and prophesy over, making it impossible for the Hunter boy to sleep. Eventually, Percy could take it and got out of bed. He paced around the cabin for a few minutes, but that didn't help.

Percy gazed out the window towards Half-blood Hill, and Thalia's Pine. Then, on a whim, Percy put his shoes on and went outside, careful not to alert the harpys.

Percy ran the half mile from the cabin green to the top of Half-blood Hill. Once he got there, he sat down and rested his back against the tree.

"So, you're Thalia, huh." Percy wasn't sure why he'd decided to say that, but he continued the monologue anyway.

"I've heard about you. That's quite a tale they tell." He gazes down the hill, away from the camp, "They say that you single-handedly protected two other demigods and a saytr from an army of monster. Tell me...actually, don't, because that would be weird: a tree talking."

Just as Percy says That last part, he notices that the human-like energy feeling he'd been getting from the tree had been becoming gradually stronger. Making a split-second decision, the son of the sea continues, "Is that story true? Did you really defend the border of this camp up until Lord Zeus turned you into this pine tree?"

Percy looks at the tree and laughs, "Who am I kidding, asking all of these questions to a tree. If I wanted answers, I'd have to find a way to turn you back." He pauses for a second, "Maybe next time I see Lady Artemis, she could help me out, no?"

Suddenly, the human energy seemed to waver slightly, then form again, three times as strong as it was before. Percy stumbled beck from the tree. Sitting on one of the branches was a girl.

Where'd she come from? Percy wondered. She looked around Percy's age, maybe a year older. She was wearing all sorts of black clothes, it what seemed to be a punk manner.

"What?" She said, "Never seem a girl before?"

The girl jumped down from the tree and began to walk around Percy, examining him like an auction item. Percy couldn't help but notice that she made no noise when she'd hit the ground.

The girl stops in front of Percy and shakes her head, "I give up, who are you?"

"Percy Jackson." The son of Poseidon says uncertainty.

The new girl puts her hand out, and Percy tries to shakes it, but for some reason, he can't touch he, "Nice to meet us Perce, my name's Thalia."

Percy steps back as if he'd seen a ghost (which in all likelihood was exactly what he was dealing with), "What, you're Thalia? The one that was turned into that tree over there?" He points at the pine tree.

"Well, yes and no." She says, "I am the Thalia you are thinking of, but I wasn't turned into the tree, more like bonded to it. It keeps my life force stable and anchored."

Percy tries to wrap his brain around that, but just gives up, "Ok, you're obviously not in a human form right now, so what exactly are you?"

Thalia shrugs, "How should I know? I'm not good with mystic-y stuff. If I had to guess, I'd say this was some kind of manifestation of my spirit."

"Well, that's nice and all, but I um...gotta go now." Percy backs up and turns.

"Wait!" Thalia calls out.

Percy stops and turns, "Yes?"

"Your conversation with my tree drew my spirit out, if you go, I'll be trapped there again." Thalia's eyes turn toward the ground and Percy could sense an overwhelming amount of sadness and loneliness, "It's been so long since I've been out, could you stay just a little while longer?"

Percy thinks for a second before nodding. He walks back over towards the tree. Thalia brightens and climbs back up to the branch she was on before. After a moment's hesitation, Percy follows her up. The two of them sat there in the tree and looked out at the camp.

"You know, I've never actually seen the camp." Thalia says quietly, "It looks nice. Peaceful."

"All thanks to you." Percy replies, equally as quiet, "Your spirit has protected the camp borders and kept us campers safe. You've been protecting this camp from the moment your feet touched the hill."

"What's camp like?" She asks suddenly, "I mean, Grover told me about the place, but..." She trailed off.

"Camp's nice, I guess. I mean, I'm relatively new myself, but it seems like a pretty good place."

"You're new to camp?" Thalia sounded surprised, "But you seem so experienced for someone so new."

Percy looks around, then sighs, "I guess I can tell you, but only if you swear not to tell anyone else."

"That shouldn't be too difficult." She smirks.

Percy smiles too, "I was adopted by the Hunters of Artemis."

"What?!" Thalia shouts out.

"Could you be a little louder?" Percy whispers violently, "I think there's a person in Jersey who couldn't hear you."

Thalia smirks at him, "You're the only one who can hear me."

"Oh."

"Back to your story. You said that the Hunters adopted you. Do you know who your godly parent is?"

"Poseidon, god of the seas." Percy says.

"Well, that explains why your such a seaweed brain."

"Hey..."

Thalia laughs, "Just messing with you. So what was it like? With the Hunters?"

"It was nice. They were all kind. It was like a little family. Of course there were some moments of panic, like when Artemis brought a potential recruit to the camp." Percy sat back, remembering his time with the Hunters, and almost fell out of the tree.

Percy rights himself and glares at Thalia, who continues to laugh, "Yeah, I can imagine how awkward it would be for the new recruits. it's like 'Hi! Welcome to an all-time group. Wait! Here's the exception. All Boys are bad, but he's ok.'"

Percy laughs, "Yeah, that's pretty much how it went."

Thalia stops laughing and gazes out over the camp again, "I'd love to walk through the camp, but I'm still tied to the tree."

"I could try and find a way to free you." For some reason, Percy was drawn to this girl. She reminded Percy of himself.

He wanted to help Thalia.

Thalia shakes her head, "Thanks for the offer Percy, really. I'm touched someone I just met around two hours would be willing to attempt the impossible, but I can't ask you to do that."

"Hey, I haven't made a promise I haven't kept." Percy replies.

"Listen, I would love it if you could, but like you said, my spirit is protecting this camp. What would happen to the borders if I was freed from the tree? How could I be that selfish?"

"It's ok to be selfish every once in a while. Besides," Percy reasons, "isn't it time someone else took up this charge?"

Thalia looks away in silence.

Percy thinks for a moment, then says softly, "What if I weren't to give you a choice?"

Thalia looks back in confusion.

The Hunter boy takes a deep breath, then says, "I swear on the River Styx that I will find a way to free you eventually."

Thunder booms.

Thalia's eyes widen, "What have you done Jackson?"

"I took the choice out of your hands. Actually, I removed the choice all together. It's going to happen now."

The daughter of Zeus shakes her head, "You really are a seaweed brain."

Percy smirks, "That I am. The sun is coming up, I didn't get any sleep, and I'm leaving on a quest today."

"Really? A quest? What happened? Who's going with you?" She asks.

"Pegasus has been captured. Myself, Luke, and Annabeth are going to rescue him. Don't worry." Percy holds up his hands, "I know that you traveled with those two to camp. I'll make sure they get back safely."

Thalia nods, "I know."

Percy jumps down from the tree, "I've got to go now, but I'll come back and talk to you after the quest, maybe with a way to free you."

Thalia nods and raises a hand in farewell, then shimmers and fades back into the tree.

Percy turns and runs down the hill, mentally preparing for the coming days.

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A/N Hey guys. So...I'm not quite sure what exactly this chapter is here for. I guess I was kind of impatient to put Thalia in the story, so yeah. I thought it'd be interesting to see a contemplative, downtrodden Thalia. What did you guys think?
Keep being awesome.
Leonidas_son_of_Nike