Sorry, it would have been shorter, but I reread the last chapter to get more ideas and to makes sure I did not miss anything. Plus I have my phone beside me to double check. Anyway, here goes, my lovely readers. Feels good to be back!

Chapter Nineteen: The Plan

Point of View: Ebony

Phoebe and I rush into our camp and Thalia runs up to me looking out of her mind. 

"Ebony, Phoebe!" She grabs onto our hands. 

"What's wrong?" She would not touch me if she were not stressed to an extreme.

"Artemis left right after you to call a meeting on Olympus." Thalia explains, beginning to drag me toward where every huntress and wolf stand together. "She was going to do as you suggested, pull the Fates card. I lost all connection to her, I cannot feel her other than her blessing." 

"The Lieutenant Bond has only been suppressed, not severed, but it is still worrisome." My father speaks as we near. 

"We have been Leader and Lieutenant for a few years now, we can vaguely communicate at certain distances. But there's nothing. At all. The last thing I can come up with is Zeus and Hera glaring right at her. What if she is hurt?" Thalia tells me.

I growl. "Obviously she is up on Olympus."

"Olympus may be vain looking and under construction at present," Atalanta begins, shaking her head sadly. "But it is vast and from what Lady Artemis told us a couple months ago, Annabeth Chase is remodeling it into a maze of sorts with traps of all kinds for certain people. She can construct them for us if she knows we are coming. And they'll know we will come once she is away for a long enough time. That girl may be ignorant and naive, but she is not stupid. She is prepared for anything."

"We should approach it carefully." Phoebe is brooding now. 

"Lieutenant." I say sternly and Thalia's attention is on me immediately. "Is the Bond you share like an empathy link?"

"She told me it was similar in a few ways." Thalia murmurs as she looks thoughtful.

"Is it easier to communicate when you sleep?" I question.

She shakes her head. "Harder. It's a Bond, not a Link. Links are not as intricate, Bonds are more forefront than passive. Links have limit, Bonds don't. It'll only get easier with time."

"Time we don't have." Phoebe grunts.

"It may be rash, but we have to act now. Phoebe and I have the perfect alibi. No one is allowed to reveal my past life but me." I mutter.

"You are not seriously considering telling them what transpired?" Thale looks terrified. 

"No, I wouldn't endanger you unless necessary. It should be easy to get Artemis away from suspicion. I could cast it on those who deserve it, getting justice, and then...no, no. That would endanger Thalia and then the Hunt and indirectly us and Artemis all over again once Athena gets done. But if we incorporate it right and give them certain bits, it may work. Revealing is a last resort." I try to formulate a good enough plan.

"What are you suggesting?" Atalanta asks.

"Right. Thalia, Phoebe, Atalanta, Thale, and I will head for the throne room while the rest of the Hunt goes to Artemis' palace up on Olympus." I decide. 

"Why her palace?" Aroen looks befuddled.

"Think about it. Calypso, all those unjustly imprisoned, Zeus punishes by basically putting them under house arrest. And Artemis is his daughter, even though she disobeyed in his eyes. I bet you anything Apollo is her guard or maybe Hermes. We can easily draw them away with information. They'd be called to the throne room. It'd be an even easier way to get them to bring Lady Artemis right to us." I explain.

"But then shouldn't we all go to the throne room?" Thale questions.

"No, there's no guarantee they'll include Artemis in the meeting. Zeus is stubborn, he'll be newly angered. He won't agree to let her out until the final battle or if they are in serious trouble." I shoot the thought down. 

"But then we need to get off of Olympus and then even worse, we'd be on the run." Atalanta rubs her forehead, probably getting a headache.

"We need to consider the possibility that Artemis may be temporarily mortal, her powers suppressed. Zeus is known for that as well." Aroen  adds. 

"Whatever the case, war is upon the Heavens, they'll have to restore it to her. Besides, if her power were gone, we'd be un-blessed by the moon, temporarily reverted as well. We'd be stuck in whatever form we chose and the girls would no longer be partially immortal." I remind him.

"True enough, but it could happen at any moment if she pushes him too far." Thale chimes in. 

"What a disaster." Thalia sighs. 

"We have to try." I say forcefully. "I will not let everything fall apart, especially not this close to war and not when I just got put back together."

"The truth has never been merely enough to convince the Council as a whole nor enough to sway a vote. Not a major truth at any rate." Phoebe shakes her head rigorously. 

"No, but many truths and some half-truths might. Ebony is right, we can lead them on while confusing them. The ones we really have to convince are Hera and Athena, Zeus listens to Athena the most and then Artemis and then Hera." Thalia starts thinking harder, I can hear the gears turning. 

"My problem is getting out and staying away. And if she loses her powers temporarily, to get them back. I mean, sure, the blessing really helps with the weapons she gives us and the skills she teaches us, but we've all been doing it for a while now and had our own skill sets before we even joined or learned as an interest as the centuries rolled by. Even Thalia is wicked with a spear." Atalanta says.

"We'd need bows and arrows we don't have to conjure." Phoebe sighs.

"Camp." Thalia and Atalanta say at the same time.

"Gods forbid." Aroen huffs. 

"And then some." I close my eyes. "I have multiple bad feelings."

"So, any bright ideas?" Phoebe looks dejected.

"Just one." I shrug and go over to the campfire. I start another one and build it up before closing my eyes. "Through all the pain I suffered through, I never knew why I never went through with my darkest thoughts. In my new life, I remember the promise I made now that I am in my family's gentle embrace. For the promise you made me, as long as Elpis was at your hearth, I would never give up hope. I call on you now, as the First and Last Olympian, the final defense of Olympus." 

The fire flares up and everyone but me backs up as I rise from where I knelt. 

A girl the age of ten appears in the flames before stepping out of them. "I only told one hero my title and only one hero have I made a promise to. Hello, Perseus, it has been quite some time."

"Lady Hestia, my name is now Ebony. It is wonderful to see you again, as my connection to you and your hearth still remains. When no one else was there, you still believed in me." I greet her. 

"Indeed. Do you blame me at all?" She responds.

"No. I knew you stopped coming to any fires made in camp. The very air disgusted me as well." I say.

"Lovely." She smiles and then looks serious. "But I know this isn't about exchanging simple pleasantries. I have a hunch about what you want."

"Lady Artemis." I nod.

"All I truly know is that she's to be under house arrest on Olympus until Zeus cools off. The rest of her punishment is still being debated. Apollo is upset beyond belief, but is allowed to preside over his beloved sister." She is saddened and I despise it. 

"May I request your help?" I plead.

"Any and every time I will answer as long as I hear those six words I cherish from the hero who truly deserves such a title." She grins.

"Home is where the hearth is. My hearth is the Hunt and it is in danger, I would give you Elpis all over again. I would give you my soul." I tell her.

She nods. "What do you wish of me?"

"A way off of Olympus and every member of every branch of the Hunt safe, a place to hide from the watchful eyes of Olympus." I inform her. "We can handle getting there."

"As you say, it shall be done." Hestia opens her arms and I step into the embrace. "I want to spend some time with you once it is all over."

"Anytime you want, Aunt Hestia. I have missed you." I whisper. 

"Then I shall see you on Olympus soon. Good luck." She disappears in a bright flash of flames. 

"I'll ask later." Phoebe waves it off. "Let's go crack skulls." Her fist hits her hand.

"A true child of Ares." Thalia smirks. "Let's get Artemis."

Hmm, two updates? Whaaaaa? To the next chapter, just on the horizon! Race ya there, my lovely readers!