Published: November 5, 2021

Edited: May 23, 2022

'•'

Five years. That's how long it had been since the pine tree grew upon Half-Blood hill. Five years was how long it took for Annabeth and I to become two of the best fighters at camp, rivaled only by Luke and Clarisse. Five years was the period of time that was long enough for me to become acquainted with THE Chiron the centaur, get officially blessed by the goddess Athena, AND hear the Great Prophecy. Yet in those five years my godly parent never claimed in. During five long years I got not so much as a hint that they even knew I existed. But I didn't tend to brood on that.

What I was brooding on was when Chiron was going to finally be back at camp after teaching at some boarding school in Manhattan, Fancy Academy or something. Apparently, Grover had found a really powerful demigod. Naturally Annabeth and I were excited and as soon as we heard that Chiron was back, we raced to the Big House to talk to him. I secretly hoped that this new 'powerful' half blood would be the one who was prophesied to get me claimed and send Annabeth and I on a quest. 

Annabeth and I had always wanted to go on a quest, even more so after we saw Luke get to go on one a few years previously. Camp was great and all, but the real world was the only place to see if you were really good enough. Unfortunately, Chiron had spoken to the oracle which had predicted that we would be an important part of something big in the future but we could only go on a quest once I was claimed by my godly parent. Which apparently would only happen when a- quote, unquote - "special" half-blood came to camp. Annabeth was more passionate about the whole thing than me. I mean obviously I wanted to get out of camp a make a difference but Annabeth was borderline obsessed. She believed that every new camper was the omen we were hoping for. However this time even I was hopeful, it wasn't every day that a demigod was so powerful that Chiron went on a house call.  

I looked out the window and saw it was raining hard outside the border as, Zeus was clearly miffed about something. It probably had something to do with the summer solstice. During archery class a while back I had overheard a few satyrs fretting about a 'summer solstice deadline'. It had peaked Annabeth's interest which of course meant that we were now dead set on finding out what it meant. I snapped out of my thoughts just as Annabeth was finishing her barrage of questions for Chiron (none of which he was able to answer). Somewhere in the distance an enraged roar sounded. Normally this wouldn't have been a cause for alarm, monsters in the forest often growled or screeched at night, but the thing that made it abnormal was the sudden flash of bright light that accompanied the sound. Annabeth leapt up defensively, her hand on the hilt of her trusty old dagger. I followed suit, both of us charging outside to the porch. Chiron followed us quickly, trotting along in his centaur form.

I pulled my retractable pen, Whirlpool, from my pocket and clicked it. The pen melded into my perfectly balanced bronze sword, the handle wrapped in leather and studded with two pearls. Our small group reached the porch just in time to see gold dust swirl up from Half-Blood Hill. Another distant roar sounded and gold dust swirled up from the spot. Someone had just vaporized a monster. Annabeth and I gripped our weapons tightly, ready to help or fight if needed. Soon it became clear that a lone figure was stumbling down Half-Blood hill and towards us. The person seemed to be dragging another. I felt a thrill of fear run up my spine, who had died? As the person neared the pool of light cast by the porch fans, the person still standing was revealed to be a boy of about twelve. He had messy black hair and clothes that were burned and torn. He was covered in gold monster dust from head to foot and dragging a limp  Grover who was moaning about food. 

I relaxed when I saw that even though he was unconscious, at least Grover wasn't dead. The boy was another story, he seemed unsteady on his feet and many scratches laced his body. The boy made it up the few porch steps before he collapsed onto the wooden boards. At last I saw his face clearly for the first time and I drew in a sharp breath. Not because he was cute or anything (though he certainly wasn't ugly, just not my type), but because his face was a carbon copy of mine. He had the same Mediterranean complexion and round eyes as me. Even down to the shape of his nose he could have passed for me if only he had longer hair and a smaller figure. The boy's eyes were nearly closed but under his heavy lashes I saw a sliver of the same luminescent green I saw when I looked in the mirror. His hair was wavy and untamed, as ebony black as my own. I was finding it hard to draw breath, not only because this boy could have been my male doppelgänger, but also because I recognized him. This was the boy I had been having dreams about since I was seven years old. The one who had been abused by the ugly man who scared me so much to this day. I could even see the whitened skin of scar tissue along the exact spot where I had dreamed the ugly man had hit the boy with a bottle in one of my first nightmares. I didn't take my eyes off of him as Annabeth whispered in awe.

"He's the one. He has to be." She murmured, her paler face looking oddly flushed in the porch light. Chiron bent over the collapsed boy, and straightened up before shooting Annabeth a stern glare.

"Silence Annabeth, he's still conscious, let's bring him inside."

'•'

Thankfully, Grover was fine after a few days of  bed rest and some nectar. But this new kid, Percy Jackson, needed twenty-four hour a day care. One of Apollo Cabin's main healers, Michael Yew, took care of him for the first day. When he needed a break to attend to other patients and problems, Annabeth and I jumped at the chance to watch over Percy. We were hoping to get some information from him first thing when he woke up. Percy talked a lot in his sleep apparently because by the third day, Annabeth and I had learned that his math teacher (who was really a fury) had tried to attack him, AND he knew something about the summer solstice deadline. Early in the afternoon of the fourth day that Percy had been passed out, Annabeth and I were on 'Percy Duty' while Michael was in advanced archery class. Annabeth was spoon feeding him mashed ambrosia when suddenly Percy's eyelids fluttered and he let out a quiet groan. Percy sat up in his bed and blinked blearily at us. Annabeth practically pounced on him, asking questions in the rapid fire way that only children of Athena do.

"What do you know about the summer solstice deadline!?" She asked hurriedly, "What was stolen?!" 

"Wha-?" Percy slurred, looked confused. I sighed and shoved Annabeth to the side. She stumbled away from his bed, looking affronted.

"It's fine. Just get some sleep." I told him, pushing him by the shoulders back onto the bed. Annabeth looked at me offendedly.

 '•'

 It was just after dinner the same evening and Annabeth and I were busy treating Percy's many scratches so Michael could help lead the singalong. It had been a very boring day, stuck inside the infirmary instead of training but it was still tiring. I yawned as I pressed a cold compress to Percy's warm forehead. I blinked my heavy eyes and tried to stay awake.

 "You can sleep Dia. I'll take it from here." Annabeth said gently, as I yawned again. I nodded gratefully at Annabeth and offered her the cold compress that was in my hand. She took it and stood next to Percy, taking over with the sponging of his forehead.

I moved sluggishly over to one of the visitor chairs that were opposite Percy's bed and slumped into it. Almost immediately after I got comfortable in the chair I fell asleep. 

My dream started as something silly that I'd dreamed a thousand times. I was running away from one of the caretakers from the old orphanage because she wanted me to study. Just as I was about to get caught by the caretaker my dream changed, almost as though I was being forcefully pulled into someone else's dream. In the new dream I was falling through the air, the water of a far off river rushing up to meet me. Buildings flashed in my line of sight and the air was ripped from my lungs. I braced for impact, but hitting the water was like being enveloped into a warm hug. I looked up and saw the Saint Louis Arch stretching above me, for some reason it was on fire. Then the new kid fell screaming into the river beside me. I opened my mouth to ask Percy what he was doing in MY dream but a current in the river suddenly lifted us up and both of us were swept downstream. I was sent tumbling through the water. Soon the river began to change it became salty and I snapped my mouth shut as the taste of seawater danced unpleasantly on my tongue. Soon the river became an ocean and waves pushed Percy and I to a sandy beach. The waves washed us up on the shore and I spit out a mouthful of seawater. Thunder rumbled above us as I brushed sand off my legs and arms. Percy had already stood up and he offered me his hand. I grabbed it gratefully and he pulled me to my feet. I smiled at Percy in thanks, but he was distracted by two animals farther down the coast that I had not spotted earlier. 

A beautiful white stallion and a huge golden eagle we're facing off in the sand a few yards away. The animals were throwing themselves at each other, anger burning in their eyes. Percy rushed forward, begging for them to stop. I stayed still and watched. I had a hunch that these were gods, no normal animals could fight with such hatred. I saw the eagle transform into Zeus which confirmed my 'gods' theory. He looked different then how I had seen him on Olympus on the winter field trip, but it was definitely him. I wondered why the other god hadn't changed into a human form even though Zeus had. The horse whinnied and charged Zeus who caught by the head it before he was trampled. 

"Give it back! Give it baaack!" Zeus whined like a toddler who had lost his toy. I suddenly realized that I had been subconsciously walking towards the fighting pair, trying to work out who the second god was. 

I stopped walking and whirled around, looking for Percy. Suddenly an achingly familiar scream, a scream I knew from my nightmares, cut through the air. The gods didn't seem to hear it but I did. I turned to see Percy hanging onto the edge of a black pit, an evil laugh bubbling up from the depths. I ran to try an help him, terrified. Who was trying to pull Percy into the Underworld, even in a dream?! I slipped on a patch of slick dune grass and fell, my hand still outstretched to reach Percy, even as my dream changed again. 

Now I was in an endless expanse of blackness, hanging in midair in a void. Around me strings of colored light swam around, pulsing and giving off sound. Curious now I reached towards the closest light strand. It was light blue and gave off a scent of cookies. As I touched it it light up like a neon sign and came to life. The string wound it's way around my shoulders, reminding me of a comforting hug. As I touched it the sound it made seemed to amplify so I could hear the voice clearly. A woman's voice, kind and hoarse, emanated from the wisp. 

"Neridia Jackson." The voice said softly as the light beam wove it's way between my fingers. 

Curious now I shook off the first light and reached for another. This one was deep green and smelled of salt and fish. I touched it but unlike the blue light it didn't move from my hand. It just circled around my wrist as it's voice called out to me. This voice was a man's, deep and very rich.

"I am proud of you my daughter." The light said. I raised my eyebrows, wondering where I had heard that voice. It was slightly familiar but I couldn't tell from where. I was beginning to enjoy myself and I giggled slightly as the green light departed, wiggling it's way back into the throng of beams. I leaned forward and grasped a blue-gray strand eagerly. It let out a smell like some sort of perfume and I breathed deeply, it smelled very nice.  The string sprung to life and began to slither it's way up my leg and around my thigh. Finally the light settled around my waist, making a sort of figure-eight as it swirled up to my ribs and back down to my hips. The beam of light was warm (bordering on hot) and it tickled but I didn't laugh, instead I watched it with wide eyes. This light beam felt much more intimate and special than the other two had been, I felt like gathering it up in my arms and hugging it. Then it's voice started and I gasped.

"Aren't you cute~. Too bad there's someone out there paying me a pretty penny to capture you." The voice was teasing, low pitched for a female voice but definitely feminine. A memory tickled the base of my brain, urging me to remember the voice from somewhere but as soon as I tried to grasp the memory it faded away from me. This voice obviously had more to say because it kept going, the light beam circling tighter around me. 

"Gah! This is not the time for moral dilemmas! Get out of my head sea scum!" Muttered the beam of light. Then it glowed brighter and the voice returned, sounding angry and possessive. 

"If you even so much as LOOK in her direction I will slice your hands up so badly that you won't be able to spark a flame big enough to light a match." 

I widened my eyes at the angry tone of the voice but for some reason I had a feeling that the threat wasn't directed at me. The blue-gray light beam traveled away from my torso and wound up my neck where it weaved through my hair and floated off into the cloud of lights. I was disappointed to watch it go, the light had brought such a strange feeling of completeness. 

Shaking off the cold on my fingers, I tried to reach for another light beam. This one was a pale yellow and was moving around jerkily. I brushed it with my fingers but instead of welcoming me and twining around me like the previous ones, it let out a pulse of energy that sent a shock through my body. I pulled my hand away in pain, catching only the faintest demand of:  "Rise and address me, have you no manners?" 

I grimaced and looked for another, friendlier light beam to listen to. I turned in a full circle and one particularly long string of light caught my eye. This one was a dark forest green and smelled of sharp air and pine. I had a suspicion of the voice I would hear if I grabbed this one and I lunged for it, pulling the strand close to me. Immediately it expanded like a cloud and settled over me like a blanket. A rough voice, edged with fondness that I had committed to memory began to project from the green light.

 "A forever family" 

"Bring it on Guppy!"

 "You could join us y'know"

 "Annabeth, Neridia- What?" 

I let out a dry sob as the green blanket flowed off of me and slipped back into the mass of lights, Thalia's voice fading with it. Another light nudged against my hand, almost as if to comfort me. It was blue-green and gave off a smell of the sea. I grinned and ran my fingers through it, listening to the young male voice that it presented.

"Neridia?! Bob?! How in Hades?"

"You're my sister, I'm not leaving you alone with... her."

"The fall? That was nothing! I fell twice that far from the St. Louis Arch, so did Dia!"

"What like twin magic or something? Like movies?"

I thought the tone was slightly familiar and I racked my brain. Then I realized it was Percy Jackson's voice. I almost laughed in surprise but quickly stopped. These quotes brought a whole load of questions I had no answer to. Who was Bob?  Why did he call me 'Dia when only Annabeth, Grover and a few of my friends from the Athena cabin did that? I shrugged them off for now as the sea green light sped away from me. A silver light rocketed into my shoulder without me even reaching for it, settling there like the touch of a friend's hand. This one smelled like lemons and lavender, which was why I wasn't surprised when Annabeth's voice began to speak out of it.

"What? Like, like him? Pfft."

"I-I trust him Dia, he won't hurt you"

"I'll see you on the flip side okay?" 

The silver light slipped away from me, blending into the swarm of colorful rays. I looked around gleefully for another to grab but my childish joy quickly shattered and froze when I realized something. The previously docile and inactive strands of light had begun to gather around me, looking rigid and pulsing angrily. Hear me! Touch me! Know me! Remember me! They seemed to call out in a cacophony of voices. The wailing of the strange lights filled my ears and my eyes widened in panic. Every one of my senses was overloading, terror racing in my veins. The scents of all the spirit light things pressed into my nose- lemon, salt, perfume, firewood, earth. They all muddled and mixed. Everywhere I looked lights flew past in colored blurs, dancing in front of my eyes and making my head hurt. 

I guess it's good I don't have epilepsy...

Just as I thought that I was going to lose myself amidst the bright lights and deafening calls, the dream dissolved into darkness. 

'•'

It was light out as I opened my eyes. I must have spent the night in the chair. Annabeth was nowhere to be found. I stood up and stretched, popping my back like a series of firecrackers. Rubbing my eyes I noticed Percy was gone from his bed. I walked out of the small room, nodding to Argus as I passed him. I yawned slightly, dark spots still clouding my vision from the blinding lights of my dream. I rubbed my eyes to try and get rid of them before walking downstairs and out onto the porch. It seemed to be about four o'clock in the evening maybe four-thirty judging by the height of the sun. Percy Jackson was sitting in rocking chairs along the side of the big house, talking to Grover who was standing with his back turned to me. I rushed forward and jumped onto Grover's back in a hug.Grover was an awesome friend even if he sometimes ate my plate. 

"I'm so glad you're not dead!" I said cheerfully, leaning around to look at his face. Grover looked resigned to his fate of having, me, his overly hyper pseudo baby sister jump on his back every opportunity I got.

I kinda hoped I would have scared him or at least startled him but Grover wasn't fazed at all, in fact it was almost second nature for him to immediately grab my legs and hold me up on his back when I jumped. Grover constantly told me I was 'too small to squish a bug' which was why I could never scare him. As much as I pouted about it, it was true, I was a little shorter than Grover and almost a whole head below Annabeth. I was petite in my build, though athletic from all the training at camp. I 'hmphed' in anger and let my head drop onto Grover's back in annoyance.

"You didn't even jump!" I whined, banging my head gently on his back. Grover laughed at me teasingly.

"You're too small to be scary 'Dia!" He said still chuckling and shaking his head. I pushed back and made Grover drop me before I whipped out Whirlpool and held it up. 

"Wanna bet?" I challenged, a glint in my eyes. Grover turned around to see me holding up my weapon and stopped laughing immediately. Percy looked at the pen with a confused smile. I smiled at his obvious bewilderment. 

"Its my sword." I explained, clicking the end. Percy almost fell over backwards in shock as my bronze sword appeared in my hand before he could blink. I laughed at his slack-jawed stare. Then more seriously I added:  "But seriously if you got Grover killed I'd run you through with it." 

Percy's face turned pale and suddenly eyed my sword with a lot more trepidation.

"Grover, your girlfriend is violent!" He wailed, clutching a glass of nectar tightly. I turned faintly green at the idea of dating Grover and gagged over dramatically. Grover busted out laughing, doubling over and clutching at his knees for support. I glared at the raven haired boy in the chair who was no longer looking scared but now was bewildered.

"Aww hades nah." I scowled, my hands on my hips. "That's disgusting. Grover's a saytr, he's actually like twenty-eight. Damn."

"Sorry," Percy said, still looking slightly bemused. "Dia? Was it?" Percy asked, trying to recall my name. I laughed lightly and smiled sheepishly.

"Neridia. I'm Neridia Chase, Annabeth and Grover call me Dia." I informed him with a smile.

"Annabeth" he tapped his finger on the arm of the wooden rocking chair. "I don't know her" I opened my mouth to respond but Chiron wheeled up in his human disguise to interrupt me. Annabeth was walking beside him, her curly blonde hair pulled back in a loose high ponytail.

"Annabeth and Neridia nursed you back to health." Chiron explained genially, gesturing to the two of us. I shot Percy with a finger gun and a grin which he returned weakly. Annabeth just gave him a once over as if deciding that now he was awake that Percy wasn't worth her time anymore. I suppressed an eye roll at Annabeth's attempt at acting like she wasn't bursting with questions for Percy.

"Mr. Brunner!?" Percy said in obvious shock, his exclamation directed at Chiron. "You work here?" I snorted quietly at his naivety as I went to stand next to Annabeth. 

"I'm afraid Mr. Brunner is a pseudonym. You may call me Chiron." Chiron offered gently, giving Percy a rare look of soft fondness. Then he turned to Annabeth and I. 

"Please go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now." The old centaur told us more briskly. I nodded at Chiron's words. Annabeth started to turn away but almost as quickly she snapped back and studied Percy closely. The raven haired boy had the minotaur horn lying open on a box that was in his lap. Her eyes seemed conflicted and she seemed to be on the verge of complimenting him on destroying such a big monster when she opened her mouth and said:

"You drool when you sleep."  

Then turned around and promptly ran off down the steps and across the green, her blonde ponytail swinging behind her. I stifled a laugh with my hand and glanced apologetically at Percy and Grover.

"Bye Percy, Grover, see you around." I called and waved before walking calmly over to the porch railing. I vaulted over the edge and took off running after Annabeth, still chuckling at her comment.

'•'

I sat on the wooden steps of the Hermes cabin, reading a sci-fi book about an underwater school. Annabeth sat next to me, reading up on famous architecture. As I flipped the page, I heard hoof steps. I closed the book on my finger to save my spot and looked up to see Chiron trotting along with Percy nervously avoiding his hooves.  Annabeth marked her page and hopped up over to Chiron. 

"I have a masters archery class just before dinner." Chiron explained to Annabeth as I made my way over. "Can you and Neridia take Percy from here?" I nodded and waved Percy over. Chiron smiled, his long white tail swishing. 

"Cabin eleven," Chiron spoke to Percy as he gestured to the doorway. "Make yourself at home." He turned tail and trotted off to the archery range. 

 I pushed open the door to see the whole cabin was bustling around getting ready for dinner. My stomach growled at the thought, I had slept through the other meals today and I was really hungry. I looked around for Luke, who was the Hermes head counselor. Luke was sitting on the farthest bed from the door, one of the only ones that wasn't a sleeping bag or a bunk bed. Luke looked up and his blue eyes fell on Annabeth's and I, lighting up.

"'Sup Mermaid," Luke said, hopping up from his bed and grinning down at me. I hugged him lightly before stepping back and yanking Percy forwards by the arm. Meanwhile Luke had wrapped his arms around Annabeth, who looked a bit faint.

"This is Percy Jackson, he's new. Percy, this is Luke Castellan, head counselor for the Hermes cabin." Annabeth explained, blushing as Luke released her from her hug.

"Nice to meet you Percy." Said Luke kindly, holding out his hand. Percy shook it, looking a bit unsure. Then Luke turned to the cabin at whole and began to introduce Percy. "Guys this is Percy Jackson, let's welcome him and get him a place to sleep."

"Regular or undetermined?" Connor Stoll asked loudly over the renewed clattering of a few campers that were clearing away a sleeping bag for Percy. Luke looked over at me with questioning eyes.

"Undetermined." I answered, a chorus of groans responding to me. Luke hushed them sternly.

"Now now campers. That's what we're here for." he chided gently, "Welcome Percy." He lead Percy to the empty sleeping bag. "You can stay here" 

Percy thanked him and I zoned out, thinking about food and which fruit would be served for dinner tonight. Usually it was strawberries- 'cause y'know: strawberry farm. But sometimes the nymphs changed it up and they gave us grapes or even watermelon. It was pretty earlier in the summer so there probably wasn't going to be watermelon but grapes still sounded really good. Of course grapes meant that Mr. D likely had to grow them and I really didn't want to eat anything that Mr. D had made. Speaking of, how much longer was it until his punishment was up? Fifty more years? Or was it a hundre- oops.  

I realized that Annabeth was storming out of the cabin with Percy in tow and I hurried to catch up with them. We stepped out onto the green in front of Hestia's Brazier. Percy side eyed the end  where Zeus', Hera's and Poseidon's cabins stood, looking sad and desolate. Annabeth started walking briskly along the row of male cabins, Percy and I scurrying after her. Finally we reached the end, where Poseidon's and Zeus' cabins were. 

"Jackson you have to do better than that!" Annabeth demanded, her hands on her hips. Whatever I had missed in the conversation was obviously upsetting Annabeth. Percy looked thoroughly confused.

"What?" The poor boy asked. Annabeth rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath.

"I can't believe I thought you were the one." Her tone was scornful and it was just loud enough for Percy to hear.

"What's your problem?" Percy said scathingly, getting defensive at her derisive statement. "All I know is, I kill some bull guy—"

"Don't talk like that!" I told him poutily. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?"

"To get killed?" Percy asked in disbelief, his eyebrow raised sassily.

"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?" I sassed back, rolling my eyes. Percy shook his head disbelievingly. 

"Look, if the thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one as in the stories..." He asked with an air of explaining something to someone stupid.

"Yes." I replied flatly, seeing clearly where this was going.

"Then there's only one." He continued, still acting like he was waiting for me to catch on.

"Yes." Annabeth answered this time, sounding irritated to Hades and back.

"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So..." He looked as if he thought he had proven a point. I rolled my eyes. Annabeth looked pissed at him.

"Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die." She said patronizingly, crossing her arms.

"Oh, thanks. That clears it up." The green-eyed boy said sarcastically, his arms crossed, angry as well.

"They don't have souls, like you and me." I cut in hurriedly before Annabeth decided to behead the new kid. "You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them arche-types. Eventually, they re-form." 

 "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword—" He mused, looking thoughtful and worried.

"The Fur... I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad." I replied in a matter-of-fact tone. I stopped myself from saying 'Fury'. I had bad experiences with Furies. I didn't want a reason to see one again.

"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?" Percy asked suspiciously, running a hand through his already tousled black hair. He looked frustrated beyond belief. 

"You talk in your sleep." Annabeth informed him, her hands on her hips and her gray eyes stormy.

"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?" He said stupidly. I winced.

Annabeth and I glanced nervously at the ground, waiting for it to open up and swallow us or something similar. I was half expecting a fury to tunnel up and start attacking.

"You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all." All the edge and anger was gone from Annabeth's voice as she talked about the minions of Hades.

"Look, is there anything we can say without it thundering?" Percy sounded whiny. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there." He pointed to the Zeus, Hera and Poseidon cabins, and Annabeth turned pale. The stupidity of Percy compared to her brainy-ness must have been messing with her.

"You don't just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or... your parent."
She stared at Percy, waiting for him to get it. Percy's face, far from lighting in understanding, dropped into an expression of pure misery.

"My mom is Sally Jackson," He said quietly. "She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to." He was obviously devastated about his mom. I wanted to reach out and hug the boy but I figured that would be a bit weird.

"I'm sorry about your mom, Percy. I understand, my parents never even wanted me, But that's not what Annabeth mean. She's talking about your other parent. Your dad." I told him softly.

"He's dead. I never knew him." Percy said, his anger level rising. Annabeth sighed in resignation. We'd had this conversation before with other kids. 

"Your father's not dead, Percy." She said bluntly. Percy tensed and I could see the emotion practically oozing out of him.

"How can you say that? You know him?" Percy was confused and angry, something that was obvious to me just by being near him. Annabeth however didn't seem to pick up on that tension and plowed on.

"No, of course not."

"Then how can you say—"

"Because I know you. You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us." Annabeth interrupted, her voice firm.

"You don't know anything about me." The black haired boy challenged. He raised his chin defensively and his eyes glinted like green chips of glass.

"No?" I raised an eyebrow, determined to prove him wrong. "I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them." I returned the challenge. Abused by an ugly man. I thought to myself, still not quite ready to tell Percy about my weird dreams of his past.

"How—"

"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too." Annabeth finished for me. Percy was clearly embarrassed and fuming. 

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Taken together, it's almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's
because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD—you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battle-field reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are." I explained, tugging at my hair agitatedly. 

"You sound like... you went through the same thing?" He asked tentatively, looking between Annabeth and I.

"Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar." Annabeth shut down the opportunity to share our personal life with a newcomer faster than you could say 'demigod'. 

"Ambrosia and nectar?" 

"The food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would've killed a normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead. Face it. You're a half-blood." Annabeth finished bluntly, walking off and leaving me with Percy. 

Percy seemed to have a lot of questions so I offered to walk him around and show him the camp. I started by walking him all the way up to the Zeus and Hera cabins. I pointed them out but Percy wasn't listening. He had started walking towards Cabin Three. I walked after him, amused that he hadn't wanted to hear about Zeus and Hera. We stopped in front of the low stone building that was Poseidon's. I took a deep breath, the air here smelled salty, like the ocean and I loved it. Savoring the smell, I didn't hear Percy's question.

"I-uh, what?" I asked stupidly as I shook my head to clear it.

 "What's this cabin?" Percy asked again, a strange, almost longing note in his voice.

"The cabin is only for that god's children," I explained, "Poseidon, Zeus, Hades, they don't have any kids, Demigod children of the Big Three are too powerful so they made a pact not to have anymore kids. No one goes in- HEY!" Percy had his hand on the pearl knob of the seashell studded door leading into Poseidon's cabin. 

"Percy, no one goes in there, get away from it!" I called frantically. Some part of me wanted to let Percy go inside, the same part of me that wanted ME to go inside. However I wasn't about to let Percy or I get vaporized for going in a forbidden cabin. 

Percy sighed and took his hand off of the knob, walking back over to me. I snorted, he was lucky Poseidon didn't turn him into a puddle of seawater for touching his cabin without being his child or being asked to. I motioned for Percy to follow me as we crossed onto the girl's side of the lawn. I pointed out Demeter's cabin and kept walking. We stopped in front of the white granite building. I looked fondly at the owl overtop of the door and the gray curtains in the windows. 

"This is mine and Annabeth's cabin, the Athena cabin." I told Percy proudly, admiring the architecture of the building I called home. 

"Is that your mom?" He asked, his head tilted as he peered inside the window. 

"No." I answered shortly, my parentage was a touchy subject.

"Then why do you stay in there?" He asked cautiously. He seemed to have sensed my edginess and was being more considerate now.

"You want the real reason or the 'official' reason" I joked tightly. "Really, it's because I wanted to be with Annabeth, my adoptive sister, we haven't been apart since we were seven." I explained, turning to face him.  

"But we told Chiron it was because I was technically an Athena child because Athena blessed me with battle strategy and a love for books." I finished. He looked confused, I didn't blame him. The whole 'blessed by and related to gods' thing was weird. 

'•'

We toured the rest of the camp before meeting Grover by the lake. I handed Percy off to him and left to find Annabeth. She was in the arena, sparring with another Athena kid. I jogged over to her, tying my hair up as I ran.

"Hey, wanna spar?" I asked cheekily. Annabeth, Luke and I had a running competition over who was best with a blade. 

Annabeth finished her last fight and waved her sibling off before turning to me. She smirked at me, swinging her blonde ponytail over her shoulder. I pulled out Whirlpool and got into a fighting stance. Annabeth whipped out her dagger and we began sparring. It was easy enough to keep a running conversation as we tried to kill each other, so I asked her what she thought about Percy. I could have sworn on the River Styx I saw her face flush slightly red as she answered.

"Well, he seems powerful and...yeah, I wonder who his godly parent is though.." She trailed off, her face still slightly red. I faked a jab to her right and disarmed her, the dagger skittering across the hard floor. 

"Hah! I win!" I laughed triumphantly, holding Whirlpool against her neck. I expected her to laugh or tease me or something but instead she relaxed her stance and stood quiet, her gray eyes stormy and unfocused. "Anna?"

"He looks so much like you..." she muttered, her eyes were distant. I rolled my eyes, she was off in super focus mode, thinking about something else. I leaned in next to her and leaned towards her ear.

"ANNABETH CHASE!" I screamed right into her ear. Annabeth jumped and reeled back, snapping her head back. 

"Uh, nothing, come on!" Annabeth assured me hurriedly, looking slightly panicked. She sheathed her dagger and ran towards the dining hall just as the conch horn that sounded for dinner rung out over the green. I sighed in amusement and clicked Whirlpool so that it shrunk into a pen again. Then I dashed after my sister.

'•'

Word Count: 6614