Half-Blooded Harmony: The Lightning Thief

Chapters

Pre-Algebra Teacher Goes Up in Smoke
Socks of Death
Grover's Pants
Bullfighting Lesson
Pony Pinochle
All Hail the Supreme Lord of the Bathroom
Campfire
Capture the Flag
The Quest
Garden Gnomes and Gorgons
Dog Directions
Diving from Death
America's Most Wanted
Lunch with a God
Viva Las Vegas!
Watery Nap
Obedience School of Hell
The Truth... Sort Of
Family Drama
Unfinished Business
The Book
Our Hero
So Much for the Bus...

Pre-Algebra Teacher Goes Up in Smoke

The girls had something of a difficult time getting to grips with life at Yancy Academy. Mostly because it wasn’t exactly fun with all the “troubled kids” they had to deal with, and also because they had discovered some… unusual attributes about themselves; they seemed to jump at every small movement as if something was going to happen, and the writing in the books Mr. Brunner had somehow snuck them seemed to float off the pages sometimes. Twilight diagnosed this as some sort of combination of ADHD and minor dyslexia, both of which were conditions she wasn’t exactly happy to have, being a star pupil back home. Thankfully, she also theorized that these conditions may have been tethered to this world and would simply disappear when they returned to Equestria. Though she wished she could say the same for Percy Jackson; he had been born with these faults.

While they were there, they started to see why their first interaction with Percy had gone the way it had; he had been a near-constant target of minor bullying from some of the other students. One of his only friends was a disabled boy with brown eyes and hair named Grover Underwood… who looked rather unusual; for a boy supposedly around Percy’s age, he seemed to have some minor acne and the start of a wispy beard on his chin. None of the girls could understand that, nor the fact that, despite being crippled – walking like every step caused him pain – he ran like a mad dog when the cafeteria served enchiladas.

Either way, it had been two weeks since the girls had been transported to this world and they had found themselves, along with Percy, Grover, and twenty other mental-case kids with two teachers on a bus to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to look at ancient artifacts from Greece and Rome. Rainbow Dash moaned in agony when she heard this announcement, as it must’ve felt like torture to her. According to Percy, most Yancy field trips were. But with the Latin teacher Mr. Brunner leading this trip, the gang was hopeful.

Mr. Brunner was a pretty cool teacher by Rainbow’s standards, which meant – also by Rainbow’s standards – they could be friends. The old man would tell stories and jokes in class and allow them to play games from their desks. He also had a pretty sweet collection of Roman weaponry and armor, so Rainbow never slept through it. Then again, she never really paid much attention to it either as her eyes were always transfixed on the blades mounted to the walls and how awesome she would look wielding those weapons.

Anyway, the entire trip to the city was hell as Percy and the girls were forced to put up with the school kleptomaniac Nancy Bobofit; a redheaded girl with freckles who kept throwing chunks of sandwich at Grover’s head. Rainbow and – surprisingly – Fluttershy had half-wanted Nancy to be the thief they were in this world to stop, if for no other reason than to kick her butt, mostly because Percy couldn’t; he had been threatened by the headmaster with – in his own words – “death by in-school suspension” if anything happened on this trip, so he was forced to stew in anger in his seat as Nancy kept it up.

“I’m going to kill her,” he growled under his breath.

“It’s okay. I like peanut butter.” Grover reassured… before ducking another chunk of sandwich.

“Okay, that’s it.” Rainbow snarled as she moved to get out of her seat before Applejack grabbed her shoulder and forced her back down.

“Nuh-uh; no way, Nelly,” she ordered. “You’re on thin ice with Dodds as it is for blowin’ her class; you make a scene, she’ll rip your lungs out.”

She looked like she could do it too; Mrs. Dodds was the school’s pre-algebra teacher, having joined halfway through the year after the last teacher had a nervous breakdown. She may have looked to be in her fifties, but she still constantly wore a leather jacket. Rainbow might’ve liked the intense vibe she put out if only it were a bit more… restrained. But yeah; Rainbow had been failing the math class for some time, so she knew that Applejack was right; if she started anything, Mrs. Dodds would have her head. She looked over and saw Grover talking Percy down in a similar fashion, but if she’d known what was about to happen, she would’ve let Percy up and let him deck Nancy in the face right then and there, consequences be damned. In-school suspension would’ve been paradise compared to what he was about to go through.

Either way, when the bus stopped, and everyone was off, Mr. Brunner began leading the group through the museum, pointing at large marble statues and orange-and-black pottery. It blew minds left, right, and center in the group that this stuff had managed to survive two or three thousand years.

Roughly midway through the discussion of an ancient Greek grave-marker called a stele – this one with a naked man on top – Twilight and Percy heard Nancy snicker something under her breath about the figure, so Twilight simply glanced across at her. “Nancy, do you mind? Some of us are trying to listen to the lecture.”

Nancy either didn’t listen or didn’t care, and finally Percy broke. “Will you shut up?” It came out louder than he probably meant it to; all eyes locked onto Percy as the group laughed while Mr. Brunner stopped his story midbeat.

“Mr. Jackson, did you have a comment?” he asked.

Rainbow swore Percy’s face was redder than the red in her hair. “No, sir.” he returned simply.

Mr. Brunner simply pointed up to one of the images on the stele. “Perhaps you’ll tell us what this picture represents?”

Percy looked and the girls swore they could feel the relief in his mind at his actually recognizing the carving. “That’s Kronos eating his kids, right?”

“Yes.” It was clear Mr. Brunner wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “And he did this because…”

“Well…” Percy said, trying his best to try and remember. “Kronos was the king god, and-”

“‘God’?”

Twilight elbowed Percy beneath the ribs to help him remember correctly. “Titan.” Percy corrected. “And… he didn’t trust his kids, who were the gods. So, um, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus, and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead. And later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters-”

“Eeew!” one of the girls behind him remarked.

“Hey, you mind? This is actually pretty cool.” Rainbow returned bitterly.

“-and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans, and the gods won.” Percy finished.

The group snickered behind Applejack and Rarity. “Like we’re going to use this in real life,” Nancy muttered to a friend. “Like it’s gonna say on our job applications, ‘Please explain why Kronos ate his kids’.”

“And why, Mr. Jackson,” Mr. Brunner smirked. “to paraphrase Ms. Bobofit’s excellent question, does this matter in real life?”

“Busted,” Grover muttered.

“Shut up!” Nancy hissed, her face turning redder than her hair.

That was another thing Rainbow and the others liked about Mr. Brunner; he was the only one to ever pick up on anything Nancy said. Applejack had sworn at least once that he had radar dishes for ears.

Still, Percy didn’t seem to have an answer to Mr. Brunner’s question as he simply shrugged. “I don’t know, sir.”

“I see.” The old teacher looked disappointed. “Well, half-credit, Mr. Jackson. Zeus did indeed feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him disgorge his other five children, who of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in the Titan’s stomach. The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld.”

“His own weapon? Talk about poetic justice.” Rainbow remarked.

“Indeed. And on that happy note, I’d say it’s about time for lunch.” Mr. Brunner joked. “Mrs. Dodds, would you lead us back outside?”

The math teacher did just that as the group drifted off toward the door, the girls holding their stomachs and the guys shoving each other around like idiots.

Twilight was just following the other girls when she spotted Percy and Grover lagging behind a bit. “Mr. Jackson.” Mr. Brunner stopped the two, which piqued Twilight’s attention. She couldn’t help herself and ducked behind a pillar to listen in.

“Go ahead, Grover; I’ll catch up,” Percy assured as Grover moved to join the girls. "Sir?”

“You must learn the answer to my question.” Mr. Brunner said simply.

“About the Titans?”

“About real life. And how your studies apply to it.”

“Oh.” This only confused Twilight more; she hated to agree with Nancy Bobofit, but she had a point; how could these sorts of studies apply to real life in this world?

“What you learn from me is vitally important.” Mr. Brunner continued. “I expect you to treat it as such. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson.”

Twilight knew Percy wanted to get angry; Mr. Brunner was a great teacher and a fun person, like when he dressed up in his Roman armor on the school’s tournament days and shouted “Whatho!” and challenged the students, sword-point to chalk, to run to the board and name every Greco-Roman person who had ever lived, their mother, and what god they worshipped.

But he pushed the group really hard; expecting Percy, herself and the other girls to be just as good as everyone else, despite the impediments this world had presented the girls with… and the ones Percy had been born with, combined with the fact that Percy had never done better than a C- in his life. No, scratch that; Mr. Brunner didn’t expect Percy to be as good, he expected him to be better. And Percy could barely spell all those names and facts correctly, let alone name them.

“I’ll try harder.” Percy muttered. But he and Twilight apparently noticed the same strange thing about Mr. Brunner looking at the stele next to him; almost like he’d been to this girl’s funeral.

“Go out and eat, Mr. Jackson; I’ll join you shortly.” he assured. Percy nodded and walked out toward the door. Twilight did her best to stay out of sight until he was out the door before she tried to sneak out after him. “And what I expect from him, I expect double from you and your friends, Ms. Sparkle.”

Twilight was more than frightened that Mr. Brunner had managed to notice her. Especially since when she looked, she saw he still had his eyes locked onto the stele. “I’m sorry?”

“In regards to real life.” Mr. Brunner said simply, still not taking his eyes off the stele. “After all, all stories have some basis in truth.”

The way he said that seriously confused Twilight; it was almost like he knew about the book that had brought her and her friends to this world. She shook it off and simply made her way out, to see the class gathered on the steps of the museum with even more heavy clouds like just two weeks prior. Percy and Grover had said the weather all over New York state had been like this since last winter; white-out snowstorms, floods, lightning-sparked wildfires, things like that. Twilight wouldn’t have been surprised if this was a hurricane blowing in… and only loathed that if it was, Rainbow Dash couldn’t do anything to avert its course.

Even so, no one else seemed to notice; she could see Percy moving over toward the fountain and decided to join him, where they found Fluttershy trying to work up the nerve to stop some of the guys from pelting the pigeons with small crackers and stop Nancy Bobofit from pickpocketing something from a lady’s purse… with Mrs. Dodds not even noticing the latter. Big surprise there; ever since she arrived, Percy had said she treated Nancy like an angel, and himself like the spawn of the devil.

Still, she tried to avert her gaze as she joined Percy in sitting with the others. “Hey Twi, where’d you go?” Rainbow asked.

“Uh, restroom.” Twilight shrugged, trying not to sound guilty of eavesdropping… though she was fairly confident that Applejack figured it out anyway.

Percy didn’t seem to care as he sat next to Grover. “Detention?” the scraggly-bearded boy asked.

“Nah, not from Brunner.” Percy assured. “I just wish he’d lay off me sometimes. I mean, I’m not a genius.”

“He’s just trying to push you to do your best.” Twilight said, trying to sound reassuring.

“Yeah Percy-Wercy, turn that frown upside-down. Who knows; maybe one day, you’ll be as big as the heroes in that exhibit.” Pinkie smiled.

“Pfft. Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.” Percy scoffed as he opened his lunch.

Grover was quiet for a second, which wouldn’t have mattered much if he didn’t keep his eyes locked onto Pinkie as if she’d just unlocked one of the greatest mysteries in the world. Twilight was confused, but it was abated when he turned to Percy. She thought he was going to say something deep and philosophical, but… “Can I have your apple?”

Figured. Percy clearly wasn’t too hungry as he handed it over, his eyes watching the stream of taxis going up and down the street, and thought about his mother Sally’s apartment, which he had told the girls was only a few miles uptown from the museum. They’d been apart since the holidays, so Twilight and several of the others could understand why he probably wished he could just run away, flag a cab and head up there to say hi. They all knew she would hug him and be happy to see him as only a mother would, but they also knew she’d be disappointed and send him right back to Yancy, reminding him to try harder… even if this was his sixth school in as many years. None of the girls dared ask why, but they all knew it probably wasn’t for very flattering reasons, which was probably why Percy was certain he’d get kicked out of Yancy too.

Rainbow was leaning against the side of the fountain and glanced over at Mr. Brunner, parked at the base of the handicapped ramp near the stairs, eating celery as he read a book with the tiny red umbrella sticking up from the back of his chair making it look like a motorized café table. “Hey, so I know I’ve asked this before, but what’s Brunner’s deal? I mean, he shows up out of nowhere and just gets handed a job as a teacher? What’s that about?”

“Yeah, I don’t understand it either.” Percy shrugged. “But hey, he’s nice so I don’t push the problem.” He was just about to unwrap his sandwich when Nancy materialized in front of the group with her ugly friends – clearly bored of robbing tourists – and proceeded to dump her half-eaten lunch in Grover’s lap.

“Oops!” she grinned mockingly through her crooked teeth, her spraypaint-like freckles dominating her face.

“What is your problem, girl?!” Rainbow asked in annoyance as she stood up and glared at Nancy.

Nancy was about to say something when it happened. No one really understood exactly what happened or how – no one touched her – but the next thing the gang knew, Nancy was sitting in the fountain, soaking wet. “Percy pushed me!”

“Ohhh boy…” Applejack was right to be scared, especially when Mrs. Dodds materialized right next to the group.

Twilight was overcome with fear, but her sharp ears locked onto some of the other students whispering amongst themselves… about how it looked like the water from the fountain had grabbed her. Twilight wasn’t sure what to make of it, and clearly neither were any of the others. All they knew was that Percy was in deep trouble.

As soon as Mrs. Dodds made sure Nancy was okay – promising her a new shirt from the gift shop and all that – she turned her wrath on Percy, with an almost triumphant fire in her eyes like she’d been waiting for this moment all semester. “Now, honey-”

“I know; a month erasing workbooks.” Percy groaned.

Rainbow could easily tell from her eyes that that was the exact opposite of the right thing to say, and she was fairly certain Percy could see it too. “You really need to learn when to shut up.” she remarked quietly.

“Come with me.” Mrs. Dodds hissed.

“Wait! It was me. I pushed her.” Grover yelped. The girls and Percy were all surprised; Grover was terrified of Mrs. Dodds, which was evidenced by how his whiskery chin was trembling under her glare, and yet here he was, trying to cover for Percy to her.

“I don’t think so, Mr. Underwood.” she said simply.

“But-”

“You. Will. Stay. Here.”

Grover looked at Percy desperately, but he simply shrugged in return. “It’s okay, man. Thanks for trying.”

Rainbow finally shook off her shock and stood up next to Percy. “What’re friends for, right?” she assured. “I mean, I would’ve done the same thing if Grover hadn’t beaten me to it.”

“Honey. Now.” Mrs. Dodds barked.

Percy sighed as the whole group glared across at Nancy, Percy’s most definitely telling her that if he survived this little run-in, she was next to die. When they turned back towards Mrs. Dodds, they were surprised to see that she had somehow reached the top of the stairs in the blink of an eye, gesturing almost impatiently to Percy for him to follow her.

“What’n the…?” Applejack asked in confusion as Percy went up after his teacher.

“Did we miss something? How did she get up there?” asked Rainbow.

“I don’t know, but I get the feeling she’s not the only one keeping secrets from us.” Twilight remarked as Spike poked his head out from her bag.

“What does that mean?” asked Rarity.

Twilight quickly explained what had really happened in the library, including how Mr. Brunner had referenced the story, as if he knew what the girls were really doing here. “What? How could he know that?” asked Rainbow.

“I don’t know. But there’s only one way to find out.” Twilight remarked as she glanced back toward the museum, only to see that somehow Percy had made it halfway up the stairs and appeared just as confused as the girls to see Mrs. Dodds somehow inside the museum’s entrance hall.

“Oh, maybe she’s just making Percy buy Nancy’s new shirt.” Pinkie remarked. “That’s nice.”

“Yeah, but she isn’t.” Rainbow remarked. “Okay, I’m with Twilight; we gotta figure out what’s going on here.”

“So we’re gon’ sneak in behind Percy and eavesdrop on ‘im again?” asked Applejack.

“Unless you have any better ideas.” Twilight shrugged.

“Oh, um, well, we could always wait here. Maybe things won’t be so bad.” Fluttershy suggested… only for a sudden crack of thunder to change her mind. “Okay, let’s go.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes and followed Fluttershy as she led the group inside, motivated only by her fear. Once they were inside, the girls cast a sidelong glance into the gift shop but saw no sign of Percy or Mrs. Dodds. “Well, so much for the theory of Percy losing a few extra bucks on this trip.” Rainbow remarked.

Spike sniffed the air. “They’re heading back toward the Greek exhibit.”

“What’s she gonna do; grab a sword and stab him with it?” asked Rainbow, half-joking.

“Let’s not wait for the police to find out.” Twilight assured as she led the group toward the exhibit, where they saw the two standing in the middle of the atrium, as Mrs. Dodds glared up at a huge marble frieze of the gods, with a noise that sounded like snarling coming from her throat almost like she wanted to pulverize it right then and there.

“You’ve been giving us problems, honey.” she remarked.

“Yes ma’am.” The girls could tell Percy was trying to do the smart thing by saying that, but it didn’t look like it was working all that well as Mrs. Dodds tugged at the cuffs of her jacket, like she was getting ready to crush Percy barehanded.

“Did you really think you could get away with it?”

“Get away with what?” Rainbow asked in confusion. But that confusion was replaced with fear when she saw the teacher’s eyes as she turned to face Percy; it was beyond mad and into straight-up evil now.

“I’ll- I’ll try harder, ma’am.” Percy said shakily, before a thunderclap shook the building.

Rainbow quickly slammed a hand over Fluttershy’s mouth to keep her from squeaking; she hated thunderstorms and now was really not the time for them to blow their cover.

“We are not fools, Percy Jackson.” Mrs. Dodds assured, her voice sounding almost… monstrous. “It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain.”

“What’n the hay is she talkin’ about?” asked Applejack.

“Do you think this is about that stash of candy he and I have been selling out of his dorm-room?” Pinkie asked innocently.

“Something tells me it’s worse than a few misplaced chocolates, Pinkie.” Rarity countered.

“Well?” Mrs. Dodds demanded.

“Ma’am, I don’t…”

“Your time is up.” she hissed.

And that’s when the weird stuff started to happen; Mrs. Dodds’ eyes started glowing like burning coals, her fingers stretched into black talons, and her jacket melted against her skin into large, leathery bat-wings. She wasn’t human anymore; just a shriveled hag with bat-wings, claws and a mouth full of yellowed fangs, like she was about to slice Percy to ribbons.

Rarity couldn’t help but faint. But not any of her usual over-dramatic fainting; this was real and she hit the floor with a thud, making Percy’s head snap towards them. “What’re you doing here?”

“Oh, just wondering exactly what the heck is happening!” Rainbow explained as Applejack quickly roused Rarity from her blackout.

Then things got really weird; Mr. Brunner, who had just been outside not two minutes ago, wheeled into the gallery with a small ballpoint pen in his hand. “Whatho, Percy!” he yelled and tossed the pen clear across the atrium.

Percy ducked under Mrs. Dodds’ talons and snatched the pen out of the air. But as soon as it touched Percy’s hand, it wasn’t a pen; somehow it had transformed into a three-foot bronze sword. The same sword Mr. Brunner always used on tournament days. One look at the sword and somehow the look in Mrs. Dodds’ eyes became even more murderous as she charged. “Die, honey!” she snarled.

Percy was shaking like a leaf, almost so much that he couldn’t even hold the sword properly as he did the only thing that came naturally. With a terrified shriek, he swung the sword hard from his shoulder and the blade collided with hers, cleaving through Mrs. Dodds like she was water.

With a strange hiss echoing through the air, Mrs. Dodds exploded into yellow dust and vaporized on the spot, leaving nothing but a strong smell of sulfur, a dying screech, and a chill of evil in the air, as if those two glowing eyes were still watching the group.

The girls quickly regrouped with Percy in the middle of the atrium, seeing nothing but a ballpoint pen in his hand, and no sign of Mr. Brunner… or anyone. “Okay so… does anyone have an explanation for that?” Percy asked. “Because my theory is that our lunches were spiked with magic mushrooms or something.”

“I don’t have anything better.” Twilight remarked.

“Whatever the case, let’s get outta here before someone decides on an encore.” Rainbow noted as she led the group back out of the museum into the rain that had started.

They saw Grover and Nancy still near the fountain, and when her eyes locked onto Percy, she smirked. “I hope Ms. Kerr whooped your butt.”

Percy froze and looked at her seriously. “Who?” The girls were just as confused.

And it only got worse when Nancy said “Our teacher. Duh!” The group just blinked; as far as they knew, there was no Ms. Kerr.

“What’re you talkin’ about?” Applejack asked seriously, only met with an eye-roll from Nancy as she and her friends left the group alone with Grover.

Rainbow slid over to Grover in confusion. “Dude, where’s Mrs. Dodds?”

Grover paused for a second and wouldn’t look at the group before he said “Who?”

Percy knew from those giveaways that he was messing with them. “Not funny, man; this is serious.” he assured as another thunderclap boomed overhead. Rainbow was half-expecting Fluttershy to jump again, but surprisingly… nothing. She was probably too freaked from what had just happened to worry about anything else, which was totally understandable.

It was then that Percy noticed Mr. Brunner, still parked right where he was before and reading his book as if nothing had happened. The group went over to him and he looked up, a bit distracted. “Ah, that would be my pen. Please bring your own writing utensil in the future, Mr. Jackson.”

Percy seemed like he hadn’t even realized he was still holding the pen, so he handed it over as requested. “Sir… where’s Mrs. Dodds?”

Mr. Brunner just stared at Percy and the girls blankly. “Who?”

“The other chaperone.” Twilight reminded. “Mrs. Dodds, the pre-algebra teacher. Is this ringing any bells?”

Mr. Brunner just frowned and sat forward in his chair, looking mildly concerned. “Kids, there is no Mrs. Dodds on this trip. As far as I know, there has never been a Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy. Are you feeling alright?”

Twilight rubbed her head as she saw similar vacant expressions on the faces of Percy and her other friends. “To be honest… I’m not really sure.”

Author's Note

Time for the really crazy stuff to start.

Socks of Death

The strangeness only persisted for the next few weeks after the incident at the museum; for the entire rest of the semester until summer, the whole school seemed to be playing some sort of crazy prank on Percy and the girls, acting completely and totally convinced that a perky blonde named Mrs. Kerr who had gotten on the bus at the end of the trip had been the pre-algebra teacher since the holidays. Every now and then, Percy or one of the girls would make some veiled reference to Mrs. Dodds just to try and trip somebody up, only to get looks as if they were insane.

They would’ve believed it themselves if it weren’t for each other… and Grover; that guy couldn’t lie to save his life. Whenever Percy mentioned the name Dodds to him, he would hesitate, then claim she never existed. Everyone knew something was going on, but they didn’t know what; all they knew was they had to find out quickly. Twilight predicted to her friends that this must’ve all been part of the story the book had sent them into; no better call to action than finding out a teacher was a monster in disguise that tried to kill you. And it seemed Percy unknowingly agreed; every night for a good long while, dreams of Mrs. Dodds’ monstrous form would wake him up in a cold sweat.

The freak weather didn’t help much; it only made their moods worse. A thunderstorm blew out Percy’s dorm windows, a massive tornado in the Hudson Valley about fifty miles from the school, and an unusual amount of small aircraft going down in sudden squalls in the Atlantic Ocean. Percy had been irritable most of the time; his grades slipped, he got into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends, and was sent into the hall in almost every class. The girls were worried about him; it was obvious that Mrs. Dodds had been targeting him for some reason, but none of them knew why.

Then a week after Percy snapped at the English teacher and called him an old sot (Rainbow didn’t really know what that meant, but she doubted it was flattering), the news was made official; Percy Jackson would not be invited back to Yancy Academy next year.

“We’re sorry to see you go, Percy,” Twilight reassured him at lunch one day.

“It’s alright; I’m homesick anyway.” The girls knew that was just an excuse, even if it was a fairly good one; Percy missed his mother and wanted to be with her in their little apartment on the Upper East Side of New York City, even if it meant he had to go to public schools and put up with his ludicrous stepfather.

And yet somehow, they also knew Percy would miss a few things about Yancy; the view from the dorms, the river in the distance, the smell of pine… and Grover. Strange or not, he’d been a good friend. To all of them; they weren’t sure how he would survive the next year without Percy. Mr. Brunner too; his tournament days were amazing and they knew Percy admired how much faith the old teacher had in him.

The evening before the Latin exam, the girls were in the hallway near the boys’ dorm studying for it as best they could when Percy walked down the stairs. “Hey, where ya goin’?” Rainbow asked.

“Brunner’s. I am in desperate need of help for tomorrow. If nothing else, I can apologize for flunking tomorrow.” he shrugged. “I don’t wanna leave with him thinking I haven’t tried.”

“Hey, I’m sure he knows you’re trying, Percy,” Twilight assured.

“I hope you’re right.” Percy shrugged as the group walked together, seeing Mr. Brunner’s office door open just a crack, the light from his window stretching across the hallway floor.

Rainbow was about three seconds from calling inside when the group heard Mr. Brunner say something, to which a voice which definitely belonged to Grover responded “…worried about Percy, sir.”

The group froze; they all knew what to do and stacked in on either side of the door, listening hard to the conversation. “…alone this summer.” Grover was saying. “I mean, a Kindly One in the school! Now that we know for sure, and they know too-”

“We would only make matters worse by rushing him.” Mr. Brunner interrupted. “We need the boy to mature more.”

“But he may not have time. The summer solstice deadline-”

“Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can.”

“Sir, he saw her…”

“His imagination. The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that.”

“And what about those other girls? They saw too.”

Twilight glanced around at her friends, knowing Grover was talking about them. “Yes, that is something of a conundrum; seven with Clear Sight all in the same school as him. I knew their arrival wasn’t a coincidence, but we must do what we can to convince them as well. But I must admit, that smell of dog from Ms. Sparkle’s bag has me somewhat… alarmed.” Twilight knew he was talking about Spike, but why would he alarm Mr. Brunner?

“Sir, I… I can’t fail in my duties again.” Grover reminded, his voice choked with emotion. “You know what that would mean.”

“You haven’t failed, Grover.” Mr. Brunner assured kindly. “I should have seen her for what she was. Now let’s just worry about keeping Percy alive until next fall-”

A loud thud resounded through the halls, terrifying the girls as the voices stopped. They looked and saw Percy had dropped his mythology book. Adrenaline ran through the veins of everyone outside that office as Percy scrambled to pick up his book and they all backed down the hall as a shadow crossed the window of the office door. A shadow shaped like an archer’s bow.

“In here,” Rainbow whispered to the others as they all quickly slipped into an empty classroom. A few seconds later, they heard a slow clop-clop-clop in the hall that stunned Twilight.

“Are those… hooves?” she mouthed in confusion to the girls. Pinkie peeked through the window in the classroom door as best she could without getting caught and saw Mr. Brunner outside sniffing the air… much taller than she remembered.

“Did Mr. B have a growth spurt when we weren’t looking?” she whispered quietly. Mr. Brunner stopped sniffing and appeared ready to glance in the direction of the door, which forced Pinkie to duck back out of sight with the others as he looked. But then he moved on which relieved the girls like nobody’s business.

“Nothing.” the teacher murmured outside. “My nerves haven’t been right since the winter solstice.”

“Mine neither.” Grover nodded. “But I could have sworn…”

“Go back to the dorm.” Mr. Brunner told him. “You’ve got a long day of exams tomorrow.”

“Don’t remind me.” The forms disappeared from the hallway. Rainbow peered cautiously out from the classroom and saw the lights in Mr. Brunner’s office go out. They waited there for what seemed like an eternity until they finally left the classroom and went their separate ways.

In the girls’ dorm, they started talking. “Okay, what was that all about?” Rainbow asked seriously. “‘Summer solstice deadline’? I can’t be the only one getting Nightmare Moon flashbacks because of that, right?”

“Never mind that; ‘Kindly One’? ‘The Mist’?” Applejack reminded. “What was that supposed to mean?”

“Not to mention those hoof-sounds.” Twilight agreed. “And why was Mr. Brunner so worried about Spike?”

“And when did he get so tall?” added Pinkie.

“And what did he mean by ‘keeping Percy alive’?” asked Fluttershy.

“I think we can all agree that whatever’s happening here, it’s not likely to stay isolated here.” Rarity remarked. “Not once Percy leaves anyway.”

“Which means we have to follow him when he does.” Rainbow agreed. “Right now, he’s our only lead to what might be happening in this world. And probably our only ticket back to Equestria.”

“Rainbow Dash is right; we follow Percy when he leaves and if anything happens, we note it and see what there is we can do about it.” Twilight agreed.

The next afternoon, as the girls were scribbling their way through the last of the three-hour Latin exam, they watched Percy stand up bleary-eyed at all the names he’d probably misspelled and hand in his exam before he moved to the door. “Mr. Jackson? A moment, please?” Mr. Brunner asked.

Twilight could see the fear welling in Percy’s eyes as he moved back to his teacher’s desk and leaned across it as if he was just as worried as her that the teacher had found out about their eavesdropping last night. She strained herself to listen to Mr. Brunner’s whispering. “Percy, don’t be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It’s… it’s for the best.”

Twilight could practically feel Percy’s embarrassment; she didn’t need to strain herself as hard as she thought. Even whispering, Mr. Brunner’s voice carried to the rest of the class as she saw Nancy Bobofit give sarcastic little kissing motions at Percy. Oh, how Twilight wished she could use her magic in this world, if for no other reason than to make a live fish spontaneously appear and slap Nancy across the face just to shut her up.

“Okay, sir,” Percy mumbled.

“I mean…” Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, almost like his version of pacing as he tried to find the right words. “This isn’t the right place for you. It was only a matter of time.”

Rainbow sucked through her teeth quietly when she heard that. “Ouch,” she whispered, knowing exactly how much that must’ve hurt. Mr. Brunner was Percy’s favorite teacher, and here he was telling the kid he couldn’t handle it in front of the entire class. After saying he believed in Percy all year, now he was saying that it was his destiny to get the boot.

“Right.” Percy trembled.

“No-no- Oh, confound it all.” Mr. Brunner grumbled. “What I’m trying to say… you’re not normal, Percy. That’s nothing to be-”

“Thanks.” Percy blurted. “Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me.” He walked to the door, a look of quiet anger on his face.

“Percy-” Too late; he was already gone.

The girls couldn’t help but scowl at the teacher as they each handed in their exams. Even kind Fluttershy and happy Pinkie Pie were looking at him like he’d fouled up. Spike wanted to growl at him from his hiding place in Twilight’s bag, but he knew that would blow his cover.

Finally, the term was over; the girls made their way to the Greyhound bus depot near the school, trying their best to avoid most of the annoying rich students grabbing about their plans for summer vacation. They saw Percy trudge in with his bags, a sad look on his face. “Said your goodbyes?” asked Twilight.

“To everyone who’d listen to them.” Percy shrugged. “Frankly, I think a lot of the guys at that school were happy to see me leave.”

“I know what you mean.” Rainbow nodded. “If I never see Nancy Bobofit again, it’ll be too soon.”

“Amen to that.” Applejack agreed with a smile on her face. “So where ya headed?”

“Home. If you can call it that.” Percy shrugged. “Not overly happy to see Gabe again, and even less excited to say goodbye to Grover and you girls.”

“You don’t have to.” Grover smiled as he limped over. “I’m headed into town on the 5:25.”

“Hey, so are we,” Twilight noted at their bus tickets.

“We’re all on the same bus? How crazy is that?” asked Percy.

“Probably not as crazy as some of us think,” Rainbow remarked offhandedly, glancing at Grover out the corner of her eye. She knew she and the other girls had to follow Percy to find a way back to Equestria, but what was Grover’s excuse?

They found out on the bus as they saw Grover glancing out the window and around the bus, watching the passengers. The girls knew that Grover had always acted like this when they left Yancy as if he was expecting something to happen. Before, they would’ve assumed it was because he was worried about getting picked on. But there was no one to pick on him on the bus.

Finally, Percy couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut anymore. “Looking for Kindly Ones?”

Grover almost jumped out of his seat at that. “Wha- What do you mean?” Rainbow stepped in and told him about how the gang had eavesdropped on him and Mr. Brunner before the exam, and his eye twitched. “How much did you hear?”

“Enough.” Rainbow shrugged. “That summer solstice deadline, for example; what’s it for?”

He winced. “Look, guys… I was just worried about you, see? I mean, hallucinating about demon math teachers…”

“Grover-” Percy tried to interject.

“And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you were overstressed or something…”

“Grover…”

“Because there was no such person as Mrs. Dodds, and…”

“Grover!” Percy yelled respectfully, driving Grover from his rambling. Percy smirked when he finally got his friend’s attention. “You’re a really, really bad liar.” The girls couldn’t help but smirk at that.

Grover’s ears turned pink in embarrassment and anger as he pulled a grubby business card out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Percy. “Just take this, okay? In case you need me this summer.”

The card was in some sort of fancy script – murder on the group’s dyslexic eyes – but they managed to make it out; “Grover Underwood; Keeper. Half-Blood Hill, Long Island, New York. (800) 009-0009.”

“What’s Half-”

“Don’t say it aloud!” Grover yelped, interrupting Rainbow.

“Yikes, okay,” she said defensively as she looked back at the card. “But seriously what is this place?”

“It’s my, um… summer address,” Grover explained quickly, and Twilight could feel Percy’s heart sink. It had never occurred to the group that Grover’s family might’ve been rich enough to afford a summer home.

“Okay,” Percy said glumly. “So, like, if I want to come visit your mansion.”

“Or… or if you need me.” Grover nodded.

“Why would I need you?” That probably came out harsher than Percy meant it to.

“Wow. Real nice, dude.” Rainbow remarked as she saw Grover blush all the way down to his neck.

“Look Percy, the truth is, I- I kind of have to protect you,” Grover explained.

Rarity couldn’t help but scoff. “You have to protect him? Darling, how many times has Percy gotten in fights and lost sleep worrying about you this year?”

“I’ve lost count.” Percy shrugged to answer Rarity’s question but looked back at his friend. “Grover, what exactly are you protecting me from?”

Grover looked like he didn’t want to answer, but before Rainbow could force something from him, there was a massive grinding noise from under their feet. Black smoke poured from the bus’s dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs. “Ugh! Blech! Ooh, that’s nasty!” Pinkie remarked. The driver seemed as unhappy as the others as he limped the bus off to the side of the highway.

He clanked around in the engine compartment for a few minutes before he announced everyone had to get off, so they did; flooding the side of the road with pedestrians. They had stopped on a stretch of country road; no place anyone would notice if they didn’t break down there. On the bus’s side of the highway was nothing but maple trees and litter from passing cars. On the other side, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat and thrumming with traffic, was a fruit-stand that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the market in Ponyville, including what they were selling; apples, cherries, walnuts, apricots, and cider.

It wasn’t busy, but Rainbow smirked when she saw who was tending it. “Whoa. Hey, who do you think those are for?”

The other girls looked and saw three old ladies in rocking chairs under a maple tree knitting literally the biggest pair of socks any of them had ever seen; they were the size of sweaters, but they were clearly socks. The ladies on either side knitted while the one in the middle held the massive basket of electric blue yarn.

The women looked ancient with pale faces wrinkled like fruit leather, silver hair sticking out of white bandana-ties and bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses. And the weirdest thing was, they seemed to be looking right past the girls and straight at Percy.

Percy noticed and was about to say something to Grover when the group saw that all the color had drained from his face and his nose was twitching like mad. “Grover? Hey, man-”

“Tell me they’re not looking at you,” Grover asked seriously. “They are, aren’t they?”

“Yeah. Weird, huh? You think those socks would fit me?” Pinkie couldn’t help but giggle a bit at this, but the grim look on Grover’s face remained.

“Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all.” Grover assured grimly. The old lady in the middle pulled out a massive pair of scissors – gold and silver, long-bladed like shears. Grover caught his breath in fear. “We’re getting on the bus. Come on.”

“Are you kidding? It’s like a thousand degrees in there.” Rainbow countered.

“Come on!” Grover insisted as he pried the doors open and climbed into the bus. The others stayed back and watched. Across the road, the old ladies still appeared to have their eyes locked onto Percy as the middle one snipped a length of yarn. The girls weren’t sure how, but somehow, they had heard the snip across four lanes of traffic and it sent a shiver down their spines as the ladies balled up the socks.

The group was driven from their surprise when they heard the driver wrench a large chunk of smoking metal out of the engine, before the bus shuddered back to life to the joy of the other passengers. “Darn right!” the driver yelled and slapped the bus with his hat. “Everybody back on board!”

When the group boarded, they couldn’t help but feel feverish, almost like they had all suddenly taken ill. Grover didn’t look much better; shivering like a leaf with chattering teeth. “Grover?” Percy asked.

“Yeah?”

“What are you not telling us?”

Grover dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. “Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand?”

“You mean the old ladies? What is it about them, man?” Percy asked. “They’re not like… Mrs. Dodds, are they?”

Grover’s expression became hard to read, but Twilight figured it out from the context. “They’re worse, aren’t they?”

“Just tell me what you saw,” Grover ordered.

“The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn.” Grover did something interesting here; he closed his eyes and dragged three fingers across his heart before he pushed the palm of his hand outward. The girls weren’t sure what it meant, but Twilight’s best guess was that it was some sort of warding ritual.

“You saw her snip the cord.”

“Yeah. So?” Even as Percy said it, he and the girls knew it was a big deal.

“This is not happening,” Grover mumbled, chewing on his thumb. “I don’t want this to be like last time.”

“What last time? What are you talking about?” asked Rainbow.

“Always sixth grade. They never make it past sixth.”

Now it was Rarity’s turn to chime into the conversation. “Grover? You’re scaring us, darling,” she said in fear. “What are you talking about?”

Grover looked past her and toward Percy. “Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me.”

Percy was confused but promised… though Applejack could almost feel that he’d crossed his fingers in his mind. She couldn’t say she blamed him. “Is this like a superstition or something?” The lack of an answer scared the girls further.

Twilight leaned toward him in concern. “Grover… that snipping of the yarn…” she asked. “Does it mean someone is going to die?” Grover looked around at Percy and each of the girls mournfully, as if he was already picking out the kind of flowers they’d each like best on their coffins. And that terrified them more than anything else he’d said.

Grover's Pants

It should come as no great surprise that Percy ditched Grover and the girls as soon as they reached the bus terminal in New York City. Fluttershy and Rarity were a bit angry at how rude he was acting, but they couldn’t really blame him; Grover was freaking them out muttering about how “they” never made it past sixth grade. Whenever Grover got upset, he needed to pee so as soon as they were off the bus, he made the group promise to wait for him and bolted for the bathroom. And naturally, as soon as he was gone, Percy grabbed his suitcase and slipped outside.

The girls followed him as they saw him jump into a cab and give some directions. They couldn’t hear him and the cab didn’t wait for them as it drove away. “Ugh. Great. He could be going anywhere in town by now.” Rainbow growled.

“Not anywhere.” Rarity assured. “I saw his mouth; he told the driver to go to the corner of East 104th St and First Street.”

“How’d you know that?” asked Twilight.

“I read his lips. I’ve found myself getting rather good at it recently.” Rarity shrugged.

“Well, it’s better than nothing.” Rainbow shrugged. “Cmon, let’s get moving.” Quickly, the girls worked their way through the milling hordes of pedestrians on the street, sliding down alleyways and around fire escapes until they reached the intersection, just ahead of Percy’s cab which pulled up at the corner and let him out as he walked toward a certain building, opening the door and making his way in.

“Great. Let’s hope his apartment’s window’s open.” Rainbow shrugged as she looked up the wall. Percy had told them he, his mother, and his deadbeat stepdad “Smelly” Gabe Ugliano lived in this building on a higher floor. Rainbow smirked as she saw the window open, probably to let the smell of cheap cologne and cigars from Gabe waft out of the building. “Bingo.”

“Rainbow Dash, you don’t have your wings, remember?” Twilight reminded. “How are you going to get up there?”

“I’ve been practicing,” Rainbow smirked and ran at an air conditioner sticking out of the side of the building across the alley and bounded off it at the opposite wall, jumping between the walls to climb up until she reached the wall near the window and grabbed onto the drainpipe for all she was worth… just in time to hear a grizzled man – she suspected Gabe – scowl around a cigar.

“So, you’re home.”

“Where’s my mom?” Percy seemed just as disappointed to see Gabe as he was to see Percy.

“Working. You got any cash?” That was a pretty solid depiction of Percy’s home-life; no welcome home, good to see you, how have you been the last six months. Just a gruff old punk who expected Percy to have money for his gambling.

None of the girls knew much about Percy’s father, and that was because he didn’t know much either; all he knew was that his relationship with Percy’s mother Sally was a huge secret – some rich, important guy – and he disappeared on the Atlantic one day, never to be seen again. When Percy was young, Sally married Gabe… and he then proceeded to make her and Percy’s lives a living hell. “I don’t have any cash.” Percy’s tone there was proof enough of that.

Rainbow could almost imagine the eyebrow Gabe raised at that statement as he let out a puff of smoke. “You took a taxi from the bus station,” he remarked. “Probably paid with a twenty. Got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?”

“Come on Gabe, the kid just got here.” Rainbow guessed that was Eddie, and while she admired the sympathy, it was fairly obscured by how much of a sleaze he sounded like too.

“Am I right?” Gabe repeated angrily. Rainbow wanted so bad to just jump in through the window and kick him in the face, but she didn’t want to risk making a scene. Plus, she knew that if she did that, Twilight and Rarity would have her head on a pike.

“Fine,” Percy grumbled as Rainbow heard the sounds of crumpling paper and a hand slamming on a table before he walked toward the window. “I hope you lose.”

“Your report card came, brain boy! I wouldn’t act so snooty!” Gabe yelled after Percy, only for the boy to slam the door between him and the window, which made Rainbow guess this was Percy’s room. Poor kid; stuck with a monster like that for a stepdad.

That made Rainbow’s eyes sparkle as she looked down at the girls who were all struggling to climb up the wall on a lasso Applejack had somehow thrown around something on the roof. “Hey guys, you don’t suppose Percy’s stepdad is anything like Mrs. Dodds, do you?”

“And he hasn’t tried to actually kill him yet?” Applejack asked seriously. “Pfft, no way.”

“Well, let’s just say he is. You think there’s any way we could get our hands on that sword-pen thing Mr. Brunner threw to Percy at the museum?”

“Considering how far away we are from him? Not likely.” Twilight returned.

It was then that the group heard a voice through Percy’s door. “Percy?” That had to have been his mom, so Rainbow glanced through the window as best she could without getting made, and there she was in the doorway; Sally Jackson, probably the nicest-looking lady Rainbow had ever seen. She only wished she could meet her properly, as she probably would’ve welcomed them as friends of her beloved son, whom she hugged tight. “Oh Percy, I can’t believe it. You’ve grown since Christmas.”

Rainbow couldn’t help but smile; in a strange way, Sally reminded her of her own mother… just not quite as hovering, but still as loving. Still, the last time Windy Whistles brought home candy for Rainbow was when she was around Percy’s age, and that was years ago. And even then, she asked for more colors than blue. Mm, must’ve just been a thing Percy had. Either way, the team watched and listened from the window as Sally asked Percy to tell him everything he left out of his letters. She didn’t even say anything about his most recent expulsion.

Unfortunately, the heart-warming scene was ruined by Gabe yelling from the living room. “Hey Sally, how about some bean dip, huh?”

The girls grit their teeth at the exact same moment as Percy. Pinkie glanced across at Rarity and smiled. “She’s too good for him.”

“Oh, obviously.” Rarity returned without skipping a beat.

Finally the discussion reached the museum trip, which is where Percy started trailing off. “What? Did something scare you?” Sally asked comfortingly.

“No, Mom.” Rainbow could tell he hated lying to his mother, but she also knew he couldn’t tell her about Mrs. Dodds or the ladies at the fruit stand; she’d think he was crazy.

Sally didn’t want to push her son, so she smiled. “I have a surprise for you,” she said. “We’re going to the beach.”

Immediately, Percy’s eyes lit up. “Montauk?”

“Three nights; same cabin,” Sally assured.

“When?”

“As soon as I get changed.”

Rainbow smiled and turned to the others. Applejack instantly reacted with concern. “Oh no, Ah’ve seen that look before. No way, Dash.”

“Come on; when’s the last time we went to a beach?” Rainbow countered. “Besides, I really wanna meet this lady face-to-face; not just spy on her and her kid through a window. It feels wrong… and kinda creepy.”

“Can’t argue with that.” Twilight shrugged. “Besides, after everything, I think Percy’s gonna need some friends.”

“Well, that’s fine but where’s Montauk?” asked Applejack.

“Way out at the end of this skinny little part of the state.” Pinkie answered looking at a map of New York state… which she apparently had.

“Where did you-?” Twilight asked.

“Bus station.”

“Figures.”

Unfortunately, it was at that moment that Gabe materialized in the door. “Bean dip, Sally? Didn’t you hear me?”

“Ooh, I wanna hit this guy.” Rainbow scowled quietly.

“You and me both,” Applejack assured.

“I was on my way, honey,” Sally answered simply. “We were just talking about the trip.”

“The trip?” Gabe seemed angry at the idea. “You mean you were serious about that?”

“I knew it,” Percy muttered. “He won’t let us go.”

“Of course he will,” Sally said evenly. “Your stepfather is just worried about money, that’s all. Besides, Gabriel won’t have to settle for bean dip. I’ll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole, sour cream, the works.”

Rainbow could feel herself salivating at the sound of that; she didn’t know what it was, but it sounded awesome. And it appeared Gabe agreed with her as he softened up a bit. “So this money for your trip… it comes out of your clothes budget, right?”

“Yes, honey.”

“And you won’t take my car anywhere but there and back.”

“We’ll be very careful.”

Gabe scratched his chin. “Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip…” he remarked. “And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game.”

Rainbow knew she and Percy were thinking the exact same thing right now; kick him in the soft spot and run, but the look in Sally’s eyes told them both not to say anything to make Gabe mad. “Why does she put up with this guy?” Rainbow whispered to the others.

“I have no idea.” Twilight shrugged.

Percy sighed as he leaned on the wall. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’m really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now.”

The girls tried their best to hold back their giggles as they watched Gabe trying to process that sarcasm. “Yeah, whatever,” he remarked finally and left.

“Nice guy,” Rainbow remarked as she finally noticed something; the screws holding the drainpipe to the wall were coming out of the brick. “Uh-oh.”

Applejack noticed something else; her rope was fraying. “Uh-oh,” she noted and turned to the others. “Ev’rybody back down, now.” No need to tell them twice; the girls quickly rappelled back down to the alley floor and Applejack pulled her lasso off the building as they hid and waited.

An hour later, they watched Gabe lug Sally’s bags to the car, groaning and griping about he was going to be without her cooking and his car for the weekend. He glared at Percy as he loaded the last bag. “Not a scratch on this car, brain boy. Not one little scratch.”

“Oh please, as if he’s gonna be the one driving,” Rainbow remarked quietly.

No one on the street heard her, as Gabe lumbered back to the door. Then Percy did something unusual; it was the same warding gesture Grover did on the bus. And somehow, the screen door slammed shut so hard, it hit Gabe in the butt and sent him tumbling up the stairs. “Whoa. Guess that ward really works like a charm, huh?” Applejack remarked.

“No kidding.” Rainbow agreed as she saw the confused look on Percy’s face. It quickly faded as he shook his head and jumped in.

“Step on it, Mom.” the girls heard him say as the car drove away.

“Well, there they go.” Applejack remarked. “You figured out how to follow ‘em yet, Twilight?”

“Well, we certainly can’t walk; it’d take us at least a day and a half,” Twilight noted from her calculations on the map.

“And the sun’s already going down,” Fluttershy remarked at the golden gleam forming on the clouds on the horizon.

“So what do we do; catch another bus?” asked Rainbow.

“After last time? I don’t think so.” Rarity assured.

“She’s right; something even crazier might happen.” Pinkie agreed. “Like maybe Mrs. Dodds will come back with identical clones and blow it up!”

“I’d say that sounds crazy, but with more recent events in mind, I don’t think we should rule anything out.” Twilight agreed.

“Then our best bet is either flying or we grab a car,” Rainbow remarked. “I would say we go with the latter, but I’m pretty sure my idea is illegal and none of us know how to drive.”

“And you don’t have your wings, so that’s both our ideas gone.” Applejack reminded.

“Great. Just great. Now what?” asked Rarity.

It was then that Pinkie saw a small van approaching and an idea immediately shot into her mind. “TAXI!!” she yelled as she catapulted herself off the curb, sprawling on her back in the middle of the road, the truck stopping inches before it hit her to the fear of her friends.

“Pinkie, are you nuts?!” Twilight asked seriously as she ran out to her friend.

“Relax, I’m fine. I’ve done that tons of times.” Pinkie assured as she stood up and brushed herself off.

“That doesn’t make it better!” Twilight countered.

“Hey!” the driver of the van called to the girls. “Did you girls want me to stop or what?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, listen; you goin’ to Montauk?” asked Rainbow.

“Matter of fact, I am.” the driver answered. “Why?”

“A friend of ours is headin’ up there and we ain’t got a ride.” Applejack answered honestly. “Ya mind?”

“Sure, hop in the back.” the driver shrugged pointing the rear doors of his van.

“Thank you, darling.” Rarity smiled as she moved to the driver’s door. “I’m afraid we haven’t much money on us, but you can have this.” She reached into her pocketbook and handed him a few 10-dollar bills.

“Thanks, kid. Get in.” The girls quickly climbed into the back of the van and slowly fell asleep as it rumbled along.

Finally, they were roused by a sudden jerk from the van as it stopped. The driver knocked on the dividing wall between the cabin and the back. “We’re here!” he called back to them.

The girls all stood up and stretched as they climbed out of the van, finding themselves in a small seaside hamlet with a lighthouse at the end of a large rocky point. “Wow. Nice place.” Rainbow smiled.

“Thanks again very much for the ride.” Twilight smiled at the driver.

“Hey, don’t even mention it; you’re doin’ me a favor.” the driver assured. “Nice change from haulin’ fabric. See ya round.” With that, the van rumbled away leaving the girls on the sidewalk.

“Nice guy.” Applejack remarked. “Question is where do we start lookin’ fer Percy?”

“We’re looking for a cabin by the beach with Gabe’s car parked near it; that shouldn’t be hard to miss.” Twilight theorized.

“Found it!” Pinkie called, pointing down toward the beach. The girls followed her finger to see a pastel-colored box of a place, partially consumed by the sand. And sure enough, through the fading evening sun, they saw the car and made out the outlines of Percy and his mom walking near the tide.

“Good eye, Pinkie.” Rainbow smiled as she kicked her shoes off.

“What are you doing, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asked in confusion.

“What; you want sand in your shoes?” Rainbow countered.

“Touché.” Rarity conceded and slipped out of her heels, the other girls following their lead as Spike climbed out of Twilight’s bag before they all stepped onto the cool evening sand and started moving toward the cabin.

“Yo Percy!” Rainbow called out to catch his attention.

And when he saw the girls, he seemed more than a bit surprised. “Girls? What’re you doing here?”

“We didn’t tell you? We were planning on a beach trip for the summer.” Twilight smiled as she walked over. “Great minds think alike, I guess.”

“Friends of yours, Percy?” Sally asked in surprise.

“Sure ‘nuff are.” Applejack smiled as she tipped up her hat. “Ah’m Applejack, n’ this here’s Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Twilight n’ her pup Spike.”

Sally smiled. “Oh yes, Percy told me about you when he got home. I wondered what the nicknames were about, but I think I understand them now.”

“Well, ours aren’t exactly hard to figure out,” Rainbow noted as she pointed between herself and Pinkie.

“Definitely not.” Sally nodded. “Cmon over, join us.”

“Thanks, ma’am.” Twilight smiled as she and Spike moved to the small firepit they had set up near the tidal line, with several small bags of blue food nearby.

“Dude, not that I'm complaining, but what’s up with all the blue?” Rainbow asked in confusion.

“Ah, it’s kind of our thing.” Percy shrugged, pointing between himself and Sally. “My stepdad had an argument with Mom once; said there was no such thing. Mom’s been determined to prove him wrong, so we eat blue all the time; blue cakes, blueberry smoothies, blue chips, and candy, the works.”

“And you still go by Jackson?” Rainbow asked Sally, receiving a sly smirk from the older woman. “Ho-ho-ho, I like you already.”

Soon enough, the sun disappeared so the group roasted marshmallows over the fire as Sally told stories about her past; how her parents died in a plane crash when she was five, all the books she wanted to write someday. Then Percy got up the nerve to ask her. “What about my dad?”

Sally’s eyes went misty as she looked at the fire. “He was kind, Percy,” she answered, Percy listening earnestly as if he’d heard it a thousand times before. “Tall, handsome, and powerful, but gentle too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes.” She fished a blue jelly bean out of her bag and popped it into her mouth. “I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud.”

Twilight glanced over at Percy, almost hoping to see some pride on his face… but all he saw was disappointment. She figured he was probably wondering how his father could be proud of a dyslexic, hyperactive kid with a D+ report card who’d been kicked out of school for the sixth time in as many years. “How old was I?” he asked. “I mean… when he left?”

Sally just watched the fire. “He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here on this beach. This cabin.”

“But… he knew me as a baby.”

“No, honey; he knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born.”

Rainbow couldn’t help but feel a bit ticked off at that; all that talk about how great Percy’s dad was and he didn’t even stick around to see his son being born? Still, she had the feeling Percy was trying to square that with something, like he remembered something about his father. “Are you going to send me away again?” he asked his mother. “To another boarding school?”

Sally pulled a marshmallow from the fire. “I don’t know, honey,” she said heavily. “I think… I think we’ll have to do something.”

“Because you don’t want me around?”

The girls could scarcely believe he could say that. “Dude, are you kidding? Look at her; what makes you think she doesn’t want you around?” asked Rainbow.

“It’s for your own good, honey. I have to send you away.” Sally assured, small tears welling in her eyes.

Percy seemed to remember the last time he’d heard that; from Mr. Brunner before he left Yancy. “Because I’m not normal.”

“In my opinion, normal is overrated.” Twilight shrugged.

“Exactly.” Sally nodded. “You don’t realize how important you are. I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you’d finally be safe.”

“Safe from what?” Percy asked, eyes locking with his mother. Then he froze, as if he remembered something. Oh, how Twilight wished she had the magic power from Sunset’s geode pendant; then she could see what Percy was remembering.

“I’ve tried to keep you as close to me as I could,” Sally explained. “They told me that was a mistake. But there’s only one option, Percy – the place your father wanted to send you. And I just… I just can’t stand to do it.”

“My father wanted me to go to a special school?” asked Percy.

“Not a school. A summer camp.”

The girls were surprised and confused; why would Percy’s absentee dad – who had never even stuck around long enough to see him born – talk to Sally about a summer camp? And if it was so important, why had Sally taken so long to mention it? “I’m sorry, Percy,” she said sorrowfully. “But I can’t talk about it. I- I couldn’t send you to that place. It might mean saying goodbye to you for good.”

“For good? But if it’s only a summer camp…” Percy stopped when Sally turned to look into the fire; it was clear to the girls from the look on her face that if Percy pushed it any further, she’d start to cry.

That night, the girls were trying to sleep in and around the small cabin as a storm raged, watching as Percy kicked and muttered in his sleep from a fairly intense-seeming nightmare. “No!” he yelled as he woke with a start, a massive thunderclap resounding around the area that woke up Sally.

She sat up, her eyes as wide as dinner plates, and said only one thing; “Hurricane.”

The girls were terrified, and more than a bit confused; from what they’d heard, this area never got hurricanes so early in the summer. Clearly, however, the ocean had forgotten. A distant bellow over the wind made everyone’s hair stand on end. Then another noise, near the door; almost like hooves in the sand, which confused Twilight until they stopped and were replaced with fists pounding on the door, a familiar voice yelling over the wind as best it could. “Is that-?” Twilight didn’t get a chance to receive an answer as Sally leaped from her bed in her nightgown and flung the door open, revealing Grover of all people, his back to the pouring rain… and his pants-less legs appearing not entirely human. In fact, they looked more like goat legs with cloven hooves than anything else; something that surprised the girls more than a bit.

“Searching all night,” he gasped for breath. “What were you thinking?!”

Sally glared straight at Percy and the girls in terror – but not of Grover; of what he’d brought with him. “Percy, what happened at school?!” she shouted over the wind and rain. “What didn’t you tell me?” Percy was still dumbstruck as he looked at Grover.

“O Zeu kai alloi theoi!” he swore. “It’s right behind me! Didn’t you tell her?!”

The girls weren't sure what surprised them more; that Grover just cursed in what sounded like Ancient Greek, or that they had understood it perfectly.

Then Sally looked straight at Percy and scowled in a tone he’d clearly never heard before. “Percy. Tell me now!”

Percy stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand and Mrs. Dodds, the girls filling in any of the blanks he left as Sally stared at them, her face deathly pale in the lightning. Without a second to waste, she grabbed her purse and tossed Percy his rain jacket. “Get in the car. All of you. Go!”

“What? Why; what’s goin’ on?” asked Rainbow. But somehow, as she watched Grover trot toward the car with great hurry in his steps, she knew she wouldn’t like her answer.

Author's Note

And with that, the heroes discover that this world they're in right now is more unusual than they were expecting.

Bullfighting Lesson

The old country roads were getting hammered hard by the rain as the cramped car thundered down the road, Sally Jackson apparently disregarding the complete and total lack of visibility as she kept her foot on the floor. Every time the lightning flashed, Percy and the girls glanced over at Grover and wondered if they had gone insane; his legs were hooves and smelled like wet barnyard animals. “So you and my mom… know each other?” Percy asked in confusion.

Grover glanced up to the rearview mirror and caught Percy’s eyes. “Not exactly.” he shrugged. “I mean, we’ve never met in person. But she knew I was watching you.”

“‘Watching’?” asked Rainbow, her creep alert going off in her head.

“Keeping tabs on him.” Grover shrugged. “Making sure he was okay. But I wasn’t faking being your friend; I am your friend.”

“Um… what are you, exactly?” Percy asked seriously.

“That doesn’t matter right now.”

“I most certainly beg to differ.” Rarity countered. “Honestly, I thought this world would be normal, but instead we’re greeted with a boy whose waist and legs are replaced with that of a donkey-”

“Blaa-ha-ha!” Grover uttered, surprising the group. “Goat!”

“What?”

“I’m a goat from the waist down.”

“You just said it didn’t matter.” Percy reminded.

“Blaa-ha-ha! There are satyrs who would trample you guys underhoof for such an insult!” Grover scowled.

“Whoa-whoa-whoa, back up; satyrs?” Rainbow asked seriously. “I thought those were myths.”

“Were those old ladies at the fruit stand a myth?” Grover asked seriously. “Was Mrs. Dodds?”

“Aha! So you admit there was a Mrs. Dodds!” Percy remarked.

“Of course.”

“Then why-”

“The less you knew, the fewer monsters you’d attract,” Grover explained quickly, as if that answered everything. “We put Mist over the humans’ eyes. We hoped you’d think the Kindly One was a hallucination. But it was no good; you started to realize who you are.”

“Who I- Wait a second, what are you talking about?” Percy asked seriously.

“And why are you dragging us along?” asked Rainbow.

“You saw the same things Percy saw,” Grover explained. “At this point, we can’t afford to take any chances, so we’re taking you all.”

“Taking us where?” asked Twilight… before a massive bellow resounded from behind them. Whatever was following them was still on their tail. “Uh, y’know what? Hold that thought; we’ve got trouble.”

“Percy, there’s too much to explain and not enough time,” Sally explained quickly. “We have to get you and the girls to safety.”

“Safety from what? Who’s after us?”

“Oh, nobody much,” Grover remarked, apparently still miffed at Rarity’s donkey comment. “Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions.”

“WHAT?!” asked Twilight.

“Grover!” Sally barked.

“Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster please?”

Percy and the girls were still trying to wrap their heads around all this as Sally swerved left hard, nearly toppling the car with all the weight in the cabin as they raced past farms, hills, and strawberry fields. “Where are we going?” asked Percy.

“The summer camp I told you about,” Sally answered, as if trying not to act scared. “The place your father wanted to send you.”

“The place you didn’t want me to go.”

“Please dear, this is hard enough as it is,” Sally begged. “Try to understand; you’re all in danger.”

“What; because some old ladies cut some yarn?” asked Rainbow.

“Those weren’t old ladies, Rainbow.” Grover countered. “Those were the Fates. Do you know what it means – the fact that they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you’re about to… when someone’s about to die.”

“Whoa, hold on there; you said ‘you’.” Applejack remarked.

“No I didn’t. I said ‘someone’.” Grover countered quickly.

“You meant ‘you’. As in us.” Percy argued.

“I meant you, like ‘someone’. Not you, you.”

“Kids!” Sally yelled as she swerved to the right, nearly rolling the car again as Fluttershy got a glimpse of a figure she’d just barely avoided hitting; a dark fluttering shape now lost behind them in the storm.

“Wh- What was that?” she asked in fear.

Sally ignored her as she kept driving. “We’re almost there. Another mile; please, please, please.” None of the gang knew where there was, but Pinkie was leaning forward in anticipation with Percy, trying her best to stare through the rain and empty countryside of Long Island.

It was just then that she started reacting to something. “Pinchy knee! Pinchy knee!” she yelled in fear. And sure enough, in true immediate correspondence to the Pinkie Sense, there was a blinding flash of light, a jaw-rattling boom, and the car seemed to explode, sending the passengers bouncing around inside like peas in a frying pan.

Twilight was the first to regain consciousness and peel her face from the back of the seat in front of her. “Ow.” she groaned.

“Twilight. You okay?” asked Spike, who had climbed out onto her legs.

“Yeah; yeah, I’m fine,” Twilight assured as she shook her head and looked at Percy and Sally, who were also struggling to get out… but were also in awe of Spike.

“Okay great, so first Grover’s a satyr, and now your dog talks?” Percy asked in confusion. “What is happening here anymore?”

“Well, I dunno about Grover, but believe me; it would take too long to explain Spike.” Rainbow groaned as she saw the injured Grover quietly moan for food – yeah, he’d be fine – and looked out into the storm… where a massive lumbering figure with what looked like a shaggy torso and horns was approaching the wreck, illuminated by the thunder. “What in Celestia’s name…?”

“Who is-”

Sally swiftly interrupted Percy in sheer terror. “Percy, get out of the car.” Everyone threw themselves against the doors in fear, trying to escape but the doors were wedged shut in the mud.

Rainbow noticed the broken hole in the car’s roof. She was tempted to try and pull herself out through there, but she saw the edges were sizzling hot. “Climb out the passenger’s side!” Sally ordered. “Percy, girls; you have to run. Do you see that big tree?”

“What?” Percy’s question was answered when another lightning bolt illuminated a truly massive pine tree at the crest of a nearby hill.

“That’s the property line,” Sally explained. “Get over that hill and you’ll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run there and don’t look back. Yell for help. Don’t stop until you reach the door.”

“We’re not leaving you here, Mrs. Jackson!” Twilight assured, but Sally’s face was pale, her eyes as sad as when she looked out at the ocean at the cabin.

“No! You are coming with us! Help me carry Grover.” Percy ordered.

“Food!” Grover moaned a bit louder.

The large lumbering bestial man was approaching ever closer, grunting and snarling like a beast. “Uh, we’d better come to a decision fast, guys; that guy looks hangry,” Rainbow remarked.

“He doesn’t want us; he wants you.” Sally countered. “Besides, I can’t cross the property line.”

“Why not?” asked Twilight.

“We don’t have time; go. Please.” Sally begged.

Applejack could see the rage in Percy’s eyes building; at his mother, at Grover, at her and the girls, and finally at the beast lumbering slowly and deliberately toward them… almost like a bull. Finally, she rolled her eyes and made sure her boots were on securely before she stabilized herself against the armrest and shot them out at the door, bucking it clear off its hinges into the road. “No one left behind. Cmon now; let’s move.”

“Whoa! You still have your strength?” Rainbow remarked in surprise.

“Cmon now; you can’t dull these muscles.” Applejack assured as she climbed out onto the strength. “Now what’re ya waitin for; a written invitation? Let’s get a move-on.”

“I’m not arguin’ with her. Cmon Mom.” Percy remarked as he climbed to the back with the girls and grabbed Grover, dragging him out by his shoulders. He was surprisingly light, but Percy still couldn’t have carried him far if Sally hadn’t gotten the memo and helped her son, each draping one of Grover’s arms over their shoulders as the group stumbled up the hill through waist-high wet grass.

Pinkie couldn’t help but giggle as she felt the grass tickling her legs, but the enjoyment disappeared when she and the others looked back and saw exactly what was chasing them. Massive bulging muscles, coarse brown fur all the way up his body – only slightly made humorous by the giant white underpants he was wearing – and a bull’s face and horns. “That’s-” Percy began.

“Pasiphae’s son,” Sally said breathlessly. “I wish I’d known how badly they want to kill you.”

“But he’s the Min-”

“Don’t! Say his name. Names have power.” Sally warned.

“What does that even mean?” Rainbow asked seriously as the group kept running – it was still about a hundred yards to the pine tree. They were never going to make it.

The girls all knew what Percy was going to say because they all knew exactly what this beast was; a Minotaur. The beast snuffled around at the wrecked car, almost like he was relying completely on scent. That was the only explanation as to why he didn’t charge them when they were only fifty feet away.

“Food?” Grover moaned.

“Shh!” Rarity hissed.

“Mom, what’s he doing? Can’t he see us?” Percy asked.

“His sight and hearing are terrible; he only goes by smell,” Sally answered. “But he’ll figure out where we are soon enough.”

As if on cue, the Minotaur bellowed like a hundred angry bulls all at once. He picked up the car with one hand and tossed it down the road, where it skidded on the broken roof for a good half-mile before it exploded. “So much for ‘not a scratch’.” Rainbow shrugged, remembering what Gabe had said.

Percy was surprised how Rainbow knew about that, but he couldn’t ask as Sally spoke. “Kids, when he sees us, he’ll charge,” she instructed. “Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way – directly sideways. He can’t change directions very well once he’s charging. Do you understand?”

“How do you know all this?” Percy asked seriously.

“I’ve been worried about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this.” Sally explained with a scowl. “I was selfish, keeping you near me.”

“Keeping me near you? But-” The Minotaur bellowed again and started tromping up the slope; he’d smelled them. The tree was only a few more yards away, but the hill was getting steeper and slicker, and Grover didn’t look like he was getting any lighter.

“He’s right on top of us!” Rainbow yelled.

“Now; separate! Just like I told you.” Sally ordered. Percy didn’t like the idea, but he and the girls knew it was their best shot at surviving, so they leaped to the left as Sally jumped to the right.

The beast barreled straight at Percy and the girls, his razor-sharp horns glistening in the rain. The girls held their ground and at the very last second, they all jumped away from him with Rainbow performing an awesome front-flip right over his head. “Ole!” she yelled tauntingly.

The Minotaur stopped and turned on its hooves, this time barreling toward Sally as she set Grover down in the grass. They had reached the crest of the hill, and down the other side, Spike could make out a large yellow farmhouse glowing yellow through the rain in the valley. But it was at least half a mile away; they’d never make it.

The Minotaur pawed the ground as he eyed Sally, who was now slowly retreating down the hill back toward the road, trying to lead it away from Grover. “Go, kids! I can’t go any further! Run!” They wanted to listen, but they were frozen in fear as the Minotaur charged Sally. She tried to sidestep the beast, but appeared to have learned as it grabbed her by the neck as he charged onward, Sally kicking and pummeling the air to try and escape.

“Mom!” Percy yelled in fear.

Sally caught his eyes and managed to choke out one more word; “Go!” Then with a mighty roar, the Minotaur crushed his hand and Sally disintegrated before the group’s eyes, melting into shimmering gold like a hologram before it disappeared.

“No!” Percy yelled and moved toward the Minotaur as he was about to crush Grover as well, only for Percy to pull off his red rain jacket and start waving it like a flag. “Hey! Hey, stupid! Ground beef!” The Minotaur roared and charged toward Percy as he put his back to the large tree, still waving his jacket.

“Percy, no!” Twilight yelled before something insane happened; Percy leaped straight up, used the beast’s snout as a springboard, and landed right on the back of its neck. “What?” Percy looked just as surprised before the Minotaur slammed its head into the tree, staggering from the impact and trying to shake Percy off. He locked his arms around the beast’s horns and held on for dear life as Grover groaned in the grass.

Then it happened; the Minotaur charged toward the satyr and nearly reached him until Percy grabbed one of its horns with all his might and pulled, breaking it away with a loud snap as the Minotaur screamed and flung Percy into a rock, which he hit with his head.

“Percy!” Rainbow yelled and somehow raced over to him like a bullet, which surprised her to no end. Though she was happy she still had at least some of her speed as the girls all huddled around Percy, who was shaking off the daze and ringing in his ears from the impact. When they looked, they saw Percy had a ragged bony weapon about the size of a knife in his hand, in the form of the Minotaur’s horn.

The beast charged in anger and without even thinking about it, everyone rolled to either side as Percy drove the horn straight up under the Minotaur’s ribcage. The monster roared and reared back, clawing at its wound before it started to disintegrate. But not like Sally in a flash of golden light; more as a mass of crumbling sand, blown away in chunks by the wind… not too dissimilar from Mrs. Dodds.

The rain had stopped once the beast disappeared in its entirety. The storm still rumbled but a fair distance away. The group smelled like livestock and were shaking like leaves. The girls knew Percy wanted to lay down and cry at losing his mother but they all knew Grover needed help, so they moved to help him, dragging him past the tree and down toward the farmhouse. It was hard for the girls to watch as Percy sobbed, calling out for his mom.

Finally, after a long hard hike, they all passed out on the farmhouse’s wooden porch, with Twilight and Percy looking up at moths circling a ceiling fan, and the stern faces of a familiar bearded man, and a girl around their age with blonde hair. “He’s the one. He must be.” the girl said, her voice distorted by the pain in Twilight’s mind. “But what about the rest of them?”

“Silence, Annabeth.” the man hissed. “They’re still conscious. Bring them inside.”

Pony Pinochle

Twilight had no idea what was happening; she phased in and out of consciousness and what she saw made no sense; unusual forms feeding her and her friends a strange pudding that tasted like buttered popcorn, a tall man with eyes all over his face (and presumably the entire rest of his body), and when she finally woke up, she rubbed her face… and was surprised to find a small bandage wrapped around her left hand. She looked and saw the other girls waking up and examining their own bandages.

Spike was sleeping in a dog-bed next to Twilight’s deck-chair on a large porch, with Percy and the others at her sides. “Ugh. What happened?” she asked as she sat up in her cot.

“I don’t know, but I think I’m good on headaches for the next month.” Rainbow remarked.

“Never mind that, what’re these bandages for?” asked Applejack as she unwrapped hers… finding a small, shallow cut on her palm. “What’n the…?”

“What is the meaning of this?” Rarity asked seriously as she looked at her own cut.

Pinkie’s eyes locked onto something else entirely; each of them had a tall glass of what looked like iced apple juice with bendy straws and tiny cocktail umbrellas stuck through maraschino cherries. “If this is a dream, no one wake me up.” Pinkie assured.

Percy didn’t seem so sure as he woke up weakly, carefully reaching for his glass with a weak hand that almost dropped the glass. “Careful.” The girls all reacted to that voice near them, and saw Grover – now wearing pants and shoes – leaning against the porch railing, looking as if he hadn’t slept for a week. He had a shoebox under his free arm and wearing an orange t-shirt with a black Pegasus emblazoned on it and text that read “Camp Half-Blood”.

Twilight could immediately see Percy’s face brightening, as if he’d figured everything that had happened was a bad dream. And to be perfectly honest, she was hoping for the same thing to be true. Unfortunately… “You saved my life.” Grover told them. “I… Well, the least I could do… I went back to the hill. I thought you might want this.” He placed the shoe-box reverently on Percy’s lap.

He opened it and there inside it, jagged from the break on one end and splattered with dried blood on the other, was the horn of the beast Percy had just slain. “The Minotaur.” he said.

“Um, Percy, it isn’t a good idea-”

“That’s what they call him in the Greek myths, isn’t it?” Percy demanded. “The Minotaur. Half-man, half-bull.”

“That’s definitely what it was.” Rainbow agreed. “Now what’s with these cuts on our hands?”

Grover was shifting uncomfortably as he tried to find the right words. “You’ve been out cold for two days. What’s the last thing you remember?”

Two days? Had they really been asleep that long? “My mom. Is she really…” Grover lowered his head at Percy’s question.

The girls were stunned to hear this news as they stared out across the meadow; groves of trees, a winding river, acres of strawberries, surrounded by rolling hills with the highest one standing alone with a single pine tree standing sentinel. But even its beauty couldn’t compare to the heartbreak Percy felt. “I’m sorry.” Grover sniffled. “I’m a failure. I’m- I’m the worst satyr in the world.” He stomped on the ground and his shoe came off, revealing it to be full of Styrofoam with a hoof-shaped hole in the bottom. “Oh Styx.”

“Okay, this is getting weird, even by our standards.” Rainbow remarked to her friends.

Percy was still looking at Grover’s sniffling. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it was. I was supposed to protect you.”

“Did my mother ask you to protect me?”

“No. But that’s my job. I’m a keeper. At least… I was.”

“But why- Agh!” Percy groaned, his vision swimming.

“Don’t strain yourself.” Grover assured as he helped Percy hold his glass. “Here; drink.”

“I was wondering when you’d get to that.” Rainbow shrugged as she and the girls grabbed their glasses, each taking long drags on their straws. They each recoiled at the taste for a moment, because it wasn’t at all what they were expecting; it tasted different for each of them. Only Applejack tasted apple juice, but Twilight tasted fresh cranberries, Pinkie tasted the Cakes’ famous Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness cake, Fluttershy tasted clear spring water with a twinge of wild sage, Rainbow tasted the Apple Family’s famed cider, Rarity tasted some sort of mix of her favorite afternoon tea and scones from Canterlot, and Percy tasted his mother’s homemade chocolate-chip cookies.

Whatever this drink was, it filled each and every one of them with warmth, and vim and vigor. Before they knew it, their glasses were empty and the ice hadn’t even melted. “Was it good?”

“I’ve never tasted anything that felt like a physical hug before.” Twilight noted.

“What did it taste like?” Grover asked, sounding almost wistful.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Fluttershy said in guilt. “We should’ve saved some for you.”

“No! That’s not what I meant.” Grover’s eyes went wide at this suggestion. “I just… wondered.” The group shared their answers and Grover sighed. “And how do you feel?”

“Like I could throw Nancy Bobofit a hundred yards.” Percy smirked.

“That’s good. That’s very good.” Grover nodded. “I don’t think you could risk drinking any more of that stuff.”

“Wait, what do you mean by that?” Rainbow asked as Grover took each of their glasses and gingerly set them back down like dynamite.

“Come on. Chiron and Mr. D are waiting.” he told the group, leading them around the farmhouse’s wrap-around porch.

“Who?” asked Twilight, weak on her legs as they walked. Grover had offered to carry Percy’s Minotaur horn, but he wasn’t about to let his souvenir go after what he went through to get it. And when they reached the front of the house, the group froze; the view was absolutely breathtaking as the valley extended all the way to a waterfront, with the landscape dotted with buildings resembling ancient Greek architecture – an open-air pavilion, an amphitheater, a circular arena – except they all looked brand new, sparkling white columns with kids and satyrs all wearing the same shirt as Grover running around and playing, shooting bows and arrows and riding… Pegasi?

At the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table with the blonde girl from earlier leaning on the railing next to them. The guy facing them was small but porky with a red nose, big watery eyes, and hair so dark black, it almost reflected purple in the light. He was wearing a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt and almost looked like he would’ve fit in perfectly at one of Gabe’s poker parties… and could’ve easily swindled Gabe out of all his money and gotten off scot-free. “That’s Mr. D.” Grover whispered to the group. “He’s the camp director, so be polite. The girl there is Annabeth Chase; just another camper, but she’s been here probably longer than any of the rest of us. And you already know Chiron.”

“We do?” Rainbow asked as she looked at the other guy, only to find that indeed they did know him; first they saw the familiar wheelchair, then the old tweed jacket, thinning brown hair and beard. “Whoa. Mr. Brunner?”

And sure enough, it was the Latin teacher from Yancy, with the old mischievous glint in his eyes he always got when he made the answer to every question on a multiple-choice quiz B.

“Ah, good, Percy. Girls, wonderful to see you as well.” he smiled. “Now we have enough for a good few games of pinochle.” He offered Percy a chair to Mr. D’s right, who looked at him and the girls with bloodshot eyes and offered a weary sigh.

“Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don’t expect me to be glad to see you.” he remarked.

“No offense, but you don’t look like you’d be glad to see your grandma.” Rainbow remarked, disregarding the angry glare the camp director was giving her.

“As tactful as ever, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity remarked.

“Annabeth?” Mr. Brunner called the young blonde girl over to Percy’s side. “This young lady helped nurse you all back to health, kids. Annabeth, my dear, why don’t you go check on their bunks? We’ll be putting them in Cabin 11 for now.”

“Sure, Chiron.” she replied and looked down at Percy in his seat. She looked about his age, maybe a little bit taller and a little more athletic-seeming than Rainbow Dash. Her deep tan and curly blonde hair didn’t make her stand out too much – no, that was the job of her dark gray eyes; they almost looked like storm clouds, pretty but intimidating, like she was analyzing the best ways to take them all down.

She glanced down at the Minotaur horn in his hands and then back up to his face. “You drool when you sleep.” That was all she said before she vaulted over the railing and sprinted across the lawn, her hair flapping behind her.

“O… kay…?” Rainbow remarked in confusion.

“So…” Percy seemed about as eager to change the topic as the others. “You, uh, work here, Mr. Brunner?”

“Not Mr. Brunner.” he countered, confusing the new arrivals. “I’m afraid that was a pseudonym. You may call me Chiron.”

“Okay.” Rainbow remarked, and glanced at Mr. D. “How about you? Does that D stand for anything?”

Mr. D stopped shuffling the cards and glared at her like she just let out a violent belch. “Names are powerful things, young lady. You don’t just go around usin’ them for no reason.”

“Is that why Grover didn’t want us using the name for the… you-know-what?” Twilight asked as she pointed at the Minotaur horn in Percy’s lap.

“Bingo.” Mr. D nodded.

“I must say Percy, I’m glad to see you alive.” Chiron-Brunner broke in. “It’s been a long time since I’ve made a house call to a potential camper, and ended up finding six others in the process. I’d hate to think I’ve wasted my time.”

“Wait, house-call? You mean your time at Yancy?” asked Twilight.

“We have satyrs in most schools, of course, keeping a lookout.” he replied. “But Grover alerted me as soon as he met Percy. He sensed he was something special, so I decided to come upstate. I convinced the other Latin teacher to… ah, take a leave of absence.”

Percy seemed to be straining himself to remember whichever Latin teacher there was at Yancy before Mr. Brunner appeared. “You came to Yancy just to teach me?”

“Honestly I wasn’t sure about you at first.” Chiron shrugged. “We contacted your mother, let her know we were keeping an eye on you in case you were ready for Camp Half-Blood. But you still had so much to learn. Nevertheless, you made it here alive, and that’s always the first test.” He glanced back at the girls. “As for you lot… well, you were enigmas. Frankly we weren’t sure you were right for this place until we ran the physical checks.”

“Physical checks?” Fluttershy and Rarity blushed bright red, as if their personal space had been violated. Which in a way it had been, but they wouldn’t get to that until later.

“Grover, you playin’ or not?” Mr. D asked impatiently.

“Yes sir.” Grover trembled as he sat across from Percy. None of the group knew why Grover would be afraid of him; he just looked like any other pudgy little man in a Hawaiian shirt.

“You do know how to play pinochle?” Mr. D asked Percy.

“I’m afraid not.” Percy shrugged.

“I’m afraid not, sir.” he returned.

“Sir.” Percy repeated, starting to like this guy less and less.

“Well,” he said. “it is, along with gladiator fighting and Pac-Man, one of the greatest games ever invented by humans. I would expect all civilized young people in this day and age to know the rules.”

“I’m sure the boy can learn.” Chiron assured.

“I’m sorry; can we get back to what we were talking about?” Rainbow said seriously as she stepped in. “Mr. Brunner, Chiron, whatever you wanna be called; what is this place? Why are we here? Why did you come to Yancy just to teach Percy? And what happened to our hands?!”

“Believe me; I asked the same question when we heard about this kid.” Mr. D snorted, tipping his head at Percy.

“I’m not talking to you, pal.” Rainbow scowled as the director dealt the cards.

Chiron smiled at Percy in sympathy. “Percy, did your mother tell you nothing?”

“She said…” Percy said, remembering her sad eyes. “She told me she was afraid to send me here, even though my father had wanted her to. She said that once I was here, I probably couldn’t leave. She wanted to keep me close to her.”

“Typical.” Mr. D remarked. “That’s how they usually get killed. Young man, are you bidding or not?”

“What?” Percy asked, resulting in Mr. D explaining impatiently how to bid in pinochle, so he did.

“I’m afraid there’s too much to tell.” Chiron explained. “Our usual orientation film won’t be sufficient.”

“You guys have an orientation video?” asked Rainbow.

“Yes, but it won’t be enough.” Chiron remarked. “No. Well, Percy. You know your friend Grover is a satyr. You know that you have killed the Minotaur with your bare hands. No small feat either, lad. What you may not know is that great powers are at work in your life. Gods – the forces you call the Greek gods – are very much alive.”

Percy was stunned, as if waiting for someone to tell him it was a prank, but all he got was “Oh, a royal marriage. Trick! Trick!” He cackled as he tallied his points.

“Mr. D, if you’re not going to eat it, could I have your Diet Coke can?” Grover asked timidly.

“Eh? Oh, alright.” Mr. D remarked as he slid Grover the empty can, which he bit a huge shard of aluminum out of and chewed it mournfully, much to the shock of the others.

“Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait, lemme get this straight; you’re telling us there’s such a thing as God?” asked Rainbow.

“Well now, God – capital G, God. That’s a different matter entirely.” Chiron assured. “We shan’t deal in the metaphysical.”

“No offense, but that’s fairly rich coming from someone talking about-” Twilight remarked.

“Ah, gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavors: the immortal gods of Olympus. That’s a smaller matter.” Chiron interrupted.

“Smaller?” asked Percy.

“Yes, quite. The gods we discussed in Latin class.”

“Zeus. Hera. Apollo. You mean them.” Percy remarked… as thunder clapped in the distance of the cloudless sky.

“Young man, I would really be less casual about throwing those names around, if I were you.” Mr. D remarked.

“But they’re just stories.” Percy remarked. “They’re… myths, to explain lightning and the seasons and stuff. That’s what people believed before there was science.”

“Science!” Mr. D scoffed. “And tell me, Perseus Jackson-” Percy flinched as the girls looked at him in confusion; his full first name was Perseus? “-what will people think of your ‘science’ two thousand years from now? Hmm? They will call it primitive mumbo-jumbo, that’s what. Oh, I love you mortals – you have absolutely no sense of perspective. You think you’ve come soooo far. And have they, Chiron? Look at these kids and tell me.”

“Mortals? Then who’re you supposed to be?” asked Applejack. Mr. D didn’t dignify her with an answer as a lump formed in her throat.

“Percy, girls, you may choose to believe or not, but the fact of the matter is that immortal means immortal. Can you imagine that for a moment, never dying? Never fading? Existing, just as you are, for all time?”

Rainbow let out a sharp breath as if it was remarkably heavy. “That’s a lot to process all at once on a Monday.” she said. “You mean, whether people believe in you or not?”

“Exactly.” Chiron nodded. “If you were a god, how would you like being called a myth, an old story to explain lightning?” He looked back at Percy. “What if I told you, Perseus Jackson, that someday people would call you a myth, just created to explain how little boys can get over losing their mothers?”

The girls could practically hear Percy’s heart pounding. It was almost like Chiron was trying to get him angry. “I wouldn’t like it. But I don’t believe in gods.”

“Oh, you’d better.” Mr. D murmured. “Before one of them incinerates you.”

“P-Please sir, he’s just lost his mother. He’s in shock.” Grover said in fear.

“A lucky thing, too.” Mr. D grumbled as he played a card. “Bad enough I’m confined to this miserable job, workin’ with kids who don’t even believe!” He waved his hand and a goblet suddenly appeared on the table, like it had been shaped out of the sunlight before it automatically filled with red wine right before their eyes.

“What the-?” Twilight started to say.

“Mr. D, your restrictions.” Chiron reminded, not even looking up.

“Dear me.” Mr. D noted, feigning surprise as he looked up at the sky. “Old habits! Sorry!” More thunder rumbled as Mr. D waved his hand again, turning the glass into a fresh can of Diet Coke, which he unhappily opened as he went back to his game.

Chiron winked at Percy and the girls. “Mr. D offended his father a while back; took a fancy to a wood-nymph who had been declared off-limits.”

“A wood-nymph.” Percy repeated, still looking at the can like it was from space.

“Yes, Father loves to punish me.” Mr. D remarked. “The first time, prohibition. Ghastly; absolutely horrid ten years! The second time… well, she really was pretty, and I couldn’t stay away. The second time, he sent me here. Half-Blood Hill. Summer camp for brats like you. ‘Be a better influence’, he told me. ‘Work with youths rather than tearing them down’. Ha! Absolutely unfair.”

“And… your father is…?” Percy stammered.

“Di immortales, Chiron; I thought you taught this boy the basics.” Mr. D scowled. “My father is Zeus, of course.”

The girls were surprised; this guy was one of Zeus’ kids? They ran through all the Ds they knew from Greek mythology. “Wait a minute; wine, tiger-skin, the satyrs…” Twilight muttered until she realized it and snapped her fingers. “You’re Dionysus; the god of wine.”

Mr. D rolled his eyes over to Grover. “What do they say these days, Grover? Is it ‘well, duh’?”

“Y-Yes sir.”

“Then well, duh, Twilight Sparkle! Who’d you think I was; Aphrodite, perhaps?” he asked.

“With a face like that? No way.” Rainbow muttered.

Percy was still in shock at this revelation. “You’re a god.”

“Yes, child.”

“A god. You.”

He sounded to be in about as much disbelief as Rainbow, as the god looked at the group straight on, a strange purple fire burning in his eyes like he was showing them a glimpse of his true power. And what they saw was horrifying; grape vines choking nonbelievers to death, drunken warriors mad with battle lust, sailors screaming as they turned into dolphins. “Would you like to test me, children?”

“No-no-no-no; we’re good, we’re good!” Rainbow yelled as the visions faded and the fire in his eyes died. “Whew. Remind me never to make you angry.”

“I just did.” he returned simply as he laid out his cards. “And I believe I win.”

“Not quite, Mr. D.” Chiron noted as he laid out a straight and tallied the points. “The game goes to me.”

Twilight was terrified Mr. D would vaporize him right out of his wheelchair, but the god just gave a weary sigh through his nose, like he was used to losing to the Latin teacher as he got up with Grover. “I’m tired.” he noted. “I believe I’ll take a nap before the sing-along tonight. But first, Grover, we need to talk, again, about your less-than-perfect performance on this assignment.”

Grover’s face beaded with sweat. “Y-yes sir.”

Mr. D turned back to the group, who recoiled in fear under his gaze now. “Cabin 11, kiddies. And mind your manners.” He swept into the farmhouse as Grover followed him miserably.

“Will Grover be okay?” Percy asked Chiron.

The teacher nodded, though he did look a bit troubled. “Old Dionysus isn’t really mad. He just hates his job here. He’s been… ah, grounded, I guess you could say. And he can’t stand waiting another century before he’s allowed to go back to Olympus.”

“Mount Olympus? Wait, are you telling us there’s actually a palace there?” asked Twilight.

“Well now, there’s Mount Olympus in Greece. And then there’s the home of the gods, the convergence point of their powers, which indeed used to be on Mount Olympus. It’s still called Mount Olympus out of respect to the old ways, but the palace moves, children, just as the gods do.”

“You mean it’s not just Grumpy Gus in there?” Pinkie asked in happy interest. “All the gods are here?”

“Well, certainly. The gods move with the heart of the West.”

“The what-now?” asked Applejack.

“Come now, Applejack. What mortals call Western civilization.” Chiron explained. “Did you think it’s just an abstract concept? No, it’s a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years. The gods are part of it; you might even say that they are the source of it, or at the very least, that they are tied so tightly to it that they couldn’t possibly fade, not unless all of Western civilization were obliterated. The fire started in Greece. Then as you all well know – or at least I hope you know since you all passed my course – the heart of the fire moved to Rome, and so did the gods. Oh, different names, perhaps – Jupiter for Zeus, Venus for Aphrodite, and so on – but the same forces, the same gods.”

“And then… what, they died?” asked Rainbow.

“Died? No. Did the West die?” Chiron countered. “The gods simply moved, to Germany, to France, to Spain, for a while. Wherever the flame was brightest, the gods were there. They spent several centuries in England; all you have to do is look at the architecture. People do not forget the gods. Every place they’ve ruled, for the last three thousand years, you can see them in paintings, in statues, on the most important buildings. And yes, children, of course they are now in your United States. Look at your national symbol; the eagle of Zeus. Look at the statue of Prometheus in Rockefeller Center, the Greek facades of your government buildings in Washington. I defy you to find any American city where the Olympians are not prominently displayed in multiple places. Like it or not – and believe me, plenty of people weren’t very fond of Rome, either – America is now the heart of the flame. It is the great power of the west. And so Olympus is here. And we are here.”

“Whew. This is a lot to take in.” Rainbow noted as she ran her hands over her hair and walked down the porch stairs before she turned and walked back up them. “Especially since we’re not even from this world!”

“Wait, what?!” Percy asked seriously.

Twilight rolled her eyes; she was wondering who would blow their cover in this world. Frankly, she was surprised they had lasted this long, so she explained about the book and the portal that brought them here. She left out a few details, but when she was finished, Percy was in awe as Chiron stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Curious. One of the gods must’ve sent that book to your world to enlist your help in something.”

“Do you know what?” Twilight asked hopefully.

“I do. But I think that’s enough minds blown for one day.” Chiron shrugged.

“Not quite yet.” Percy finally spoke, turning to Chiron. “Who are you, Chiron? Who… who am I?”

Chiron just chuckled and shifted his weight in his chair as if he was about to stand up. “Well, isn’t that the million-drachma question? But unfortunately, I don’t have the answer at the moment. For now, I suggest we get you bunks in Cabin 11. There will be new friends to meet. And plenty of time for lessons tomorrow. Besides, there will be s’mores at the campfire tonight, and I simply adore chocolate.”

“Ohmygosh, so do I!” Pinkie smiled as she shot to his side and hugged him… hard, forcing him to stand up to catch her. But that was where things got weird; his blanket fell away from his legs, but the legs themselves didn’t move. His waist kept getting longer, rising above his belt. At first, Percy and the others thought he was wearing very long, very white velvet underwear, but as he kept rising out of the chair, taller than any human, they saw that wasn’t the case; it was the front of a horse with coarse white fur. And the wheelchair wasn’t actually a chair. It was some kind of container, like an enormous box on wheels and it had to have been magic because there was no way it could’ve held all of him.

One of his legs came out, long and knobby-kneed with a huge, polished hoof. Then another foreleg came out and hindquarters, leaving the box empty as nothing but a metal shell with fake human legs attached to it. And where the neck of the horse should’ve been, was a perfectly grafted human waist, which the wide-eyed Pinkie Pie was still clutching as she hugged the teacher. “Our Latin teacher is a centaur.” Twilight said simply.

“I noticed.” Percy whispered breathlessly.

“Whoo, what a relief.” Chiron remarked as he stretched out his legs. “I’d been cooped up in there for so long, my fetlocks had fallen asleep.” Pinkie dropped from Chiron’s front and stared up at him in awe. “Now, come, children. Let’s meet the other campers. And uh… if at all possible, try to keep the Equestria thing quiet. As much as we may get along, I don’t think many of the others would believe you.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you got it.” Twilight nodded, still stunned by this. If this was just their first day at Camp Half-Blood, she wasn’t sure she or the others could last the whole summer.

All Hail the Supreme Lord of the Bathroom

After having gotten over the initial shock of their Latin teacher turning out to be a centaur, the group had a nice tour of the camp… though Percy made sure not to walk behind Chiron. He’d helped clean up after the horses that tromped down the streets for a holiday parade and he did not trust Chiron’s back-end the way he trusted his front. The girls were a bit extra cautious as they had had fairly unpleasant encounters with their own centaur back in Equestria in the form of Tirek. Still, they knew Chiron was nothing like Tirek, but that didn’t help soothe their feelings all that much.

They passed the volleyball pit and Fluttershy tried to look away and act inconspicuous as they looked, some pointing at the Minotaur horn in Percy’s hands with awe. Rarity did her best to look away as well… mostly from the satyrs because none of them were wearing pants over their shaggy hindquarters. She hadn’t been this much of a prude in Equestria, but she’d learned since coming to this world that it was unseemly to not wear anything below the waist. And either way, it was almost as if they were expecting someone in the group to do a flip or something.

They looked back at the farmhouse and saw it was actually a lot bigger than they’d realized; four stories tall with sky blue paint and white trim, like an upscale seaside resort, which this place really did feel like. Rainbow and Percy were looking at the brass eagle weather-vane at the top when something caught their eye; a shadow in the uppermost window of the attic gable. A curtain had opened just a hair for a second, and they got the feeling they were being watched. “What’s up there?” Percy asked Chiron.

Chiron looked and his smile faded. “Just the attic.”

“Does somebody live up there or something?” asked Rainbow.

“No,” Chiron said with finality. “Not a single living thing.”

Twilight glanced at him with a strange look in her eye. “Odd choice of words,” she muttered to Spike, who nodded in agreement.

“Come along now; lots to see,” Chiron said, trying to sound upbeat but it sounded… forced. Pinkie didn’t like it.

She brightened up substantially as they passed the strawberry fields where campers were picking them by the bushel as a satyr played a tune on a reed pipe. “We sell those around New York and on Olympus.”

“Really? Why?” asked Rainbow.

“Pays our expenses, for one.” Chiron shrugged. “And they take almost no effort, especially with Mr. D; he has a sort of effect on fruit-bearing plants like these. It really works best with wine grapes, but he’s been restricted from those, so we grow these instead.”

Rarity couldn’t help but dance a bit to the music the satyr was playing, as lines of bugs fled the strawberry plants in every direction. “That’s wonderful. Do you think Grover can do that sort of work?” she asked.

“Maybe. If Mr. D doesn’t chew him out too hard.” Rainbow shrugged, which made the whole group feel glum.

“Grover won’t get in too much trouble, right?” asked Percy. “I mean… he was a good protector. Really.”

Chiron sighed as he shed his tweed jacket, draping it across his back like a saddle. “Grover has big dreams, Percy. Perhaps bigger than reasonable. To reach his goal, he must first demonstrate great courage by succeeding as a keeper, finding a new camper, and bringing him safely to Half-Blood Hill.”

“Hey, he did that.” Rainbow reminded. “Seven times over, if you count us.”

“I might agree with you,” Chiron remarked. “But it is not my place to judge. Dionysus and the Council of Cloven Elders must decide. I’m afraid they might not see this assignment as much of a success. After all, Grover lost you in New York. Then there’s the unfortunate… ah… fate of Percy’s mother.” The group lowered their heads at that. “And the fact that Grover was unconscious when you dragged him over the property line. The council might question whether this shows any courage on Grover’s part.”

The group wanted to protest; none of that was Grover’s fault. But a feeling of guilt ate at all of them; if they hadn’t abandoned Grover at the bus station, he wouldn’t have gotten in trouble. “He’ll get a second chance, won’t he?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’m afraid that was Grover’s second chance, Fluttershy.” Chiron’s wince was suddenly shared by the others. “The council was not anxious to give him another, either, after what happened the first time, five years ago. Olympus knows, I advised him to wait longer before trying again. He’s still so small for his age?”

“Wait, how old is he?” asked Rainbow.

“Oh, 28.” Chiron shrugged.

“What?! And he’s in sixth grade?” Percy asked in shock.

“Satyrs mature half as fast as humans, Percy,” Chiron explained. “Grover has been the equivalent of a middle school student for the past six years.”

“Sounds like torture,” Rainbow remarked.

“Quite.” Chiron nodded. “At any rate, Grover is a late bloomer, even by satyr standards, and not very accomplished at woodland magic. Alas, he was anxious to pursue his dream. Perhaps now he will find some other career…”

“That’s not fair.” Percy scowled. “What happened the first time? Was it really so bad?”

Chiron looked away quickly. “Let’s move along, shall we?” He picked up the pace a bit.

“I think we can that as a yes,” Twilight noted.

Something occurred to Percy as they walked; something about Chiron’s choice of words in regards to the fate of his mother, like the idea of death was being ignored completely. “Chiron…” he started. “If the gods and Olympus and all that are real…”

“Yes, child?”

“Does that mean the Underworld is real too?” The girls stopped and looked back at Percy in surprise at that idea, as if wondering why he would ask that. But the answer became all too clear after only a few seconds of thought and glancing up at Chiron’s darkening expression.

“Yes, child.” he paused as if choosing his words carefully. “There is a place where spirits go after death. But for now… until we know more… I would urge you to put that out of your mind.”

“What do you mean ‘until we know more’?” Rainbow asked.

“Come along, everyone. Let’s see the woods.” Chiron said simply as he rode ahead.

“Ugh. I’m getting really sick of all the secrets here.” Rainbow remarked as she raced after the centaur with the others.

As they moved onward through the woods, they realized how big they were. It took up at least a quarter of the valley with foliage remarkably tall and dense. “The woods are stocked, if you care to try your luck, but go armed,” Chiron warned.

“Wait, what? Stocked with what? And what are we supposed to be armed with?” asked Rainbow.

Chiron chuckled. “You’ll see. Capture the flag is Friday night. Do you have your own swords and shields?”

“Our own what-now?” asked Applejack.

“Hm. No, I don’t suppose you do.” Chiron remarked. “Mm, I think I know what sizes will fit you each. I’ll visit the armory later.”

“Wait, what kind of-? Ah, never mind.” Rainbow remarked, knowing the answer to her question would be something obvious and stupid. Instead, the tour continued; the archery range, the canoeing lake, the stables (which Chiron and the girls were none too thrilled to see), the javelin range, the sing-along amphitheater, and the arena where they held something Chiron called sword and spear fights.

When Twilight asked, Chiron simply answered “Cabin challenges and all that. Not lethal. Usually. Oh yes, and there’s the mess hall.”

He pointed to a large outdoor pavilion framed in columns on a hill overlooking the bay with a dozen stone picnic tables. That was it; no roof, no walls. “What do we do when it rains?” asked Twilight.

Chiron looked at her as if she’d gone a little weird. “We still have to eat, don’t we?”

Twilight almost said something, but shook her head; it wasn’t worth it. Finally, they reached the cabins; arranged in a U-shape in the woods near the lake with two at the base and five down either side. And they were, without question, the most bizarre collection of buildings the group had ever seen.

Besides the fact that there were large brass numbers above each of the doors (odds on the left, evens on the right), they looked nothing alike; 9 had smokestacks like a small factory, 4 had tomato vines on the walls and a roof made of living grass, 7 looked to be made of solid gold gleaming so brightly in the sun, the group could barely look at it. The common area they faced was about the size of a soccer field, dotted with statues, fountains, flowerbeds, and a few basketball hoops. There was a massive stone-lined firepit in the center, with the hearth smoldering even on a warm day like today. A girl who looked to be about nine was tending the coals with a small stick.

But it was the cabins at the far end that drew the most attention; 1 and 2 looked like his and hers mausoleums with heavy stone columns with lightning bolts and peacock feathers featured most prominently. “Zeus and Hera?” Percy guessed.

“Correct.” Chiron nodded.

“They look empty,” Rainbow remarked.

“Many of the cabins are, though it is true. No one ever stays in 1 or 2.” Chiron nodded.

“So a cabin for each god. Okay, that makes sense.” Rainbow noted as they looked around. But what didn’t make sense was that some of the cabins would be empty. Percy stopped in front of the first on the left; Number 3. It was nowhere near as high or mighty as 1, but long, low, and solid; like it had been dredged straight from the sea-bottom.

Percy couldn’t help but peek in through the open door. “Oh, I wouldn’t do that.” Before he could pull Percy back, a gust of wind blew from inside like the sea-breeze at Montauk, washing over the girls too. Percy appeared to think the place looked lonely as Chiron placed his hand on his shoulder. “Come along, all of you.”

Most of the other cabins were crowded; 5 especially. And it was remarkably gawdy; painted with splatters of red, the roof lined with barbed wire, and a stuffed boar’s head mounted just under the number above the door, with a bunch of kids whooping it up as rock thundered from the inside.

The loudest and most vicious-looking of these kids was a girl maybe a year or two older than Percy, wearing a massive camp-shirt under a camo jacket. She zeroed in and sneered at the group as they passed, as if all of Nancy Bobofit’s negative traits had been on steroids.

The group did their best to avoid her as they looked around. “Not a lot of other centaurs.” Applejack remarked.

“No,” Chiron noted. “My kinsmen are a wild and barbaric folk, I’m afraid. You might encounter them in the wilderness or at major sporting events. But you won’t see any here.”

“You said your name was Chiron,” Percy remarked. “Are you really…?”

“The Chiron from the stories?” the centaur smiled. “Trainer of Hercules and all that? Yes Percy, I am.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” asked Rainbow.

Chiron stopped as if the question intrigued him. “Well, I don’t know about ‘supposed to be’,” he remarked. “The truth is, I can’t be dead. You see, eons ago the gods granted my wish; I could continue the work I loved. I could be a teacher of heroes as long as humanity needed me. I gained much from that wish… and I gave up much. But I’m still here, so I can only assume I’m still needed.”

“Yeesh, teaching for three thousand years? Lame.” Rainbow groaned.

“I really hate to agree with Rainbow, but she has a point,” Twilight remarked. “Doesn’t it ever get boring?”

“No, no,” Chiron assured. “Horribly depressing, at times, but never boring.”

“Wait, why depressing?”

Chiron seemed to turn deaf at that question again as he looked elsewhere. “Oh look, Annabeth is waiting for us.”

And sure enough, there she was at the door of the last cabin on the left; number 11. When the group reached her, she looked Percy over critically like she was still thinking about how much he drooled in his sleep. The group tried to make out the book she was reading, but the title was illegible. At first, they thought it was the dyslexia this world gave them, but it turned out that wasn’t the case. It was literally written in Ancient Greek, with pictures of statues and temples and things like that, like an architecture book.

“Annabeth,” Chiron said simply. “I have masters’ archery class at noon. Would you take the newcomers from here?”

“Yes, sir,” she remarked.

“Cabin 11.” Chiron smiled as he gestured to the building. “Make yourselves at home.”

This cabin looked fairly simple and normal compared to the others, with brown paint peeling off the wood. And when they looked inside, they saw it was packed wall-to-wall with people; way more than the total number of bunks, with sleeping bags spread all over the floor, like a gym that had been turned into a disaster evacuation center.

The door was too low for Chiron, but when the residents saw him, they all stood up and bowed in respect. “Well then,” Chiron remarked. “Good luck you lot, I’ll see you at dinner.” With that, he galloped away to the archery range.

The group looked in and saw the other residents looking them over, sizing them up. “Well? Go on.” Annabeth prompted.

They started to enter… and immediately tripped over the doorway and tumbled on top of each other, making huge fools of each other as some snickers resounded from the cabin. “Welcome to Cabin 11, new blood,” Annabeth remarked.

“Regulars or undetermined?” someone asked.

“Undetermined, each and every one,” Annabeth answered, resulting in some angry and annoyed groaning.

“Now-now folks.” one camper older than all the others stepped forward to the doorway and helped the newcomers up. “That’s what we’re here for. Welcome to Cabin 11. You can have those spots on the floor over there.”

This new guy was about nineteen, with short-cropped sandy hair and a muscular body, and a friendly smile. He made an orange tank top he appeared to have made from a camp-shirt, cutoff pants, sandals, and a leather necklace with five clay beads. Frankly, the only really unsettling thing about him was the thick white scar that extended from behind his right eye to his jaw, like a knife mark.

“This is Luke,” Annabeth said, almost like she was blushing. The group looked back at her, but her tone returned to normal instantly. “He’s your counselor for now.”

“What do you mean ‘for now’?” asked Rainbow.

“You’re undetermined,” Luke explained patiently. “They don’t know which cabins to put you guys in, so you’re here. Cabin 11 takes all the newcomers and visitors. Only natural we would; our patron Hermes is the god of travelers.”

The group weaved their way through the cramped space to their spot on the floor, which wasn’t really big and they had nothing to mark it as theirs; no luggage, no clothes, no sleeping bags, no nothing, except Percy’s Minotaur horn. He considered setting it down, but then he remembered Hermes was also the god of thieves.

Rainbow looked around, studying the faces of the other campers, some sullen and suspicious, some grinning like idiots, and some eyeing the gang like they were just waiting for the perfect chance to rob them. “So how long will we be here?” she asked Luke.

“Good question,” he answered. “Until you’re determined, at least.”

“How long will that take?” Percy’s question was met with a chorus of laughter from the others as Annabeth walked over to them.

“Cmon, I’ll show you the volleyball court,” she said.

“We already saw it.” Rainbow shrugged.

“I’m not asking. Come on.” Annabeth scowled as she grabbed Percy by the wrist and dragged him out, the others quickly following to avoid the laughter.

“Ow! Okay, okay, we’re all here! Now what was that all about?” asked Percy as he shook Annabeth’s grip as the girls rallied with him a few feet from the cabin.

“You have to do better than that, Jackson.” Annabeth scowled.

“What?”

Annabeth scoffed and turned away. “I can’t believe I thought you were the one.”

“Hey, what’s your problem Annabeth?” asked Rainbow. “Just because Percy killed a Minotaur-”

“Don’t even think like that!” Annabeth barked. “Do you have any idea how many kids at this camp wish they’d had the chance you had?”

“What, to get killed?” asked Percy.

“No, to fight the Minotaur, bonehead!” Annabeth rebuked. “What do you think we train here for; fun?”

Percy just shook his head. “Look, if that thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories…”

“It was.”

“Then there’s only one.”

“There is.”

“And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the Labyrinth, so…”

“Monsters don’t die, Percy.” Annabeth countered. “They can be killed, but they don’t die.”

“Oh well, that clears everything up just fine,” Rainbow remarked sarcastically.

“They don’t have souls like us.” Annabeth specified. “You can dispel them for a while, maybe even a whole lifetime if you’re lucky. But they’re primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes, eventually they reform.”

That instantly made a look of dread cross Percy’s face. “You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword-”

“The Fur… I mean, your math teacher.” Annabeth nodded. “That’s right, she’s still out there. You just made her really, really angry.”

“Wait-wait-wait, how did you know about Mrs. Dodds?” asked Twilight.

“Percy talks in his sleep.” Annabeth shrugged simply.

Percy stepped forward now. “You almost called her something. A Fury? They’re Hades’ torturers, right?”

Annabeth’s eyes went wide with fear as she looked around at the ground, as if she was expecting it to open up and swallow her. “You shouldn’t call them by name, even here,” she warned. “We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all.”

“Look, is there anything you can say without it thundering?” Percy asked seriously. “Why do we have to stay in Cabin 11 anyway? Why is everyone so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there.” He pointed to the first few cabins near the water.

Annabeth turned pale. “You don’t choose your cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or… your parent.” She stared at Percy as if expecting him to get it.

“My mom is Sally Jackson,” he said. “She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to.”

“I’m sorry about your mom, Percy. But I’m not talking about her; I’m talking about your dad.”

“He died before I was born; I never knew him,” Percy assured.

Annabeth just sighed as if she’d had this conversation before. “Your father’s not dead, Percy.”

“How can you say that? You know him?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then how can you say-”

“Because I know you. All of you.” Annabeth assured, pointing around at Percy and the girls. “You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t one of us.”

“You don’t know anything about us.” Rainbow reminded.

“No?” Annabeth asked with a raised eyebrow. “I bet you moved around a lot from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them,”

Percy was surprised. “How-”

“Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Percy asked indignantly, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Taken together, it’s almost a sure sign,” Annabeth answered. “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 battlefield 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.”

“You sound like you’re talking from experience.” Rarity remarked.

“Most of the kids here do.” Annabeth shrugged. “If you guys weren’t like us, you couldn’t have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar.”

“The what and what?” asked Rainbow.

“The food and drink we were giving you as you healed,” Annabeth answered. “That stuff would’ve killed a normal kid; turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you’d be dead. Face it; you’re half-bloods.”

This was almost too much for the girls to take in; they knew there was a reason they had been given these attributes in this world, but they didn’t realize it was because this world had somehow turned them not just into humans but half-bloods?

It was then that a husky voice called over. “Well, well, well. A whole gaggle of newbies.”

It was the big girl from the ugly red cabin, marching over with three other girls, each one looking ready to rumble in their camo jackets. “Clarisse.” Annabeth sighed in annoyance. “Why don’t you go polish your spear or something?”

“Sure, Miss Princess,” Clarisse remarked. “So I can run you through with it Friday night.”

“Erre es korakas!” Annabeth scowled, though somehow Percy and the girls knew it meant “Go to the crows” in Greek… which they doubted was flattering. “You don’t stand a chance.”

“We’ll pulverize you.” Clarisse scowled, her eye twitching as if she wasn’t sure she could follow through with that promise. She glanced over at Percy and the others. “Who’re the little runts?”

“Percy Jackson, girls, meet Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares.” Annabeth sighed.

“Like… the war god?” asked Percy.

“You got a problem with that?” asked Clarisse.

“Nah, actually it answers something,” Rainbow remarked. “Explains the smell.”

“Y’know, it really does,” Percy smirked as the two chuckled.

“Oh, they’re askin’ for it now, ain’t they?” Applejack asked Annabeth.

“Yup.” Annabeth nodded as Clarisse growled.

“We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy.” she snarled.

“It’s Percy.”

“Whatever. Cmon, I’ll show ya.”

“Clarisse cmon-” Annabeth tried to say.

“Stay outta this, wise girl.” Annabeth looked hurt by that but she stayed out of it. Percy and Rainbow didn’t care; they knew they were the new guys. They had to earn their own reps here.

“Hang onto this for me, will ya?” Percy asked as he handed Annabeth his minotaur horn.

“Alright, let’s dance,” Rainbow smirked… only for Clarisse to grab them both by the necks and drag them to a cinder-block building they both immediately knew was the bathroom. Percy and Rainbow were punching and kicking to no effect against Clarisse’s iron grip as she dragged them both into the girls’ bathroom.

“Hey, what happened to ladies’ privacy?” asked Rainbow.

“Like I give a damn about that.” Clarisse smiled madly as she tossed Rainbow to her friends.

“She’s right; if I had a drachma for every time she went streaking around the cabin, I could probably bribe a quest out of Chiron.” one of them remarked.

“Ugh. Okay, spare me the official count. Seriously.” Rainbow remarked; just the image of Clarisse naked was enough to disgust her.

Speaking of Clarisse, she dragged Percy into the bathroom… which looked about the same as any usual public bathroom. Rainbow knew she and Percy were thinking the same thing; “If this place is owned by the gods, you’d think they could afford classier johns.” Still, somehow the strength Percy had in his fight with the Minotaur wasn’t with him, no matter how hard he tried to find it.

“Like he’s Big Three material.” Clarisse laughed to her friends as she shoved Percy down in front of a toilet and started shoving his face toward the water.

“Really? A swirly? How cliché are you?” Rainbow asked seriously.

“Don’t give her any better ideas!” Percy snapped back at her as he resisted Clarisse’s strength, focusing on one thought; there was no way he was going in that water. Then it happened; the plumbing started to rumble and the pipes shuddered.

Clarisse loosened her grip on Percy’s hair just before water shot out of the toilet, arced over Percy’s head, and the next thing he knew, he was sitting on the bathroom floor with Clarisse screaming behind him; water was gushing from the toilet like a fire hose and hitting Clarisse in the face so hard, it forced her back into a shower stall.

“What in the-?” Rainbow was released and quickly raced to take cover on the far end of the bathroom as Clarisse’s friends went to try and take Percy down, only for more toilets to explode and send six more jets of water blasting at them. The showerheads started acting up too and finally, with the combined water of all the fixtures, the girls in camouflage were sprayed clean out of the bathroom, floating in the water like pieces of trash being washed away.

Once they were out the door, the water shut off and Percy appeared to relax. The whole bathroom had been flooded though, and Rainbow hadn’t been spared the onslaught. Neither had Annabeth and the other girls who had followed them in; they were all dripping wet but they were just standing there in shock, looking at Percy – standing dry as a bone in a clear spot on the floor.

“How did you…?” Annabeth started to ask.

“I have no idea,” Percy responded simply.

That was as good of an answer as any of the others could devise as they made their way to the door, seeing Clarisse and her friends sprawled out in the mud, soaked through the skin and stinking of sewage. “You are dead, new blood. You are totally dead.” Clarisse snarled.

Percy probably should’ve let it go, but he couldn’t help it. “You wanna gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth.”

She did the exact opposite; if anything, her mouth looked to be foaming with rage as her friends had to hold her back, dragging her back to their cabin as the onlookers made way to avoid her feet. The group looked at Annabeth, who was looking at them with either disgust or anger for dousing her. “What?” Percy demanded finally. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking…” Annabeth said as she looked around at the girls, confident that they all had similar powers to Rainbow Dash’s speed. “that I want you guys on my team for capture the flag on Friday.”

Author's Note

And so the hints of the group's powers have started to appear. The question is what to make of them?

Campfire

Word of the bathroom incident spread around camp like wildfire. Wherever Percy went, other campers pointed and muttered something about toilet water. Or maybe they were just looking at Annabeth and the other girls, who were still sopping wet. Annabeth showed them a few more places – the metal shop, arts-and-crafts, and the climbing wall… which looked absolutely bonkers; it shook, dropped boulders, spewed lava, and clashed into another wall and crushed anyone unfortunate enough not to make it to the top in time. Rainbow was already having all the ideas for that wall as they eventually made it back to the lake. “I’ve got training to do,” she said flatly. “Dinner’s at 7:30. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall.”

“Guys, I’m sorry about the toilets,” Percy assured.

“Whatever.” Annabeth rolled her gray eyes.

“It wasn’t my fault,” Percy assured… only to get a whole chorus of raised eyebrows, which made him realize that it was his fault. Somehow the plumbing had responded to him and flooded the bathroom.

“You need to talk to the Oracle,” Annabeth assured.

“The who?” asked Rainbow.

“Not who. What. The Oracle. I’ll ask Chiron.”

Percy was still confused and looked back at the lake with the others… reasonably surprised to see more than their reflections looking back up at them. Two girls dressed in jeans and shimmering green t-shirts were sitting near the base of the pier about twenty feet below the surface, who smiled and waved at Percy.

Unsure of what else to do, Percy waved back. “Don’t encourage them,” Annabeth warned him. “Naiads are terrible flirts.”

“Naiads,” Percy repeated… before he stood up and started walking toward the tree on the hill. “That’s it. I wanna go home now.”

Annabeth just frowned and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t you get it, Percy? You are home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us.”

“You mean mentally disturbed kids?” Percy asked seriously.

“I mean not human.” Twilight and the girls glanced at each other in concern at that, as if worried Annabeth was onto them. “Not totally human, anyway. Half-human.”

“Half-human and half-what?”

“At this point, I think we know,” Rainbow remarked. “The other half is god, isn’t it?”

Annabeth nodded. “Your father isn’t dead, Percy. He’s one of the Olympians.”

“That’s… crazy,” Percy said breathlessly.

“Is it? What’s the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them.” Annabeth reminded. “Do you think they’ve changed their habits in the last few millennia?”

“But those are just-” Percy almost said myths again, but then he remembered Chiron’s warning that he might be considered a myth in two thousand years. “But if all the kids here are half-gods-”

“Demigods.” Annabeth corrected. “That’s the official term. Half-blood works too.”

“Then who’s your dad?”

Annabeth’s hands tensed around the railing of the pier, and the group got the feeling Percy had just strayed onto forbidden ground. “My dad is a professor at West Point,” she explained bitterly. “I haven’t seen him since I was little. He teaches American history.”

“He’s human?” Rainbow asked in confusion.

“What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?” Annabeth huffed.

“Okay wow, that took a bit more of a turn than I was expecting,” Rainbow remarked in embarrassment.

“Who’s your mom, then?” asked Percy.

“Cabin 6,” Annabeth replied.

“Uh, first-timers, remember?” Twilight remarked.

Annabeth shook her head and straightened. “Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle.”

Percy thought about it for a moment and quietly shrugged. “And my dad?”

“Undetermined, like I told you earlier.” Annabeth shrugged. “Nobody knows.”

“Except my mother. She knew.” Percy assured.

“Maybe not, Percy. Gods don’t always reveal their identities.”

“My dad would have. He loved her.”

Annabeth looked at him cautiously, trying to pick out the right words. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe he’ll send a sign. That’s the only way to know for sure; your father has to send you a sign claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens.”

“You mean sometimes it doesn’t?” Rainbow asked as Annabeth ran her hand over the pier railing, a sorrowful look on her face. “More than sometimes.”

“The gods are busy.” Annabeth shrugged. “They have a lot of kids and they don’t always… Well, sometimes they don’t care about us, guys. They ignore us.”

Then it made sense; why so many kids in the Hermes cabin looked so sullen. They had been waiting for a sign from their parent for who knows how long, but they’d heard not even a peep. “So we’re stuck here,” Percy remarked. “That’s it? For the rest of our lives?”

“It depends.” Annabeth shrugged. “Some campers only stay the summer. If you’re a child of Aphrodite or Demeter, you’re probably not a real powerful force. The monsters might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the year. But for some of us, it’s too dangerous to leave. We’re year-rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters; they sense us, they come to challenge us. Most of the time, they’ll ignore us until we’re old enough to cause trouble – about 10 or 11 years old, but after that, most demigods either make their way here or they get killed off. A few manage to survive in the outside world and become famous. Believe me, if I told you the names, you’d know them. Some don’t even realize they’re demigods. But very, very few are like that.”

“So monsters can’t get in here?”

Annabeth shook her head. “Not unless they’re intentionally stocked in the woods or specially summoned by somebody on the inside.” She glanced at Spike near Twilight’s ankles. “But I have to admit, ever since that dog showed up, I’ve been having a really weird feeling.”

Twilight wasn’t sure she liked where this was going, so she quickly changed the subject. “Why would anybody want to summon a monster?” she asked.

“Practice fights. Practical jokes.”

“‘Practical jokes’?” asked Rainbow.

“Watch yourself around the Stoll brothers,” Annabeth warned. “Look, the point is the borders around camp are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out. From the outside, mortals look into the valley and see nothing unusual; just a strawberry farm.”

“So… you’re a year-rounder?” Annabeth nodded at Percy’s question and reached under the collar of her shirt, pulling a leather necklace with five differently-colored clay beads. It looked just like Luke’s, except Annabeth also had a large gold ring strung onto hers, like a college ring.

“I’ve been here since I was seven years old,” she answered. “Every August, on the last day of summer session, you get a bead for surviving another year. I’ve been here longer than most of the counselors, and they’re all in college.”

“Why’d you come so young?” asked Applejack.

“None of your business.” she returned, twisting the ring on her necklace.

“Okay…” Applejack remarked, cautiously backing off.

“So… I could just walk out of here right now if I wanted to?” Percy asked.

“It would be suicide, but you could, with Mr. D’s or Chiron’s permission.” Annabeth shrugged as she put her necklace back under her shirt. “But they wouldn’t give permission until the end of the summer session unless…”

“Unless what?” asked Twilight.

“You were granted a quest. But that hardly ever happens. The last time…” Annabeth’s voice trailed off enough for the group to figure out that the last quest hadn’t gone well.

“Back in the sick room…” Percy remembered. “When you were feeding me that stuff-”

“Ambrosia.”

“Yeah. You asked me something about the summer solstice.”

Annabeth’s shoulders immediately tensed. “So you do know something?”

“Well… no.” Percy shrugged. “Back at our old school, the girls and I… we overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned the summer solstice, said something like we didn’t have much time because of the deadline. What did that mean?”

Annabeth clenched her fists as she turned away. “I wish I knew. Chiron and the other satyrs; they know, but they won’t tell me anything. Something is wrong in Olympus, something pretty major. Last time I was there, everything seemed so normal.”

“Wait, you’ve actually been to Olympus?” asked Twilight.

“Some of us year-rounders – Luke, Clarisse, and I, and a few others – we took a field trip during winter solstice,” she remembered. “That’s when the gods have their big annual council.”

“But… how did you get there?” asked Percy.

“Long Island Railroad, of course.” Annabeth shrugged. “You get off at Penn Station. Empire State Building, special elevator to the six hundredth floor.” She looked at Percy like she was sure he already knew all this. “You are a New Yorker, right?”

“Oh sure.” But as far as he knew, there were only 102 floors in the Empire State Building. He decided not to push it though.

“Anyway, right after we visited, the weather got weird, as if the gods had started fighting.” Annabeth continued. “A couple of times since, I’ve overheard satyrs talking. The best I can figure out is that something important was stolen. And if it isn’t returned by summer solstice, there’s going to be trouble. When you guys showed up, I was hoping… I mean- Athena can get along with just about anybody, except for Ares. And of course, she’s got the rivalry with Poseidon. But, I mean, aside from that, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something.”

Percy and the girls all just shook their heads in response. They wanted to help, but were too hungry, tired, and mentally overloaded to ask any more questions. Annabeth looked destroyed as she ran a hand through her hair. “I’ve gotta get a quest…” she muttered to herself. “I’m not too young. If they would just tell me the problem…”

It was just then that Spike’s nose started twitching, and he licked his lips. “Mm. Somethin’ smells good.”

That was more than enough to drive Annabeth from her ranting as she looked straight at Spike in shock, before glancing up at Twilight… who simply shrugged. “We’ve all got our share of weirdness.”

“R-Right, right.” Annabeth nodded. “Uh, you guys go on ahead; I’ll catch up.”

“Right, thanks.” Twilight nodded as the seven made their way toward Cabin 11… which gave Twilight just enough time to chastise Spike. “Spike, we talked about this with Chiron; no talking.”

“Relax; if these people can have superpowers and fight monsters, I don’t think a talking dog will be all that weird to them.” Spike shrugged.

“You wanna look at Annabeth and tell me that again?” asked Twilight.

“Uh… not really.”

“Exactly.”

When they returned to the cabin, they found most of the other campers crowded around the door, with fairly similar faces; sharp noses, upturned eyebrows, mischievous smiles, things like that. Twilight guessed that they really did belong in this cabin as Hermes’ children, as she and the others plopped down in their small spot on the floor. And Twilight could see she was right when Luke came over; he had the same attributes, only somewhat marred by his scar. “Hey. Found you some sleeping bags.” he smiled, passing them each a small plastic bag. “And here; I stole you some toiletries from the camp store.”

“That’s just an expression, right?” Twilight asked in concern, though the mischievous glint in Luke’s eye said otherwise. “Uh never mind. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” Luke shrugged, leaning against the wall with them. “Rough first day?”

“Hmph. Rather an understatement.” Rarity remarked.

“I don’t belong here.” Percy groaned. “I don’t even believe in gods.”

“Yeah, that’s how we all started.” Luke shrugged. “Once you start believing in them…”

“Lemme guess; it gets easier?” Rainbow asked, almost knowing he was going to say the opposite.

“Mm, nah; not really.” She was right, of course. But something about Luke’s bitter tone surprised her; it didn’t seem like it fit an easy-going guy like him.

“So your dad is Hermes?” Percy’s question was answered by fear when Luke pulled out a switchblade. For a moment, he and the girls were worried they were about to be gutted, but Luke just used the blade to scrape mud off the sole of his sandal.

“Yeah. Hermes.”

“The wing-footed messenger guy?”

“That’s him. Messengers, medicine, travelers, merchants, thieves.” Luke nodded. “Anybody who uses the roads. That’s why you guys are here, enjoying Cabin 11’s hospitality. Hermes isn’t picky about who he sponsors.”

It was that moment that two boys who looked nearly identical walked over, holding a bevy of camp shirts. “Hey. We figured you guys might wanna change before dinner.” the one on the left smiled.

“Especially after your little impromptu bath.” the one on the right chuckled.

“Oh. Thanks.” Twilight smiled as she took the shirts and handed them out to her friends.

Luke chuckled. “I’d check those before I put ‘em on if I were you. Travis and Connor are notorious pranksters, even by Hermes’ standards.”

Twilight wasn’t sure what he meant, until she figured out that those two must’ve been the Stoll brothers Annabeth warned them about. Quickly, they all checked their shirts and after making sure nothing was wrong, they put them off to the side to change into later. “So have you ever met your father?”

“Once.” The long silence after that indicated that it wasn’t a very pleasant meeting. Twilight wondered if it was how he got that scar. Luke looked up and smiled as best he could. “Don’t worry about it, guys. The campers here, they’re mostly good people. After all, we’re all extended family, right? We take care of each other.”

Twilight realized he was right; considering the structure of the Olympian family tree, technically speaking, everyone at this camp was cousins with everyone else. It presented some unusual moral dilemmas, but she shook her head clear of those doubts and smiled; it was nice to know they were all in such a huge family.

Then she saw a look on Percy’s face, like he was about to ask one last big question. “Clarisse, from Ares, was joking about me being ‘Big Three’ material,” he said. “Then Annabeth… twice, she said I might be ‘the one’. She said I should talk to the Oracle. What was that all about?”

Luke just sighed and folded his knife. “I hate prophecies.”

“How do you mean?” asked Rarity.

Luke’s face twitched around the scar. “Let’s just say I messed things up for everybody else. The last two years, ever since my trip to the Garden of the Hesperides went sour, Chiron hasn’t allowed any more quests,” he explained. “Annabeth’s been dying to get out into the world. She pestered Chiron so much he finally told her he already knew her fate. He’d had a prophecy from the Oracle. He wouldn’t tell her the whole thing, but he said Annabeth wasn’t destined to go on a quest yet. She had to wait until… somebody special came to the camp.”

“‘Somebody special’?” asked Twilight.

“Don’t worry about it, guys,” Luke assured. “Annabeth wants to think every new camper who comes through here is the omen she’s been waiting for. Now get changed and meet us outside, quick; it’s dinnertime.”

The moment he said it, a horn blew in the distance. Somehow Percy knew it was a conch shell, even though he’d never heard one before. “Eleven, fall in!” On Luke’s order, the entire cabin filed out the door. Quickly, Percy and the girls shed their tops and substituted the camp-shirts the Stoll brothers provided them – finding them to be pretty decent fits, even though Rarity wasn’t too crazy about the orange – before they zipped back out to join the line, which was lined up by seniority – so naturally, they ended up in dead-last.

The other cabins were doing the same thing, except the three empty ones at the end, and Cabin 8, which had looked normal in the daylight, but now seemed to be glowing silver as the sun went down. The inverse was true of Cabin 7, though; its golden glow was fading as it appeared more normal. Twilight immediately had a theory as to exactly why that was the case, but would have to wait until later to try and prove it. Right now, she was focused on her appetite so she marched up the hill to the mess hall with the others, including satyrs, naiads from the lake, and a few other girls who seemed to melt straight out of the sides of trees. Twilight assumed they were wood nymphs; it only made sense.

In all, when they reached the pavilion, there were around a hundred campers, a few dozen satyrs, and a dozen other assorted nymphs. Torches blazed around the marble columns of the pavilion as a central fire burned in a brazier about the size of a bathtub. Each cabin had its own table, covered in white cloth trimmed in purple. Four tables were empty but Table 11 was overcrowded like mad in contrast, as the girls were forced to stand as Percy tried to squeeze onto the edge of the bench with his left half hanging off. The others they’d met since they arrived sat elsewhere around the area, with Clarisse having apparently gotten over the hose-down as she laughed and belched along with the other Ares kids.

Rarity shuddered in disgust as she looked at the warlord of a child before Chiron stamped his hoof against the marble floor of the pavilion, drawing everyone’s attention as he raised his glass. “To the gods!”

“To the gods!” the campers uttered as they also raised their cups. With that, the wood nymphs came forward with platter upon platter of food that made the girls salivate. Though Fluttershy cringed a bit at the sight of the meat.

Rarity noticed something else odd. “Um, how are we supposed to drink a toast if we have no drinks?” She was right; their glasses were empty.

“Speak to it. Anything you want – non-alcoholic, of course.” Luke explained.

Percy shrugged. “Cherry Coke.” His glass instantly filled with sparkling caramel liquid, surprising the girls. Then he seemed to have an idea. “Blue Cherry Coke.” The soda turned a violent shade of cobalt blue, which apparently tasted perfect.

“Okay, I’m starting to like this place more and more,” Rainbow noted as she and the others filled their glasses with drinks of their choice before they filled up their plates with fruit and veg.

“Vegetarians, huh?” Travis asked, earning a nod from Rainbow. “You do you, girl; I don’t judge.”

“Thanks, man.” Rainbow nodded and was about to drop a grape in her mouth when she saw everyone getting up and going to the fire. “Uh… what’s everyone doing?”

“Must be dessert.” Pinkie rationalized. But what they actually saw was people dropping portions of their meals into the fire, burning it to ash.

“Burnt offerings to the gods,” Luke whispered. “They like the smell.”

“You’re kidding,” Rainbow said seriously. “What, it’s not enough that they’re omnipotent and all-powerful; they have to feel appreciated too?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” Luke shrugged as he took a cluster of fat, red grapes from his plate and held it over the fire. “Hermes.” He dropped them in and the fire consumed them almost instantly.

Percy and the girls were up next, but none of them knew which god to invoke, so instead, they all made a silent prayer; “Whoever will listen, tell me. Please.” Percy’s was a bit more personal, but it was in the same vein as their offerings dropped into the fire. And the smoke smelled nothing like burning food; instead it smelled like too many nice things all at once to count, but enough to make them think the gods actually could live off that smoke.

When everyone went back to their seats and finished eating, Chiron pounded his hoof again to draw everyone’s attention to Mr. D, who got up with a huge sigh. “Yes, I suppose I’d better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello,” he grumbled, making Pinkie feel sorry for Grover and the two boys who had been forced to sit with him – the latter two presumably being his sons. “Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin 5 presently holds the laurels.” Clarisse and her table all roared in ugly cheers for a second. “Personally I couldn’t care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today; Peter Johnson.” The girls were confused until they saw Chiron mutter something to him and pass him a note. “Er, Percy Jackson. And actually, we have six other newcomers with him. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. I don’t understand their names either, but hurrah and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on.”

The whole camp replied with a roar of cheers as they made their way to the amphitheater. “Alright, you know what song we always start with.” Luke smiled as the others roared and laughed, as they obviously did.

“Wait, what’s the song?” Twilight asked him.

“Don’t worry; you’ll pick it up pretty fast,” Luke assured

(Play “The Campfire Song” – TLT Musical) {jump ahead a bit and skip Chiron's stanza}

One of the boys from the Apollo Cabin – Rainbow thought she’d heard his name was Will Solace – took to the stage first with a guitar and started strumming away a few bars. After a moment, Luke stood up and started singing.

Luke: Oh, things couldn’t be worse
When your parents run the universe

Chorus: Oh, things couldn’t be worse
When your folks run the universe

Luke: My dad is Hermes
He messengers things
You’ll know his sign by his shoes with those wings
I’d wait by the phone, but the phone never rings

Oh no

Everyone seemed to mutter in agreement at that, as if they’d all lived it.

When your dad’s a god, life can be tough
I met the guy once, and once was enough

“Oh, I hear that.” someone agreed.

“Annabeth?” The blonde was a bit surprised when Luke called her but took over anyway.

Annabeth: Well, my mom’s Athena
She’s smart and she’s wise
She’s sworn off gluten and she’s sworn off guys
But if she came to camp, it’d be a surprise

Oh no

Chorus: Oh no

Annabeth: Oh, and my stepmom? She hates me
And my dad works all-day
So I left Virginia
And I ran away

“Wait, is that true?” Percy asked in confusion.

Luke seemed to ignore him as he stood up with a cup of nectar in his hand. “Everybody!” The girls were getting into it, so they shrugged and sang along.

Everyone: Oh, things couldn’t be worse
When your parents run the universe

Oh, things couldn’t be worse
When your folks run the universe

“Alright, who’s next?” asked Luke.

A girl from Cabin 4 – Katie Gardner – stood up with her hand raised. “Oh! Okay, lemme see. Uh…”

Katie: My mom’s Demeter
Goddess of Grain
She gets excited when it starts to rain
But planting, and planting, and planting’s a pain

Oh no

Chorus: Oh no

Katie: “Right?”

For their sixteenth birthday, my friends got a car
I got a fern in some dumb mason jar

A lot of people laughed at that, including Grover who then stood up. “Ooh, ooh! My turn!”

Grover: I’m a child of Pan
God of the Wild
For those who love nature, they’re often beguiled
He’s not really my dad, but I’m sort of his child

Oh no

Chorus: Oh no

“How does that even work?” Rainbow whispered to Luke.

“I dunno.” he shrugged in return.

Grover: He went for a hike to explore new frontiers
And no one has seen him for thousands of years!

Grover broke down crying at this and sat back down with the others, Percy and Fluttershy doing their best to comfort him as the chorus went on.

Everyone: Oh, things couldn’t be worse
When your parents run the universe

Oh, things couldn’t be worse
When your folks run the universe

“Your turn, Silena,” Luke called over to a girl from Cabin 10 – Silena Beauregard – who stood up with a flourish of her long black hair.

Silena: The Goddess of Love
My mom’s Aphrodite
She tries to be cool, but mainly she’s flighty
I’ll bring home a boy, and she’s there in her nighty!

Chorus: “Oh no!”

Rainbow: “Oh, that’s bad!”

Silena: “It’s so embarrassing, guys!”

I’ve tried to seek help from even the Fates
‘Cause she steals my mascara and all of my dates

“Ah, alright Percy; it’s your turn!” Luke smiled, earning a big warm-up cheer from the rest of the crowd.

“Yeah, cmon Percy; let’s hear those pipes!” Applejack called.

“No-no-no; if I try to sing, it’ll probably cause an avalanche,” Percy assured.

The others scoffed and chuckled at that. “Cmon, we’re all friends here,” Twilight assured.

“Yeah cmon, give it a shot.” Luke smiled, patting Percy on the back.

“Okay.” Percy shrugged and stood up. “Um…”

Percy: My mom was named Sally
She loved scary movies
And food that was blue
And-

“He’s doing it wrong!” Katie called.

“Yeah, who’s your godly parent?” asked Silena.

“Oh- I don’t know.” Percy shrugged in disappointment.

“Hey, it’s alright,” Luke assured. “A lot of half-bloods never know their godly parent. Just give it a try, okay?”

“Um…” Percy really didn’t want to, but he saw the encouraging smiles on the girls’ faces and shrugged.

Percy: So my dad is some god
That’s great, I guess
Did he not want me, or not want the stress?
Too bad he’s the worst, and my life is a mess!

Oh no

“Oh yeah, Percy!” The whole amphitheater cheered like that and filled Percy with confidence as he grabbed his nectar and ran to the stage, holding his cup to the stars.

Percy: I hope he shows, even a trace
‘Cause I’ve got some choice words to throw in his face!

The whole camp cheered in agreement and raised their cups in a toast to that one verse as the song continued.

Everyone: Oh, things couldn’t be worse
When your parents run the universe

Oh, things couldn’t be worse

Luke walked to Percy’s side and raised his own toast as part of the song.

Luke: But I don’t care where our parents may be
As long as you are here with me

The rest of the camp stood and crowded together near the stage with their drinks in hand.

All: We don’t care where our parents may be
As long as you are here with me

As long as you are here with me!

The song ended with the whole camp slamming their cups against each other and cheering, knowing that even if they came from different sides of the country – or even different worlds in the case of Twilight and her friends – they were all family here in this camp.

This revelry continued with more songs and s’mores until finally, the conch sounded again and everyone filed back to their cabins. None of the girls even realized how exhausted they were until they and Percy dropped onto their sleeping bags and all fell asleep in a big pile, happy with how their first day at Camp Half-Blood had gone. If only they’d known how briefly they’d get to enjoy it.

Author's Note

Yeah, I included a song from the musical. I can't help it; it's good music. And watch out, because this isn't gonna be the only song I include.

Capture the Flag

Over the next few days, Percy and the girls had settled into a fairly normal routine… if you disregard the centaur, satyrs, nymphs, and talking dog. Every morning the group learned Ancient Greek from Annabeth and talked about the gods in the present tense, which felt a bit unusual. But it also proved Annabeth right about the dyslexia; Ancient Greek wasn’t that hard for the group to read. Well, no harder than English anyway; a few mornings in, and Percy and Rainbow could stumble through a few lines of Homer without too much of a headache, but Twilight was far more skilled, seemingly impressing Annabeth a bit.

The whole rest of the day, the group would rotate through outdoor activities to find something they were each good at; Chiron taught them archery and Fluttershy was more than a bit surprised to find she was a natural at it, hitting a bullseye almost every time, even with her eyes closed. Percy; not so much, though Chiron didn’t complain… even as he tried to remove a stray arrow that had snagged in his tail.

Foot racing was no contest, as Rainbow easily managed to keep pace with the wood nymph instructors as they all left Percy in the dust. They told him not to worry as they’d had centuries of practice running away from lovesick gods. Still, it was more than a bit humiliating to be slower than tree-people.

As for wrestling, Clarisse demolished Percy every time he stepped up to the mat. “There’s more where that came from, punk.” she’d mumble in his ear, only to be defended by Applejack’s remarkable strength, which sparked rumors from the other campers that she might’ve been a child of Hercules, though she wasn’t sure how much she believed that.

The only thing Percy really excelled at was canoeing, which – to use Rainbow’s words – wasn’t exactly the sort of heroic skill people would’ve expected from the guy who killed the Minotaur right outside camp.

The whole group knew the senior campers and the counselors were watching, trying to decide where they belonged and who their godly parent was. The girls were especially concerned about this since they didn’t want anyone to find out they weren’t from this world or that they weren’t half-bloods, though their powers didn’t make it easy. The councilors also weren’t having an easy time deciding on Percy’s fate; he barely had any real powers or skills. Luke suggested he might’ve been a child of Hermes; jack-of-all-trades, master of none, but the group got the feeling he was just trying to make him feel better.

As for the others though, the girls could feel the councilors deciding on them, though they weren’t sure what they were deciding exactly, so they decided their best bet was to wait and see what the gods themselves thought. Despite everything, they really liked camp. Morning mist over the beach, the smell of hot strawberry fields in the afternoon, even the weird noises of monsters from the woods at night. They would eat with the other Cabin 11 kids, and try to get some sort of signal from the gods with their offerings, but they never received as much as a peep. Percy had said that the most he’d ever gotten was the same warm feeling he’d always had, like a strange memory of his smile. That never made much sense to Twilight since Sally had said Percy’s father had left before he was born, though she and the others did their best to try not to think about Sally, but Percy couldn’t stop thinking that if all the rest of this magical madness was real, then maybe; just maybe…

Either way, they started to understand why Luke had been so bitter in talking about Hermes. The gods were busy running the universe; that much was understandable from the singalong their first night, but would it have killed them to call once in a while?

Thursday morning – three days after their arrival (or at least after they’d woken up) – was when the team had their first lesson in swordplay. Everyone from Cabin 11 gathered in the arena and was instructed by Luke to do basic stabs and slashes at armored scarecrows. They did alright, all things considered, though Applejack was a bit clunky with such light weapons and Percy couldn’t find any sword that felt right in his grip. Luke tried to help them, but he agreed none of the practice blades were good enough for Percy.

Eventually, they moved on to pairing up for duels. And just Percy’s luck, Luke announced he was his partner. One of the other campers snorted. “Good luck. Luke’s the best swordsman in the last three hundred years.”

“Maybe he’ll go easy on me.” Percy shrugged.

“Somehow I doubt that.” Rarity remarked. And sure enough, Luke started showing Percy a series of thrusts, parries, and shield blocks… the hard way. With every strike, Percy got more battered and bruised… and the girls got more worried.

“Keep your guard up, Percy.” Luke would say, and then whap him in the ribs with the flat of his blade. “No, not that far up.” Whap! “And lunge!” Whap! “Now, back!” Whap!

By the time Luke called a break, Percy was drenched in sweat. Everyone swarmed the water coolers, and Luke doused himself with ice water. It looked like as good an idea as any to Percy, so he doused himself as well. Almost immediately, he felt and looked better. “Okay, everybody circle up!” Luke ordered. “If Percy doesn’t mind, I want to give you a little demo.”

“You guys really like thrashing this guy, don’t you?” Rainbow remarked.

“Very funny.” Percy hissed humorlessly.

“Cmon man, it’s just a joke.” Rainbow shrugged. Though as she and the others looked around, they saw the rest of the cabin trying to hide smirks as if they knew what Percy was in for.

“Alright guys, gonna show you a little disarming technique I know; how to twist your enemy’s blade with the flat of your own sword so they have no choice but to drop their weapon.”

“Okay, that actually sounds really interesting,” Twilight remarked as she and the others all watched.

“Now this is difficult,” Luke stressed. “I’ve had it used against me. No laughing at Percy, now. Most swordsmen have to work years to master this technique.” A technique he then demonstrated against Percy in slow motion, which did indeed send his sword clattering to the ground.

“Alright, now in real-time,” Luke said as Percy picked up his blade. “We keep sparring until one of us pulls it off. Ready Percy?” Percy nodded, and Luke charged at him. Rainbow was half-expecting the whole match to last less than a second, but Percy dodged and countered all of Luke’s strikes.

“What the heck…?” Rainbow asked in awe. It was then that Percy seemed to be losing steam as if his sword was losing balance, so he tried the disarming move; his blade hit the base of Luke’s sword and he twisted for all he was worth, putting everything into a downward thrust and with a loud clang, Luke’s sword rattled against the floor-stones as the tip of Percy’s blade stopped an inch from Luke’s undefended chest.

The whole arena was silent as Percy lowered his sword. “Um, sorry?”

For a second, Luke was too stunned to speak. “Sorry?” Then his scarred face broke into a smirk. “By the gods, Percy, why are you sorry? Show me that again!”

Percy really didn’t want to; his power-boost had left him, but Luke insisted. And this time, it was no contest, the swords made contact, and Percy’s flew across the arena floor.

After a long pause, someone in the back said, “Beginner’s luck?”

Luke wiped the sweat from his brow and looked Percy over with an appraising eye. “Maybe,” he said. “But I wonder what Percy could do with a balanced sword…”

“So do I,” Twilight whispered to the girls, who all agreed.

The next afternoon, the group was sitting on the dock after a near-death experience on the climbing wall. Grover had managed to scamper up like a mountain goat, but the others had almost been burned, shaken off, or just plain crushed with singed holes in their shirts.

They sat there on the pier watching the naiads weaving baskets underwater until Percy finally let out a sharp breath. “So, how’d it go with Mr. D?”

Grover’s face turned a sickly shard of yellow as he looked at them. “Fine. Just great,” he said simply.

“So your career’s still on track?” Grover glanced over at Rainbow nervously.

“Chiron t-told you I want a searcher’s license?” he asked.

“Well, not exactly – or at all.” Applejack shrugged. “He just said you had big plans.”

“And that you needed credit for completing a keeper’s assignment.” Percy continued. “So did you get it?”

Grover just looked down at the naiads, giving them all the answers they needed. “Mr. D suspended judgment. He said I hadn’t failed or succeeded with you guys yet, so our fates were still tied together. If you got a quest and I went along to protect you, and we both came back alive, then maybe he’d consider the job complete.”

“Well, that’s not that bad, is it?” Pinkie smiled. “All we need to do is get a quest and we’re good to go!”

Grover just gave a bleating scoff. “He might as well have transferred me to stable-cleaning duty. The chances of you getting a quest… and even if you did, why would you want me along?”

“Because you’re our friend, Grover,” Twilight assured. “Friends don’t leave friends behind when they go to face danger.”

Grover just stared glumly into the water. “Basket-weaving… Must be nice to have a useful skill.”

Percy and the girls tried to console him and say that he had plenty of talents, but that just made him look even more miserable. So instead, they talked about the various activities and debated the pros and cons of the various gods. Finally, Rainbow decided to ask. “So listen, what’s up with those four empty cabins?”

Grover looked and pointed to the one that seemed to glow at night. “Number 8 – the silver one – belongs to Artemis,” he explained. “She vowed to be a maiden forever. So of course, no kids. The cabin is, y’know, honorary. If she didn’t have one, she’d be mad.”

“Yeah, okay.” Percy shrugged, pointing to the cabins near the beach. “But the other three, the ones on the end. Are those the Big Three?”

Grover tensed; an obvious indication that they were approaching a touchy subject. “No. One of them, Number 2, is Hera’s,” he explained. “That’s another honorary thing. She’s the goddess of marriage, so of course, she wouldn’t go around having affairs with mortals. That’s her husband’s job.” Rainbow and Pinkie couldn’t help but snicker at that. “When we say the Big Three, we mean the three powerful brothers, the sons of Kronos.”

“Zeus. Poseidon. Hades.” Percy remembered.

“Right.” Grover nodded. “You know. After the great battle with the Titans, they took over the world from their dad and drew lots to decide who got what.”

“Zeus got the sky, Poseidon got the sea, and Hades got the Underworld,” Twilight remembered.

“Uh-huh.”

“But Hades doesn’t have a cabin here.” Applejack pointed out.

“No. He doesn’t have a throne on Olympus, either.” Grover noted. “He sort of does his own thing down in the Underworld. If he did have a cabin here…” He shuddered. “Well, it wouldn’t be pleasant. Let’s leave it at that.”

“But what about Zeus and Poseidon?” asked Rainbow. “I don’t remember much from Chiron’s class at Yancy, but I know they each had, like, a bajillion kids in the myths. Why aren’t their cabins packed?”

Grover shifted uncomfortably. “About sixty years ago, after World War 2, the Big Three agreed they wouldn’t sire any more heroes. Their children were just too powerful. They were affecting the course of human events too much, causing too much carnage. World War 2, you know, that was basically a fight between the sons of Zeus and Poseidon on one side and the sons of Hades on the other.” Twilight had a pretty good idea which sides those were, but it also left her with a really bad thought. “And since I know you’re thinking it, no; Hitler was not a half-blood.”

“Oh, phew! That would’ve been a tough image to get out of my head; thank you.” Twilight said in serious relief.

Grover smiled with a roll of his eyes as he continued. “Anyway, after the war, the winning side; Zeus and Poseidon, made Hades swear an oath with them; no more affairs with mortal women. They all swore on the River Styx.”

Thunder boomed in the distance, as Percy seemed shaken. “That’s the most serious oath you can make.” Grover nodded lowly. “And the brothers kept their word; no kids?”

Grover’s face darkened. “Seventeen years ago, Zeus fell off the wagon. There was this TV starlet with a big fluffy eighties hairdo – he just couldn’t help himself. When their child was born, a little girl named Thalia… well, the River Styx is serious about promises. Zeus himself got off easy because he’s immortal, but he brought a terrible fate on his daughter.”

“But that isn’t fair! It wasn’t the little girl’s fault.” Percy insisted.

Grover seemed to hesitate for a moment. “Percy, children of the Big Three have powers greater than other half-bloods. They have a strong aura, a scent that attracts monsters. When Hades found out about the girl, he wasn’t too happy about Zeus breaking his oath. Hades let the worst monsters out of Tartarus to torment Thalia. A satyr was assigned to be her keeper when she was twelve, but there was nothing he could do. He tried to escort her here with a couple of other half-bloods she’d befriended. They almost made it. They got all the way to the top of that hill.” He pointed across the valley, to the pine tree where the group had fought the Minotaur.

“Don’t tell me…” Rainbow said seriously, seeming to realize where Grover was going with this.

“All three Kindly Ones were after them, along with a hoard of hellhounds. They were about to be overrun when Thalia told her satyr to take the other two half-bloods to safety while she held off the monsters. She was wounded and tired, and she didn’t want to live like a hunted animal. The satyr didn’t want to leave her, but he couldn’t change her mind, and he had to protect the others. So Thalia made her final stand there, at the top of that hill. As she died, Zeus took pity on her. He turned her into that pine tree. Her spirit still helps protect the borders of the valley. That’s why the hill is called Half-Blood Hill.”

The girls couldn’t help but feel more than a bit sad about that story. A girl Percy’s age had sacrificed herself to save her friends by holding off an entire army of monsters. Compared to that, Percy’s victory over the Minotaur seemed like folly. “Grover…” Percy said finally. “Have heroes really gone on quests to the Underworld?”

“Sometimes.” Grover shrugged. “Orpheus, Hercules, Houdini.”

“And have they ever returned somebody from the dead?”

“No. Never. Orpheus came close…” Grover shrugged, growing more and more worried with every word. “Percy, you’re not seriously thinking-”

“No.” Applejack could tell that was a lie, and she was fairly certain the others could too. “I was just wondering. So… a satyr is always assigned to guard a demigod?”

Grover studied Percy carefully as if he wasn’t convinced about Percy’s lie either. “Not always. We go undercover to a lot of schools. We try to sniff out the half-bloods who have the makings of great heroes. If we find one with a very strong aura, like a child of the Big Three, we alert Chiron. He tries to keep an eye on them since they could cause really huge problems.”

“And you found Percy,” Twilight remarked. “Chiron said you thought he might be something special.”

Grover looked like the group had just led him into a huge trap. “I didn’t… Oh, listen, don’t think like that,” he said, looking at Percy. “If you were – y’know – you’d never ever be allowed a quest, and I’d never get my license. You’re probably a child of Hermes. Or maybe even one of the minor gods, like Nemesis, the god of revenge. Don’t worry, okay?” Something told the group he was trying more to reassure himself than the others.

After dinner that night, there was a lot more excitement than usual. And that was because tonight was the night for Capture the Flag. When everything was cleaned up, the conch sounded and everyone stood at attention at their tables.

Campers roared in cheers as Annabeth and two other Athena kids ran into the pavilion carrying a silk banner, easily ten feet long, glistening gray, with the painting of a barn owl above an olive tree. From the opposite end, Clarisse and her bodies ran in with an equally huge banner, but gaudy red with a bloody spear and a boar’s head as their rampant. “Those are the flags?” Percy yelled to Luke over the noise.

“Yeah.”

“Ares and Athena always lead the teams?”

“Not always.” Luke shrugged. “But often.”

“So if another cabin captures one, then… what; do we repaint it?” asked Rainbow.

Luke just grinned. “You’ll see. First, we have to get one.”

“Whose side are we on?” asked Twilight.

Luke just gave them a wily smirk, as if he knew something they didn’t, his scar giving him an almost evil appearance in the torchlight. “We’ve made a temporary alliance with Athena. Tonight, we get the flag from Ares. And you guys are going to help.”

With that, the teams were officially announced. Athena had allied with Apollo and Hermes – the two biggest cabins. Apparently, privileges had been traded – shower times, chore schedules, the best slots for activities, things like that – in order to win support. That left Ares allied with literally everyone else; Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. From what the girls had seen, Dionysus’ twins were actually pretty good athletes, but it was only them in the cabin.

Demeter’s kids had the edge with nature skills and outdoor capabilities, but they weren’t very aggressive. As for Aphrodite’s kids… they weren’t too worried about them; most of the time, they just sat out all the activities, checked their reflections in the lake, did their hair, and gossiped. Hephaestus’ kids weren’t pretty and there were only four of them, but they were large and burly men from working all day in their metal shop; they might’ve been a problem. And that of course left the Ares cabin; a dozen huge, ugly and mean kids giving the group glares of death.

Chiron’s hoof stamped on the marble and drew everyone’s attention. “Heroes!” he announced. “You all know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!”

“He’s just kidding about the killing and maiming part, right?” Twilight asked, before Chiron spread his hands and suddenly the tables were strewn with bronze weapons and armor.

“You tell me,” Luke smirked.

“Whoa. We’re really supposed to use these?” asked Percy.

“Unless you wanna get skewered by your friends in Cabin 5,” Luke remarked, looking at Percy as if he was crazy. “Here; Chiron said these would fit. You guys are on border patrol.”

Quickly, the group armored up in heavy bronze armor and helmets with blue horsehair plumes, while Ares’ team had red plumes. “Blue team, forward!” Annabeth ordered, leading the roaring hordes of the blue team to the south as the red team marched north, hurling taunts.

Applejack was happy to have been given a more weighty weapon in the form of a simple bronze cudgel, but she felt like the odd one out among the others with their swords and spears and daggers and bows. Quickly, she and the others did their best to catch up to Annabeth without tripping over their gear. “Hey,” Percy said, though Annabeth just kept marching. “So what’s the plan? Got any magic items you can loan us?”

Annabeth’s hand just drifted toward her pocket, as if she were afraid Percy had stolen something. “Just watch Clarisse’s spear,” she ordered. “You don’t want that thing touching you. Otherwise, don’t worry. We’ll take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given you your jobs?”

“Yeah, he said we were on border patrol, whatever that means,” Rainbow noted.

“It’s easy. Stand by the creek, keep the reds away.” Annabeth ordered simply. “Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan.” She pushed ahead, leaving the group in the dust.

“Great. Nice to feel needed.” Rainbow remarked.

The team was stationed at a small babbling brook before the rest of the blue team scattered into the dark woods. The group felt like idiots just standing there with their heavy equipment. In the distance, the conch sounded again and the group heard large hordes of kids roaring in battle as metal clanged. Out of nowhere, one of the Apollo kids leaped past the group and ran into red territory. “Great. We’re missing all the action.” Rainbow scowled. “Someone make a note; next time we get assigned border patrol, one of us has to demand something else.”

“Agreed. I’m gettin’ bored and sore here.” Applejack remarked, hefting her heavy shield back onto her arm.

“I don’t mind at all.” Rarity assured. “As long as we’re not in the line of fire, I’m happy. All the excitement this past week has done a number on my hair.”

“Pfft. Vanity like that, maybe you belong on the other side of this creek.” Applejack joked.

Rarity scoffed. “I admit the Aphrodite Cabin does have an appeal to it, but I would never abandon my friends in their time of need.”

“Right now, the only need I feel at this time is the need for some excitement,” Rainbow assured… before they heard a low canine growl from somewhere, prompting everyone to instinctively raise their shields and circle up. “Never mind, I’m good with bein’ bored.”

“Spike, that’s really not funny,” Twilight said in serious concern.

“That’s not me.” Spike shook his head, scaring the others.

“Then what is it?” Applejack asked in worry; it felt like the group was being stalked… until the growling stopped and the strange presence faded.

“Whew. Well, whatever it was, it’s gone now. I think we’re good.” Rainbow shrugged as everyone moved back to their positions… just before the underbrush exploded on the other side of the creek, five warriors from Ares screaming through the dark.

“Cream the punk!” And just their luck; Clarisse was leading the charge, brandishing a five-foot spear with a flickering red barbed metal tip. The others only had standard-issue swords, but that didn’t make anyone feel better.

Instinctively, the team stood ready for action as they clashed with their opponents, Percy blocking an impact from Clarisse’s spear… though it numbed his arm and send a strange shock to Twilight when she got too close to his shield. It took her less than a second to realize what had happened. “Clarisse’s spear is electric!” she warned as she clashed with another of Clarisse’s goons, but she and the others were quickly knocked to the ground.

“Give him a haircut,” Clarisse ordered. “Grab his hair.” Percy stood with his sword ready, but Clarisse knocked it away with a single swing of her spear. “Oh wow, I’m scared of this guy. Really scared.”

“The flag is that way.” Twilight could tell Percy was trying to sound angry, but it really didn’t come out that way.

“Yeah.” one of the guys said. “But see, we don’t care about the flag. We care about a guy who made our cabin look stupid.”

“Ya don’t need our help to do that,” Applejack assured from the ground, earning a swift kick in the gut.

“She’s right; you don’t,” Percy assured, only to be charged by two of the guys and struck by Clarisse’s spear right in the breastplate. Now the girls saw what Luke was talking about when he warned them about getting skewered; that spear was deadly. And it put Percy into a daze with the electricity, allowing one of Clarisse’s goons to get in a good slash at Percy’s arm.

The sight of his own blood made Percy dizzy, as he looked at his attacker. “No maiming.” he managed to say.

“Oops. Guess I lost my dessert privilege.” He laughed and shoved Percy into the water, making them all laugh. The girls figured Percy was doomed now, and then Rainbow was probably next. But then something interesting happened; they saw raw energy coming back into Percy’s eyes.

Clarisse and her goons got into the river and Percy rose to meet them, swiftly knocking the helmet off one of them hard enough to daze him. Then two more attacked, but Percy pushed them both back with a well-placed shield-bash to the nose of one of them, and a clean swipe cutting a few hairs from the other one’s plume, forcing them to back off. Clarisse was the only one who kept attacking, but Percy moved slowly back and once Clarisse thrust her spear, Percy caught the shaft between his sword and the edge of his shield, and it snapped like a twig. “Whoa! What is happening here?” asked Rainbow.

“Gah!” Clarisse snarled. “You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!”

Angrily, Applejack stood up and somehow tree roots entangled Clarisse’s angles. “I’ll thank you to be nicer to mah friends, Clarisse.” With a flick of her wrists, the roots tossed her backward before righting her and allowing Percy to bash her between the eyes with the butt of his sword, leaving her dazed for a moment before the roots faded and she tumbled into the creek.

“Whoa. How’d you do that, AJ?” asked Rainbow.

“No idea.” Applejack shrugged, looking at her hands. “I just-” Her explanation was cut short when a chorus of elated cheers cut through the night, followed swiftly by Luke and a few more Hermes and Apollo campers approaching the creek. Luke was carrying the red banner as his backup held back the Hephaestus campers chasing after them.

“A trick! It was a trick!” Clarisse yelled in anger.

Rainbow smirked. “What did you expect from a kid of the god of tricks?” she smiled as she high-fived Luke, who quickly raced into friendly territory. The whole south side of the river roared in cheers as the red banner shimmered and turned silver, the boar and spear replaced with a caduceus.

“Now that is much more stylish.” Rarity smiled as the whole blue team picked up Luke and started cheering his name as they carried him on their shoulders.

Chiron cantered out of the forest and gave a hard blast on the conch, declaring official victory for the blue team. Percy and the girls were about to join the celebration when… “Not bad, hero.” That was Annabeth, but none of the team could see her. “Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?” It was then that the air shimmered and Annabeth appeared out of nowhere, holding a Yankees cap she had apparently just taken off her head.

Percy’s face just twisted in anger as he stepped toward her. “You set us up.” he scowled. “You put us out here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you sent Luke around the flank. You had it all figured out.”

“I told you. Athena always, always has a plan.” Annabeth shrugged.

“Maybe next time you could clue us into that plan before you enact it.” Twilight suggested.

“Yeah, or at least make sure it doesn’t involve us getting pulverized.” Rainbow agreed.

“Hey, I came as fast as I could,” Annabeth assured. “I was about to jump in, but…” She shrugged as she glanced at Percy. “You didn’t need help.”

Twilight rolled her eyes as she looked over at Percy… and noticed something interesting about his arm. “How did you do that?”

“Sword cut. You were there for it, remember?”

“No, it was a sword-cut. Look at it.” The others looked and saw Twilight was right; where the huge cut had been on Percy’s arm, there was just a long white scratch, and even that was slowly fading away into nothingness right before their eyes.

“I- I don’t get it.” Percy shrugged.

Annabeth was thinking hard; Rainbow could almost hear the gears in her head turning as she looked around, first at Percy’s feet then at Clarisse’s broken spear. “Step out of the water, Percy.”

“What?”

“Just do it.”

Percy did as he was told; he stepped out of the creek and immediately, he felt and looked bone tired. He almost tumbled over, but Annabeth quickly steadied him. “Oh Styx.” she cursed. “This is not good. I didn’t want… I assumed it would be Zeus…”

“What’re you talking about?” Before Rainbow could get any answer, the growling came back much closer than before, just moments before a massive growl ripped through the forest. Any sense of festivity died in the hearts of the campers as Chiron shouted for his bow in Ancient Greek, which the girls were amazed they had understood as Annabeth drew her sword.

Just then, on the rocks above them, there appeared the source of the howl; a massive black hound easily the size of a rhino with lava-red eyes and dagger-like fangs… and it was staring straight at Percy. No one moved except Annabeth, who looked at the group and yelled one simple command; “Run!” She tried to jump in the way, but the beast leaped over her and slashed Percy’s chestplate clean open as he stumbled back, making him scream in pain as a massive barrage of arrows hit the beast in the back, and it fell dead to the ground.

“Percy!” Twilight yelled as she dropped next to him. By some miracle, he was still alive but no one dared look at his chest as Chiron trotted over to them, a longbow in his hands.

“Di immortales!” Annabeth said in awe. “That’s a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don’t… they’re not supposed to…”

“Someone summoned it.” Chiron rationalized. “Someone inside the camp.”

Rainbow looked close at the beast with an unusual look in her eye. “Is it just me or does this thing look kinda like Spike?” she asked the girls. And she was right; the hellhound somewhat resembled Spike, which was more than a bit disturbing to the group.

“Wait a sec; you don’t think that means…?” Spike whispered.

“Our travel here turned you into a hellhound,” Twilight whispered back in surprise as Luke came over, totally forgetting his moment of glory and the banner in his hand.

“It’s all Percy’s fault! Percy summoned it!” Clarisse yelled.

“What? Why would he summon something to kill him?” asked Rainbow.

“Be quiet, children,” Chiron ordered as everyone watched the hellhound’s body melt into shadows, sinking into the ground before it vanished.

Then Annabeth looked back at Percy. “You’re wounded. Quick Percy, get in the water.”

“I’m okay,” Percy assured weakly.

“No, you’re really not, dude.” Rainbow countered.

“Chiron, watch this,” Annabeth said seriously as Percy tiredly stepped back into the creek. Suddenly he felt his strength return, as his chest healed right before the eyes of the whole camp, some among them gasping in awe.

And Twilight saw why. “Look, I- I don’t know why.” Percy tried to apologize. “I’m sorry…” He grew confused when he realized the campers weren’t looking at his chest; they were looking just above his head.

“Percy, um…” Annabeth said simply, pointing up. By the time Percy looked up, the sign was already fading but the girls all recognized it; a green spinning hologram of a trident. “Your father…” Annabeth murmured. “This is really not good…”

“It is determined,” Chiron announced as all around Percy, campers started kneeling. Even Ares knelt, though they didn’t look too happy about it. The girls weren’t sure what to do, as they just stood and watched Percy be honored.

“My father?” he asked, completely bewildered.

“Poseidon,” Chiron said, shocking the girls. “Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God.”

The girls were still astounded until finally, Rainbow broke their silence. “Why do I get the feeling Percy just drew the shortest straw in the world?”

The Quest

Percy wasn’t the only one claimed that night. When the campers returned to the amphitheater after the incident at the river, the girls were all claimed at once and separated across the camp – which caused more than a bit of a ruckus among certain campers, and themselves. Twilight was chosen as a daughter of Athena – which made her happy to be around more intellectual people, though she was worried about how Annabeth would react. Applejack was claimed as a daughter of Demeter, Fluttershy was moved to Apollo, Rarity was claimed by Aphrodite, and somehow Pinkie ended up rooming with Dionysus’ twins. Only Rainbow remained in Cabin 11 as she had been claimed as a daughter of Hermes. The girls had fairly mixed feelings about this whole thing; they were happy to have ended up somewhere concrete, but they didn’t like being separated.

And that was to say nothing of how Percy was feeling; the morning after Capture the Flag, everyone was moved… and Percy had Cabin 3 all to himself. One would think he would be happy at the solitude, but he was miserable. The girls couldn’t blame him; they’d finally started to feel like they fit into this world in Cabin 11, only to be separated across the board.

No one mentioned the hellhound incident – or Spike’s resemblance to it, however heavily that weighed on the girls’ minds – but they were all certain the others were talking about it behind their backs. Its presence sent two very clear messages; Percy was the son of Poseidon, and the monsters would stop at nothing to kill him, not even at the supposedly impassable boundaries of a camp that had long been considered safe.

Everyone steered clear of Percy and the girls as much as possible, with Cabin 11 too nervous to have sword-practice with them after what happened to the Ares gang, so the lessons with Luke became private, with Luke pushing them harder than ever and he wasn’t afraid to bruise them up in the process. “You’re gonna need all the training you can get,” he assured as they worked with swords and burning torches. “Now let’s try that viper-beheading strike again; fifty more repetitions.”

Annabeth still taught them Greek in the mornings, but she seemed distracted and every time one of them said something, she scowled at them like they’d just poked her between the eyes. After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself. The girls only heard fragments of it, but they’d figured out enough to put together that she was appalled at Percy being a son of Poseidon and that she needed to make a plan.

Heck, even Clarisse kept her distance… though the looks of pure rage she shot Percy’s way made it clear that she wanted to kill him for breaking her spear. “I wish she’d just yell at me or hit me; something,” Percy remarked to Rainbow one day.

“I hear ya. I’d rather get in a brawl than be ignored any day of the week.” Rainbow shrugged.

It was more than obvious that someone at camp resented Percy because the next night, Percy called the girls to meet him outside his cabin, where he was holding a copy of the New York Daily News, which he had opened to the Metro page. It took them almost an hour to read because the angrier they got as they read, the more their dyslexia acted up and the text flew from the pages, but they still managed to figure it out.

BOY AND MOTHER STILL MISSING AFTER FREAK CAR ACCIDENT by Eileen Smythe. Sally Jackson and son Percy are still missing after their mysterious disappearance. The family’s badly burned ’78 Camaro was discovered last Saturday on a north Long Island road with the roof ripped off, the front axle broken, and the right door knocked from its hinges. The car had flipped and skidded for several hundred feet before exploding. Mother and son had gone for a weekend vacation to Montauk, but left hastily, under mysterious circumstances. Small traces of blood were found in the car and near the scene of the wreck, but there were no other signs of the missing Jacksons. Residents in the rural area reported seeing nothing unusual around the time of the accident. Ms. Jackson’s husband, Gabe Ugliano, claims that his stepson, Percy Jackson, is a troubled child who has been kicked out of numerous boarding schools and has expressed violent tendencies in the past. Police would not say whether son Percy is a suspect in his mother’s disappearance, but they have not ruled fair play. Below are recent pictures of Sally Jackson and Percy. Police urge anyone with information to call the following toll-free crime-stoppers hotline.

The number was circled in black marker, but Rainbow didn’t bother reading it; she’d already heard enough. “I don’t believe that for a second,” she assured as she grabbed the paper from Percy, crumpling it up and tossing it into the corner. “Gabe’s just trying to frame you.”

“Yeah well, unless my mom and I magically show up in New York without a scratch soon, I’d say he’s done a nice job.” Percy shrugged as he flopped onto the single bunk in the middle of his empty cabin. “Lights out.”

Twilight sighed as she stood up. “Cmon girls, we need some sleep too,” she said and the girls all went their separate ways to their cabins.

But Percy didn’t go to sleep. Not yet anyway; he had more things to work out in his mind right now, including everything that had happened to him before he met the girls.

(Play “Good Kid” – TLT Musical)

Percy: Six schools in six years
Been kicked out of every place

Everything I ever do is wrong
Never find where I belong
Everybody on my case

He snuck out of his cabin and out into the woods, where he found himself near the river where he was claimed… where his father had finally gotten up the guts to address his existence.

The same old story
The same old song:
“Don’t act up, don’t act out
Be strong”

I keep my head down
I keep my chin up
But it ends up all the same
With “Pack your bags, Percy
You’re always to blame”!

I never try to do anything
I never mean to hurt anyone

I try, I try to be a good kid
A good kid
A good son

But no one ever will take my side
All I ever do is take the fall
I swear, I swear that I’m a good kid
Guess I’m good for nothing at all

Percy was so busy thinking about everything that had happened that he didn’t even hear Twilight – who had been out for one last evening walk when she heard him – watching him from the trees.

Gabe was a world-class jerk
Dad was never there
The only family that really mattered?
Well, she vanished into the air

And now I finally find a haven
Someplace safe, where I can stay
Till it’s “Pack your bags, Percy
Now go, go away”!

I never try to do anything
I never mean to hurt anyone
I swear, I swear that I’m a good kid
Yeah, Percy, that’s a good one

But no one ever will take my side
All I ever do is take the fall
I swear, I swear that I’m a good kid
Guess I’m good for nothing at all

-the schools in six years
Every battle, every day
No one ever tells me that they’re proud
No one asks me
“Percy, how’d you like to come ‘round and stay?”

Now he started throwing rocks into the river in rage with every bad thing in his life.

All you get are bad grades
And a bum rap
And a bad rep
And a good smack
And no friends
And no hope
And no mom-!

He stopped mid-throw here and just dropped the rock on the ground near his foot.

She’s taken away

Twilight did her best to hide her tears as she watched one of her best friends in this world suffering like this as Percy knelt down next to the river, watching it babble over the rocks as the tears fell.

I swear I never stole anything
I never meant to hurt anyone
I swear, I swear that I’m a good kid
A good kid, who’s had a bad run

And all I need is one last chance
To prove I’m good enough for someone
I’m good enough for someone

Twilight couldn’t help herself here and walked out to his side, sitting next to him much to his surprise as she flashed him an understanding smile as the nymphs in the forest watched in earnest.

I’m good enough for someone (Nymphs: Six schools in six years. Six schools in six years. Six schools in six years)

Percy scowled now as he did his best to drive their voices to the background.

I’m good enough for someone…!

(Cut it)

Finally, he hit the river with one strong slap as he sat back down and pinched his eyes to stop the tears, while Twilight gave him a gentle side-hug. “You’re more than good enough, Percy,” she assured. “And you do have friends. And we’re here for you. Anything you need, just say the word.”

Percy smiled as he hugged her back, the tears still falling a bit. “Thanks, Twilight,” he said as he stood up. “Now get going; lights out means lights out.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Twilight smiled as she made her way back to the Athena cabin. “Good night.”

“Night.” Percy returned. But it wouldn’t be a good night at all.

That night, they all had the worst nightmare they’d ever had; they were each alone running along a beach in a storm with a large city behind them. But not New York; there were vastly different buildings spread farther apart, palm trees and low hills in the distance. They looked roughly a hundred yards down the coast and saw two huge men in Greek tunics – one trimmed in blue, the other in green – brawling as the weather grew worse. The girls each knew they had to stop the fight, though they didn’t know why. But the harder they ran, the more the wind blew them back until they were running in place, their feet digging into the sand.

“Give it back! Give it back!” the one in blue roared over the storm as the waves grew larger, crashing onto the beach and spraying the on-lookers with salt as they yelled to the fighters to stop.

The ground shook and laughter erupted from somewhere beneath the earth, a voice so deep and evil it turned even the courageous Rainbow Dash’s blood to ice. “Come down, little hero.” it crooned. “Come down!” The sand split beneath them, opening a crevasse straight down to the center of the earth. Everyone slipped and fell straight in as the darkness swallowed them.

They all woke with a start at once, finding themselves still in their cabins. They all quickly got dressed and made their way out to the center of the courtyard and looked around, seeing the massive storm approaching on the horizon. “We didn’t all just have the same dream, did we?” asked Rainbow.

“I think it’s safe to say that we did.” Rarity assured as she watched the storm. “And it looks as though part of it is about to become reality.”

It was just then that they all heard someone clopping over toward them. They looked and saw Grover approaching. “Hey. What’re you guys doing awake already?”

“Uh… th- the storm… storm woke us up.” Rainbow excused quickly. Technically she wasn’t lying, but she wasn’t sure she should tell Grover the rest yet.

“Never mind that; what’s wrong, Grover?” Twilight asked, and rightly so; Grover looked nervous.

“Mr. D wants to see you guys,” he said.

“Why?” asked Percy.

“He wants to kill- I mean, I’d better let him tell you.”

“He’s gonna kill him, ain’t he?” asked Applejack. Grover stayed quiet as he led the group to the Big House. For days now, they’d all been half-expecting some sort of summons to the Big House; Percy was a child of the Big Three, so he figured it was a crime against the gods themselves for him to just be alive. The girls were enigmas, all claimed by different gods for seemingly no reason only after Percy was claimed, so they assumed they were to be used as some manner of tools to meet out divine justice as the gods discussed and considered how best to punish Percy. At least, that was what some of them thought. Twilight and Rarity still believed it had something to do with their search for this Lightning Thief, but they still had no idea what that was about.

As they made their way to the Big House, Rainbow kept her eyes on the skies as the storm grew worse. “We’re not gonna need an umbrella, are we?”

“No, it never rains here unless we want it to,” Grover assured.

“What the heck is that then?” Percy asked, pointing at the storm.

Grover looked at the sky in unease. “It’ll pass around us. Bad weather always does.” The girls were confused, but realized he was right; they’d been here a week and it had never been overcast, with the few rain clouds they’d seen just skirting around the edge of the valley. But this storm was massive. Everyone around camp looked like they were just having fun, but they all looked on edge as they watched the storm.

There on the porch sat Dionysus at the same pinochle table as before, his tiger-striped shirt and Coke just the same as the first day with Chiron opposite him in his fake wheelchair playing cards… against what looked like two invisible opponents. “Well, well…” Mr. D remarked at the group without even looking up. “Our little celebrities.” Percy waited for a moment. “Come closer. And don’t expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father.” The storm thundered hard in the distance at that. “Blah, blah, blah…”

Chiron feigned interest in his cards as Grover cowered near the railing. “If I had my way…” Dionysus scowled. “I’d cause your molecules to erupt in flame. All of you.” The girls were a bit scared by that, but still annoyed by Dionysus. “We’d sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm.”

“Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D.” Chiron put in.

“Nonsense,” Dionysus assured. “They wouldn’t feel a thing.”

“Yeah, that actually makes it worse,” Rainbow remarked.

Dionysus scowled. “Well, either way, I’ve agreed to restrain myself. I’m thinking of turning you into your parents’ sacred animals – maybe a dolphin for little Flipper-boy here – sending you back where you came from.”

“Mr. D-”

“Suit yourself, pal.” Rainbow interrupted Chiron’s warning. “But you’ve dealt with Pinkie Pie as a human; you really wanna risk seeing if she’s better or worse as a tiger?” She pointed over at Pinkie, who was holding a noisemaker in her mouth ready to blow it at the slightest provocation.

“Good point.” Dionysus shrugged.

“While we’re on the subject, why did you even claim Pinkie anyway?” asked Twilight. “She’s not actually your daughter.”

“You don’t think I know that?” the god scowled. “Chiron here told me about the whole different world thing ages ago. I only claimed her because she had some of the same powers as me; party animal with a flair for madness.”

“Madness? Pinkie Pie?” asked Rainbow Dash. “I admit that she’s crazy, but madness?”

“Madness can mean a lot of things, kid; you never noticed that people burst into peals of laughter for like no reason when she’s around?” asked the god.

Rainbow thought back and realized he was right; even before they arrived in this world, Pinkie had that sort of effect on ponies. “So wait, if you know we were summoned here from Equestria, then you must know why we were summoned here in the first place.”

“Actually, I do,” Dionysus said as he stood up, the invisible players’ cards dropping to the table. “And it’s also your third option, but it’s dead foolishness. I’m off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I’ll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you’re at all smart, you’ll see that’s a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do.” He picked up a card from the table and twisted it, turning it into a plastic card like a security pass. He snapped his fingers and the air bent around him, turning him into a sort of hologram before he disappeared into the wind, leaving only the strong scent of fresh-pressed grapes behind him.

“Please children, sit.” Chiron smiled, though he did look tired. “And Grover.” Everyone sat around the old centaur as he laid out a winning hand he hadn’t gotten the chance to use. “Tell me, what did you make of that hellhound?”

Just the name made them shudder. Twilight could tell Rainbow probably wanted to say something cool, like she handled them on the regular, but she seemed a bit too freaked out. Percy took that as an opportunity to speak for the group. “It scared us,” he said. “If you hadn’t shot it, we’d be dead.”

“And I’m sure it hasn’t escaped your notice that…” Twilight remarked, glancing at her ankles to see Spike as he hopped to her lap.

“Yes, it’s clear your arrival here has transformed Spike into a hellhound,” Chiron remarked. “That’s good. Because you’ll meet far worse than him or that beast you fought before you’re done.”

“Done… with what?” asked Percy.

“Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?”

The group was stunned; Luke had told them that his was the last quest in years before they were prohibited. They looked over at Grover, who had his fingers crossed. “That depends on what it is,” Rainbow said simply.

Chiron grimaced at that. “Well, that’s the hard part; the details.”

The storm rumbled as it reached the beach, as if the sky and sea were both boiling together. “Poseidon and Zeus,” Percy remarked. “They’re fighting over something valuable… something that was stolen, aren’t they?”

Chiron and Grover looked surprised. “How did you know that?” asked the centaur.

Percy sucked his teeth as if he knew he shouldn’t have said that, but now that he had… “The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then we talked to Annabeth, and she’d overheard something about a theft. And… we’ve also been having these dreams.”

“I knew it,” Grover remarked.

“Hush, satyr,” Chiron ordered.

“But it is their quest!” Grover said, his eyes bright with excitement. “It must be!”

“Only the Oracle can determine,” Chiron assured, scratching his beard. “Nevertheless Percy, you are quite correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Come again?” Though it was starting to dawn on her and the other girls as to why the story they had been pulled into had been called The Lightning Thief.

“Do not take this lightly,” Chiron warned. “I’m not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you’d see in a second-grade play. I’m talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives.”

“Whoa,” Rainbow remarked in shock.

“Zeus’ Master Bolt,” Chiron explained, getting worked up now. “The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the Master Bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers.”

“Okay, we get it; the thing’s awesome. Sheesh.” Rainbow said, trying to get the centaur to calm down. “So it’s missing?”

“Stolen.”

“By who?” asked Percy.

“By whom, I think you mean.” Twilight assured; she definitely belonged in Athena’s cabin. “But seriously, who stole it?”

“Percy did,” Chiron said nonchalantly.

“What?! He wouldn’t do that!” Twilight argued.

“That’s not what Zeus believes.” Chiron countered. “You see, during the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense, really; ‘Mother Rhea always liked you best’, ‘air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters’, et cetera. Anyway, afterward, Zeus realized his Master Bolt was missing; taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now a god cannot usurp another god’s symbol of power directly – that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it.”

“Who would be crazy enough to do that?” asked Rainbow.

“Who indeed. But patience and listen.” Chiron ordered. “Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother’s lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the Master Bolt and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus wasn’t sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal his bolt.”

Rarity had already started to connect the dots as she looked at Percy. “And now Poseidon has openly claimed Percy as his son,” she remarked.

“And he was in New York for the winter holidays.” Chiron agreed, looking at Percy. “You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief.”

“But I’ve never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!” Percy assured.

Chiron and Grover glanced nervously skyward. The girls followed their lead and saw the clouds growing thicker over the valley. “Uh, maybe try to refrain from calling the king of the gods crazy, Percy?” Fluttershy suggested quietly.

“Perhaps paranoid.” Chiron suggested. “Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question 38 on your final exam.” He smirked at the group as if he expected them to actually remember that question.

Percy was still in shock as he tried to wrap his head around this concept as he tried to remember. “Something about a golden net?” he guessed. “Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods… they, like, trapped Zeus and wouldn’t let him go until he promised to be a better ruler, right?”

“Correct,” Chiron said. “And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since.”

“I thought Hera led that plot?” Twilight asked.

“She did. But who do you think commissioned the net?” Chiron countered. “Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the Master Bolt; he took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months now, threatening war. And now, you’ve come along – the proverbial last straw.”

“But I’m just a kid!”

“Percy,” Grover cut in. “If you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War 2, that he’s fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you… wouldn’t that put a twist in your toga?”

“Well, when you say it like that, it does sound convincing.” Pinkie remarked.

“Really not helping, Pinkie,” Rainbow remarked.

“Yeah, I didn’t do anything,” Percy assured. “Poseidon – my dad – he didn’t really have this Master Bolt stolen, did he?”

Chiron just sighed. “Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon’s style. But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the Bolt by the summer solstice; that’s June 21st.”

“That’s only ten days from now.” Twilight realized.

“Exactly. And Poseidon expects an apology for being called a thief by the same date.” Chiron remarked. “I had hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But Percy’s arrival has inflamed Zeus’s temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the Master Bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?”

“Bad?” he guessed.

“Somehow I don’t think that comes anywhere close to doing it justice.” Rainbow guessed.

“Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself.” Chiron explained. “Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight.”

“Yep. Called it.” Rainbow remarked in awe.

“And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus’s wrath.” It had started to rain, forcing everyone around camp to seek shelter as they stared stunned at the sky.

No one wanted to admit it, but the girls were all thinking the same thing; Percy had been the one to bring this storm to Half-Blood Hill. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because of him. Needless to say, he was furious; the girls couldn’t say they blamed him. “So I have to find the stupid bolt and return it to Zeus,” he said.

“Within ten days,” Fluttershy added in concern.

“What better peace offering than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus’s property?” Chiron said.

“Which begs the obvious question; if Poseidon doesn’t have it, then who does?” asked Twilight.

“I believe I know.” Chiron’s expression went grim. “Part of a prophecy I had years ago… well, some of the lines make sense to me now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle.”

“Why can’t you just tell us where the Bolt is beforehand?” asked Rainbow.

“Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge.”

Percy gulped. “Good reason.”

“You agree then?”

The group glanced over at Grover, who nodded encouragingly… only really possible for people who weren’t about to be killed by Zeus. “Alright.” Percy shrugged. “It’s better than being turned into a dolphin.”

“Probably not by much,” Rainbow whispered to Rarity, who simply nodded in return.

“Then it’s time you consulted the Oracle. All of you.” Chiron ordered. “Go upstairs, children, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you’re still sane, we will talk more.”

“Wait, what does that mean?” asked Applejack.

“You’ll see,” Chiron remarked as he rolled aside.

That only worried the girls more as they followed Percy into the Big House, climbing up four flights of stairs until they reached a green trapdoor in the ceiling. A quick yank on the cord and the ladder dropped through the open hatch… along with a terrible smell. “Ugh! Whew! What crawled up there and died?” Rainbow asked in disgust.

“I’m not sure I wanna know.” Applejack remarked. Either way, the group held their breath and climbed up the ladder to the ladder… finding it full of junk and disgusting trophies that looked like curios from a retired hero’s basement, including a hydra’s head dated as being recovered 1969.

And there at the far end of the chamber, sitting on a wooden tripod stool, was the most gruesome memento of all; a mummified female corpse, shriveled to a husk that looked as though it had died ages ago. Just the sight of her sent chills up the backs of everyone as they looked at her, and she sat up on her stool and opened her mouth, a thick green mist pouring from her mouth and coiling on the floor, hissing like twenty thousand angry snakes. Fluttershy immediately panicked and tried to escape out the trapdoor, but it slammed shut, trapping them in the attic.

Then everyone heard a voice, slithering into their ears and hissing in their minds. “I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask.”

Rainbow wanted to say something stupid to try and escape, but she knew that wouldn’t work, so she and the others forced themselves to acknowledge one thing; this mummy wasn’t alive. She was some sort of gruesome receptacle for something else; the power that was probably swirling in that green mist. But its presence didn’t feel evil like Mrs. Dodds or the Minotaur; more like the Fates, ancient but malevolent and not that interested in killing them.

Finally, Percy took a breath and stepped forward. “What is our destiny?”

The mist thickened, collecting in front of them and around the table filled with jars of what looked like pickled monster parts. Suddenly there were four familiar people around the table; Gabe and his poker buddies. Percy clenched his fists; he knew the visions were fake, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to bust some heads. Then the illusory Gabe turned to the group, speaking in the raspy voice of the Oracle. “You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.” The one on the right turned to them this time and spoke in the same voice. “You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.” Then the one on the right. “You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.” Then the last one delivered the worst line of them all. “And you shall fail to save what matters most in the end.”

The figures dissolved and started to retreat into the Oracle’s mouth. At first, Percy was too stunned to say anything, but as he saw the mist fade, he snapped out of it and ran to the mummy. “Wait! What do you mean?! What friend? What will I fail to save?” Too late; the mist had already disappeared and the mummy declined back against the wall, her mouth shut tight as if it hadn’t been opened in a hundred years.

“Well, that was… terrifying,” Rainbow remarked.

“Not to mention vague.” Twilight agreed. “What will we fail to save? And who would betray us?” Somehow everyone got the feeling they could stand there until they all had cobwebs and they wouldn’t find out. Their audience with the Oracle was over, so they left the attic.

When they returned to the table, they found Chiron and Grover waiting expectantly. “Well?” the centaur asked.

They all sat down as Percy took the lead. “She said we would retrieve what was stolen.”

“That’s great!” Grover smiled, chewing excitedly on the remains of a diet coke can.

“What did the Oracle say exactly?” Chiron pressed. “This is important.”

The group’s ears were still tingling from the reptilian voice in their minds. “She… she said we would go west and face a god who had turned. We would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned.”

“I knew it,” Grover said.

Chiron however still looked dissatisfied. “Anything else?”

They really didn’t want to tell him; they didn’t have many friends here, and the girls all knew they would never betray each other, so who would? And the last line… they would fail to save what mattered most. How could the Oracle be so brazen as to send them on a quest with a warning that they would fail? How could they say that? “No. No, that’s about it.” Percy lied. Applejack hated that she had to go along with it, but she knew it was best for her friends.

Chiron studied their faces, as if he could see straight through the lie. “Very well. But know this: the Oracle’s words often have double meanings. Don’t dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass.”

Somehow they knew that was just to try and make them feel better, but that didn’t make it any better. “Okay, so where do we go?” asked Rainbow. “I mean, who’s this god in the west?”

“Ah, think Rainbow,” Chiron said. “If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain most?”

“Somebody else who wants to take over?” Rainbow guessed.

“Yes, quite.” Chiron nodded. “Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom could grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken.”

With all those factors – not to mention the dark voice that had spoken from below the earth in their dream – it wasn’t difficult for Twilight to figure it out. “Hades.”

Chiron nodded. “The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility.”

A scrap of metal dribbled from Grover’s mouth. “Whoa, wait. Wh-what?”

“A Fury came after Percy.” Chiron reminded. “She watched the young man and the girls until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord; Hades.”

“Yes, but- but Hades hates all heroes.” Grover protested. “Especially if he has found out Percy is a son of Poseidon…”

“A hellhound got into the forest.” Chiron reminded. “Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood and any who help him before he can take on the quest.”

“Oh. Well, um… that sounds like, uh… very good incentive to not do it.” Fluttershy noted.

“No kidding; that’s two major gods who want me dead,” Percy remarked.

“If we don’t do it, the gods will go to war and destroy everything.” Twilight reminded. “This is a mission of mercy.”

“But a quest to…” Grover gulped. “I mean, couldn’t the Master Bolt be in someplace like Maine? Maine’s very nice this time of year.”

“Hades sent a minion to steal the Master Bolt.” Chiron insisted strongly. “He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don’t pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead’s motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain; Percy and the girls must go to the Underworld, find the Master Bolt, and reveal the truth.”

The girls were still a bit nervous, but they saw a strange fire burning in Percy’s eyes, almost like anticipation. They couldn’t exactly blame him; Hades had tried to kill him three times now, with the Fury, the Minotaur, and the hellhound. It was his fault that Percy’s mother had disappeared in a flash of light, and now he was trying to frame Percy and his father for a theft they hadn’t committed that could start a war between the gods.

Percy was more than ready to take him on, and if his mother was in the Underworld… “Whoa, boy.” he thought, the small part of his brain that was still sane speaking. “You’re a kid. Hades is a god.” It was clear Grover was thinking the same thing as he started trembling, eating pinochle cards like potato chips.

He was just as motivated for a quest like this as Percy was – with his searcher’s license and future on the line – but he was also terrified. And on a quest, the Oracle had told the group they would fail? It was suicide.

Finally Twilight spoke. “Look, if we know it’s Hades, then why don’t we just go to the other gods and tell them? Zeus or Poseidon could just head down to the Underworld and get the answers they want themselves.”

“Suspecting and knowing are two different things, Twilight,” Chiron assured. “Besides, even if the other gods do suspect Hades – and between you and me, I imagine Poseidon certainly does – they couldn’t retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot cross each other’s territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the other hand, have certain… privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they’re bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero’s actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?”

“You’re saying we’re being used?” asked Percy.

“I’m saying it’s no accident the gods have claimed you now,” Chiron remarked, addressing them all. “It’s a very risky gamble, but they are in a desperate situation. They need you.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Nice to feel needed,” she remarked, knowing exactly what was rolling through Percy’s head; Poseidon had ignored him for twelve years and now he needed him?

Percy just glared up at Chiron. “You’ve known I was Poseidon’s son all along, haven’t you?”

“I had my suspicions.” he shrugged. “As I said… I’ve spoken to the Oracle too.” The group had the feeling he was holding something back about his prophecy, but they couldn’t worry about that now. After all, turnabout was fair play.

“So lemme get this straight,” Percy said. “We’re supposed to go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead.”

“Check.”

“Find the most powerful weapon in the universe.”

“Check.”

“And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice in ten days.”

“That’s about right.”

Rainbow let out a breath as she ran a hand through her hair. “Great; no pressure.”

Grover gulped down the ace of hearts in worry. “Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?” he asked weakly.

“You don’t have to go,” Percy said. “I can’t ask that of you.”

“Oh… No…” he said weakly, shifting his hooves. “It’s just that satyrs and underground places… well…” He took a deep breath as he stood, brushing scraps off his shirt. “You saved my life, Percy. If… if you’re serious about wanting me along, I won’t let you down.”

Percy seemed so relieved he wanted to cry, though he tried his best to hide it. Twilight knew why; before she and the other girls arrived, Grover had been the only real friend he’d ever had for more than a few months. Frankly, none of the group were sure what good a satyr would be against the forces of Hades, but they definitely felt better knowing he would be along. “All the way, G-man.” Percy smiled, bumping fists with him before he turned to Chiron. “So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west.”

“The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west.” Chiron nodded. “It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it’s in America.”

“We figured that, but where specifically?” asked Rainbow.

Chiron seemed surprised. “I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles.”

“Oh. Naturally.” Percy remarked, only half-sarcastically. “So what, we just get on a plane and-”

“Percy, are you crazy?” Rainbow countered, surprising Grover since he was probably about to jump in with his own objection. “When’s the last time you’ve flown anywhere?”

Percy shook his head in embarrassment; he’d never been on a plane anywhere. Mostly it was because Sally said they never had the money, but part of it was because she’d lost her parents in a plane crash.

“Percy, think.” Chiron reminded. “You are the son of the Sea god. Your father’s bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an airplane. You would be in Zeus’s domain. You would never come down again alive.”

Overhead the storm rumbled as Percy tried his best not to look at it. “Okay, so we’ll travel overland.”

“That’s right. Two companions may accompany yourself and the girls.” Chiron ordered. “Grover is one. The other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help.”

“Gee. Now who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?” Rainbow feigned surprise as she walked around behind Chiron, sticking her face right up into the air behind his wheelchair as Annabeth removed her cap and stuffed it into her pocket, revealing that Rainbow was nose-to-nose with her. Rainbow just smirked. “I would say I was surprised, but I’m really not.”

“Hm. Notice my hand, going into your face.” Annabeth remarked simply as she placed her palm on Rainbow’s nose and shoved her politely aside as she walked over to Percy. “I’ve been waiting a long time for a quest, Seaweed Brain. Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you’re going to save the world, I’m the best person to keep you from messing up.”

“If you do say so yourself,” Percy smirked. “I suppose you have a plan, Wise Girl?”

Annabeth’s cheeks colored as she scowled at him. “Look, do you want my help or not?” The girls all knew they didn’t just want it; they needed it. They needed all the help they could get.

“I guess that’s everyone then,” Percy remarked.

“Excellent.” Chiron smiled. “This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you’re on your own.” A massive flash of lightning heralded the arrival of a massive downpour of rain in a valley that was never supposed to have violent weather.

“We’d best not waste time then.” Rarity remarked. “Time to start packing.”

Garden Gnomes and Gorgons

In a way, it was a relief to know there were gods out there. Because without them, the girls wouldn’t have anything to really blame for their current situation. “Okay! So just to go over things…” Rainbow remarked as the group tromped through the woods of the New Jersey riverbank in the pouring rain. “We just blew up a bus!”

“Yep.” Annabeth nodded, sounding almost bored.

“That was being attacked by demon triplet math teachers!”

“Ohh yeah.”

“Is the whole trip gonna be like this?” asked Twilight.

“I hope so.” Annabeth smiled eagerly.

“How’d I know you were gonna say that?” Applejack rolled her eyes.

Grover was just shivering as he walked, his eyes goat-slitted in terror. “Three Kindly Ones. All three at once.”

“Try to calm down Grover, we’re okay.” Rarity assured.

“Not yet we’re not. Come on, the farther away we get the better.” Annabeth reminded, tugging the rest of the group onward.

“All our money was back there.” Percy reminded her bitterly. “Our food and clothes, everything.”

“Well, maybe if you hadn’t decided to jump into the fight-”

“What did you want me to do; let you guys get killed?” Percy interrupted.

“You didn’t need to protect me, Percy. We would’ve been fine.” Annabeth assured.

“Yeah, sliced up like an apple but just fine and dandy.” Applejack countered.

“Oh shut up, ya hick.” Annabeth scowled.

Rarity scowled as she walked forward. “Right, I’ve had just enough lip from you, ma’am,” she said concisely, as if she was addressing Sweetie Belle after she did something wrong. “You’re the one who wanted to go on this quest with us, but that does not mean you get to belittle us at every turn and get yourself killed for us.”

“I said I would’ve been fine, and I meant it. If anything, I was worried you guys might get gutted.” Annabeth countered derisively. “Then what was I supposed to do, huh?” Grover was moaning about the loss of his tin cans, but everyone just tuned that out as they walked, Annabeth finally falling in line with Percy. “Look, just-” She sighed in annoyance as she pinched the brow of her nose, her voice faltering. “I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave.”

“We’re a team, right?” Percy smiled.

Annabeth was silent a few more steps as they walked. “It’s just that if you died… aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world.”

The storm finally let up as the glow of the city faded behind them, only letting Percy and the girls see a glimmer of Annabeth’s golden hair. “You haven’t left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?” asked Twilight.

“No… only short field trips. My dad-”

“The history professor.”

“Yeah. It didn’t work out for me living at home.” Annabeth shrugged. “I mean, Camp Half-Blood is my home.” She was rushing her words now, like she was scared someone would try to shut her up. “At camp, you train and train. And that’s all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That’s where you learn whether you’re any good or not.”

Pinkie was a bit concerned about Annabeth now; she was sure she’d heard some doubt in her voice.

Percy just smiled as he glanced over at her. “You’re pretty good with that knife.”

“You think so?” Annabeth asked.

“Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me.” Percy smiled. Pinkie was certain she’d seen Annabeth smile in the dark, and that made her really happy.

“You know,” she said. “Maybe I should tell you… Something funny back on the bus…” Annabeth was interrupted by a shrill screeching from behind the group.

“Ow, what?” Rainbow yelled as she grabbed at her ears.

“Hey, my reed pipes still work!” Grover announced happily. “If I could just remember a ‘find path’ song, we could get out of these woods!” Whatever it was Grover was playing, it sounded terrible on reed pipes and all it found for the group was a few scrapes and bruises from the trees.

After tripping, cursing in the limited Greek they’d learned at camp, and just generally feeling miserable for another mile or so, Rainbow spotted something up ahead. “We got light, guys!” she called back to the group.

Percy looked and saw it; the bright colors of a neon sign. Then his nose twitched at the smell of food. Fried food, greasy and delicious. That made him and the girls realize it; since arriving at Camp Half-Blood, they’d eaten healthy for every meal; fresh produce, bread and cheese, and extra-lean meat in Percy’s case. And they were all craving something a bit more fatty, even Rarity.

Finally, they reached the side of an abandoned two-lane road with a small roadside curio shop on the opposite side from the group. Unfortunately, that was about all they could figure out as the large sign over the door was written in neon red cursive, which was murder on the group’s dyslexic eyes. Even between the lot of them trying to figure out anagrams for a solid minute, they couldn’t figure out what it said until Grover read it aloud for them; “Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium.”

Rainbow figured it had something to do with gnomes from the décor of the front step; the place was dotted with the ugly little things. Percy smiled as he took the lead, following his nose. “Hey…” Grover warned nervously.

“The lights are on inside.” Annabeth noticed. “Maybe it’s open.”

“Snack bar,” Percy said wistfully.

“Snack bar.” she agreed.

“I’m down.” Rainbow smiled as the other girls agreed and followed Percy.

“Are you guys crazy?” Grover said seriously. “This place is weird.” The group ignored him as they moved onward and upward.

Rainbow would later admit that the concrete statues around the door of monsters and people freaked her out more than a bit. Though clearly not as much as the satyr statue freaked out Grover as he bleated in surprise. “Looks like my Uncle Ferdinand!”

“Okay, that’s weird,” Twilight remarked as they stopped at the large door.

“Don’t knock.” Grover bleated in concern. “I smell monsters.”

“Your nose is clogged up from the Furies.” Annabeth countered. “All I smell is burgers. Aren’t you hungry?”

“Meat!” Grover seemed almost scorned at the insinuation. “I’m a vegetarian.”

“You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans.” Percy reminded.

“Those are vegetables.” Grover countered. “Come on, let’s leave. These statues are… looking at me.”

“It’s just your eyes playing tricks on you; we’re fine,” Twilight assured… before the door opened and a tall older woman with coffee-colored hands wearing black over everything stepped out.

“Children, it is too late to be out all alone.” She spoke with an accent that sounded vaguely Middle Eastern. “Where are your parents?”

“They’re… um…” Annabeth started to say, but grew nervous.

“We’re orphans,” Percy interjected quickly.

“Orphans?” the woman asked, almost like the name sounded alien in her mouth. “But my dears! Surely not!”

“We got separated from our caravan.” Percy continued. “Our circus caravan. The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we’re lost. Is that food I smell?”

“Oh, my dears.” the woman smiled. “You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area.”

“Thanks.” Rainbow smiled as the group walked to the back as instructed.

“Circus caravan?” Annabeth muttered.

“Always have a strategy, right?” Percy shrugged.

“Your head is full of kelp.”

“Didn’t see you comin’ up with anythin’.” Applejack countered. The warehouse was filled with more statues – people in all sorts of clothes and poses, all with different expressions on their faces. Twilight figured whoever shopped here must have had pretty big gardens since they were all life-sized, but more than anything, she was thinking about food like the others were.

The food was almost too intoxicating for the group to think of anything else, including the nervous whimpers from the satyr or the way the eyes of the statues seemed to follow them… though Spike did notice Aunty Em locking the door behind them.

The group found the dining area easily enough; it was a pretty simple place, all things considered. “Please sit down.” the old lady smiled.

“Awesome.” Percy smiled.

“Um, we don’t have any money, ma’am,” Grover said almost reluctantly.

Percy and Rainbow were both about to jab him in the ribs when Aunty Em looked at him. “No, no, children. No money. This is a special case, yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Annabeth said, though everyone was confused when Aunty Em stiffened as she looked at the blonde. She relaxed just as quickly, so most of the group figured they had just been seeing things.

“Quite all right, Annabeth. You have such beautiful gray eyes, child,” she said. Twilight couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at that.

“Did we ever tell her our names?” she thought in the back of her mind as Aunty Em disappeared behind the counter and started cooking. It wasn’t long before everyone was saddled with plastic trays heaped with burgers, vanilla shakes, and ludicrous amounts of fries.

It took a while of eating before Percy and Pinkie remembered to breathe, though Grover looked a bit too nervous. “What’s that hissing noise?” he asked.

The others looked up and listened. “I don’t hear anything.” Rainbow shrugged, glancing at Rarity. “You hear anything?” Rarity just shrugged, as did most of the others… though Spike seemed deep in thought about something.

“Hissing?” Aunty Em asked sweetly. “Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover.”

“I take vitamins. For my ears.”

“That’s admirable,” she replied. “But please, relax.” Grover and Spike both kept a close though discreet eye on Aunty Em; she didn’t eat, and she hadn’t taken off her headdress even to cook, and she was just watching the group eat. It was really more than a bit disconcerting for several members of the team.

“So, you sell gnomes,” Percy said, trying to sound interested.

“Oh yes.” Aunty Em said. “And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know.”

“Not a lot of business out on this road, is there?” asked Rainbow.

“Not so much, no. Since the highway was built… most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cherish every customer I get.”

Percy seemed to shiver like someone was watching him, but when he glanced behind him, he saw it was just the statue of a little girl with an Easter basket. It was remarkably detailed for a garden statue, but the face was really what drew attention; it looked like she was scared.

“Ah,” Aunty Em remarked sadly. “You notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face.”

“You make these statues yourself?” Percy asked.

“Oh yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. Now I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company.” The girls couldn’t help but feel sorry for her…

But Annabeth had stopped eating and leaned forward in concern. “Two sisters?”

“It’s a terrible story,” Aunty Em said. “Not one for children, really. You see, Annabeth, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young. I had a… a boyfriend, you know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually, they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived but at a price. Such a price.”

The girls were very sorry for this old lady, but Twilight and Annabeth were getting suspicious, the latter shaking Percy to get his attention. “Percy? Maybe we should go. I mean, the ringmaster will be waiting.”

Twilight glanced at Grover eating the wax paper from the tray and looked at Aunty Em. Somehow she would have been more suspicious if the old lady hadn’t found it strange. “Such beautiful gray eyes.” Aunty Em told Annabeth again, sending up some big red flags in Twilight’s mind. “My, yes, it has been a long time since I’ve seen gray eyes like those.” She reached out as if to stroke Annabeth’s cheek, but Annabeth stood up abruptly and Rainbow – finally out of the stupor she had apparently fallen into – grabbed Aunty Em’s wrist.

“Okay yeah; sorry, but we gotta go,” she said.

“Yes!” Grover swallowed his wax paper and stood up. “The ringmaster is waiting! Right!” Percy and the others didn’t seem to want to leave, even as their friends tugged at their shirts.

“Please dears,” Aunty Em pleaded. “I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go, won’t you at least sit for a pose?”

“Pose?” asked Rarity, almost enticed by this idea.

“A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue set. Children are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children.”

“I appreciate the idea ma’am, but I don’t think we can-”

“Sure we can.” Percy interrupted Twilight, seemingly irritated. “It’s just a photo, guys; what’s the harm?”

“Yes, Annabeth. No harm.” the woman purred. The group didn’t like this idea as Aunty Em led them back out front into the statue garden, to a park bench next to the stone satyr. “Now, I’ll just position you correctly. Annabeth in the middle, I think, and the two young gentlemen on either side with the other girls surrounding them.”

“Not much light for a photo,” Annabeth remarked as the group positioned themselves as they were instructed.

“Oh, enough.” Aunty Em assured. “Enough for us to see each other, yes?”

“Where’s your camera?” asked Grover.

He was right; she wasn’t holding a camera as she stepped back as if to admire the shot. “Now, the face is the most difficult. Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?” The group smiled as instructed, though Twilight, Annabeth, and Rainbow’s appeared half-hearted as Grover looked at the satyr statue.

“That sure does look like Uncle Ferdinand,” he muttered.

“Grover, look this way, dear.” Aunty Em chastised kindly.

“Percy-” Annabeth muttered a warning to him, some instinct in his mind warning him to listen to her, but he was fighting a strange drowsiness.

“I will be just a moment.” Aunty Em said. “You know, I can’t see you very well in this cursed veil…”

“Guys, something’s wrong,” Twilight whispered.

“Wrong?” Aunty Em said, reaching up to undo the wrap around her head. “Not at all, dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?”

“That is Uncle Ferdinand!” Grover screeched.

“No one look at her!” Annabeth ordered and slammed her cap onto her head, disappearing into thin air as Grover and Percy were both pushed from the bench. Twilight and Rainbow quickly shoved the other girls to the ground as well.

They heard a strange rasping noise as Annabeth and Grover disappeared in different directions as they looked up, seeing Aunty Em’s hands turning gnarled and warty with sharp bronze talons for fingernails. They almost looked higher, but… “No, don’t!” Annabeth yelled from the left.

Then Fluttershy recognized the rasping. “Snakes…” she whispered. The others heard it too; snakes hissing from around where Aunty Em’s head would be.

“Run!” Grover called as he raced across the gavel, yelling “Maia” to trigger his flying sneakers, but Percy and the girls were frozen, watching the bronze talons.

“Such a pity to destroy such a handsome young face,” she said soothingly. “Stay with me, Percy. All you have to do is look up.”

Everyone fought the urge to obey, instead looking off in different directions and finding angles in various reflective surfaces… seeing her face as a shimmering pale circle with moving hair, writhing on her scalp like snakes. “Of course. That Em wasn’t an abbreviation; it was an initial.” Twilight realized quietly.

“Medusa.” Applejack whispered in fear as everyone thought hard, trying to think about how Medusa originally died. But they all knew that in the original myth, Medusa had been asleep when Perseus killed her and that was not going to be possible here.

“The Gray-Eyed One did this to me, children,” Medusa said, not sounding at all like a monster, more like a poor old grandma trying to get the group to look up and sympathize with her. “Annabeth’s mother, the cursed Athena, turned me from a beautiful woman into this.”

“Don’t listen to her!” Annabeth yelled from somewhere in the statuary. “Run, guys!”

“Silence!” Medusa snarled, her serpent hair writhing anger before she returned to a comforting purr. “You see why I must destroy the girl, children. She is my enemy’s daughter. I shall crush her statue to dust. But you, dear Percy… you and the others need not suffer.”

“I disagree.” Rainbow scowled as she reached for one of her bracelets.

“Do you really want to help the gods?” Medusa asked in anger. “Do you understand what awaits you on this foolish quest, children? What will happen if you reach the Underworld? Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dears. You would be better off as a statue. Less pain. Less pain.”

“Pain is part of life.” Applejack countered.

“Percy! Duck!” Grover yelled with the buzzing of a two-hundred-pound hummingbird roaring behind them. Rainbow looked and saw Grover shooting toward them on his shoes clutching a massive tree branch with his eyes screwed shut, navigating by smell and sound. “Duck; I’ll get her!”

“Everyone down!” Rainbow yelled as she pushed the others down and Percy dove to one side. There was a loud Thwack! as the branch apparently snapped across Medusa’s face, making her snarl in rage.

“You miserable satyr!” she snarled. “I’ll add you to my collection!”

“That was for Uncle Ferdinand!” Grover yelled back as the others scrambled into the garden, hiding among the statues as Grover whacked Medusa across the face again.

Right next to the group, they heard Annabeth hiss. “Hey!” Fluttershy squeaked and ducked behind Pinkie.

“Jeez! Don’t do that!” Percy hissed as Annabeth took her hat off, becoming visible.

“We have to cut her head off,” she said simply.

“Are you crazy? Let’s just get out of here and forget about this place.” Rainbow argued.

“Medusa is a menace. She’s evil.” Annabeth argued. “I’d kill her myself, but…” She swallowed as if trying to hide something. “But you’ve got the better weapons. Besides, Twilight and I can’t get close to her. She’d slice us to ribbons because of our mother.” There was no arguing that; the daughters of Athena were in great danger against Medusa. “You- You’ve got a chance.”

“What? I can’t-”

“Look, do you want her turning more innocent people into statues?” Annabeth argued, pointing the group to a pair of stone lovers, holding each other in their arms in fear. She grabbed a small green gazing ball from a pedestal and looked it over. “A polished shield would really be better.” she studied the sphere critically. “The convexity will cause some distortions. The reflection’s size should be off by a factor of-”

“Would you speak English?” Percy hissed.

“I am!” Annabeth countered.

“No… You’re speaking Nerd.” Rainbow argued.

Annabeth just groaned in annoyance and passed Percy the glass ball. “Just look at her through transparent things or in reflections; never directly.”

Rainbow smiled and grabbed a small pair of cool-looking sunglasses from the ground that seemed like they would work while Rarity twisted the top of her compact mirror and opened it, allowing it to remain as a mirror. “Hey, guys!” Grover called from somewhere above them. “I think she’s unconscious!” Roooaaarrr! “Maybe not.” He flew in for another pass with the tree branch.

“Grover’s got a great nose, but he’s gon’ hit somethin’ soon.” Applejack remarked.

Percy nodded and drew his sword, the bronze blade ringing in his hand as it grew while Rainbow drew both her shortswords and started sneaking around the gorgon, keeping her eyes low as she was tempted to experiment with her sunglasses. Percy eyed her through the glass globe, catching sight of her through the tinted glass.

Grover flew in for another pass but this time flew too low, letting Medusa grab the branch and pull him off course, sending him tumbling into a large stone bear. “Ooh, that looked painful!” Rarity cringed as she saw this in her mirror… which Twilight was looking in as well as if she was trying to figure something out.

“Hey!” Percy yelled, stopping the gorgon from lunging at the satyr and slowly advancing on her… which she seemed to allow since he was at a disadvantage.

“You wouldn’t harm an old woman, Percy.” she crooned trying to sound kind. “I know you wouldn’t.” Percy seemed to hesitate so Twilight appeared to put her own plan into action, grabbing a small trash can lid.

“Percy, don’t listen to her!” Grover moaned.

Medusa just cackled. “Too late!” She lunged with her talons and immediately, Twilight tossed the trash can lid which bounced off a tree and hit Medusa right in the back of the head, forcing her to face downward.

Percy immediately took the opening and sidestepped her lunge, slashing straight down at her neck with Riptide, parting her neck with a sickening shlock!, then a bright hiss as Medusa’s body disintegrated… and her head landed next to Percy’s foot, gushing green blood into his sock as her dying snake hair snapped at his shoelaces.

“Oh, yuck,” Grover said, still tightly keeping his eyes closed but hearing the head bleed. “Mega-yuck.”

“‘Mega-yuck’, indeed.” Rarity agreed as everyone stepped over, their eyes kept on the sky as Annabeth held Medusa’s black veil.

“Don’t move,” she instructed Percy and very carefully knelt down and dropped the veil over the monster’s head, then picked it up. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Percy nodded gently, though Pinkie could tell he was tempted to throw up. “Why didn’t… why didn’t the head evaporate?”

“Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war,” Annabeth explained. “Same as your minotaur horn.”

“Oh, so that’s what all that stuff in the attic was,” Rainbow remarked as she moved her hand over to the head, nudging the cloth.

“Don’t!” Twilight ordered, stopping her with her hand. “The eyes can still petrify you.”

“Oh, thanks.” Rainbow nodded. “And nice move with that trash can lid.”

“Yeah, seriously; that opening was too good to ignore.” Percy nodded.

“Just trying to use my brain,” Twilight remarked, casting a sidelong smile at Annabeth, who looked a bit annoyed at her.

Grover groaned as he climbed down from the stone bear; he had a big red welt on his forehead, his rasta cap was dangling from one of his small horns, and his shoes – fake foot included – were fluttering around his head. Pinkie couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of this; it was like a cartoon.

“Red Baron.” Percy smiled. “Nice work, man.”

Grover managed a bashful grin as he grabbed the shoes down. “That really was not fun, though. Well, the hitting-her-with-a-stick part, that was fun. But crashing into a concrete bear? Not fun.”

Everyone reset their equipment and made their way back into the warehouse, being sure to double-wrap Medusa’s head in plastic grocery bags from the snack counter before they all sat back where they had just eaten and looked around, too tired to talk. Finally, Percy broke the silence. “So we have Athena to thank for this monster?”

“Yeah, this is gonna be a good conversation,” Spike muttered as Annabeth glared at Percy in irritation.

“Your dad, actually.” she countered. “Don’t you remember? Medusa was Poseidon’s girlfriend. They decided to meet in my mother’s temple. That’s why Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa and her two sisters who had helped her get into the temple, they became the three gorgons. That’s why Medusa wanted to slice me up, but she wanted to preserve you as a nice statue. She’s still sweet on your dad. You probably reminded her of him.”

“Oh, so now it’s my fault we met Medusa,” Percy asked in annoyance.

“‘It’s just a photo, guys. What’s the harm?’” Annabeth scowled in a bad imitation of Percy.

“Forget it. You’re impossible.”

“You’re insufferable!” Annabeth countered.

“You’re-”

“Hey!” Rainbow interrupted in annoyance. “Nine days to save the world, remember? Can we at least pretend to be friends here?”

“Seriously. I’m getting a migraine, and satyrs don’t even get migraines.” Grover agreed. “Now what are we going to do with the head?”

The group stared at the thing on the table; one little snake was hanging dead out of a hole in the plastic bags. Percy and the girls couldn’t deny their anger; not just at Annabeth for her poor behavior here or Athena for creating the gorgon that had just tried to kill them, but at all the gods that had put them on this quest, almost blown them off the road and gotten them in two major fights on the first day out of camp.

Medusa’s words hung hard on the group’s minds as Percy stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

“Percy, what are you-?” Annabeth asked as he searched the back of the warehouse. He found himself in Medusa’s office where he found a few receipts, one of which showed the address to the Underworld; DOA Recording Studios, West Hollywood, California. Quickly he pocketed that one and kept looking, finding some mortal money and gold drachma in the register and some packing slips for Hermes Overnight Express with a small leather coin-pouch attached to each.

He returned a few minutes later with those and a medium-sized box, which he packed Medusa’s head into and filled out a delivery slip: “The Gods, Mount Olympus, 600th Floor, Empire State Building, New York, NY With best wishes, Percy Jackson”.

“They’re not gonna like that,” Grover warned. “They’ll think you’re impertinent.” Percy just poured a few drachma into the pouch and as soon as he closed it, the sound of a cash register resounded through the warehouse and the package floated off the table before it disappeared with a pop!

“I am impertinent.” Percy said simply before he looked at Annabeth, daring her to criticize.

She just sighed, as if she’d come to an understanding; Percy had a major talent for annoying the gods. “Come on,” she muttered. “We need a new plan.”

Dog Directions

It was perfectly reasonable that the group would be miserable that night. They camped out in the woods a hundred yards from the main road in a marshy clearing obviously used by local kids as a party ground, littered with flattened soda cans and fast-food wrappers. The group had taken some food and blankets from Medusa’s lair, but no one dared start a fire to dry their clothes; between the Furies and Medusa, they all agreed they’d had enough fun for one day and they didn’t want to attract anything else.

Percy volunteered to take the first watch with Rainbow Dash as the others slept. Grover fluttered onto the lowest bough of a tree with his flying shoes and put his back to the trunk as he stared into the night sky. “Get some sleep, Grover,” Rainbow assured. “We’ll let you know if anything happens.”

Grover nodded, but still didn’t close his eyes. “It makes me sad, guys.”

“What does? The fact that you signed up for this stupid quest?” asked Percy.

“No. This makes me sad.” Grover pointed at all the garbage on the ground. “And the sky. You can’t even see the stars. They’ve polluted the skies. This is a terrible time to be a satyr.”

“Oh yeah. I guess you’d be an environmentalist.” Percy remarked.

Grover just glared at him. “Only a human wouldn’t be. Your species is clogging up the world so fast… ah, never mind. It’s useless to lecture a human. At the rate things are going, I’ll never find Pan.”

“Pam? Like the cooking spray?” asked Percy.

“Pan!” Grover bleated indignantly. “P-A-N. The great god Pan; god of the wild! What do you think I want a searcher’s license for?”

Out of nowhere, the scent of berries, wildflowers, and rainwater blew by on a wind, making Rainbow strangely nostalgic for the plains outside Ponyville.

Rainbow was the one who said it. “Tell us about the search.”

Grover looked at them cautiously like he was afraid they’d make fun of him, but he started talking anyway. “The God of Wild Places disappeared two thousand years ago,” he explained. “A sailor off the coast of Ephesos heard a mysterious voice crying out from the shore, ‘Tell them that the great god Pan has died!’ When humans heard the news, they believed it. They’ve been pillaging Pan’s kingdom ever since. But for the satyrs, Pan is our lord and master. He protected us and the wild places of the earth. We refuse to believe that he died. In every generation, the bravest satyrs pledge their lives to finding Pan. They search the earth, exploring all the wildest places, hoping to find where he is hidden, and wake him from his sleep.”

“And you want to be one of them.” Rainbow surmised.

“It’s my life’s dream.” Grover nodded. “My father was a searcher. And my Uncle Ferdinand… the statue you saw back there-”

“Oh, right, sorry,” Percy noted.

Grover just shook his head. “Uncle Ferdinand knew the risks. So did my dad. But I’ll succeed. I’ll be the first searcher to return alive.”

“Whoa, hang on; the first?” asked Rainbow.

Grover pulled his reed pipes out. “No searcher has ever come back. Once they set out, they disappear. They’re never seen alive again.”

“Not once in two thousand years?” asked Percy.

“No.”

“And your dad? You have no idea what happened to him?”

“None.”

“But you still want to go,” Rainbow remarked, seemingly confused as to why he would choose such a suicide mission. “I mean, you really think you’re gonna be the one to find this guy?”

“I have to believe that, Rainbow. Every searcher does.” Grover argued. “It’s the only thing that keeps us from despair when we look at what humans have done to the world. I have to believe Pan can still be awakened.”

The two demigods looked out at the orange haze of sky, trying to understand how Grover could pursue a dream that seemed so hopeless. Then again, how was Percy’s wish any better? “How are we going to get into the Underworld?” Percy asked. “I mean, what chance do we have against a god?”

“I don’t know,” Grover admitted. “But back at Medusa’s, when you were searching her office? Annabeth was telling me-”

“Oh, I forgot. Annabeth will have a plan all figured out.” Percy remarked bitterly.

“Hey, I don’t like her any more than you do, but there’s no need for that,” Rainbow assured.

“Don’t be so hard on her, Percy. She’s had a tough life, but she’s a good person. After all, she forgave me…” His voice faltered, which surprised the other two.

“What do you mean?” asked Percy. “Forgave you for what?” Grover suddenly felt the need to play his pipes.

“Wait a second, didn’t you say your first keeper job was five years ago?” asked Rainbow. “Annabeth wasn’t… I mean, your first assignment that went wrong-”

“I can’t talk about it,” Grover said quickly, his quivering lower lip indicating to the two that he might start crying if they pressed him further. “But like I was saying, back at Medusa’s, Annabeth and I agreed there’s something strange going on with this quest. Something isn’t what it seems.”

“Well, duh. I’m getting blamed for stealing a lightning bolt that Hades took.” Percy remarked.

“That’s not what I mean.” Grover countered. “The Fur- The Kindly Ones were sort of holding back. Like Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy… why did she wait so long to try to kill you? And then on the bus, they just weren’t as aggressive as they could’ve been.”

“Seemed plenty aggressive to me when Fluttershy shot one of ‘em in the head,” Rainbow remarked… quickly filing that under sentences she never thought she’d hear herself say.

Grover shook his head. “They were screeching at us; ‘Where is it? Where?’” That helped Rainbow realize it.

“Asking about me.” Percy reminded.

“‘It’?” Rainbow countered. “They weren’t after any of us; they were after something they thought we were carrying.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Percy realized.

“I know.” Grover nodded. “But if we’ve misunderstood something about this quest, and we only have nine days to find the Master Bolt…” He looked down at Percy as if he was hoping he’d have answers, but he didn’t.

Percy was just thinking about what Medusa had said; that he and the girls were being used by the gods, and what lay ahead was worse than petrification. Finally, he sighed and looked at the two of his companions who were awake. “I haven’t been straight with you guys,” he said. “I don’t care about the Master Bolt. I only agreed to go to the Underworld so I could bring back my mother.”

“I think we all knew that.” Rainbow shrugged as she laid down and Grover blew a note on his pipes.

“But are you sure that’s the only reason?” he asked.

“I’m not doing it to help my father, if that’s what you’re asking.” Percy scowled. “He doesn’t care about me, I don’t care about him.”

Grover just looked down at Percy from his perch. “Look Percy, I’m not as smart as Annabeth, I’m not as brave as you, but I’m pretty good at reading emotions,” he assured. “You’re glad your dad is alive. You feel good that he’s claimed you, and part of you wants to make him proud. That’s why you mailed Medusa’s head to Olympus; you wanted him to notice what you’d done.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe satyr emotions work differently than human emotions.” Percy barked bitterly. “Because you’re wrong. I don’t care what he thinks.”

“You’re a lousy liar, Percy,” Rainbow remarked.

“I’m serious!” Percy countered. “Besides, I haven’t done anything worth bragging about. We barely got out of New York, and we’re stuck here with no money and no way west.”

“Eh, could be worse; least we’re not dead.” Rainbow shrugged.

Grover was just watching the skies like he was thinking about that problem. “How about I take first watch, huh? You guys get some sleep.”

They almost argued, but then he started playing on his pipes and the two demigods felt the overwhelming urge to go to sleep, which only took a few bars.

The dream the group had this time was somehow worse than the last; they stood in a dark cavern before a gaping pit as gray mist creatures churned around them; whispering rags of smoke they somehow knew were the spirits of the dead, tugging at their clothes trying to pull them back. And yet for some reason, the young demigods felt compelled to walk to the edge of the chasm.

Vertigo overtook them all, Fluttershy more than all the others as they looked into the pitch blackness of the wide pit, which they knew was somehow home to something trying to rise from it; something massive, ancient, and evil.

“The little heroes…” an amused voice echoed from far below in the darkness. “Too weak, too young, but perhaps one of you will do…” The voice was ancient, cold, and heavy, wrapping around the group like sheets of lead.

“Who- wh-who are you?” Twilight asked in fear.

“They have misled you, children.” the voice echoed. “Barter with me. I will give you what you want.” A shimmering image hovered over the void, showing the group exactly what they wanted. Twilight had the ultimate knowledge surrounded by her friends, Applejack was surrounded by her family, Rainbow and Rarity had great fame and fortune, Fluttershy was surrounded by happy animals and Pinkie was surrounded by smiling faces of everyone she’d ever met.

But Percy’s vision was the most profound; his mother, frozen at the moment she’d dissolved into a shower of gold in the Minotaur’s grasp, her face distorted in pain. Percy tried to call out, but his voice failed him as cold laughter echoed from the chasm.

Out of nowhere, an invisible force pulled at the group, nearly dragging them into the chasm as they stood their ground. “Help me rise, children.” It sounded like it was getting hungrier. “Bring me the bolt. Strike a blow against the treacherous gods!”

The spirits of the dead swarmed around the group warning them to wake as the golden image faded away as the unseen grip grew tighter… as if the thing in the pit was trying to pull them in. But then they realized it wasn’t trying to pull them in; it was using them as a handle to pull itself out.

The group opened their eyes with a start in the sunlight as they felt someone shaking them all awake. “Well… the zombies live,” Annabeth remarked dryly.

“Good morning to you too,” Rainbow said in annoyance as she tried to keep her shaking to herself… though as she looked at the others, she saw there was really no need; Percy and all the other girls could clearly also still feel that monster’s grip around their chests. “How long were we asleep?”

“Long enough for me to make breakfast,” Annabeth remarked as she tossed each of the group a bag of nacho-flavored corn chips she stole from Medusa’s.

“How gourmet.” Rarity remarked sarcastically. “So have we missed anything else?”

“Well, Grover went exploring.” Annabeth shrugged. “Look, he found a friend.”

“What?” Twilight asked as they glanced at the satyr, who was sitting cross-legged on a blanket with something fuzzy on his lap. At first, the group mistook it for a dirty unnaturally pink stuffed animal, but on closer inspection, they saw it was actually a pink poodle.

The dog yapped at the group suspiciously, and seemed to offend Fluttershy. “No, we’re not.” she returned.

Percy blinked at Fluttershy. “Are you… talking to that thing?” The poodle growled.

“I’ve always been able to talk to animals.” Fluttershy shrugged. “It’s been a gift since I was a filly.”

“Huh. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were blessed by Artemis.” Annabeth remarked.

“We’ll figure it out later. For now, what’s the deal with the poodle?” asked Rainbow.

“The poodle is our ticket west. Be nice to him.” Grover explained quickly. “Guys, meet Gladiola. Gladiola, guys.” The girls all said hello, though Rainbow was a bit more begrudgingly.

Percy glanced at Annabeth and Pinkie, as if expecting one of them to crack up at this joke they were playing on him, but they looked serious enough. “I’m not saying hello to a pink poodle. Forget it,” he said firmly.

“Percy. We said hello to the poodle. You say hello to the poodle.” Annabeth instructed immediately. The poodle growled and Percy said hello to it.

With that out of the way, Grover explained that he’d found Gladiola in the woods and struck up a conversation with him. Turned out the poodle ran away from some local rich family who’d posted a $200 reward for his return. Gladiola didn’t really want to go back to his family, but if it meant helping Grover, he was apparently willing to make an exception.

“How does Gladiola know about the reward?” Percy asked.

“He read the signs. Duh.” Grover responded simply.

“Of course. Silly me.” Percy remarked sarcastically.

“So we turn in Gladiola, we get money, and we buy tickets to Los Angeles. Simple.” Annabeth rationalized quickly.

Percy and the girls thought about their dream – the voices of the dead whispering in their ears, that thing in the chasm, their dreams before them, shimmering like gold. They knew all of that might be waiting in the west, and they weren’t looking forward to it. “Not another bus,” Percy said warily.

“No.” Annabeth agreed.

“Not ever again.” Twilight nodded.

“Never, ever, ever.” Pinkie agreed.

Annabeth pointed down the hill, indicating a train line the group hadn’t been able to see last night in the dark. “There’s an Amtrak station about half a mile that way. According to Gladiola, the westbound train leaves at noon.”

“Well then, we’d best get moving.” Rarity remarked and led the group in moving, ready to continue.

Diving from Death

They’d been on the train for two days now, still westbound across the country and they hadn’t been attacked once. Still, Twilight felt they couldn’t afford to relax and the others agreed; Rarity had made the unflattering comparison that they were simply a traveling wardrobe display being watched from all angles, like something was waiting for the right opportunity.

Percy especially was trying to keep a low profile because his name and picture were splattered across the front pages of several East Coast newspapers. The Trenton Register-News especially showed that picture that had been taken as the group jumped off the bus, wild-eyed with metallic blurs in their hands, probably recognized by mortals as standard weapons.

The caption read: “Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, wanted for questioning in the Long Island disappearance of his mother two weeks ago, is shown here fleeing from the bus where he accosted several elderly female passengers. The bus exploded on an east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson fled the scene. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the boy may be traveling with eight teenage accomplices. Jackson’s stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a cash reward for information leading to his capture.”

“Don’t worry,” Annabeth assured. “Mortal police could never find us.”

“You wanna say that with a little less certainty?” Rainbow remarked sarcastically, though she had a point; Annabeth seemed fairly nervous. The whole rest of the day, the group spent trying to pass the time (taking turns pacing since they had trouble staying still) and looking out the window.

Once, Rarity spotted a family of centaurs racing across a wheat field with bows at the ready as they hunted lunch. The little boy centaur, who looked to be about the size of a second-grader on a pony the size of her own pony form, caught her eye and waved. Rarity couldn’t help but wave back before she looked around the passenger car, but aside from her group, no one had noticed.

Another time, Rainbow spotted something huge moving through the woods. “Tell me that’s not a lion,” she said to Fluttershy seriously.

“Impossible; it’s too big,” Fluttershy argued, and she wasn’t wrong; the beast was the size of a Hummer, and its coat shone like solid gold in the evening light before it leaped through the trees and disappeared.

The reward from returning Gladiola had only been enough to get them as far as Denver, and they couldn’t get any bunks on the sleeper car, so they had to doze off in their seats. Their necks and joints went stiff as they slept, and Percy did his best not to drool as he was sitting right next to Annabeth. Grover just kept snoring and bleating in his sleep, waking the group up several times. Once he shuffled around and one of his fake feet fell off, so Rainbow had to wrestle it back on before anyone noticed.

Once she was done with that, Annabeth looked around at the group. “So…” she said. “Who wants your help?”

“I beg your pardon?” asked Rarity.

“When you guys were asleep just now, you muttered. Something like ‘I won’t help you’. Who were you dreaming about?”

The girls almost didn’t want to say anything; this was the second time they’d dreamed about that evil voice from the pit. But it bothered them so much that they finally told Annabeth everything. And she was quiet for a long time. “That doesn’t sound like Hades. He always appears on a black throne, and he never laughs,” she remarked.

“He offered my mother in trade.” Percy reminded. “Who else could do that?”

“I guess… if he meant, ‘help me rise from the Underworld’. If he wants war with the Olympians…” Annabeth theorized. “But why ask you to bring him the Master Bolt if he already has it?”

“I wish we knew.” Twilight shrugged.

Percy and Rainbow were still thinking about what Grover had said in their camp about how the Furies seemed to be looking for something instead of one of them. Grover probably sensed their emotions about that because he shifted in his sleep and muttered something about vegetables.

Annabeth leaned over and adjusted his cap so it covered his horns before she turned back to the others. “Percy, you can’t barter with Hades. You know that, right? He’s deceitful, heartless, and greedy. I don’t care if his Kindly Ones weren’t as aggressive this time-”

“This time?” Applejack interrupted. “This ain’t your first time dealin’ with ‘em?”

Annabeth just reached for her necklace and fiddled with one of the beads – a white one with the image of a pine tree. “Let’s just say I’ve got no love for the Lord of the Dead. You can’t be tempted to make a deal for your mom.”

“What would you do if it was your dad?” asked Percy.

“That’s easy. I’d leave him to rot.”

Rarity seemed somewhat offended by the idea. “You can’t be serious?”

Annabeth just glared at the group with the same expression as when she’d drawn her sword against that hellhound. “My dad’s resented me since the day I was born,” 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.”

“What, is that a law for us half-bloods?” Rainbow asked.

“It’s not exactly as heavily enforced as most of the others, but yeah.” Annabeth shrugged.

“But how… I mean, I guess you weren’t born in a hospital…” Percy surmised.

“From what I’ve been told, I appeared on my father’s doorstep in a golden cradle, carried down from Olympus by Zephyr the West Wind,” Annabeth remembered. “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.”

“That’s messed up, man,” Rainbow said in disdain.

Percy just looked lazily out the window as the lights of a town drifted by. “My mom married a really awful guy.” he shrugged, probably trying to make her feel better. “Grover said she did it to protect me, to protect me in the scent of a human family. Maybe that’s what your dad was thinking.”

Annabeth just kept fussing with her necklace, pinching the gold college ring… which – it occurred to Twilight – was probably her father’s. But if she hated him so much, then why did she hang onto it? “He doesn’t care about me,” she assured. “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 – y’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.” The girls remembered how she said that in her verse of the song at the campfire… which felt like forever ago.

“How old were you?” asked Twilight.

“Same age as when I started camp. Seven.”

“You made it all the way from Virginia to Half-Blood Hill by yourself?” asked Pinkie.

“Not alone, no,” Annabeth assured. “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.”

The group wanted to ask what happened, but Annabeth seemed to get lost in sad memories, so they just listened to Grover snoring and looked out the windows as the train rattled through the dark fields of Ohio.

Toward the end of the second day – June 13th, eight days before the solstice – the train passed through golden hills over the Mississippi River into St. Louis and Annabeth craned her neck to see the massive Gateway Arch, which looked like a huge shopping bag handle stuck on the city to Percy and the girls. “I want to do that.” she sighed.

“Do what?” asked Rainbow.

“Build something like that,” Annabeth answered as she pointed to the arch. “You ever see the Parthenon?”

“Only in pictures.” Percy shrugged.

“Someday, I’m going to see it in person,” Annabeth said with conviction. “I’m going to build the greatest monument to the gods ever. Something that’ll last a thousand years.”

Rainbow couldn’t help but laugh a bit at that. “Really? You? An architect?” It just seemed funny to her; the idea of a warrior like Annabeth trying to sit quietly and draw all day.

Her cheeks flushed in annoyance. “Yes, architect. Athena expects all her children to create things, not just tear them down, like a certain god of earthquakes I could mention.”

“Really darling, must you go there?” Rarity asked in annoyance as Percy watched the river churn below them.

Annabeth sighed and raised her hands. “Alright, sorry. That was mean.”

“Can’t we work together a little?” Percy pleaded. “I mean, didn’t Athena and Poseidon ever cooperate?”

Annabeth had to think about that. “I guess… the chariot,” she said tentatively. “My mom invented it, but Poseidon created horses out of the crests of waves. So they had to work together to make it complete.”

“In that case, I don’t see why we can’t cooperate with Percy, do you?” Twilight asked in return.

Annabeth just watched as the Arch disappeared behind the hotel while the train rode into the city. “I suppose,” she said at last.

The train pulled into the station downtown and the intercom told the passengers they would have a three-hour layover before departing for Denver. Grover stretched and before he was even fully awake, he said, “Food.”

“Come on, goat boy.” Annabeth countered. “Sightseeing.”

“Sightseein’?” asked Applejack.

“The Gateway Arch.” Annabeth specified. “This may be my only chance to ride to the top. Are you coming or not?”

The others exchanged looks. “I’m not arguing with her,” Twilight remarked.

“Safety in numbers and all that.” Rarity agreed.

“As long as there’s a snack bar without monsters,” Grover remarked.

“Amen to that.” Rainbow nodded.

It was about a one-mile hike to the Arch from the station, and it was late in the day so the lines to get in weren’t that long. The kids weaved their way around the underground museum, looking at covered wagons and other things from the 1800s; not really that thrilling, but Twilight listened in earnest as Annabeth kept telling the group interesting facts about how the Arch was built, and Grover and Pinkie kept passing the others candy, so they were okay.

Even so, Percy was wary as he looked around at the other people in line. “You smell anything?” he asked Grover.

The satyr took his nose out of the jellybean bag and sniffed around, shaking his head. “Underground,” he said distastefully. “Underground air always smells like monsters. Probably doesn’t mean anything.”

“Or it could mean we’re completely surrounded.” Twilight pointed out simply, earning a look of terror from Fluttershy. “Sorry; just saying it as it is.”

Percy seemed to have similar concerns as he looked around. “Guys,” he asked. “You know the gods’ symbols of power?”

Annabeth had been right in the middle of reading something about the construction equipment for the Arch when he asked that. “Yeah?”

“Well, Hade-” Rainbow quickly interrupted him with a slap upside the head before she pointed aggressively at her camp shirt to remind him that they weren’t at Camp Half-Blood anymore. Percy quickly got the message and changed his word choice. “Our friend way downstairs… doesn’t he have a hat like Annabeth’s?”

“You mean the Helm of Darkness.” Annabeth nodded. “Yeah, that’s his symbol of power. I saw it next to his seat during the winter solstice council meeting.”

“I thought he didn’t have a seat?” asked Pinkie.

“It’s the only time he’s allowed to visit Olympus; the darkest day of the year.” Annabeth countered. “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, 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?” asked Percy.

Everyone stopped and exchanged looks.

“We don’t,” Grover said grimly. Fluttershy looked about ready to keel over right then and there.

“Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better,” Percy said nervously. “Got any blue jellybeans left?”

“Yo.” Pinkie smiled as she thrusted a small baggie of the treats into his face.

“Thanks.” Percy accepted, trying to master his jumpy nerves along with the girls. They’d almost managed it when they saw the tiny elevator car they were going to ride to the top of the Arch and Twilight saw Percy getting scared again. It was no secret why; he’d told the girls at one point that he was incredibly claustrophobic.

Things only got worse when the group got shoehorned into the car with a fat woman and her chihuahua with a rhinestone collar. None of the guards said anything, so Twilight figured it was a seeing-eye chihuahua or something. Then the car started going up and almost immediately, everyone hated the concept of elevators that went in curves.

“No parents?” the fat lady asked out of nowhere. Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure she’d ever seen an uglier woman before; beady eyes, pointy coffee-stained teeth, a floppy denim hat, and dress that bulged so much, she looked like a blue-jean blimp.

“They’re below.” Annabeth excused. “Scared of heights.”

“Oh, the poor darlings.” Rarity didn’t particularly care for that tone as she glared at the lady. The chihuahua snarled at the group and the woman didn’t seem to mind. “Now, now, sonny. Behave.”

Fluttershy in particular appeared concerned; the dog had beady eyes like its owner, intelligent and vicious. And she couldn’t understand what it was saying.

“Sonny. Is that his name?” Percy asked.

“No.” the lady replied and smiled as if that cleared everything up. Spoiler alert; it didn’t.

They couldn’t worry too much about that for now though as they reached the top of the Arch, and while the view was fairly spectacular, the girls could clearly see Percy was getting more and more concerned about the height and confined space.

Annabeth just kept talking about structural supports and how she would’ve made the windows bigger and designed a see-through floor – the latter idea Fluttershy hated; it was bad enough she was this high up without her wings, but she didn’t need to fear the floor would give out beneath her when she didn’t have them like this. Either way, Annabeth probably could’ve gone on for ages if the park ranger hadn’t announced that the observation deck would be closing in a few minutes.

Percy found this exceedingly agreeable and steered the group to the elevator. He was about to get on himself with Twilight, Spike, and Applejack when they realized that with the other two tourists onboard aside from the group, there was no more room. “Next car, sir.” the ranger said.

“We’ll get out; we’ll wait with you.” Annabeth shrugged.

“That’ll just take longer.” Twilight pointed out.

“Yeah, we’ll see you guys at the bottom.” Percy nodded. The others all looked nervous as the doors closed and their car disappeared down the ramp. Applejack looked around and saw that aside from the three of them, there was just a little boy and his parents and the old lady with the chihuahua.

The four smiled uneasily at the lady and she just smiled back, her tongue flicking between her teeth… and it looked forked like a snake’s, which alarmed and confused the four beyond words. Before they could figure out if they’d all just hallucinated seeing that at the same time, the chihuahua hopped down and started yapping at them. Spike snarled to try and scare it off, but then he sniffed and appeared… confused.

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

“Doggie!” the little boy smiled. “Look, a doggie!” His parents pulled him back, and considering how weird and frightening this whole situation was – including the foam dripping from the chihuahua’s lips – the kids couldn’t blame them.

“Well, son,” the fat lady sighed. “If you insist.”

Percy could feel ice forming in his stomach. “Um, did you just call that chihuahua your son?”

“Chimera, dear,” the fat lady corrected. “Not a chihuahua. It’s an easy mistake to make.”

“Chimera?” Applejack asked in surprise; she knew about chimeras in Equestria and this dog didn’t look like one. But then the lady rolled her denim sleeves up and revealed that the skin on her arms was green and scaly. She smiled and bared her teeth, which now resembled fangs, and took her glasses off to reveal her eyes had sideways slit pupils like a reptile’s.

The chihuahua started barking louder, but every time it barked, it grew. First to the size of a Doberman, then a lion, and the bark became a roar. Naturally, the little boy screamed and his parents pulled him back to the exit, straight into the park ranger who was just gaping in shock at the monster… and none of the kids could blame him.

The Chimera was now tall enough for its back to rub against the roof of the observation deck, with the head of a lion with a mane caked in blood, the body and hooves of a massive goat, and a ten-foot-long diamondback rattlesnake for a tail. The rhinestone dog collar still hung around its neck and the plate-sized dog tag was now much easier to read than it had been: CHIMERA – RABID, FIRE-BREATHING, POISONOUS – IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL TARTARUS – EXT. 954.

“Anybody else ever had nightmares like this?” Applejack asked numbly, no one daring to move or draw their weapons for fear the Chimera would pounce at them from its place ten feet away from them, its bloody maw letting out burning hot snarls.

The snake lady just hissed in a way that almost sounded like laughter. “Be honored, Percy Jackson. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my brood. For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!”

The four stared at her in confusion. “Isn’t that a kind of anteater?” Percy asked dumbly… earning an angry howl from Echidna as her reptilian face turned brown and green in rage.

“Please tell me he did not just ask that,” Spike said in serious concern.

“Pretty sure he did,” Applejack noted, terrified.

“I hate it when people say that!” Echidna roared. “I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me. For that, Percy Jackson, my son shall destroy you!”

The chimera charged, its lion fangs gnashing as Percy and Twilight jumped back in fear. Quickly taking advantage of the room they’d given her, Applejack swung a hard right hook at the beast’s face, knocking it to the ground as she stumbled back to the others, all of whom ended up next to the family and the ranger, who were all screaming and frantically trying to open the emergency exit.

“We can’t let them get hurt.” Twilight insisted as she quickly pulled her spear while Applejack tied her lariat to her mace and Percy uncapped Riptide.

They all ran to the other side of the deck and Applejack knocked her mace on the handrail. “Here, kitty-kitty-kitty!” she called tauntingly… and the Chimera turned faster than the team could’ve expected.

Before any of them could attack, the beast opened its mouth and its breath stank like the world’s biggest barbecue pit… before a massive column of fire shot out at the group. Quickly they dove through the explosion before the carpet burst into flames. Applejack was certain the heat would sear her hat if she wasn’t careful, but they didn’t have time to worry about that as they were now relatively in the clear… especially considering the place where they had just been standing was now a ragged seared hole in the arch.

“Great. We just blowtorched a national monument.” Percy shrugged.

“Ah, we’ll have the gods send a check.” Applejack shrugged as she swung her mace on the lariat like a flail. She swung the weapon hard at the beast’s face as Twilight stabbed at its hoof with her spear, drawing its attention just long enough for Percy to try and get a swing in at its neck, but Riptide just bounced off its collar and sent him stumbling into the girls.

They were all so busy trying to regain their balance and focus on the lion-head that they completely missed the snake tail… until it whipped around and sank its fangs into Percy’s calves, making him scream in agony. “Percy!” Twilight yelled in concern.

Percy could barely think; the venom made his leg feel like it was on fire. Twilight scowled in response to this and swung her spear to try and stab the chimera in the snout, but the serpent tail wrapped around Percy’s ankles and went taut, tripping Twilight up and making her accidentally knock Riptide out of Percy’s hands, sending both the blades spinning out of the hole in the Arch and down toward the Mississippi River.

Applejack tried to catch them with the other end of her lariat, but the spear was too heavy and it tugged the mace from her hands. “Oh, that ain’t good,” Applejack remarked in fear. She wasn’t wrong; they were all unarmed, Percy had venom coursing through his veins to his chest, and they had their backs to the hole with a deadly drop to the river just a misstep away.

Percy fumbled weakly at his pockets to try and find his weapon, knowing it would return to him any second… but it didn’t. Maybe it had fallen too far, maybe it only reappeared when it was in pen form – he didn’t know and he didn’t feel like he would live long enough to find out.

The chimera just snarled as it advanced, smoke curling from its lips as the heroes backed closer to the hole. Echidna just cackled. “They don’t make heroes like they used to, eh son?” The chimera growled, seemingly in no hurry to finish them off now that they were beaten.

They glanced over at the witnesses, the little boy hiding behind his father’s legs, and the kids knew they had to protect them; they couldn’t just die… but they didn’t have much choice; Percy was poisoned, they were all unarmed, facing a giant fire-breathing monster and its mother… and they were scared, especially as they looked down. If Twilight had her wings, she might be able to save her friends, but until she figured out how to Pony Up – as Sunset Shimmer had named it – and summon her wings in her human form, they were doomed.

But she could tell Percy was thinking something; if they died, then maybe the monsters would let the mortals go free. She understood the logic, but she also really didn’t want to die.

“If you are the son of Poseidon,” Echidna hissed to Percy. “you would not fear water. Jump, Percy Jackson. Show me that water will not harm you. Jump and retrieve your sword. Prove your bloodline.”

“Oh please, we’re not that crazy.” Twilight pointed out as she picked Spike up and clutched him to her chest; she knew full well that the higher you fell into water, the more it hurt. And from this height, it would be like splattering on solid asphalt. But they didn’t have much choice as they saw the Chimera warming up another blast.

“You have no faith,” Echidna remarked. “You do not trust the gods. I cannot blame you, little cowards. Better you die now. The gods are faithless. The poison is in your heart.”

Percy knew she was right; the venom had indeed reached his heart and he was dying. He could feel his breath slowing and knew that no one could save him and the girls, not even the gods. They all backed up further and looked down at the water. Percy remembered the warm glow of his father’s smile when he was a baby, knowing that he must have visited him. He remembered the trident above his head when his father claimed him.

“Hate to say it, but she’s got a point,” Applejack whispered. “River at camp healed Percy, so we might survive this time.”

“Do you really want to risk that?” Twilight whispered back. “This isn’t the sea.”

Percy knew she was right, but he also knew they didn’t have much of a choice, especially as Echidna rasped “Die, faithless one.” and the chimera sent another column of flame toward their faces.

“Father, help us.” Percy prayed and quickly turned, grabbing the girls’ hands before he jumped, dragging the girls down with him as they all screamed, plummeting toward the river.

America's Most Wanted

Somehow Twilight couldn’t help but feel reminded of how she’d fallen off that cliff in the Everfree Forest when she first joined her friends to fight Nightmare Moon as she, Percy, Applejack, and Spike plummeted from the top of the Gateway Arch… but that and whatever other rationalizations she could possibly come to was only in the background. Mostly her main thought – along with that of the others – was “AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!”

The river was fast approaching as the wind lapped at their bodies and forced their breath from their lungs. Quickly Applejack held her hat to her head and dove to try and aim for the bank, but she ended up losing her grip on Percy as she dove. “APPLEJACK!” Twilight cried in fear. Applejack tried to swim through the air back toward them, almost wishing she was a Pegasus, but she was too far away so she had no choice but to right herself in midair, almost certain against all hope that she wouldn’t shatter her legs upon landing.

And it turned out she was right as she landed hard enough to leave a small crater next to the river… right as Twilight and Percy splashed down hard, the jet from their impact shooting up at least a dozen feet. Grateful she hadn’t broken anything and terrified for her friends, she ran to the bank. “TWILIGHT! SPIKE! PERCY!” she called in fear, praying they were okay.

Twilight had half-expected to feel a pain she’d never experienced before and maybe see Clover the Clever in the afterlife when she crossed over after the impact or at least the drowning in the murk she had no doubt she’d be lost in for the rest of her life. But somehow… it only stung a bit, like a belly-flop off a diving board, but nothing more. And while she wasn’t actively drowning, she knew she and Spike couldn’t hold their breath forever, but it was the sight of Percy next to them that surprised the two of them most; not only was he not a poisoned, barbecued pancake, he looked… dry. A tentative touch of his shirt confirmed Twilight’s suspicion; she was almost certain he was feeling the cold of the river as she was, but his shirt wasn’t just not on fire; it was bone-dry.

Percy appeared just as confused as he looked at his own shirt. Then he looked at the trash floating by in the river and grabbed an old cigarette lighter. He looked over at Twilight who merely shook her head as if she knew what he was going to try and doubted it just as much as him. Percy shrugged either way and flicked the lighter, stunning them both with the small flame that burned there at the bottom of the Mississippi River. Curious, Percy reached and grabbed a soggy burger wrapper, which immediately dried in his hands and lit like the water wasn’t anywhere to be seen. He let it go and the paper turned once again into a slimy rag with no fire – just a lightly singed area where he lit it.

And the craziest thing was that it looked like while Twilight and Spike were holding their breath like their lives depended on it, Percy was breathing the water as easily as air. It seemed like a miracle as they stood up, shaky and terrified about how they weren’t dead. But then Twilight realized something; since Percy was a son of Poseidon, the water was his domain and since she fell with him, she was probably spared along with him.

Percy’s head jerked a bit as if he heard something but Twilight didn’t hear it. “Um… thanks,” Percy said, his voice sounding deep like a recording or what he would probably sound like as he got older. “Thank you… father.” No response; at least none that Twilight could discern from the murky depths.

Which suddenly made her realize: the people at the top of the Arch were probably Chimera food by now. And she and the others couldn’t do anything to save them.

A riverboat’s paddlewheel churned the water above and a bronze glimmer in the mud in front of the two heroes let them see their weapons. Without a second thought, Twilight tromped her way through the muck to grab her spear and Applejack’s mace, quickly waving Percy over to claim his sword, but he appeared distracted by something like he could hear something she couldn’t.

Spike’s panicked struggling in her arms reminded Twilight however that just because they were part-god in this world, they could still drown. Quickly Twilight started swimming after the riverboat as fast as she could, gasping and coughing for breath as soon as she and Spike reached the surface. “Are you okay, Spike?” Twilight asked breathlessly.

“I’m fine.” Spike coughed as he looked down into the river. “What about Percy?”

“He’ll be fine. Come on; we’ve gotta find the others.” Twilight said quickly, swimming with Spike toward the riverbank as hard as they could. Quickly they pulled themselves to the bank and strained to pull themselves up.

“Twilight!” Applejack called as she ran over and helped her friend to her feet. “Sorry I couldn’t get us all clear. Are you alright?”

“Somehow.” Twilight nodded.

“Where’s Percy?” Applejack asked in fear.

“He’s fine. Come on, let’s find the others.” Twilight insisted as she handed Applejack her mace and lariat, quickly running with her and Spike outside the perimeter that the cops were setting up.

Almost a block away, Percy dragged himself to the shore next to a floating McDonald’s restaurant, Riptide safely back in his pocket. He could plainly what he believed was every emergency vehicle in the city surrounding the Arch and a huge crowd like Times Square on New Year’s Eve. “Mama! That boy just walked out of the river.” a little girl called, pointing at Percy.

“That’s nice, dear.” her mother said, clearly trying to see the ambulance.

“But he’s dry!”

“That’s nice, dear.”

Percy saw a news lady talking into the camera and did his best to stay out of the camera’s feed, but when he heard something about survivors, he breathed a sigh of relief; he had been just as worried as Twilight as the family and the ranger at the top of the Arch and prayed the others were okay. Quickly he tried to push through the crowd toward the police line to see what was happening, but then… “…an adolescent boy.” Another reporter was saying that and Percy got nervous as soon as he heard it. “Channel Five has learned that surveillance cameras show an adolescent boy and two adolescent girls going wild on the observation deck, somehow setting off this freak explosion. Hard to believe, John, but that’s what we’re hearing.”

Quickly Percy put his head down and backed away, wandering around the perimeter. He’d almost given up all hope of finding the others when… “Perrr-cy!” Percy turned just in time to be tackled off his feet as Grover bear-hugged him, flanked by the rest of the group who had descended from the Arch before the madness started. “We thought you’d gone to Hades the hard way!”

Rarity flipped her hair as she looked down at him. “We can’t leave you alone for five minutes without you stirring up trouble, can we Darling?” she asked haughtily. “Almost reminds me of you, Rainbow Dash.”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “What happened up there? And where are Twilight and AJ?”

“We sort of fell.” Percy excused.

“Percy! 630 feet?” Annabeth asked angrily.

Before Percy could answer, the crowd parted. “Gangway!” a cop shouted as a few paramedics hustled out with a woman on a stretcher – the mother from the observation deck.

“And then this huge dog, this huge fire-breathing chihuahua-” She was rambling almost madly, and the girls were confused.

“Okay ma’am.” the paramedic said. “Just calm down; your family is fine. The medication is starting to kick in.”

“I’m not crazy!” the woman screeched. “This boy and these girls jumped out of the hole and the monster disappeared.” Then she saw Percy. “There he is! That’s the boy!”

Percy was scared and almost moved to do something before he and the others were suddenly grabbed from the crowd and dragged into obscurity among the masses. “Glad to see you’re okay, Percy.” Twilight smiled.

“You too.” Percy nodded to her and Applejack.

“What is going on?” Annabeth demanded. “Was she talking about the chihuahua on the elevator?”

“For chihuahua, read chimera.” Applejack countered. “And his mama was Echidna.”

“The anteater?” Pinkie asked.

“Never call her that to her face; she hates it,” Percy assured.

“You would know.” Twilight pointed out bluntly. “And no, Pinkie; not the anteater, the Mother of Monsters. At least that’s how she introduced herself.”

“Accurately. Well, that explains the destruction,” Annabeth remarked.

“Sorry guys, I feel like this is on me.” Grover excused. “I should’ve smelled Echidna, but my nose was so filled up from underground.”

“It’s okay, Grover. We weren’t exactly expecting to get attacked up there.” Twilight shrugged.

“And we certainly weren’t expectin’ to end up goin’ for a high-dive neither, but I ain’t complainin’,” Applejack noted.

“Which reminds me; how are you guys not paste?” asked Rainbow.

“Well, I landed like a heavy-set cat.” Applejack shrugged, leaning against a streetlight as she rubbed her feet through her boots. “My dogs are still barkin’.”

“And I’m pretty sure Percy’s dad saved us,” Twilight noted. “I just want to know why you didn’t come with us when we swam away.”

“Some sort of… woman in the river.” Percy shrugged, still not sure how to describe it. “She said that… my mom’s fate wasn’t as hopeless as I believe.”

“What does that mean?” asked Fluttershy.

“I don’t know. She just said that my dad wants us to go to Santa Monica beach before we descend to the Underworld.” Percy remembered. “And something about not trusting the gifts.”

“What gifts?” asked Twilight.

“I don’t know; she disappeared after that.” Percy shrugged.

“Whoa,” said Grover. “We’ve got to get you to Santa Monica! We can’t ignore a summons from your dad.”

“If it means he’s treating us to a beach holiday, I agree.” Rarity smiled.

Annabeth almost said something, but they were passing another reporter giving a news break and everyone almost froze when they heard him say, “Percy Jackson. That’s right, Dan. Channel Twelve has learned that the boy who may have caused this explosion fits the description of a young man wanted by authorities for a serious New Jersey bus accident three days ago. And the boy is believed to be traveling west. For our viewers at home, here is a photo of Percy Jackson.”

Right on cue, Rainbow pushed the others around the news van and down an alley with impressive speed. “First things first, Grover.” she pointed out. “We’ve gotta get back to the train and get the heck out of St. Louis.”

“Agreed. Let’s move.” Twilight ordered as the group slunk across the city. Somehow, they made it back to the Amtrak station without being spotted and jumped aboard the train just before it pulled out for Denver, trundling west as darkness fell, police lights still pulsing against the St. Louis skyline behind them.

Lunch with a God

The train rolled into the station in Denver on the afternoon of June 14th – seven days before the solstice. The group hadn’t eaten anything since the night before in the dining car somewhere in Kansas, and none of them had showered since they left Camp Half-Blood, which Rarity had made no bones about… despite not looking any different than before, though everyone was certain it was obvious.

“Let’s try to contact Chiron,” Annabeth suggested. “I want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit.”

“What about the ‘no phone’ rule?” asked Rainbow.

“I’m not talking about phones,” Annabeth assured. They kept walking through downtown for about half an hour, though Percy and the girls weren’t exactly sure what Annabeth was looking for. But that wasn’t what bothered them as much as how hot and dry the air was, especially compared to the humidity of St. Louis, and everywhere they looked they could see the Rockies around the city, which Percy felt was staring down at him, like a tidal wave about to crash into the city.

Finally, they reached an empty do-it-yourself car wash and veered into the stall farthest from the street as Rainbow and Applejack quickly glanced around to make sure they were clear of the cops… not that there were any to see around – a bunch of adolescent kids hanging out at a car wash without a car; any cop worth his doughnuts wouldn’t think they were up to anything wicked.

Not that any of the girls knew what they were doing here either. “What exactly are we doing?” Percy asked as Grover grabbed the spray gun.

“It’s 75 cents,” Grover grumbled. “I’ve only got two quarters left. Annabeth?”

“Don’t look at me. The dining car wiped me out.” Annabeth pointed out.

“If I give you this, will we get an explanation?” Twilight asked as she handed over a quarter, only leaving the girls with a few small bits of loose change and a few drachmas from Medusa’s place.

“Excellent.” Grover smiled as he accepted the coin. “We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connection isn’t as good, and my arm gets tired of pumping.”

“What are you guys talking about?” asked Applejack.

Grover fed in the coins and set the knob on the spray gun to Fine Mist. “IMing.”

“Instant messaging?” asked Percy.

“Iris-messaging.” Annabeth corrected. “The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask and she’s not too busy, she’ll do the same for half-bloods.”

“You summon a goddess with a spray gun?” Percy asked.

Grover just pointed the nozzle into the air and was about to pull the trigger. “Unless you know a better way to make a rainbow.”

“Um…?” Fluttershy pointed out quietly, pointing to Rainbow Dash with her thumb… her rainbow-colored hair, specifically.

Grover and Annabeth realized what she was talking about, and both sighed as Grover put the nozzle back. “You couldn’t have reminded us of that two minutes ago? When we hadn’t just blown most of our change?” Annabeth asked in annoyance.

“Did we know what you were doing two minutes ago?” Twilight pointed out.

“Don’t get smart with me,” Annabeth argued.

“I thought smarts was our whole thing, ‘sister’.” Twilight countered with a smirk.

“Then how come she didn’t think of it?” Applejack raised an eyebrow in a cocky fashion.

“Ooh…!” Spike remarked with a smile in response to that burn.

“Shut up.” Annabeth scowled as she walked over to Rainbow and roughly turned her around.

“Hey, ow; easy!” Rainbow said quickly as Annabeth grabbed her hair and examined it.

“Hmm… yeah, yeah, I guess this’ll work.” she shrugged and stepped back. “Drachma, please.” Percy handed it over and Annabeth raised it over her head. “O goddess, accept our offering.”

Then she reared back to toss it, and Rainbow preemptively braced herself for the impact of being hit in the head with a gold coin twice as big as an Equestrian bit, but when Annabeth threw the coin, it didn’t come; just a faint rippling as it disappeared into her hair in a golden shimmer.

“Half-Blood Hill.” Annabeth requested. For a split-second, nothing happened but then as Rainbow lifted her hair so she could look too, it was like she and the others were looking through her hair at strawberry fields, and the Long Island Sound in the distance. It was almost as if they were standing on the porch of the Big House, and with his back to the group was a familiar-looking sandy-haired guy with a bronze sword staring somewhat intently at something down in the meadow.

“Luke!” Percy called, and Luke turned with wide eyes. Rainbow Dash could swear he was standing right next to her and just looking through her hair like a screen, except they could only see the part of him that appeared in the rainbow.

“Hey Percy!” he smiled, the grin breaking his scarred face. “Are Annabeth and the others there too? Thank the gods! Are you guys okay?”

“We’re… uh… fine,” Annabeth stammered, fussing to straighten her shirt and hair, much to Rarity’s amusement. “We thought- Chiron- I mean-”

“He’s down at the cabins.” Luke’s smile faded as he said this. “We’re having some issues with the campers. Listen, is everything cool with you? I can see Grover, but where’s Rainbow Dash?”

“Who do you think you’re talking through?” Rainbow asked, tilting her hair so she was in his line of sight as best she could, surprising him.

“Huh. Talk about creativity.” Luke smiled. “Who came up with that?”

“Not Annabeth, that’s for sure,” Rainbow smirked, especially at the annoyed look on the blonde’s face, but it only provoked a chuckle from Applejack. “But enough about that for now; what kind of issues are there?”

Just then a big Lincoln Continental pulled into the car wash with its stereo turned to maximum hip-hop. As the car slid into the next stall, the bass from the subwoofers vibrated so much, it shook the pavement. “Chiron had to- what’s that noise?!” Luke yelled.

“Can someone please turn that down?!” Rarity agreed.

“I’ll take care of it,” Annabeth yelled back, looking very relieved to have an excuse to get out of Luke’s line of sight. “Grover, come on!”

“What? But-” Grover started.

“Just come on!” Annabeth barked. Grover muttered something about girls being harder to understand than the Oracle but followed Annabeth all the same, leaving Percy and the girls to talk to Luke.

“Chiron had to break up a fight,” Luke shouted over the music. “Things are pretty tense here, guys. Word leaked out about the Zeus-Poseidon standoff. We’re still not sure how – probably the same scumbag who summoned the hellhound. Now the campers are starting to take sides. It’s shaping up like the Trojan War all over again. Aphrodite, Ares, and Apollo are backing Poseidon, more or less. Athena is backing Zeus.”

Percy shuddered and the girls didn’t blame him; the thought of Clarisse’s cabin siding with his father for anything was almost impossible. In the next stall, they heard Annabeth and some guy arguing before the music’s volume decreased dramatically.

“Ah, much better.” Rarity remarked in relief as she rubbed her pained ears. “Honestly, how that caterwauling counts as music in any way is beyond me.”

“Hmph. Tell me about it.” Luke agreed. “So what’s your guys’ status? Chiron will be sorry he missed you.”

“So far so good.” Percy shrugged before he and the girls told him pretty much everything, including their dreams. It honestly felt so good to see him – to feel like they were back at camp for even just a few minutes – that they almost didn’t notice when Rainbow had to switch which arm she was using to hold her hair up since it was going numb, or how much time had gone by until they saw the sun shifting.

“I wish I could be there,” Luke said. “We can’t help much from here. I’m afraid but listen – it had to be Hades who took the Master Bolt. He was there at Olympus at the Winter Solstice. I was chaperoning a field trip and we saw him.”

“That’s our belief as well, but Chiron’s told us that gods can’t usurp each other’s items directly.” Rarity pointed out.

“That’s true.” Luke looked troubled as he said this. “Still… Hades has the Helm of Darkness. How could anybody else sneak into the throne room and steal the Master Bolt? You’d have to be invisible.”

That gave the group pause. “You don’t mean…?” Twilight trailed off as she glanced back toward Annabeth.

“Oh hey, no. I didn’t mean Annabeth.” Luke protested, apparently realizing what he’d said. “She and I have known each other forever. She would never… I mean, she’s like a little sister to me.”

“Heh. Don’t let her hear you say that.” Rainbow smirked, which was echoed with the other girls… until they heard the music stop abruptly in the next stall, a man screaming in terror, car doors slamming, and the Lincoln peeling out of the car wash. “Speak of the devil.”

“Yeah, you’d better go see what that was about.” Luke pointed out, almost like he already knew. “Listen, Percy, are you wearing the flying shoes? I’ll feel better if I know they’ve done you some good.”

“Oh… uh, yeah!” Percy smiled, trying not to sound like a huge liar. “Yeah, they’ve come in handy.”

“Really? They fit and everything?” Luke grinned, but Pinkie noticed something… off about his smile. Luke didn’t notice her reaction and smiled as his image started to fade from Rainbow’s hair. “Well, take care of yourselves out there in Denver.” His voice was getting fainter as his image faded. “And tell Grover it’ll be better this time! Nobody will get turned into a pine tree if he just-”

But his image was gone, leaving the group alone in a wet, empty car wash stall. Annabeth and Grover came around the corner laughing, but it stopped when they saw the group’s faces. Annabeth immediately stepped forward. “What happened, guys? What did Luke say?”

“Not much,” Percy lied, the stomachs of himself and all the girls feeling as empty as Zeus’ cabin. “Come on, let’s find some dinner.”

No one could argue with that as they followed Percy, but Twilight leaned over to Pinkie. “You okay, Pinkie?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Why did Luke ask if Percy was wearing the shoes?” Pinkie asked.

“He said he was worried about him; is that so hard to believe?” asked Rainbow.

“I don’t know. I didn’t trust that smile.” Pinkie remarked quietly.

The girls weren’t sure about that, but after how correctly Pinkie’s intuition about smiles had turned out with Starlight Glimmer, they weren’t about to completely dismiss it.

A few minutes later, the group had taken up two booths in a gleaming chrome diner, surrounded by families eating burgers and drinking malts and sodas.

Finally, the waitress came over, and she didn’t seem a bit surprised or even impressed by how big their group was, aside from a skeptical raised eyebrow. “Well?”

“We, um, want to order dinner,” Percy said nervously.

“You kids have money to pay for it?” Grover’s lower lip quivered, leaving Percy and Twilight worried he was going to start bleating – or worse, eating the linoleum. Annabeth looked about ready to pass out from hunger and Twilight could distinctly hear Spike gnawing on the inside of her backpack.

Percy looked just about ready to spin a sob story when the whole building shook with a massive rumble. The group looked out the window and was stunned when they saw a motorcycle the size of a baby elephant rumble to the curb, all conversation in the diner stopping.

The motorcycle’s headlight glared blood red and the gas tank had hot-rod flames painted on the sides, and a shotgun holster rivetted to either side, complete with shotguns. The seat was leather, but it was the color of Caucasian human skin.

And the rider… well, he looked like the kind of guy who could’ve made Tirek himself run to Mama through sheer force of will. He was dressed in a red muscle shirt – which really lived up to its name as this guy was jacked – and black jeans under a black leather duster with a massive hunting knife strapped to his thigh. He wore red wrap-around shades, but the girls could still easily see his burning red eyes through the red lenses, and he had the cruelest, most brutal face they’d ever seen – handsome in a way, but wicked – with an oily black crew cut and cheeks scarred from probably too many fights to count.

The especially odd thing was the girls all felt like they’d seen his face before somewhere. But that thought was suddenly driven from their minds as he walked into the diner, a hot and dry wind blowing through the place with him. Everyone rose to their feet as if they were possessed, but the biker waved his hand dismissively and they all sat back down, going back to their conversations like nothing had happened. The waitress blinked almost like someone had pressed a rewind button in her brain. “You kids have money to pay for it?” she asked again.

“It’s on me.” the biker said simply, sliding into the booth with Percy, even though it was far too small for him and he cramped Annabeth up against the window. He glanced up at the waitress, whose mouth was agape at the sight of him, and lowered his shades a bit as he looked at her. “Are you still here?” He pointed at her and she stiffened, turning as if she’d been spun around and marched robotically back toward the kitchen.

(Cut it)

Once she was gone, the biker adjusted his glasses and glanced at the kids, and while they couldn’t see his eyes, they could all very easily feel a strange sense of rage boiling up within them all – even Fluttershy clenched her fists as she looked at this guy. He gave Percy a wicked grin. “So you’re old Seaweed’s kid, huh?”

“What’s it to you?” Percy asked, with all the same venom as he had when he was talking to his stepdad. And Rainbow nearly jumped behind him to back him up, no one even bothering to question how he knew they were half-bloods.

Annabeth’s eyes flashed the whole group a warning. “Uh guys, this is-”

The biker just raised his hand. “S’okay,” he said. “I don’t mind a little attitude. Long as you remember who’s the boss. You know who I am, little cousins?”

The girls were surprised by then, but then they all realized why this guy looked so familiar; he had the same sneer as some of the kids from Camp – Cabin 5, specifically. “You’re Clarisse’s dad,” Percy said. “Ares, god of war.”

Ares grinned and took his shades off, showing that where his eyes should’ve been, there were just two empty voids full of fire, glowing like miniature nuclear explosions. “That’s right, punk,” he said. “I heard you broke Clarisse’s spear.” Then he glanced at Applejack. “And you tripped her up.”

“She was askin’ for both.” Applejack pointed out curtly, lowering the brim of her Stetson over her brow to try and out-menace him… though she doubted she could do a good job of that.

“Probably. That’s cool.” Ares shrugged. “I don’t fight my kids’ fights, you know? What I’m here for – I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you.”

Before he could continue, the waitress came back with heaping trays of food and Ares handed her a few gold drachmas. She looked nervously at the coins as she glanced at Ares. “But these aren’t-”

Ares cut her off as he drew his huge bronze-bladed knife and started cleaning his fingernails. “Problem, sweetheart?” he asked, almost bored. The waitress just swallowed in fear and left with the gold.

“You can’t do that.” Fluttershy said firmly, almost like she was warming up to try “The Stare” on him. “You can’t just threaten people with a knife.”

Ares just laughed. “Are you kidding? I love this country. Best place since Sparta. Don’t you punks carry weapons? You should. Dangerous world out there. Which brings me to my proposition. I need you to do me a favor.”

“What favor could we do for a god?” Percy asked bitterly.

“Something a god doesn’t have time to do himself,” Ares said simply, kicking back in the seat. “It’s nothin’ much; I left my shield at an abandoned water park here in town. I was goin’ on a little… date with my girlfriend.” His fiery eyes drifted over to Rarity as he said that which made her profoundly uncomfortable… not to mention queasy. “We were interrupted. I left my shield behind. I want you to fetch it for me.”

“Why don’t you go back and get it yourself?” Rainbow asked sternly.

The fire in Ares’ eyes glowed a little hotter as he looked at her. “Why don’t I turn you all into prairie dogs and run you over with my Harley? Because I don’t feel like it.” He looked at Percy. “A god is giving you and your little friends an opportunity to prove yourselves, Percy Jackson. Will you prove yourselves cowards?” He leaned forward tauntingly. “Or maybe you only fight when there’s a river to dive into, so your daddy can protect you.”

“That does it!” Rainbow snarled – she wasn’t going to just sit here and listen to someone insulting her friend, god or not – so she turned, ready to leap over the booth seats and punch Ares in the face, but Applejack quickly held her back with a shake of her head, which made Rainbow realize it – he wanted her to hit him. His power – his very presence – was making them angry, almost like the Sirens Twilight had described from Canterlot High in Sunset Shimmer’s world. Relenting, she took a deep breath and sat back down. “Thanks, but no thanks. We’ve already got a quest.”

Suddenly their minds were filled with images of blood and smoke and battlefields littered with corpses – clearly presents from Ares. “I know all about your quest, kiddies. When that item was stolen, Zeus sent his best out looking for it: Apollo, Athena, Artemis, and me, naturally. If I couldn’t sniff out a weapon that powerful…” He licked his lips, almost enticed like the very thought of the Master Bolt was enough to make him hungry. “Well… if I couldn’t find it, you got no hope. Nevertheless, I’m trying to give you the benefit of the doubt here. Percy’s dad and I go way back. After all, I’m the one who told him my suspicions about old Corpse Breath.”

That drew Twilight’s attention, her ire somewhat lessening. “You told him Hades stole the Bolt?” she asked.

“Sure. Framing somebody to start a war.” Ares shrugged. “Oldest trick in the book; I recognized it immediately. In a way, you got me to thank for your little quest.”

“Oh, lovely; just when I thought you were vile enough already.” Rarity pointed out bitterly.

“Hey, I’m a generous guy. Just do my little job and I’ll help you on your way. I’ll arrange a ride west for you and your friends.” Ares shrugged.

“I think we’re doing just fine without your help, thanks.” Percy countered.

“Yeah, right. No money, no wheels, no clue what you’re up against.” Ares smirked. “Help me out, and maybe I’ll tell you something you need to know. Something about your mom.”

“My mom?” Percy asked quickly.

Ares grinned. “That got your attention.” he greased. “The water park is a mile west on Delancy; you can’t miss it. Look for the Tunnel of Love ride.”

“What interrupted your date?” Rainbow taunted. “Something scare you off?” Ares bared his teeth, but the group had seen his threatening look before on Clarisse. There was something… false about it, almost like he was nervous.

“Wait… did it?” Pinkie asked in surprise.

“You punks are lucky you met me and not one of the other Olympians.” Ares threatened. “They’re not as forgiving of rudeness as I am.”

“This is him being forgiving?” Rarity whispered to Twilight.

“I’ll meet you back here when you’re done,” Ares noted. “Don’t disappoint me.” He snapped his fingers and almost immediately, the group was waking up from what felt like a black-out. Percy and the girls assumed it was a dream or something, but the looks on Annabeth and Grover’s faces said otherwise.

“Not good,” Grover said nervously. “Ares sought you out, guys. This is not good.”

“Yeah, we gathered that,” Applejack noted as she glanced out the window, seeing a distinct absence of Ares and his motorcycle.

Percy’s mind was a jumble; even if Ares did have information about his mother – and that was a big ‘if’ – his power to cloud people’s ability to think by filling their minds with rage didn’t exactly endear him to the group. “It’s probably some kind of trick,” he said. “Forget Ares. Let’s just go.”

“We can’t.” Annabeth countered.

“You cannot be serious, darling.” Rarity said aghast.

“Look, don’t get me wrong; I hate Ares as much as anybody, but you don’t ignore the gods unless you want serious bad fortune,” Annabeth assured. “He wasn’t kidding about turning you guys into rodents.”

The group all looked down at their food, which suddenly seemed much less appetizing. “Why does he need us?” asked Twilight.

“Maybe it’s a problem that requires brains.” Annabeth theorized. “Ares has strength. That’s all he has. Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes.”

“Yeah, but this water park…” Rainbow pointed out. “He acted almost scared of it. What could make a war god run away like that?”

“Ah’m not sure Ah wanna know,” Applejack remarked honestly.

Annabeth and Grover appeared to share that sentiment as they glanced at each other nervously. “Even so…” Annabeth said. “I’m afraid we’ll have to find out.”

The sun was already going down behind the mountains by the time the group reached the water park, which had clearly been called Waterland at one point, judging by the sign – even with half the letters smashed out. And the place looked abysmal – the main gate was padlocked and topped with barbed wire, huge dry waterslides, tubes, and pipes snaking everywhere inside the fence, leading to empty pools as old tickets and advertisements fluttered across the asphalt in the wind. “Charming place.” Rarity remarked sarcastically.

“Yeah. If Ares brings his girlfriend here for a date, I’d hate to see what she looks like.” Percy remarked, earning a laugh from Rainbow.

“Percy, be more respectful,” Annabeth warned.

“Why? I thought you hated Ares.”

“He’s still a god. And his girlfriend is very temperamental.” Annabeth warned.

“Yeah, you don’t want to insult her looks,” Grover added.

“Who is she; Echidna?” That crack from Percy made Applejack and Twilight laugh more than they reasonably should have, but the stern looks on Annabeth and Grover’s faces said otherwise.

“No, Aphrodite,” Grover said a little dreamily. “Goddess of love.”

“My patron?” Rarity asked, clearly offended. Since this whole thing started, she and the other ponies had decided to refer to the gods they’d been claimed by as their patrons instead of their parents – it just made the whole thing seem more normal for them… as little as that meant in this situation. “What could she possibly see in a brute like him?”

“And, um, isn’t she already married? To Hephaestus?” Fluttershy pointed out.

“What’s your point?” Grover asked pointedly.

That reminded the group of Selina’s part in the campfire song and the girls all blushed. “Oh,” Percy noted simply, quickly feeling the need to change the subject. “So how do we get in?”

“Pfft. Please. I could jump this thing and break the lock in one move.” Rainbow smirked.

“Oh yeah? Prove it.” Annabeth remarked, clearly not believing her boasting.

Twilight and Spike just smirked, knowing how Annabeth would regret making that bet. “My pleasure,” Rainbow smirked as she stepped back a bit for a running start. A quick breath and she took off like a shot, her usual rainbow-colored contrail following her as she backflipped over the gate. “Loop the loop around and wham!” With one hard axe kick, she split the lock clean in half just before she landed and pulled the chain from the gate, opening it with a smirk directed at Annabeth. “Toldja so. I never leave my friends hangin’.”

“Yeah, yeah, keep a close watch on that hubris of yours; it’s come back to bite more than a few heroes before you,” Annabeth remarked with a roll of her eyes as she and the others walked through the gate.

The shadows grew long as they walked through the park, looking at the attractions as they walked. It was quiet – almost too quiet – not even a rodent, much less a monster. Just a souvenir shop left open with cheap merchandise left on the racks; snow globes, pencils, postcards, and racks of- “Clothes.” Annabeth said happily. “Fresh clothes.”

“Yeah. But you can’t just-”

“Watch me.” she interrupted Percy before she snatched an entire row of stuff from the racks and disappeared into the changing room, quickly reemerging dressed in grossly overblown park memorabilia, a backpack filled with more slung onto her back.

“What the heck.” Grover shrugged. None of the others could argue, so soon enough, they were all dressed up as walking advertisements for a defunct water park… which Rarity didn’t exactly find very pleasant as she felt the branded clothes didn’t do a thing for her.

Either way, the group kept searching for the Tunnel of Love as Percy and the girls got the feeling the whole park was holding its breath. “So… Ares and Aphrodite.” Rarity finally broke the silence to try and keep her mind off the growing darkness. “What exactly is the story between them?”

“They’re old gossip, Rarity,” Annabeth assured. “Three thousand-year-old gossip.”

“What about her husband?” asked Twilight.

“Well, you know; Hephaestus, the blacksmith.” Annabeth shrugged. “He was crippled when he was a baby, thrown off Mount Olympus by Zeus. So he isn’t exactly handsome. Clever with his hands and all, but Aphrodite isn’t into brains and talent, y’know?”

“She likes bikers.” Rainbow reasoned, remembering how – admittedly – awesome Ares looked, despite how much she didn’t like him.

“Whatever.” Annabeth shrugged.

“Hephaestus knows?” Percy asked.

“Oh, sure.” Annabeth shrugged. “He caught them together once. I mean, literally caught them. In a golden net. And invited all the gods to come and laugh at them. Hephaestus is always trying to embarrass them.”

“Ares don’t strike me as the type to get embarrassed easily,” Applejack noted.

“You’d think.” Annabeth shrugged, telling the cowgirl all she needed to know. “But that’s why they meet in out-of-the-way places, like…” She stopped, looking straight ahead. “Like that.”

In front of the group was an empty pool that would’ve been perfect for skateboarding – at least fifty yards across and shaped like a bowl. Around the rim were a dozen bronze statues of Cupid standing guard with wings spread and bows at the ready. Opposite the group was a tunnel opening, probably where the water flowed into when the pool was full. The sign above it read ‘Thrill Ride O’ Love: This is not your parents’ Tunnel of Love!’

Rarity just raised an eyebrow as she looked around at the ride. “Delightful,” she said curtly.

“Guys, look.” Grover pointed down the edge of the pool. Marooned at the bottom was a pink-and-white two-seater boat with a canopy over the top and little hearts painted all over it. And in the left seat, glinting in the fading light, was a polished circle of bronze – Ares’ shield.

“This is too easy,” Percy noted. “So we just walk down there and get it?”

“No way; there’s gotta be some sort of catch,” Spike noted as he sniffed around the area.

Annabeth walked over to the nearest Cupid statue and ran her fingers over the base. “There’s a Greek letter carved here.”

Twilight walked over to her side and examined the letter for herself. “Eta.” she recognized. “What does that mean?”

“I dunno. I wonder…” Annabeth said thoughtfully.

“Grover, Spike, you guys smell any monsters?” Percy asked.

Grover sniffed the air. “Nothing.”

“Nothing – like, in-the-Arch-and-you-didn’t-smell-Echidna nothing, or really nothing?” Percy asked seriously.

“I told you, that was underground.” Grover excused, looking hurt.

“Okay, I’m sorry.” Percy nodded and took a deep breath. “I’m going down there.”

“I’ll go with you.” Grover didn’t sound too enthusiastic, but the whole group got the feeling he was trying to make up for what happened in St. Louis.

“No,” Percy countered. “I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes.”

“Yeah, you’re the Red Baron, a flying ace, remember?” Rainbow smiled, not sure she was using that right, but thought it was cool anyway. “We’re the backup in case anything goes wrong.”

Grover puffed up his chest a little. “Sure. But what could go wrong?”

“I don’t know. Just a feeling.” Percy said uncertainly. “Annabeth, come with me-”

“Are you kidding?” She looked at him as if he’d just dropped from the moon, her cheeks bright red.

“What’s the problem now?” he demanded.

“Me, go with you to the… the ‘Thrill Ride of Love’?” Annabeth asked seriously. “How embarrassing is that? What if somebody saw me?”

“Who’s going to see you?” Percy asked seriously, gesturing to the empty water park.

“Really Percy, it’s the principle of the thing.” Rarity chimed in. “We’ve only known each other a few weeks; would you suggest such a thing with one of us?” It was clear that this situation had embarrassed Percy as well since his face was also burning.

“Fine; I’ll do it myself,” he said and started down the side.

Annabeth sighed as she followed him down. “Boys always mess things up,” she muttered.

As the two moved toward the boat, Twilight and the others continued to look around the area. “I doubt I’m the first person to say this, but I don’t really understand Ares,” Rainbow remarked. “I mean, why would he bring Aphrodite on a date to a deserted water park?”

“Well, privacy certainly appears to be important to them.” Rarity noted as she looked around at the absence of any other people.

“Not to mention ego.” Applejack pointed out, earning some strange looks from the others. “Mirrors.” Sure enough, mirrors were all around the rim of the pool.

“Well, that figures. Nothing better than seeing your own favorite people while making out.” Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“Still… I have a bad feeling about this.” Twilight shrugged as she looked at the various statues, seeing more and more Eta symbols.

In the pit, Pinkie could see Percy picking up a woman’s silk scarf from next to the shield… and looking at it almost longingly before Annabeth snatched it from her hand and shoved it into her pocket. “Oh no you don’t. Stay away from that love magic,” she warned.

“What?” Percy asked.

“Just get the shield, Seaweed Brain, and let’s get out of here.”

As Percy grabbed the shield, Twilight could almost hear something from the base of one of the statues, like a fishing reel spinning and reeling in cable, but much faster. “What the…?” she muttered and looked to see a small hole was the source of the noise.

“Wait,” Annabeth said.

“Too late.” Percy shrugged.

“There’s another Greek letter on the side of the boat, another Eta.”

Almost immediately, Twilight figured it out. “It’s a trap!” she called, right before noise erupted from all around the pool, like one massive machine coming to life.

“Guys!” Grover yelled as he looked up. The others followed his gaze and saw the Cupid statues turning and drawing their bows.

“Hit the deck!” Rainbow called… before the statues all fired at each other across the rim of the pool, trailing silky cables that weaved together into a large net.

“We have to get out,” Percy said quickly.

“Duh,” Annabeth remarked as Percy grabbed the shield and they ran up the rim of the pool, but that was easier said than done.

“Come on!” Grover called as he and the girls struggled to open a section of the net, but the threads just wrapped around their hands.

“Gah! What is this stuff?!” asked Rainbow.

Then the Cupids’ heads popped open and video cameras came out as spotlights rose up and blinded the group with illumination. “Live to Olympus in one minute…” a loud voice boomed over the loudspeaker. “Fifty-nine seconds, fifty-eight…”

“Hephaestus!” Annabeth screamed in anger, clearly recognizing the voice. “I’m so stupid! Eta is H. He made this trap to catch his wife with Ares. Now we’re going to be broadcast live to Olympus and look like absolute fools!”

“Don’t worry; we’ll get you out!” Rainbow insisted as she drew her swords and tried slashing at the net, but the cables reformed as fast as she could cut them.

“Don’t bother, Rainbow; if Hephaestus made this trap, he probably made certain Ares and Aphrodite couldn’t escape it.” Twilight pointed out, trying hard to free her hands so she could pull Percy and Annabeth up as they had nearly made it to the rim.

Then the row of mirrors opened like hatches and thousands of tiny metallic things poured out; an army of bronze wind-up creepy-crawlies, click-clacking along the tile with spindly legs and pincer mouths on their gear-like bodies.

Annabeth immediately screamed when she saw them. “Spiders! Sp- sp- AAAAH!”

It was almost insane to see her like this as she scrambled back in terror, quickly getting swarmed by the spider-bots before Percy dragged her back into the boat. “Hephaestus’ pets, I assume?” Rarity remarked.

“A lot of ‘em, yeah.” Grover nodded as the spiders swarmed further toward the boat, completely surrounding Percy and Annabeth.

They certainly didn’t look lethal – they were probably just designed to make their victims look stupid – but then again, this trap was designed by a god for gods, so no one was sure. Percy did what he could to kick the spiders away and yelled at Annabeth to help, but she was too paralyzed to do anything as the loudspeaker counted down. “Thirty, twenty-nine…”

“We’ve gotta get them outta there!” Rainbow called, still trying to cut the threads as Grover flew above the net on his shoes.

Twilight quickly ran through all the possibilities in her mind, seeing the Tunnel of Love’s entrance under the net, which could easily serve as an exit… if it weren’t swarming with spiders. “Water…” she realized quietly, clearly seeing the same realization in Percy’s eyes.

Rainbow heard that and saw the pipes beneath the mirrors where the spiders were coming from – water pipes. Immediately, her eyes locked onto a glass control booth at the lip of the pool between two statues. “Grover, gimme a hand! We need to find the on switch for the water!” she ordered.

“But-”

“Do it!” Percy ordered, more than pleased the girls had the same idea as him as the spiders swarmed the boat, Annabeth screaming her head off.

Immediately Rainbow and Grover made it to the control booth and started slamming all the controls at once, with only five seconds left on the loudspeaker’s countdown. “Nothing’s working!” Rainbow called.

Percy scowled and closed his eyes, trying to focus, thinking about water in every way he could; the rushing waves, the Mississippi river… then he felt a tug in his stomach as he imagined trying to drag the ocean all the way to Denver. “Two, one, zero!” Right on cue, water blasted out of the pipes and swept all the spiders away, lifting and spinning the boat as Percy and Annabeth strapped in.

Through what looked like sheer power of will, Percy seemed to be controlling the boat as it shot toward the tunnel. The others could hear Percy and Annabeth screaming as they rode through it. “Okay, not gonna lie; that sounds pretty awesome,” Rainbow remarked as they heard the sounds of the ride in the tunnel.

“It’s about to become less awesome pretty fast,” Twilight noted as she looked at the gates in the exit of the tunnel… which was chained shut and Twilight could clearly see a few boats wrecked against them. “Even if they make it over that crash, they might be in for a rough landing.”

“I’m on it,” Grover called as he quickly took to the air with his shoes.

“Not on your own; I got your back!” Rainbow called and raced up along the roof of the tunnel, more than happy she had her speed as a daughter of Hermes.

And right on cue, as they heard Annabeth scream “Now!” before the boat crashed into the gate, the impact launching Percy and Annabeth from the crash and sending them flying high over the park… straight toward the asphalt.

Almost immediately, Rainbow leaped off the top of the tunnel and grabbed Percy and Annabeth in midair by the backs of their shirts, her momentum only driving the group further away from the pool. “Grover!” she called, immediately answered by Grover grabbing her by her shoulders and pulling up hard.

“We’re too heavy!” Grover called as they spiraled toward the ground. “We’re going down!”

Thinking quickly, Rainbow slipped Grover’s grip and grabbed Percy and Annabeth under her arms, just barely managing to slam her feet into the ground ahead of them, skidding to a stop… right as Grover crashed into a photo board, his face landing right into a hole where tourists pretended to be Noo-Noo the Friendly Whale, which Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but crack up about.

“Whew. Whoa… that was awesome.” Rainbow smiled breathlessly as she leaned against a lamppost, the adrenaline still burning in her veins. “You guys okay?”

“Yeah, we’re fine.” Annabeth nodded as she and Percy stood up, Ares’ shield strapped to Percy’s arm. “Nice work, both of you.” The three struggled to pull Grover from the photo board and smiled as they got their breath back.

“What’d I tell you, Grover? Red Baron, man.” Percy smiled, laughing with his best friend as they punched at each other playfully. “You saved our tails.”

“Yeah, you really did. Thank you.” Annabeth agreed, turning to Rainbow. “Both of you.”

“Hey, I already told you. I never leave my friends hangin’.” Rainbow smirked… before she felt a surge of energy and a red aura surround her body. Her tan human ears magically shifted up her head into a pair of pale blue pony-ears, her ponytail gained an extra tie and lengthened down to her ankles, and a pair of bright cyan wings sprang from her back. Everyone was confused until a familiar gold necklace appeared around Rainbow’s neck… complete with a gleaming lightning bolt-shaped ruby dead center at her collarbone.

“What in Tartarus?” Annabeth asked in surprise.

“That’s Rainbow Dash’s Element of Harmony; the Element of Loyalty,” Twilight said in awe. “We’re all embodiments of the Elements, but they do have physical forms. Or they did.”

“That’s what confuses me. How does Rainbow Dash have her Element back like this?” asked Rarity.

“I don’t know, but I’m not complaining,” Rainbow smirked, hugging her hands to the necklace. “It’s been a long time, old friend.” She smiled as she stretched her wings. “And this is just another bonus. Especially for the viewers.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure they all knew this was coming,” Pinkie smirked, looking at… apparently nothing.

Twilight just shook her head at her friend’s typical strangeness and looked up at the Cupid statues. “Well, Dionysus did say Chiron told him about us. He’s probably told the other gods by now.” she shrugged.

That reminded Percy that they were on the air as he looked at the cameras still rolling, spotlights beaming down on the group. “Show’s over!” he yelled. “Thank you! Good night!” With that, the cameras receded into the statues, which resumed their original positions and the lights turned off, leaving the park just as dead as before.

As the group stood in silence in the middle of the park, they all clearly had the same thing on their minds. Percy was the first to voice it as he looked down at his arm and hefted the shield up before he turned to the others. “We need to have a little talk with Ares.”

Viva Las Vegas!

Just as he promised, Ares was waiting in the diner parking lot when the kids arrived. “Well, well. You didn’t get yourselves killed,” he smirked, appearing almost surprised when he saw Rainbow Dash was Ponied-Up. “And you got yourself some flash; nice.”

“You knew it was a trap.” Percy pointed out sternly.

Ares just grinned wickedly. “Bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. You looked good on TV.”

Rainbow just scowled as she took the shield off Percy’s arm and tossed it at Ares, but he caught it without even flinching. “You are hands-down the biggest jerk I’ve ever met.” she scowled as Annabeth and Grover caught their breath.

Ares smirked as he spun his shield in the air like pizza dough, making it change into a bulletproof vest. “I’ve been called worse.”

“I’m sure you have. Now then, we’ve done our end of the bargain…” Twilight pointed out.

“Yeah, yeah; my turn – got it.” Ares shrugged and pointed to an 18-wheeler parked across the street from the diner. “See that truck over there? That’s your ride. Take you straight to LA, with one stop in Vegas.”

The kids looked at the truck and were annoyed by the sign on the back. Not because of their dyslexia – the reverse-printing of white on black helped immensely with that – but because of what it said: KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL: HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING: LIVE ANIMALS INSIDE.

“Are you quite serious?” Rarity asked in annoyance.

Ares just snapped his fingers and the back door of the truck unlatched. “Free ride west, punks. Stop complaining. And here’s a little something for doing the job.” he said as he slung a blue nylon backpack off his bike’s handlebars and tossed it to Percy. Inside were some fresh clothes for the whole group, twenty bucks cash, a pouch of gold drachma, and a back of Double Stuf Oreos.

Percy just scowled. “I don’t want your lousy-”

“Thank you, Lord Ares.” Grover interrupted, giving his best red-alert ‘Quit while you’re alive’ warning look. “Thanks a lot.”

The girls could surely understand why Percy was reluctant to accept anything from Ares, but they also figured it was a huge insult to deny something from a god. Still, Percy slung the bag over his shoulder, resisting the urge to deck Ares in the nose like he’d wanted to with all the bullies who’d ever made his life hell.

Rainbow was having a much harder time resisting that same urge, but it helped when she saw into the diner – now with only a few patrons remaining – and saw the waitress who’d served them earlier watching like she was worried Ares would hurt them… and then pulled the fry cook from the back to watch before she whispered to him, and he pulled out a disposable camera, snapping a picture. “Oh nuts.”

“What?” Applejack asked… before she saw the camera herself. “Oh.”

“Yep. Looks like we’re making the six o’clock news again,” Rainbow whispered. “I just hope the Mist covers up my wings.”

“You owe me one more thing,” Percy said sternly to Ares. “You promised me information about my mother.”

“You sure you can handle the news?” Ares asked as he kickstarted his bike. “She’s not dead.”

“What?” Twilight asked in surprise.

“What do you mean?” Percy asked in surprise.

“I mean she was taken away from the Minotaur before she could die.” Ares shrugged. “She was turned into a shower of gold, right? That’s metamorphosis, not death. She’s being kept.”

“Kept? Why?” asked Percy.

“You need to study war, punk. Hostages.” Ares explained briefly. “You take somebody to control somebody else.”

“Nobody’s controlling me,” Percy said firmly.

Ares just laughed. “Oh yeah? See you around, kid.”

Percy was about to say something when Rainbow stepped forward. “You’re pretty smug for a guy who runs away from Cupid statues, buddy,” she smirked.

Ares scowled, the fire in his eyes flaring behind his sunglasses as a hot wind blew through the kids’ hair. “We’ll meet again, kiddies. Next time you’re in a fight, watch your back.” He revved his bike and roared off down Delancy Street.

“That was not smart, guys.” Annabeth pointed out seriously.

“I don’t care.” Percy scowled.

“You don’t want a god as your enemy. Especially not that god.” Annabeth argued.

“Uh, speaking of that god, I hate to rush us, but…” Spike remarked, pointing to the diner where the group saw two guys at the register wearing coveralls with the same logo as the truck.

“I’m with Spike; if we’re takin’ the zoo express, we need to hurry.” Grover agreed.

“Hardly my first choice of transportation.” Rarity remarked in disgust.

“Maybe not, but it’s our only choice.” Percy pointed out. “Besides, I think I’ve seen enough of Denver.”

“Agreed. Let’s move.” Twilight nodded as the group ran across the street and jumped into the truck… where the first thing that hit them was the stink, like the world’s biggest litterbox. The second thing – as revealed when Percy uncapped Riptide for a faint bronze light from the blade – was that the name of this company couldn’t be more ironic or ill-fitting.

The truck was a depressing line of filthy metal cages with three of the most pathetic wild animals the group had ever seen; a zebra, a male albino lion, and some manner of antelope – Fluttershy guessed it was an impala, and a sad one at that… but as much as she hated to say it, she could also say it about the other two animals; the lion had been thrown a sack of turnips that he absolutely wasn’t interested in and the herbivores had both been given Styrofoam trays of hamburger meat.

The zebra’s mane was matted with chewing gum like someone had been spitting on it in their spare time – which the ponies especially hated the sight of – and the impala had a stupid silver birthday balloon that said ‘OVER THE HILL!!’ and had long since been deflated tied to its horn. Clearly, no one had been stupid enough to get close enough to the lion to mess with it, but he was just as miserable as the others; pacing around on soiled blankets in a space way too small for him and panting from the stuffy heat of the trailer, flies buzzing around his eyes and his ribs visible through his white fur.

“This is kindness? Humane zoo transport?” Grover yelled in annoyance. He probably would’ve jumped out of the truck right then and there to beat up the truckers with his reed pipes – and Percy and Fluttershy would’ve helped him without a second thought – if not for the engine roaring to life, forcing the kids to huddle in the corner on mildewed feed bags – which Rarity found particularly disgusting – and try to ignore the heat, the smell, and the flies.

Grover and Fluttershy spoke to the animals to try and sooth them, but they just looked at the two sadly. “I say we just cut them loose right here and now,” Annabeth said firmly.

“At fifty miles an hour on a highway?” Rainbow pointed out.

“Besides, I have a feeling we look a lot better to the lion than those turnips,” Percy added.

“We should at least help them somehow.” Fluttershy pointed out. No one argued with her about that – Percy found a water jug and refilled the animals’ bowls while Fluttershy switched the food to the appropriate animals. Then Grover did what he could to sooth the impala as Annabeth cut the balloon off its horn with her knife. She wanted to cut the gum out of the zebra’s mane as well, but with how the truck was bouncing, they decided it was too risky.

“I promise you all, we’ll help you more in the morning,” Fluttershy assured… before she flashed a faint pink, her ears shifting into cream-colored pony ears as her hair grew just like Rainbow’s and cream-colored wings sprang from her back. Then a familiar gold necklace appeared at her neck – this one with a pink gem in the shape of a butterfly.

“Lemme guess; Element of Kindness?” asked Annabeth.

“Good guess.” Twilight nodded contemplatively. “I just wish I knew why the Elements’ physical forms were coming back to us in this world.”

“Who cares? I say embrace it.” Rainbow smiled.

“And I say we attempt to get some sleep.” Rarity pointed out as the group piled up in the corner, Annabeth opening their cookies and nibbling on one half-heartedly.

Percy and the girls were all a bit nervous about something though. “We’re almost there.” Rainbow smiled quietly to her friends. “Halfway to Los Angeles and we’ve only got a week left until the solstice. I’d say we’re making great time.”

“Yeah but… I just wish the gods would stop toying with us.” Percy noted. “I mean, at least Hephaestus has the decency to be honest about it; cameras and advertising and all that, but… I feel like we’re still being watched.”

“I got the same feeling. I can’t place its source though.” Twilight shrugged.

“Hey,” Annabeth remarked, drawing the group’s attention. “I’m sorry for freaking out back at the water park, guys.”

“Don’t even gotta worry ‘bout it, sugarcube.” Applejack smiled caringly.

“It’s just…” Annabeth shuddered at the memory. “Spiders…”

“Because of the Arachne story.” Percy guessed. “She got turned into a spider for challenging your mom to a weaving contest, right?”

Annabeth nodded. “Arachne’s children have been taking revenge on the children of Athena ever since. If there’s a spider within a mile of me, it’ll find me. I hate the creepy little things.” She scratched at her arms uncomfortably just from talking about them. “Anyway, I owe you guys.”

“We’re a team, remember?” asked Percy.

“Yeah. Besides, Grover’s the one who did the fancy flying.” Rainbow pointed out.

“I was pretty amazing, wasn’t I?” Grover muttered, surprising the others who thought he was asleep and making them chuckle.

Annabeth split an Oreo and gave half to Percy as the group talked. “In the Iris message… did Luke really say nothing?”

The group was wondering when they would broach that topic – that conversation had bothered them all day… though Rainbow was mostly bothered by it because they were talking to Luke through her hair. Either way, they had all agreed to keep the little sister comment Luke had made under their hats around Annabeth, but as for the rest… “Luke said you and he go way back.” Percy shrugged.

“And he also said something about Grover not failing this time. And that nobody would turn into a pine tree.” Rainbow added… though it was hard to read the expressions of the others in the low bronze light of Riptide’s blade… though the mournful bray Grover let out told them everything they needed to know.

(Play “The Tree on the Hill” – TLT Musical [Edit the spoken word a bit to make them fit here])

“I should’ve told you the truth from the beginning,” he said, his voice trembling. “I thought if you knew what a failure I was, you wouldn’t want me along.”

“You’re the satyr who tried to rescue Thalia, aren’t you?” Percy asked… and Grover started singing a sad song.

Grover: There’s a Tree on the Hill
Up on Half-Blood Hill
That watches over us
Silent and still
And no one at camp is safe until
We can see the Tree on the Hill

Grover just nodded glumly in response to Percy's question.

“And the other two half-bloods who were with her, who got back to camp that night…” Rainbow added, looking at Annabeth. “It was you and Luke, wasn’t it?”

Annabeth sighed as she set down her Oreo, uneaten. “It’s like you said, Pinkie; a seven-year-old half-blood wouldn’t have made it very far alone. Athena guided me toward help. Thalia was twelve, Luke was fourteen. They’d both run away from home, like me. They were happy to take me with them, they were… amazing monster fighters, even without training. We traveled north from Virginia without any real plans, fending off monsters for about two weeks before Grover found us.”

“I was supposed to escort Thalia back to camp.” Grover sniffled. “Only Thalia. I had strict orders from Chiron; don’t do anything that would slow down the rescue. We knew Hades was after her, see, but I couldn’t just leave Luke and Annabeth by themselves. I thought… I thought I could lead all three of them to safety. It was my fault the Kindly Ones caught up with us. I froze. I got scared on the way back to camp and took some wrong turns.”

And there on the Hill
Up on Half-Blood Hill
A cold wind blew
Dark and chill
For nothing would slake its wrathful will
We had to make a stand…

And maybe if I’d been a little bit braver
Maybe if I’d stayed behind to fight
But “maybe” doesn’t let me go back and save her

“Maybe” doesn’t make it all right…

“Stop it, Grover,” Annabeth said seriously. “No one blames you for that. Thalia didn’t blame you either.”

“She sacrificed herself to save us,” he said miserably. “Her death is my fault; the Council of Cloven Elders said so.”

“Because you wouldn’t leave two other half-bloods behind?” Percy asked. “That’s not fair.”

“Percy’s right.” Annabeth agreed. “I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for you, Grover. Neither would Luke. We don’t care what the Council says.”

Grover just kept sniffling as he sang, the sight of the tree fresh in his mind.

There’s a Tree on the Hill
Up on Half-Blood Hill
That protects us all
And always will

And it’s there reminding me
Of all I failed to be

The Tree… on the Hill

(Cut it)

“It’s just my luck.” he moaned sadly. “I’m the lamest satyr ever and I find the two most powerful half-bloods of the century, Thalia and Percy.”

“Dude, whoever called you lame needs a reality check.” Rainbow pointed out seriously. “Name one other satyr who would even think of going to the Underworld.”

“Yeah Grover, you’ve got more heart and courage than any other satyr I’ve ever met.” Annabeth agreed. “I bet Percy is really glad you’re here right now.”

She kicked his shin to agree, but he would’ve done so without the kick. “Yeah. It’s not luck that you found Thalia and me, Grover. You’ve got the biggest heart of any satyr ever. You’re a natural searcher. That’s why you’ll be the one who finds Pan.”

The group smiled as they heard Grover give a deep, satisfied sigh. They waited for him to say something, but a quick glance from Pinkie revealed something funny as his breathing got heavier. “He just fell asleep,” she remarked as Grover’s breathing turned to snoring.

The group couldn’t help but laugh at that. “How does he do that?” Percy chuckled.

“I don’t know.” Annabeth shrugged with a grin. “But that was really a nice thing you told him.”

“I meant every word,” Percy smirked.

“You did, too.” Applejack smiled, patting Percy on the shoulder. “You’re a true friend, Perseus Jackson.”

“That reminds me; why is your name Perseus?” asked Rainbow.

“My mom said it was for good luck.” Percy shrugged. “Perseus was one of the only Greek heroes who got a happy ending.”

“That tracks,” Annabeth noted as they sat in the truck, riding along for a few miles.

After a while, Percy decided to take his mind off the hungry look the lion was giving him by looking at Annabeth… and seeing her rubbing her necklace thoughtfully. “That pine tree bead,” he said. "Is that from your first year?”

Annabeth froze as she looked at Percy, almost like she hadn’t even realized she was doing that. “Yeah,” she said. “Every August, the counselors pick the most important event of the summer, and they paint it on that year’s beads.” She tugged her necklace and looked at it. “I’ve got Thalia’s pine tree, a Greek trireme on fire, a centaur in a prom dress-”

“Wait, what?” Rainbow asked as she looked at the bead in question.

“Yeah, that was a weird summer,” Annabeth smirked.

“And the college ring is your father’s?” asked Twilight.

“That’s none of your-” Annabeth snapped but stopped herself and sighed. “Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

“It’s okay; you don’t have to tell us.” Fluttershy nodded.

“No… it’s okay.” Annabeth nodded and took a shaky breath. “My dad sent it to me folded up in a letter, two summers ago. The ring was, like, his main keepsake from Athena. He wouldn’t have gotten through his doctoral program at Harvard without her.” The look on the girls’ faces earned a quick answer. “That’s a long story. Anyway, he said he wanted me to have it. He apologized for being a jerk, said he loved me and missed me. He wanted me to come home and live with him.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.” Pinkie smiled.

“Yeah, well… the problem was I believed him.” Annabeth shrugged. “I tried to go home for that school year, but my stepmom was the same as ever. She didn’t want her kids put in danger by living with a freak - monsters attacked, we argued, monsters attacked, we argued, rinse and repeat. I didn’t even make it through winter break. I called Chiron and came right back to Camp Half-Blood.”

“You think you’ll ever try living with your dad again?” Percy asked.

Annabeth just scoffed and wouldn’t meet eyes with him. “Please. I’m not into self-inflicted pain.”

“Sometimes family is worth a little pain,” Rainbow noted, remembering her experiences with her own family.

“Yeah, you shouldn’t give up.” Percy agreed. “You should write him a letter or something.”

“Thanks for the advice,” Annabeth remarked coldly. “But my father’s made his choice about who he wants to live with.”

“His choice… or your stepmother’s?” asked Rarity.

That gave the group something to think about as they kept riding for a few more miles, letting Rainbow do a small amount of practice with her swords and wings as they rode… but it reminded her of something. “So… what happens if the gods do go to war?” she asked.

“Yeah, will things line up like they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?” asked Percy.

Annabeth sighed and set her head against the backpack from Ares and closed her eyes. “I don’t know what my mom will do. I just know I’ll fight next to you.”

“Why?” asked Percy.

“Because you’re my friends, Seaweed Brain. All of you. Any more stupid questions?” Percy and the girls couldn’t think of any answers and fortunately, they didn’t have to as Annabeth fell asleep shortly afterward.

The group had difficulty following her lead, what with the lion’s hungry gaze and Grover’s snoring, but Percy did eventually fall asleep. “The rest of us should probably sleep in shifts, just so we’re not caught off-guard,” Twilight whispered.

“Not a bad idea. I’ll take first watch.” Rainbow nodded as she kept her eyes on the door, the other girls all falling asleep around her.

As the night dragged on, the girls all rotated sleeping and on Applejack’s watch, she noticed Percy was kicking around a lot and mumbling in his sleep. She was worried a bit, but not as much as when she felt the truck jerk to a stop and the engine turn off, waking up the others. “Ah apple-fudge,” Applejack remarked.

Grover quickly moved over to Percy and shook his shoulder. “Wake up, Percy. Wake up!” Percy suddenly woke with a start and appeared surprised. “The truck’s stopped. We think they’re coming to check on the animals.”

“Hide!” Annabeth hissed and slapped on her cap, disappearing into the shadows while Pinkie… well, she just randomly vanished like she always did. The others looked around in annoyance at their antics and quickly dove behind feed bags just before the door opened, letting the blinding sun and scorching desert heat in.

“Man!” one of the truckers remarked, waving his hand in front of his ugly nose. “I wish I hauled appliances.” He climbed into the truck and poured some water from a jug into the animals’ dishes. “You hot, big boy?” he asked the lion… before splashing the rest of the bucket of water in its face, making him roar in indignation. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t think she’d ever seen Fluttershy so murderous before, and it only got worse when she saw the trucker throw the impala a squashed-looking Happy Meal bag before he smirked at the zebra. “How ya doin’, Stripes? Least we’ll be getting rid of you this stop. You like magic shows? You’re gonna love this one. They’re gonna saw you in half!”

The zebra, reasonably wide-eyed with fear, brayed as he stepped back. But what came next was what really confused Percy and the girls; there was no sound, but clear as day, they heard a male voice in their minds say “Free me, lord. Please.”

They were all too stunned to react, but it was prevented when they heard loud banging on the side of the trailer. “What do you want, Eddie?” the trucker yelled.

“Maurice? What’d ya say?” the trucker outside – presumably Eddie – shouted back.

“What are you banging for?” The banging came again, this time from the other side of the truck.

“What banging?” Eddie asked. Maurice just rolled his eyes and climbed out of the truck, cursing at Eddie for being an idiot.

Literally one second later, Annabeth appeared next to the others… before the knocking came again, this time from the roof of the truck. “Pinkie, knock it off; plan’s done.” Annabeth hissed quietly.

“Aw okay. That was fun though.” Pinkie remarked, suddenly next to Rainbow Dash who just brushed it off.

“This transport company can’t be legal.” Annabeth pointed out.

“Really? What was your first clue?” Rarity asked sarcastically.

“No kidding.” Grover nodded, before pausing like he was listening to something. “The lion says these guys are animal smugglers!”

“That’s right.” the zebra said in the group’s heads again.

“Okay, everyone hears the zebra talking, right?” Rainbow asked in confusion.

“What? No,” said Annabeth. “It must be because you’re horses in your world.”

“Well, what about me? I can understand him too.” Percy noted.

“Zebras are close enough to horses in this context, and Poseidon created all horses.” Annabeth reminded.

“Um… sorry for saying this, but I don’t really think it matters.” Fluttershy pointed out. “We have to free them all.”

“On that, we agree.” Grover nodded.

“Better make it fast,” Rainbow noted as she heard Maurice and Eddie arguing outside the truck. “They’ll be back any minute.”

“Open my cage, lord. Please. I’ll be fine after that.” the zebra said. Percy gladly listened and slashed the lock off the zebra’s cage with Riptide, letting it burst out. “Thank you, Lord.”

Grover held his hands up to the zebra and said something in goat-talk, almost like a blessing while Fluttershy carefully cut as much gum from his mane with her knife as she could.

Then just as Maurice poked his head in to check the noise, the zebra leaped out over him into the street, resulting in screaming, yelling, and honking horns. “Jailbreak!” Rainbow called as the group raced to the door, watching the zebra gallop for its life down a wide boulevard lined with hotels and neon, Maurice and Eddie chasing it as a few cops chased them yelling about permits.

“We just let a wild zebra loose in Vegas,” Applejack remarked in astonishment at the situation.

“I know. Isn’t it great?” Rainbow smirked.

“Now would be a good time to leave.” Annabeth pointed out.

“The other animals first,” Grover argued.

“I got it.” Rainbow smiled as she drew both her swords from her wrists and slashed both the other locks away. Grover raised his hands and gave the same blessing to them as he’d given the zebra.

“Good luck,” Fluttershy said caringly before the animals bolted from their cages and out into the street. A lot of tourists screamed at the sight of them, but most probably just thought it was a stunt from one of the casinos.

“Will the animals be okay?” Percy asked. “I mean, the desert and all-”

“Yeah, not gonna lie; Ah had the same worry,” Applejack noted.

“Don’t worry; I placed a satyr’s sanctuary on them,” Grover assured.

“Meaning?” asked Percy.

“Meaning they’ll reach the wild safely,” Grover answered. “They’ll find water, food, shade, whatever they need until they find a safe place to live.”

“And you didn’t place a blessing like that on us a little sooner because…?” Rainbow asked in annoyance.

“It only works on wild animals.” Grover shrugged.

“Oh. So it would only affect them.” Annabeth noted as she pointed at Percy and Rainbow Dash.

“Hey!” the two protested.

“Kidding!” Annabeth assured… before she glanced at Rainbow. “Mostly.”

Rainbow just growled in anger and almost raised a sword at Annabeth before Rarity grabbed her arm. “As much as I’d love to see you get pummeled Darling, I suggest we leave this filthy vehicle as far behind us as possible before the police come for a statement and recognize Percy from the news.” she pointed out.

“Can’t argue with that; let’s make like hay and bail.” Applejack pointed out as she led the group in leaping out of the truck and running. It was probably 110 degrees and they all looked like deep-fried vagrants, but they were lucky everyone was too busy paying attention to the wild animals than them.

As they hiked down Las Vegas Boulevard, they passed numerous casinos and landmarks, and Fluttershy could clearly see Percy getting a bit homesick at the sight of the miniature Statue of Liberty. “So where exactly are we going?” asked Rainbow.

“Anywhere we can lay low for a bit so I can come up with a new plan for getting us to LA,” Annabeth answered simply.

“Well, we ain’t exactly short on options.” Applejack pointed out. Even so, the group must have made a wrong turn because they ended up in front of a huge hotel apparently called the Lotus Hotel & Casino – a magnificent place with a huge neon lotus flower for an entrance, and huge open chrome doors… which no one was going in or out through, but the AC blowing from within smelled like lotus blossoms.

“Hey, kids.” the doorman smiled. “You look tired. You wanna come in and sit down?”

The kids were suspicious at first – if there was one thing they’d learned this past week, it was that – but this guy appeared legit. Not to mention the sympathy in his voice was a welcome change. “Not gonna say no.” Applejack shrugged.

“We’d love to.” Percy agreed as they walked in the door… and were immediately dumbstruck.

“Whoa…” Grover said breathlessly.

“Ya can say that again,” Applejack remarked.

The entire casino lobby was a massive game room… including an indoor waterslide snaking around the almost 40-story glass elevator, a climbing wall, an indoor bungee-jumping bridge, and practically every kind of video game the group could dare imagine… and even some they couldn’t imagine, all on screens the size of widescreen TVs. Not to mention what looked like infinite buffets and snack bars. “Are we dead?” asked Rarity.

“If we are, I don’t think I care,” Rainbow remarked. “This place is awesome!”

Applejack was less convinced. “If’n we’re dead… where’s Hades?” she asked, but no one appeared to be listening.

Especially not when a bellhop – or at least that’s what they guessed he was since he was wearing a lotus-design Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops – came up. “Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here’s your room key.” He handed the key to Percy who started stammering unsurely, but he just laughed. “No, no, the bill’s been taken care of. No extra charges, no tips. Just go on up to the top floor, room 4001. If you need anything, like extra bubbles for the hot tub or skeet targets for the shooting range or whatever, just call the front desk. Here are your LotusCash cards. They work in the restaurants and on all the games and rides.” He handed them each a green plastic credit card, which only confused the group more.

“This must be a mistake. We don’t have reservations.” Twilight remarked.

“We don’t do ‘em. We always do walk-ins. ‘You’ll never want to leave’; that’s our motto.” the bellhop smiled.

“How much is on here?” Percy asked as he held up his card.

The bellhop’s eyebrows knit together. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, when does it run out of cash?”

The bellhop just laughed. “Oh, you’re making a joke. Hey, that’s cool. Enjoy your stay.” He walked off and left the group standing there in confusion.

“Anyone else smell something hinky about this place?” Applejack asked.

“Maybe a little,” Pinkie remarked, scanning the crowd for insincere smiles… but they all looked real enough, so she shrugged. “Mm. Might just be our imaginations.”

“And besides, what’s wrong with a bit of indulgence?” Rarity asked as she walked to the elevator, the others following her.

And as soon as they reached the top floor and saw their room, they were even more blown away by the sight of their absolutely epic suite, fully furnished with everything – including, just as the bellhop stated, a hot tub and skeet-shooting machine and shotgun on the balcony. Percy and Twilight had doubts about whether the ability to plug clay pigeons over a city skyline was legal, but it was cool, so they didn’t care much. The place was practically a penthouse, and they were all astounded by it.

“Oh, goodness,” Annabeth remarked breathlessly. “This place is…”

“Sweet. Absolutely sweet.” Grover finished.

“Forget ‘sweet’.” Rainbow smiled, spreading her wings. “This…! Is! AWESOME!!!” She cheered as she flew loop-the-loops around the room and Pinkie bounced around like a maniac, the others spreading out to search the place. The clothes in all the closets fit them perfectly – in terms of size and style, which was a bit confusing, but they didn’t care that much. Percy made that clear as he threw Ares’ backpack in the trash – his reasoning was they could buy a better one from the hotel gift shop when they left.

After a while, they were all relaxing in the lounge as Annabeth turned on the TV. “All those stations and you turn on National Geographic. Are you insane?” Percy asked her.

“It’s interesting.” Annabeth shrugged.

“I feel good.” Grover smiled, the wings on his shoes springing to life and fluttering him a foot above the ground for a minute. “I love this place.”

“I hear that, Grover,” Rainbow smirked.

“So what now?” Annabeth asked. “Sleep?”

Percy, Grover, and Rainbow all just grinned at each other and pulled out their credit cards. “Playtime~” Percy smirked.

And that’s exactly what everyone did all over the hotel, enjoying every possible amenity and game. Rarity spent almost her entire time in the fully furnished hotel spa and came out looking like a completely different girl though distinctly still herself, while Pinkie almost literally pigged out on all the sweets at the buffets and Rainbow did every adrenaline junkie activity she could get her grubby hands on just for the rush.

All over the hotel, they were going completely insane as they enjoyed themselves… but for some reason, Applejack had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something was wrong. The lack of clocks or windows on the casino floor was a good start, but she figured that was just because the hotel staff wanted their guests to enjoy themselves as long as possible with no time constraints. It became much clearer as she was thrown from the mechanical bull for the umpteenth time and bonked her head right into a girl about Percy’s age. “Whoa. Oof, sorry there darlin’.” she smiled and helped her up.

“Oh, it’s quite fine,” she assured… in a fairly thick but clearly diluted Italian accent. Applejack was a bit surprised by the sound of that, but moreso by the rather old-fashioned clothes she was wearing. As was a young pale boy she surmised was the girl’s brother.

“Didn’t realize there was a costume party goin’ on here,” Applejack remarked.

“What do you mean?” the boy asked.

“Well, those outfits of yours went out of style a while ago.” the cowgirl pointed out.

Now the girl looked at her in confusion. “That’s absurd. They’re only a month old.”

“A month?” Applejack asked in surprise and looked closer. She obviously wasn’t as skilled in clothing analysis as Rarity, but she knew old-fashioned manufacturing when she saw it, and it was all over these two’s clothes. “And uh… what year did y’all say it was?”

“Year?” the girl asked.

“If’n ya don’t mind; think I just forgot.”

“I’m a bit surprised by that. Everyone said people would always remember 1939.” The way the girl said that so casually made massive alarm bells ring in Applejack’s mind.

(Cut it)

“Uh, nice talkin’ to y’all,” she said quickly and ran, trying to find her friends. Fortunately for her, they had all grouped up in the game room where she ran right into Percy, who looked just as clear-eyed as she did. “Percy, thank Celestia. Listen, there’s somethin’ seriously wrong here.”

“I know; I just found a few guys who keep saying they’re from decades ago,” Percy said frantically. “And they all say they’ve only been here a few days.”

“Question is how long have we been here?” asked Applejack.

“I don’t know,” Percy said in worry. “I- I remember… we were heading west?”

“Yeah, to… to LA.” Applejack nodded, clearly having the same trouble remembering as him. “We’re headin’ to the Underworld from there.”

“For my mom. My mom… uh…” Percy said, terror creeping into his voice as he apparently forgot his mom’s name for a second. “Sally. Sally Jackson. I gotta find her.”

“And we gotta stop Hades from startin’ World War 3 while we’re at it.” Applejack agreed. “But first things first, we gotta drag the others outta here.”

It took a good deal of work to pry their friends away from their games – including Applejack having to literally slap some sense into Rainbow and Rarity – but they finally managed to drag their whole group to the door where the bellhop hurried over to them. “Well now, are you ready for your platinum cards?”

“We’re leaving,” Percy said firmly.

“Such a shame.” the bellhop smiled, his insincere smile seemingly snapping Pinkie out of whatever daze she was in. “We just added an entire new floor full of games for platinum-card members.”

He held out the cards and for half a second, Percy appeared to consider it but Applejack quickly dragged them past him. “Pass,” she said firmly. As they left, the sounds and smells of the casino’s luxury felt more and more intoxicating but as soon as they were out the door, their minds cleared and the other girls fell to the ground, lightheaded and groaning.

“Oh, what happened?” Rarity asked.

“Ah don’t know, but Ah ain’t ever settin’ foot in this place again long as Ah live,” Applejack remarked.

“I think we have bigger problems,” Spike noted as he looked at the sky. Everyone looked and was shocked; it felt like afternoon, but a massive thunderstorm was brewing over the desert, lightning flashing in the distance.

“That’s impossible,” Twilight remarked. “It feels like we’ve only been in there an hour.”

“Was it an hour though?” Rainbow asked… noticing Ares’ backpack back on Percy’s shoulder somehow. Either way, her words were enough for him to make a beeline for the nearest newspaper stand.

His sigh of relief when he saw the year on the newspaper was a good sign. “Okay, it’s still 2005; thank the gods for that,” he said.

Spike’s eyes went wide as he saw the paper for himself. “Yeah, that’s the good news,” he remarked. “The bad news is the exact date. It’s June 20th.”

“What?!” Twilight asked in shock as she snatched the paper from Percy and looked at it herself.

“Spike dear, are you telling me we’ve been in that casino for five days?” asked Rarity.

“I don’t think he’s saying just that,” Twilight remarked in realization. “The solstice is tomorrow.”

“Which means we’ve only got one more day to get to the Underworld and finish our quest.” Percy finished solemnly as they watched the thunder crack in the distance.

Rainbow couldn’t help but break the terror-driven silence. “Great. No pressure.”

Author's Note

Boom. Foreshadowing to the nth degree.

Watery Nap

Frankly, none of the kids understood Annabeth’s idea to cram into the nearest Vegas taxi as if they had money, but it was better than nothing. “Los Angeles, please.” she requested quickly.

The cabbie chewed his cigar as he sized the group up in the mirror. “That’s three hundred miles. For that, you gotta pay upfront.”

“You accept casino debit cards?” Annabeth asked.

“Some of ‘em. Same as credit cards. I gotta swipe ‘em through first.” the cabbie shrugged.

With that in mind, Rarity gingerly handed the cabbie her LotusCash card which he eyed suspiciously. “Swipe it.” she invited simply.

He did… and the meter started rattling and flashing until an infinity symbol came up next to the dollar symbol. “Ohhh, dear…” Fluttershy said nervously at the sight of that.

The cabbie just let his cigar drop from his mouth as he looked at the meter in awe, before he glanced back at the group. “Where to in Los Angeles… uh, Your Highness?”

Rarity smirked, clearly enjoying the ‘Your Highness’ bit. “The Santa Monica Pier. Get us there fast and you can keep the change.”

Almost immediately, the driver’s foot was pinned to the floor and the cab tore out of Vegas. “‘Keep the change’?” Annabeth asked.

“I can’t help it, Darling. I’m generous by nature.” Rarity smirked… a purple aura enveloping her body as her hair extended much like Rainbow and Fluttershy’s, and her human ears turned to chalk-white pony ears. Almost in concern, the group checked her forehead for any sign of her unicorn horn but it didn’t form there… though there was a distinct white glowing from her compact, which was undoubtedly her horn ethereally forming around her sword for some reason. Then just like the others, a gold necklace formed around her neck with a purple diamond-shaped gem at her collarbone.

“So I can see. Guessing Generosity is your Element?” asked Annabeth.

“That’s it. But this is still really confusing for me.” Twilight pointed out, more than thankful the cabbie seemed more focused on making sure his cab’s speedometer didn’t get any lower than 95 mph all through the Mojave Desert than on their conversation.

“Ooh! Maybe it’s some sort of gift from the gods.” Pinkie suggested.

“Best idea I can think of.” Percy shrugged. “Speaking of… I had another dream the other night.”

“You mean before we went into the casino?” asked Grover.

“Yeah.” Percy nodded, trying to remember the details of his dream. “It started like one of my usual nightmares; taking a standardized test in a straitjacket.”

“Oh, that sounds like one of my nightmares,” Twilight remarked.

“Yeah, but then it got weird. I- I think there was… another girl there.” Percy remembered. “And… well, call me crazy, but… I think it was Thalia.”

“Wait, seriously?” Twilight asked, her surprised expression mirrored by the others – especially Annabeth and Grover.

“Stormy eyes, punk hair, freckled nose?” Grover asked quickly.

“Yeah, I think so.” Percy nodded.

“Yeah, that’s Thalia, all right.” Grover nodded.

“How could you see someone you’ve never even met before in your dream?” asked Rainbow.

“Well… they are cousins.” Rarity shrugged. “Perhaps it’s some manner of… family telepathy or something?”

“Never heard of anything like that before.” Annabeth shrugged. “Did Thalia say anything?”

“Maybe? I- I can’t remember.” Percy shrugged. “And either way, I ended up in a cave pretty quickly. It was that same voice again – the one we’ve been dreaming about.” He pointed to himself and the girls. “But he wasn’t talking to me. He was talking to some servant of his in the shadows; I couldn’t see who it was.”

“Did they sound familiar?” asked Applejack.

“I don’t know. I think they did for a split-second, but… ah, it’s gone.” Percy shrugged. “I swear, that casino scrambled our brains or something.”

“Why is that anyway?” asked Rainbow. “How did we get stuck in that casino for five days when it only felt like an hour?”

Twilight suddenly realized it and slapped her forehead. “The Lotus Eaters. From The Odyssey.”

“Oh, of course. Their lotuses make those who eat them lose all sense of urgency and will.” Annabeth remembered.

“Well, that’s not frightening at all.” Rarity remarked. “Uh… back to your dream, darling.”

“Yeah, uh… this servant…” Percy strained to remember. “They called Hades something other than ‘my lord’… the uh- the… ‘the’ something ‘one’, I think.”

“The Silent One? The Rich One?” Annabeth suggested. “Both of those are nicknames for Hades.”

“Maybe…” Percy shrugged, though Applejack could tell neither of those sounded right to him. “Then… then it changed. I was in a throne room; black marble walls, bronze floors, a throne made of fused human bones…”

“Ugh, remind me to advise Hades to fire his decorator.” Rarity whispered to Applejack.

“Tell me about it.” Applejack nodded.

“Then I saw my mom on the- the… the stairs up to the throne- what’s the word for that?” Percy asked.

“The dais,” Annabeth answered quickly.

“The dais, yeah.” Percy nodded. “Uh… she was like, frozen in gold- I don’t know if she was surrounded in gold or made of gold, but… I don’t know, it was confusing. Then… then skeleton soldiers. They dressed me up in silk robes and a laurel drenched in chimera poison. Then the voice, he said ‘Hail the conquering hero’ or something.”

“That throne room sounds like Hades’.” Grover nodded. “That’s usually how it’s described.”

Percy shook his head. “Something’s wrong. The throne room wasn’t the main part of the dream.” he shrugged. “And that voice from the pit… I don’t know. It just didn’t feel like a god’s voice.” Annabeth’s eyes widened as she heard that. “What?”

“Oh… nothing,” Annabeth said nervously. “I was just-” She stopped herself and shook her head. “No, it has to be Hades. Maybe he sent this thief, this invisible person, to get the Master Bolt, and something went wrong-”

“Like what?” Applejack asked doubtfully.

“I- I don’t know,” Annabeth said quickly, her face quickly paling as she spoke. “But if he stole Zeus’s symbol of power from Olympus, and the gods are hunting him, I mean, a lot of things could go wrong. So this thief had to hide the Bolt, or he lost it somehow. Anyway, he failed to bring it to Hades. That’s what the voice said in your dream, right? The guy failed. That would explain what the Furies were searching for when they came after us on the bus. Maybe they thought we had retrieved the Bolt.”

The group wasn’t sure what to think as they saw the color leave Annabeth’s face while she spoke. “But if I’d already retrieved the Bolt, why would I be traveling to the Underworld?” Percy asked seriously.

“To threaten Hades,” Grover suggested. “To bribe or blackmail him into getting your mom back.”

Percy whistled. “You have evil thoughts for a goat.”

“No kidding,” Twilight remarked in agreement; the only beast she knew of that was even close to resembling a satyr was Lord Tirek’s brother – the gargoyle prince Scorpan, and from what she’d heard from Princess Celestia, he was kind as kind could be – far removed from Grover’s suggestion.

“Why, thank you.” Grover smiled.

“But the thing in the pit said it was waiting for two items,” Percy remembered. “If the Master Bolt is one, what’s the other?” Grover shook his head, clearly just as mystified as Percy.

Spike chanced a glance across at Annabeth, who was looking at the group as if she knew Percy’s next question before he asked it and was silently willing him not to. “You know who’s in that pit, don’t you?” Spike asked. “You at least have an idea. I mean, if it isn’t Hades?”

“Spike…” Annabeth stammered. “Let’s not talk about it. Because if it isn’t Hades…” She shook her head. “No. It has to be Hades.”

None of the others were convinced of that, but they knew pressing her on it wasn’t going to do them any good. All they could do was watch out the windows as the Mojave hurtled past at 95 miles an hour, all feeling like they were missing one crucial piece of the puzzle, thinking more and more that the closer they got to the Underworld, the more certain they were that confronting Hades wasn’t the real answer – there was more going on. But if they did reach Hades’ domain and find they were wrong, then they were in trouble. The solstice was their last chance to prevent war between the gods and they knew it.

“The answer is in the Underworld,” Annabeth assured. “You saw spirits of the dead, Percy. There’s only one place that could be. We’re doing the right thing.”

“I hope you’re right. For all our sakes.” Twilight noted. As they rode, Annabeth tried to boost the team’s morale by devising strategies for getting into the Underworld, but the group wasn’t into it – every gust of wind in the desert valley toward Los Angeles sounded like a lost soul, every hiss of an eighteen-wheeler’s brakes like the reptilian voice of Echidna.

Finally by sundown, the taxi dropped the group at Santa Monica Beach… which looked magnificent in the early evening sun… aside from the occasional homeless person sleeping in the sand. The group did their best to avoid them as they walked down to the edge of the surf. “So what now?” Annabeth asked as the ocean turned gold in the sunset’s light.

The girls couldn’t help but think about how long it had been since they stood with Percy and his mother on the beach at Montauk, on the other side of the country. “Kind of incredible to imagine that this is Percy’s dad’s domain,” Rainbow remarked.

“Makes a certain sense though, doesn’t it?” Rarity pointed out.

“Still… if even half the science classes in this world are true, then this world’s surface is two-thirds water,” Twilight remembered. “Is that how much reach Poseidon has?”

“More than that.” Annabeth reminded. “Remember, Poseidon is also the god of earthquakes. Every disaster on land or sea is his doing; people always just remember him best as the god of the sea.”

“Speaking of the sea…” Applejack pointed to Percy walking into the Pacific as if he was possessed.

“Percy? What are you doing?” Annabeth asked as he kept walking, the water up to his chest now. “You know how polluted that water is? There’re all kinds of toxic things in there!” Percy dropped his head below the surface as if he wasn’t even listening.

“We’ve got to follow him,” Twilight said quickly. “Rarity, remember that water-breathing spell we learned in Seaquestria a few months ago?”

“Vividly, Darling.” Rarity nodded as she drew her sword, its blade now sheer white with darker lines spiraling up to the tip just like her horn. And sure enough, when she focused on the spell Twilight was talking about, her sword glimmered with her bright blue magical aura. With a waving flourish, she swung the blue light at her friends’ necks, the magic forming watery orbs filled with air around their heads.

Once the spell was set, the girls quickly dove into the ocean and found Percy standing there in the shoals… a five-foot-long mako shark hovering in the water next to his leg. Rainbow almost went for her swords to defend him, but Rarity held her own blade in front of her, making her look; the shark was behaving almost like a dog, heeling next to Percy. Tentatively, he touched the shark’s fin and it bucked as if inviting him to take a tighter grip. He did so with both hands and the shark took off through the water, down into the darkness. Quickly the girls swam after him as fast as they could until they reached what they only assumed was the continental shelf – the boundary to the darkness of the open ocean itself, the only light aside from the evening sun on the surface over a hundred feet above coming from Rarity’s magic around her sword.

Then… another glimmer in the darkness. Something glowing bigger and brighter as it rose toward the group. “Percy Jackson.” A woman’s voice, almost like his mother’s, clear as day through the ocean waters.

As she drew closer, her form became clearer and the girls were astounded – it was indeed a woman with long black hair literally flowing in the water, a dress made of sea-green silk, and light flickering around her, her eyes dazzlingly beautiful… and a sea horse undoubtedly twice the size of Big Macintosh between her legs. She dismounted and the sea horse swam off with the shark to play something like tag as she hovered through the water to Percy’s side. “You’ve come far, Percy Jackson. Well done.”

Percy appeared unsure of what to do before he bowed, prompting the girls to do the same. “You’re the woman who spoke to me in the Mississippi River,” Percy said simply.

“Yes, child.” the woman smiled. “I am a nereid, a spirit of the sea. It was not easy to appear so far upriver, but the naiads, my freshwater cousins, helped sustain my life force. They honor Lord Poseidon, though they do not serve in his court.”

“Unlike yourself, I surmise.” Rarity asked, the spell allowing her to speak under the water just as well as Percy and this nereid.

The nereid appeared a bit surprised by the company – Percy certainly was – but she nodded all the same. “It has been many years since a child of the Sea God has been born. We have watched you with great interest.”

Percy remembered something from his youth – faces in the waves off Montauk Beach when he was young, reflections of smiling women waving at him. Like so many of the odd things in his life before now, he’d never given it a second thought but now… “If my father is so interested in me…” he said almost angrily. “Why isn’t he here? Why doesn’t he speak to me?”

“Percy-” Twilight was interrupted as a cold current rose from the depths.

“Do not judge the Lord of the Sea too harshly.” the nereid warned. “He stands at the brink of an unwanted war. He has much to occupy his time. Besides, he is forbidden to help you directly. The gods may not show such favoritism.”

“Even to their own kin?” Applejack asked.

“Especially to them.” the nereid answered. “The gods can work by indirect influence only. That is why he gave you a warning and a gift.” She held her hand out to Percy and opened it, nine flawless white pearls flashing in her palm.

“My word…” Rarity remarked as she swam to examine them. “These are divine.”

“Literally, I assume,” Twilight smirked.

The nereid chuckled a bit at that joke. “I know you journey to Hades’ realm,” she said. “Few mortals have ever done this and survived: Orpheus, who had great music skills; Hercules, who had great strength; Houdini, who could escape even the depths of Tartarus. Do any among you have these talents?”

“Um… no, ma’am.” Percy shrugged, looking at the girls. “At least… not that I’m aware of.”

“Ah, but you have something else, Percy.” the nereid assured. “You have gifts you have only begun to know. The oracles have foretold a great and terrible future for you, should you survive to manhood. Poseidon would not have you die before your time. Therefore take these, and when you are in need, smash a pearl at your feet.”

“And what will happen then?” asked Rarity.

“That depends on the need.” the nereid shrugged as she simply poured the pearls into Percy’s hand. “But remember; what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea.”

“And the warning?” Rainbow asked.

The nereid’s eyes flickered with green light as she looked at Percy. “Go with what your heart tells you, or you will lose all. Hades feeds on doubt and hopelessness. He will trick you if you can, make you mistrust your judgment. Once you are in his realm, he will never willingly let you leave. Keep faith. Good luck, Percy Jackson.” She whistled for her sea horse and rode into the depths as the kids watched.

“Wait!” Percy called. “At the river, you said not to trust the gifts! What gifts?!”

“Goodbye, young hero,” she called back, her voice disappearing into the depths. “You must listen to your heart.” Then as a speck of glowing green, she disappeared into the void.

Applejack could clearly see Percy wanted to follow her – to see his father’s true domain and court – but she set her hand on his shoulder to stop him. “No time for that, Percy.” she pointed out, pointing to the fading light at the surface. “We’ve gotta get to the Underworld before morning.”

Percy knew she was right and started kicking toward the surface, followed by the others as they held onto Rainbow and Fluttershy who flapped their way through the sea with their wings like waterfowl.

Finally when they reached the surface, Percy’s clothes dried and Rarity’s spell dissipated instantly… though she did have to cast a second spell to dry the clothes of herself and her friends. Percy told Grover and Annabeth about what had happened and showed them the pearls. Annabeth grimaced as she examined them. “No gift comes without a price.”

“She didn’t make us pay anything.” Pinkie pointed out with a jovial smile.

“Maybe not now.” Annabeth countered. “‘There is no such thing as a free lunch’. That’s an ancient Greek saying that translated pretty well into American. There will be a price. You wait.” On that happy note, the group turned their backs to the sea.

With what little spare change remained in Ares’s backpack, the group hopped on the bus to West Hollywood and Percy showed the driver the Underworld’s address slip from Medusa’s, but he’d apparently never heard of DOA Recording Studios. “You remind me of somebody I saw on TV,” he said to Percy. “You a child actor or something?”

“Uh… I’m a stunt double… for a lot of child actors.” Percy excused nervously.

“Oh! That explains it.” the driver shrugged.

The group thanked him and got off at the next stop, wandering for miles to find DOA but nobody seemed to know where it was and it certainly didn’t appear in the phone book. Twice, the group had to duck into back alleys to avoid the police and Percy froze in front of an appliance store… where the group saw his stepdad getting interviewed by a woman on the news… while he was playing poker in their apartment with a young blonde lady sitting next to him patting his head.

The girls easily tuned out what Gabe was saying and shook their heads. “We’ve already agreed your mother’s too good for him.” Rarity assured Percy.

“Ya think?” Percy asked sarcastically… before a grainy picture came up on the screen of the group talking to Ares outside the diner in Colorado, Rainbow’s wings somehow appearing as an extra-large rucksack, undoubtedly thanks to the Mist.

“C’mon,” Grover said quickly and led the group onward. The girls could clearly see Percy was uncomfortable in the city, and considering where he was really from, it made sense – he was more used to a different big-city vibe than this… and the gangsters on the street didn’t help much.

“Hey, you.” someone called from an alley, and like an idiot, Percy stopped. Then before the group knew it, they were surrounded – six tough-looking white kids in expensive clothes and with mean faces. Almost instinctively, Percy drew Riptide and they backed off. All but their leader, who must have been very brave or very stupid as he kept coming at Percy with a switchblade.

On instinct, Percy swung Riptide at him… and the blade passed harmlessly through his chest like a ghost. “What the…?” he asked.

“They’re mortal,” Fluttershy said breathlessly, knowing they had about three seconds before they attacked again.

“Run!” Percy yelled.

Without even trying, Applejack tackled two of the kids out of the way and the whole group ran down the street as fast as they could, not knowing which way they were going as they turned a sharp corner. “There!” Annabeth shouted, pointing to the only store on the block that looked open, its windows glowing with neon.

“Crusty’s Water-Bed Palace?” Grover asked, translating the dyslexic writing for the demigods.

“Oh, a delightful-sounding place.” Rarity remarked.

“It’s our best shot. Go!” Rainbow yelled and tackled Rarity through the door, the others quickly following them. Once inside, they all immediately dove behind a huge water bed, and a second later, the gang kids ran past outside.

“Whew. I think we lost them.” Grover panted.

“Lost who?” Fluttershy immediately squeaked in fear and went rigid at the voice behind the group, and when they all looked, they saw a man who looked like a wingless dragon in a leisure suit that was probably decades old – nowhere near as old as the clothes worn by the kids Applejack had spoken to at the Lotus Casino, but still plenty old by today’s standards, and countless silver chains around his neck.

He was at least seven feet tall with no hair, leathery gray skin, thick-lidded eyes, and a cold, reptilian smile as he approached slowly, though he could clearly move quickly if he wanted to. “I’m Crusty,” he said with a tartar-yellow smile.

“Yes. Yes, you are.” Rainbow remarked absently, earning her an elbow in the wing from Rarity. “Ow!”

“Ignore her.” Rarity said quickly.

“Sorry to barge in,” Percy added. “We were just, um… browsing.”

“You mean hiding from those no-good kids,” Crusty grumbled.

Applejack tipped her hat up. “S’pose that’s a story you hear a lot.”

“Fraid so; they hang around every night. I get a lot of people in here, thanks to them.” Crusty shrugged. “Say, you wanna look at a waterbed?” Percy clearly wanted to say no thanks, but their new host set his large hand on his shoulder and steered him into the showroom.

“Oh boy. Come on.” Twilight instructed and quickly led the group after them… where they saw every kind of waterbed a person could imagine.

“This is my most popular model.” Crust spread his hands proudly over a bead covered with black satin sheets and built-in lava lamps on the headboard. The mattress vibrated like oil-flavored Jell-O. “Million-hand massage. Go on, try it out. Shoot, take a nap. I don’t care; no business today anyway.”

“Um, I don’t think-”

“Million-hand massage!” Grover cried and dove in. “Oh, you guys! This is cool.”

“I gotta get in on this,” Rainbow smirked and leaped next to the satyr, her back practically melting into the mattress. “Ohhh yeah, that’s the stuff…” Rarity couldn’t help but join her as it looked incredible… and it felt incredible as well, working out whatever stress knots had developed since Vegas.

“Hmm…” Crusty remarked thoughtfully, stroking his leathery chin. “Almost, almost.”

“Almost what?” Percy asked in concern.

Crusty glanced at Annabeth and the other girls. “Do me a favor and try this one over here, ladies. Might fit.”

“But what-” Crusty interrupted Annabeth as he directed her, Twilight, and the especially cringing Fluttershy to the Safari Deluxe model with leopard-pattern comforters. They didn’t want to lay down so Crusty pushed them down. “Hey!”

He snapped his fingers. “Ergo!” Out of nowhere, ropes shot out from the sides of the bed, lashing the three to the mattress.

“What the-?” Rainbow and Grover tried to get up, but they too were tied down by more spontaneous ropes.

“N-not c-c-cool!” Grover yelled, his voice vibrating from the massage. “N-not c-cool a-at all!”

The giant looked at the three girls then grinned and looked at those remaining: Percy, Applejack, Pinkie, and Spike. “Almost, darn it.”

Quickly they tried to retreat, but Crusty grabbed Percy by his neck and held the girls’ attention whether they liked it or not. “Whoa, kids. Don’t worry. We’ll find you one in a sec.”

“Let our friends go.” Percy croaked.

“Oh, sure I will.” Crusty smiled. “But I gotta make ‘em fit first.”

“What’s that mean?” asked Pinkie.

“All the beds are exactly six feet, see? Your friends are all too short. Gotta make them fit.” Crusty smiled as the others struggled against their binds. “Can’t stand imperfect measurements. Ergo!” More ropes sprung from the mattresses, gripping the prisoners by their ankles and armpits before they tightened, pulling them hard from both ends.

“Ngh! I’m as against poor measurements as anyone but this is hardly the way to achieve perfection.” Rarity grimaced at the pain.

“Don’t worry.” Crusty assured those who were still free. “These are stretching jobs. Maybe three extra inches on their spines. They might even live. Now why don’t we find a bed you all like, huh?”

“Percy!” Grover yelled in pain.

The group’s minds were racing as they tried to come up with a plan, knowing Crusty would snap Percy’s neck if he even thought about going for Riptide. Quickly Applejack had an idea and smirked as she tipped up her hat. “Guessin’ Crusty ain’t your real name, is it?”

“Well, legally it’s Procrustes,” he admitted.

“The Stretcher,” Percy remembered this story, as did the girls; a giant who’d tried to kill Theseus with excess hospitality on his way to Athens.

“Yeah, but who can pronounce ‘Procrustes’ these days?” he asked. “Bad for business. Now ‘Crusty’, anybody can say that.”

“You’re right. Got a good ring to it.” Applejack remarked.

The salesman’s eyes lit up. “You think so?”

“Oh, absolutely.” Percy nodded. “And the workmanship on these beds? Fabulous!”

Procrustes grinned, his grip on Percy’s neck not loosening. “I tell my customers that. Every time. Nobody bothers to look at the workmanship. How many built-in lava lamp headboards have you seen?”

“Not too many.” Percy shrugged.

“That’s right!”

“Percy! What are you doing?!” Annabeth screeched.

“Don’t mind her; she’s impossible,” Percy smirked.

The giant just laughed. “All my customers are. Never six feet exactly. So inconsiderate. And then they complain about the fitting.”

“And what happens if they’re longer than six feet?” Applejack asked.

“Oh, that’s easy.” Procrustes smiled as he let go of Percy, and immediately retrieved a massive brass labrys axe from behind a nearby sales desk. “I just center the subject as best I can and lop off whatever hangs off on either end.”

“Ah.” Percy gulped nervously. “Sensible.”

“And efficient.” Applejack agreed just as nervously.

“I’m so glad to come across some intelligent customers.” Procrustes smiled.

Applejack glanced nervously at her friends who were tied down, all of whom were clearly in agony and greatly annoyed.

“So Crusty…” Percy smiled, trying to keep his voice light as he glanced at the tag on the Valentine-shaped Honeymoon Special. “Does this one really have dynamic stabilizers to stop wave motion?”

“Absolutely. Try it out.” Procrustes invited.

“Yeah, maybe we will.” Pinkie smiled, clearly understanding what Percy was doing. “But would it work even for someone your size? No waves at all?”

“Guaranteed.” the giant assured.

“No way.”

“Way.”

“Show us.”

Procrustes smiled and laid down eagerly, patting the mattress. “No waves. See?”

As soon as he lay down, Percy smirked and snapped his fingers. “Ergo.” Just as before, ropes shot from the bed and flattened Crusty against the mattress.

“Hey!” he bellowed angrily.

“Can’t believe ya fell for that,” Applejack smirked at the giant. “Now let’s just get ya centered right…” The ropes automatically adjusted themselves at her command, holding Procrustes’ whole head off the top of the bed and his feet dangling off the bottom.

“No! Wait! This is just a demo!” he yelled.

Percy just smirked as he drew Riptide, clearly no qualms about what he was about to do. “A few simple adjustments…” None of the others had any qualms either; if Procrustes was human, the sword wouldn’t even faze him, but since they all knew he was a monster of some description, they agreed he deserved to be turned to dust for a while.

“You drive a hard bargain.” the giant begged. “I’ll give you 30% off on selected floor models!”

“What do you say, girls? Start with the top?” Percy asked.

“Only way to start, I’d say,” Pinkie noted as Percy raised his sword.

“No money down! No interest for six months!” Procrustes begged.

“You just went down,” Applejack said bluntly.

“I’m a haggler?” That was the last thing Procrustes said before Percy swung hard, ensuring he stopped making offers.

“Finally. Thought he’d never shut up.” Spike remarked.

“Tell me about it,” Applejack smirked… before her eyes fell on Procrustes’ labrys. “Hm… well, I s’pose this counts as a spoil of war,” she said as she picked up the axe.

“What about your mace?” Percy asked as he started cutting the others free.

“Never hurts to have a backup.” Applejack shrugged as she helped him cut the ropes.

Those who were tied down staggered to their feet, groaning in pain. Percy couldn’t help but smirk as he looked at Annabeth. “You look taller.”

“Very funny.” Annabeth groaned. “Be faster next time.”

“A simple ‘thank you’ would suffice just as well, darling.” Rarity pointed out as she stretched while Percy looked around.

Applejack was having difficulty finding somewhere to hide her new axe – which she’d just found the sheath for behind the desk – until she finally decided to just slide it into her backpack and hope it didn’t cut anything. As soon as she’d slung it back onto her shoulders, Percy looked up. “Come on,” he said as he moved toward the door.

“Give us a minute,” Grover complained. “We were almost stretched to death.”

“Then you’re ready for the Underworld,” Percy smirked as he held up a map he’d taken from the desk. “It’s only a block away from here.”

“Really? Huh. Well, how about that? We were due for some good luck.” Twilight smiled as the group limped out of the store, onward to their quest.

Obedience School of Hell

It was more than a bit intimidating for the group as they stood under the black marble sign, etched with gold lettering: DOA Recording Studios. The sign stenciled on the glass of the door didn’t inspire confidence either; NO SOLICITERS, NO LOITERING, NO LIVING. “Well, that’s comforting.” Rarity remarked.

It was nearly midnight, so the group knew they were running out of time. But what was confusing considering the time was that the office lobby was brightly lit and filled with people, including a tough-looking security guy with shades and an earpiece behind the desk.

Percy turned to the group and nodded. “Okay. Everyone remembers the plan, right?”

“The plan,” Grover gulped. “Yeah. I love the plan.”

“What if the plan doesn’t work?” asked Annabeth.

“Don’t think negative.”

“Right,” Annabeth remarked sarcastically. “We’re entering the Land of the Dead, and I shouldn’t think negative.”

“I’m sorry, Darling; were you or were you not the one who said Hades feeds on doubt and hopelessness not forty minutes ago?” Rarity pointed out.

This reminder concerned Percy as he fished the handful of pearls from the nereid out of his pocket and looked at them. The rest of the group clearly knew what he was thinking; these pearls didn’t seem like much of a backup plan if something went wrong.

Annabeth sighed and set her hand on his shoulder, finally relenting a bit. “I’m sorry. You’re right; we’ll make it. It’ll be fine.”

She nudged Grover, and he nodded as well. “Oh, right.” he stammered. “We got this far. We’ll find the Master Bolt and save your mom. No problem.”

Percy looked around at the group, with an incredible feeling of gratitude. He could tell that most of them were just trying to be brave for his sake to make him feel better, but he smiled anyway as he put the pearls back in his pocket. “Let’s whup some Underworld butt.”

“Race ya to Hades’ throne room,” Rainbow smirked as she stepped through the door first, leading the group into the building.

The lobby was fairly typical, right down to the elevator music playing over the hidden speakers and steel-gray carpets and walls. The potted pencil cacti looked like skeletal hands around the black leather furniture, which was all taken up – people sitting on couches, standing, staring out the windows, waiting for the elevator, and everything in between… except moving or talking, which creeped the girls out a bit… but not as much as the fact that when they focused on anyone, they appeared almost translucent.

The security guard was just as intimidating: chocolate-colored skin, bleach-blonde hair cropped down to his head military-style, tortoiseshell shades (which annoyed Fluttershy), a silk Italian suit the same color as his hair, and a black rose at his lapel under a silver name tag. It also didn’t help that his desk was on a raised podium so the group had to look up at him… and it got worse somehow when Percy read his nametag in what looked like bewilderment. “Your name is Chiron?”

The guard just gave a sneering smile like a snake about to eat as he leaned across the desk, the only thing visible in his shades being the group’s own reflections. “What a precious young lad.” he sneered with an interesting accent – it sounded British but almost like he’d learned English as a second language. “Tell me, mate; do I look like a centaur?”

“N-no…” Percy said nervously.

“Sir.” the guard emphasized.

“Sir.” Percy nodded.

The guard pinched his tag and ran his finger under the lettering. “Can you read this, mate? It says C-H-A-R-O-N. Say it with me; CARE-ON.”

“Charon.”

“Amazing! Now: Mr. Charon.”

“Mr. Charon.”

“Well done.” Charon nodded and sat back. “I hate being confused with that old horse-man. And now, how may I help you little dead ones?”

Percy froze, frightened as he didn’t have an excuse for that. Fortunately, he didn’t have to worry as Applejack stepped forward. “Just lookin’ for passage down to the Underworld is all,” she said confidently.

The girls were worried Applejack’s honesty was going to get them in trouble, but Charon’s mouth just twitched into a smile. “Well, that’s refreshing.”

“It is?” Annabeth asked in surprise.

“Straightforward and honest. No screaming, no ‘There must be a mistake, Mr. Charon’.” he smiled as he looked the group over. “How did you die, then?”

Percy quickly nudged Grover. “Oh. Um… drowned… in the bathtub.”

Charon raised an eyebrow. “All of you?” The group either nodded or shrugged. “Big bathtub,” he remarked, mildly impressed.

“Huge.” Rainbow nodded.

Charon just sighed as he looked at his desk. “I don’t suppose you have coins for passage. Normally, with adults, you see, I could charge your American Express, or add the ferry price to your last cable bill. But with children… alas, you never die prepared. Suppose you’ll have to take a seat for a few centuries.”

“Oh, but we have coins,” Percy assured as he retrieved a handful of drachma he got from Crusty’s stash out of his pocket and set them on the desk.

“Well now…” Charon grinned and licked his lips. “Real drachmas. Real golden drachmas. I haven’t seen these in…” His hands hovered over the coins greedily before he froze, looking at Percy with a glare, his eyes boring a hole through his chest. “Here now… you couldn’t read my name correctly. Are you dyslexic, lad?”

“No. I’m dead.” Percy said nervously.

Charon just leaned forward and took a deep sniff of the group. “You’re not dead. I should’ve known. You’re godlings.”

Applejack sighed as she adjusted her hat. “Ya got us; we’re half-bloods. But ya gotta let us through; we have to get to the Underworld.”

Charon just let out a deep growl as every spirit in the waiting room got up and started staggering around in agitation. “Leave while you can,” Charon said angrily. “I’ll just take these and forget I saw you.”

Percy quickly snatched the coins back before Charon could grab them. “No service, no tip,” Charon growled again – this time deeper and angrier – as the dead spirits started pounding on the elevator door, frightening the girls – especially Fluttershy.

Rarity quickly understood what Percy was going for here as she snatched the bag he took from Crusty’s and held it up, taking another fistful of drachmas from the bag and letting it spill through her fingers. “A shame, really. We had so much more to offer.” She batted her eyes as her pony ears twitched.

Charon’s growl turned into something more like a lion’s purr. “You think I can be bought, godling?” he sneered before raising an eyebrow. “Eh… just out of curiosity, how much have you got there?”

“Oh, quite a few, Darling.” Rarity smiled tellingly. “I’m sure Hades doesn’t pay you well enough for such hard work.”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it.” Charon agreed. “How would you like to babysit these spirits all day? Always ‘Please don’t let me be dead’ or ‘Please let me across for free’. I haven’t had a pay raise in three thousand years. Do you imagine suits like this come cheap?”

“Oh, far from it, Darling. Believe me; I know exactly how much work and pay goes into this sort of fine garb.” Rarity assured. “You certainly deserve better. A little appreciation. Respect. Good pay.” With every word, Percy added another gold coin to the stack on the counter.

Charon smiled and glanced down at his silk Italian jacket as if imagining himself in something better. Rarity had her eyes on the jacket as well, as though she was planning out how to make him something better. “I must say, godlings; you’re making some sense now. Just a little.”

Percy smiled as he stacked another few coins. “I’m sure we could mention a pay raise while we’re talking to Hades.”

Chiron just sighed. “The boat’s almost full anyway. I might as well add you lot and be off.” He stood, scooped up the coins, and stepped away. “Come along.” He led the group to the elevator, pushing through the crowd of waiting spirits who started grabbing at the group’s clothes like wind, whispering things none of them could make out. Charon just shoved them all aside and grumbled about them being freeloaders.

The elevator was already crowded with dead souls as the group was escorted on, each ghost holding a green boarding pass. Charon kicked two spirits who were trying to fight their way aboard back into the lobby. “Right. Now, no one get any ideas while I’m gone,” he threatened to the ghosts in the waiting room. “And if anyone moves the dial off my easy-listening station again, I’ll make sure you’re here for another thousand years. Understand?” He didn’t wait for an answer before the doors closed and he retrieved a key card from his belt, sliding it into the elevator panel, sending it down.

“What happens to the spirits waiting in the lobby?” Annabeth asked.

“Nothing.” Charon shrugged.

“For how long?” asked Twilight.

“Forever. Or until I’m feeling generous.”

“Which Ah’m guessin’ – respectfully – don’t happen very often,” Applejack remarked bluntly. Charon just glared back at her.

“Well… that’s… fair,” Annabeth said nervously.

Charon raised an eyebrow. “Whoever said death was fair, young miss? Wait until it’s your turn. You’ll die soon enough, where you’re going.”

“We’ll get out alive.” Percy countered.

“Ha.” Charon just chuckled mirthlessly as the elevator suddenly shifted, alarming the group. They weren’t going down anymore – they were going forward. The air turned misty as spirits around the group started changing shape, their modern clothes flickering into gray hooded robes as the floor started swaying.

Out of nowhere, the girls saw that Charon’s creamy Italian suit had vanished and in its place was a long grim black cloak. And where his eyes should’ve been behind his glasses, now there were only empty sockets – almost like Ares’s eyes, but completely dark filled with death and despair.

The grim man saw them looking and glared. “What?”

“Nothing. Nothing.” Twilight said quickly as she looked away.

Rainbow dared herself to look and immediately regretted it as what she initially thought was a grin was just the flesh of his face turning transparent, letting her see straight through to his skull. “Gross,” she said to herself as she looked off to the side as the elevator kept swaying.

Spike hopped out of Twilight’s bag and groaned as he tromped to the side with Grover. “Ugh, I think I’m getting seasick.” the satyr groaned, his face turning green.

“You an’ me both, pardner.” Applejack agreed as she stumbled to the railing… of a large wooden barge. Applejack was a bit surprised by the change, just as she was surprised by the river Charon was poling them down now; oily and dark, swirling with bones, dead fish, and other… stranger things; dolls, crushed flowers, and soggy diplomas. “What is this place?”

“The River Styx…” Annabeth murmured in response. “It’s so…”

“Polluted,” Charon said simply. “For thousands of years, you humans have been throwing in everything as you come across – hopes, dreams, wishes that never came true. Irresponsible waste management, if you ask me.”

“How can you say that? People wouldn’t bring those things with them if they didn’t mean anything.” Twilight said seriously as she looked down at the junk in the river. “I mean look at this.” She reached down to grab something but her hand was held back by Charon’s pole.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he advised. “You get too involved in lost aspirations; you’ll likely drown in them. Plenty of mortals have done that over the last few thousand years as well.” Twilight didn’t want to look away from it but knew Charon offered good advice about his river, so she pulled her hand back as mist curled from the filthy water. A jagged ceiling of stalactites hung high above the river in the gloom as the group’s eyes were drawn to the far shore glimmering with poison-green light.

Fluttershy was doing her hardest not to freak out and was clearly failing as she looked around in fright, which was clearly mirrored by Percy as he looked around in fear, realizing his own surroundings. Rainbow Dash set a comforting hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder as Annabeth gripped Percy’s hand, clearly after reassurance that someone else was alive on this cruise to the Land of the Dead. Percy muttered a quiet prayer, but he wasn’t sure who to – only one god mattered down here, and it was the one they were about to meet.

The craggy black sands of the Underworld’s shoreline stretched off into the distance as the group looked up, the massive black stone wall ahead of the group stretching further than anyone could see. A massive angry howl bellowed from rather nearby in the gloom – like a big, angry animal. “Wh-wh-what was that?” Spike stammered.

Charon just chuckled grimly, his smile turning skeletal in the greenish light of the mist. “Old Three-Face is hungry. Bad luck for you, godlings,” he said as the boat stopped on the beach, letting the shades off… and letting the girls get a very depressing view of what death was like for those who were dead. “I’d wish you luck, mates, but there isn’t any down here.”

“Say it anyway; we’ll take all the luck we can get,” Applejack said nervously as the group walked up onto the beach.

“You’ll need it.” Charon nodded as he counted out the drachmas the group had handed over. “Mind you, don’t forget to mention my pay raise.” With that, he warbled some sort of melody and sailed the empty barge back across the river.

Once he was gone, the group looked around. “Well… no turning back now,” Twilight said grimly.

“Ain’t that the truth.” Applejack nodded as they walked carefully after the spirits down the well-worn path.

“…Okay… all those who were expecting something else, say aye,” Rainbow said aloud.

“Aye.” everyone but Annabeth and Grover nodded. For some reason, the entrance to the Underworld looked like a mix between an airport security area and a highway turnpike with three different entrances under a large black arch that read YOU ARE NOW ENTERING EREBUS. Each entrance had what looked like a walk-through metal detector and security cameras, followed by toll booths guarded by black-robed ghouls like Charon.

The howling was loud but no one could see its source. “I don’t understand. I thought Cerberus was supposed to be guarding the Underworld. That’s what he does in Equestria.” Twilight asked.

“Don’t worry; I have a feeling we’ll see him soon.” Annabeth pointed out.

“Why shouldn’t that make us worry?” Applejack asked seriously… especially as she looked and saw the dead all queued up in three lines, two marked ATTENDANT ON DUTY and one marked EZ DEATH… the latter of which was moving right along while the other two were crawling.

“What do you figure?” Percy asked Annabeth.

“The fast line must go straight to the Asphodel Fields,” she remarked. “No contest; they don’t want to risk judgment from the court, because it might go against them.”

“You’re kidding me. There’s a court for dead people?” Rainbow asked in annoyance.

“Yeah. Three judges.” Annabeth explained. “They switch around who sits on the bench. King Minos, Thomas Jefferson, Shakespeare – y’know, people like that. Sometimes they look at a life and decide that person needs a special reward – those people get sent to the Fields of Elysium. Sometimes they decide on punishment. But most people, well, they just lived.”

“What happens to them?” asked Fluttershy.

“Mm, nothing special; good or bad.” Annabeth shrugged. “So they go to the Asphodel Fields.”

“And do what?” Percy asked.

“Imagine standing in a wheat field in Kansas. Forever.” Grover answered.

“Harsh,” Percy noted.

“Not as harsh as that. Look.” Grover muttered, pointing to a few guard ghouls who had pulled one spirit aside and were searching him at the security desk. “He’s that preacher who made the news, remember?”

“Oh yeah.” Percy nodded. The girls remembered him too – some sort of televangelist from upstate New York they’d seen on TV at Yancy who had apparently raised millions for orphanages, but then got caught blowing the money on his own comfort: gold-plated toilet seats and an indoor mini-golf course for his mansion who had died in a police chase when his car went off a cliff.

“Guessing he’s not gonna get off easy while he’s here, huh?” Rainbow asked.

“Good guess. Probably special punishment from Hades himself.” Annabeth nodded. “The really bad people get his personal attention as soon as they arrive. The Fur- the Kindly Ones will set up a personal eternal torture for him.”

“Yikes,” Spike remarked – just the thought of getting special attention from Mrs. Dodds and her sisters was enough to freak him out.

Pinkie froze as her knee started twitching. “Uh-oh; pinchy knee. Pinchy knee!”

“Say wha?” asked Grover.

“It’s her Pinkie Sense; no time to go into it in-depth right now,” Twilight explained. “Suffice it to say that when her knee gets pinchy, something scary is about to happen.”

“We’re in the Underworld; you’re gonna have to be a little more specific than that,” Annabeth remarked.

“I had a bad thought – we’re on the Kindly Ones’s home turf.” Pinkie pointed out.

Percy froze at the thought of that, probably imagining Mrs. Dodds – or whatever her real name was – licking her chops in anticipation of when she got her hands on him. Quickly deciding to change the subject, he looked back at the preacher. “But if he’s a preacher and he believes in a different hell…”

“Who says he’s seeing this place the way we’re seeing it?” Grover shrugged. “Humans see what they want to see. You’re very stubborn- er, persistent that way.”

“I heard that,” Rainbow remarked as they approached the gates. The massive baying howls were getting louder, but they still couldn’t figure out where it was coming from… until they saw it about fifty feet in front of them where the green fog parted just where the path split… revealing a truly massive beast.

“Oh, Sweet Suffering Celestia…” Rarity said in fear – the beast was half-transparent just like the spirits of the dead and appeared to blend in with what was behind it until it moved, only its eyes and massive teeth looking solid. And it was staring straight at the group.

“He’s a Rottweiler.” Percy gasped, clearly unable to think of anything else to say.

The girls could understand his surprise; in Equestria, Cerberus looked more like a bulldog, as opposed to the double-mammoth-sized three-headed mostly invisible purebred Rottweiler before them.

The ghosts just walked right past the beast without any fear as the attendant on duty lines parted on either side of him. The EZ Death line walked right between the beast’s forepaws and under his massive belly without even crouching.

“I’m starting to see him better. Why is that?” Percy asked.

“I think…” Annabeth wet her lips nervously. “I’m afraid it’s because we’re getting closer to being dead.”

“Can we… please not talk about that stuff? It’s freaking me out enough as it is just being here.” Fluttershy shuddered.

The freakout got worse as Cerberus’s middle head reared down toward the group, sniffing deeply and growling. “It can smell the living,” Percy said breathlessly.

“But that’s okay,” Grover said nervously, quite obviously trembling. “Because we’ve got a plan.”

“Right,” Annabeth said in a very small tone. “A plan.”

“Remind me again; what part of the plan was supposed to get us past him?” Applejack asked seriously as she pointed up at Cerberus… right as his middle head snarled at the group and barked loud enough to rattle their eyes.

Twilight looked over at Grover, Fluttershy, and Spike. “Can you understand him?”

“Oh yeah, we understand him alright.” Spike remarked bitterly.

“What’s he saying?” Rainbow asked.

“I don’t think humans have a four-letter word that translates, exactly.” Grover sneered, telling the group everything they needed to know.

Percy took that as his sign to reach for his backpack and retrieve a big stick – a bedpost he’d broken from the Safari Deluxe floor model at Crusty’s – as he channeled happy dog thoughts and smiled like he wasn’t about to die. “Hey, big fella. I bet they don’t play with you much.” he grinned nervously, only for Cerberus to snarl in his face menacingly. “Good boy.”

The girls nervously watched as they saw Cerberus’s middle head follow the movement as Percy waved the stick in front of him, the eyes of the other two heads also following the movement, completely ignoring the spirits passing under his body – Percy now had Cerberus’s full and undivided attention, and he wasn’t entirely sure that was a good thing. “Fetch!” Percy yelled as he tossed the stick out into the gloom… where it splashed straight into the River Styx.

Cerberus glared down at Percy and the group disapprovingly. “Please tell me that wasn’t the entire plan you just threw away,” Rainbow said seriously, but the lack of a response was all she needed as Cerberus growled from deep in his three throats.

“Uh… guys?” Grover shuddered.

“Yeah?” Percy asked.

“I just thought you’d want to know.”

“Yeah?”

“Cerberus? He’s saying we’ve got ten seconds to pray to the god of our choice. After that… well… he’s hungry.”

“Why would we want to know that?” Rarity asked seriously.

“Wait-wait-wait.” Twilight said quickly as she pulled Pinkie aside and started whispering to her.

“Five seconds.” Grover pointed out. “Do we run now?”

“Y-Yes please.” Fluttershy stammered nervously.

“I’ve got you covered, Twilight. You know I’m always prepared for this sort of thing.” Pinkie smiled as she quickly reached into Annabeth’s hair.

“Wha- hey!” she yelled in annoyance… right before Pinkie pulled a bright red rubber ball the size of a watermelon out of her hair and handed it to Twilight, which surprised the child of Athena to no end. “Uh… what?”

“Don’t ask.” The other Equestrians pointed out as Twilight stepped forward with the ball.

“Hey, Cerberus! ♪ Look what I have!♪” Twilight smiled as she waved the ball at Cerberus, walking toward him with all the guts of someone who had done this before… which she had… in this exact situation. “You see the ball? You want the ball? Sit for it, boy.” Cerberus looked just as surprised by this turn of events as the half-bloods, but her friends knew what was going on.

All three of Cerberus’s heads turned sideways as he looked at Twilight, six nostrils flaring. Annabeth suddenly stepped forward and looked up at Cerberus with a firm gaze. “Sit!” she called up to the dog. Percy looked at the two daughters of Athena like they were about to become the world’s biggest dog biscuits.

But instead, Cerberus just licked his chops and sat on his haunches, immediately crushing about a dozen spirits who had been passing underneath him which let out muffled hisses of anger as they dissipated. “Good boy!” Annabeth smiled and signaled for Twilight to throw the ball. She did and Cerberus’s middle head caught it. It was barely big enough for him to chew on, and the other heads started snapping at the middle, trying to get the new toy. “Drop it!” Annabeth ordered.

Cerberus gave her his undivided attention and gave a loud whimper, scraping the ball out from between two of his teeth, now slimy from slobber and bitten almost in half as it landed at Annabeth’s feet. “Good boy!” she smiled and picked it up, trying to ignore the slobber as she quickly turned to the others. “Go now. EZ Death line – it’s faster.”

“But-”

“Now!” Annabeth stopped Percy firmly, using the same tone as with Cerberus. None of the group argued with her and all inched their way forward, ignoring Cerberus as he started to growl. “Stay! If you want the ball, stay!” Cerberus whimpered sadly as he stayed where he stood.

“You got this?” Rainbow asked quietly as she and Percy passed Annabeth.

“I know what I’m doing,” Annabeth muttered. “At least, I’m pretty sure…” That didn’t inspire confidence, so the group kept moving and all came to the same conclusion that Cerberus wasn’t any less scary-looking from the back. “Good dog!” The group looked and saw Annabeth holding up the tattered red ball, having clearly come to a conclusion of her own – if she rewarded Cerberus this time, there’d probably be nothing left for another trick. She threw it anyway and the ball was caught by the left mouth, the middle quickly tackling it in protest as the right moaned in irritation. While the monster was distracted, Annabeth briskly walked to join the others at the metal detector.

“How did you do that?” Percy asked in amazement.

“Obedience school,” Annabeth answered breathlessly, surprising Percy with the tears in her eyes. “When I was little, at my dad’s house, we had a Doberman…”

“Less talk, more walk,” Applejack said swiftly as she goaded the group on.

They were just about to bolt through the line when Cerberus moaned rather pitifully from all three mouths and Annabeth froze in response. The others stopped and looked along with her as they saw Cerberus had done a 180 to look at them, panting expectantly with the tiny red ball in shreds at his feet in a puddle of drool.

“Good boy,” Annabeth said, her voice sounding more melancholy and uncertain than anything as Cerberus turned his heads to look at her almost worried. “I’ll bring you another ball soon. Would you like that?” Cerberus just whimpered, clearly still waiting for the ball. “Good boy. I’ll come visit you soon. I- I promise.” Quickly she turned on her heel and pushed the others to move. “Let’s go.”

Fluttershy could tell Annabeth was upset, so she flapped her wing over her shoulder to try and comfort her as Percy and Grover walked through the metal detector… which immediately screamed with an alarm and flashing red lights. “Unauthorized possessions! Magic detected!” it bellowed as Cerberus started barking.

“RUN!” Spike yelled and charged ahead first with the others close behind him as they ran into the Underworld.

A few minutes later, they were deep in the deserted lands, hiding in the rotted trunk of a black tree as security ghouls scuttled past, yelling for backup from the Furies. “Well, Percy, what have we learned today?” Grover asked sarcastically.

“That three-headed dogs prefer red rubber balls over sticks?” Percy asked.

“No. We’ve learned that your plans really, really bite!” Grover countered, earning a giggle from Pinkie.

“Well, I don’t know about that. I mean, my plan was basically the same as his. Conceptually, anyway.” Twilight pointed out.

“I think it just goes to show; even in the Underworld, animals need attention.” Fluttershy agreed.

“I’m just glad Annabeth caught on as quickly as she did,” Twilight added, turning to the blonde… who wiped a tear clear of her eye as she heard Cerberus keening in the distance. Quickly clearing her throat, she smiled at Pinkie who was still giggling at the joke she thought Grover had made. “Not that it would’ve worked anyway if Pinkie hadn’t come through with that ball.”

Annabeth quickly snapped from her weeping as she looked at Pinkie. “Y- Yeah, how did you get that ball anyway?” she asked.

“I have balls stashed everywhere I might need one. In case of ball emergencies.” Pinkie smiled.

“Well, I’d say this qualified,” Percy remarked with a good-natured chuckle.

“Yeah, but… in my hair?” Annabeth asked.

“That’s not even the weirdest place she’s stashed something,” Rainbow assured. “And before you ask, trust me; you don’t wanna know.”

“Yes, please refrain from bringing that up, Darling.” Rarity said seriously, her rolling eyes landing on Annabeth… and her eye turning red a bit. “Oh dear. My, this looks horrendous, Annabeth. I don’t care if he wants us dead; I refuse to allow you to appear before a king in such a state.”

Annabeth grinned weakly as she rubbed her eye. “Thanks Rarity. Just gimme a minute; I’ll be fine.”

“Nonsense; we’re moving quickly. We’ll have to do something quickly.” Rarity insisted.

“Don’t worry, Rarity.” Pinkie smiled, reaching down Grover’s shirt. “I have eyepatches stashed everywhere. In case of eyepatch emergencies.” Sure enough, she retrieved a black eyepatch from out of Grover’s shirt, somehow showing no signs of any hair on it as she stretched it out and snapped it over Annabeth’s eye.

“Ow!” she said in pain from the snap. “How did you even…?” She was interrupted by the group giggling a bit at the sight.

“Well, it’s sub-ideal, but given the circumstances, I suppose it could be worse.” Rarity shrugged.

“What are you talking about? I think it’s an improvement.” Percy chuckled.

Annabeth looked at him in annoyance until Rarity handed her a hand mirror, at which point she saw herself with the eyepatch… and couldn’t help giggling; she looked like the most non-threatening kid pirate anyone had ever seen.

As she and the group laughed, Pinkie was suddenly enveloped by a light blue aura of energy, her hair extending like that of her friends as her ears shifted into pale pink pony ears on top of her head, and a gold necklace appeared at her neck, a light blue balloon-shaped gem forming at her collar bone. “Yippee! My Element’s back too!” she cheered happily.

“Four down, two to go.” Applejack smiled as she looked over at Twilight.

“Let’s hope we can get them before the end of this quest,” Twilight noted.

“Only one way to find out. The coast is clear; let’s go.” Spike smiled and led the group further onward… deeper into the Underworld.

The Truth... Sort Of

It was an odd view – a massive field of well-trodden black grass and poplar trees swarming with what must have been millions upon millions of dead souls, all under a cavern ceiling so vaulted and high that – aside from the occasional massive stalactite – it looked like a gigantic storm was hanging over the field, a breeze like the breath of a swamp blowing across the area. This was the group's view as they entered the Fields of Asphodel, staggering through the fields as they tried to blend in, keeping an eye out for security ghouls. Percy tried looking around for familiar faces among the crowds of the dead, but their faces just… shimmered, all looking around with the same sort of angry and confused expression, and their voices were incomprehensible – sounding more like twittering bats than anything else. Then they just moved away when they realized no one understood them.

They weren’t scary – just sad.

The kids did their best to keep their heads down as they followed the line of newly arrived souls toward a black-tented pavilion. The banner above it read “Judgments for Elysium and Eterna Damnation. Welcome, Newly Deceased!”, and out the back of the tent snaked two much smaller lines.

The one on the left was flanked by security ghouls leading down a rocky path toward a massive smoldering wasteland of lava rivers and minefields and mile after mile of barbed wire separating the various torture areas – people chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus fields, forced to listen to opera music, and off in the distance, Percy could just make out a hill where Sisyphus struggled to move his boulder to the top. And there were worse tortures than that – things that made the girls sick to their stomachs to the point where they didn’t dare describe them.

The line on the right was far better, leading down to what looked like a gated community that seemed like the only truly happy part of the Underworld – magnificent houses from every period in history, silver and gold flowers in bloom, and lawns rippling in the colors of the rainbow with laughter and the smell of barbecue coming from the gates. This was clearly Elysium and the girls could barely draw their attention away from it… until they saw what lay in the center of the valley – a glittering blue lake with three small islands like a vacation resort. Twilight recognized this place from her readings as the Isles of the Blest – the place for people who’d chosen rebirth three times over and achieved Elysium every time… and it seemed like Heaven for the girls.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Annabeth said, as if she were reading the group’s minds. “That’s the place for heroes.”

The group was pleased by that ideal, but then they saw how small Elysium was compared to Asphodel or even the Fields of Punishment. It must have been a metric for how few people did good in their lives in this world. “That’s depressing.” Rainbow mused aloud.

They did their best not to think about it as they moved through the judgment pavilion and deeper into the Fields of Asphodel. The light grew weaker, the color faded from the group’s clothes – which Rarity was especially bitter about and said as much – and the crowds of chattering souls began to thin.

After a few more miles of hiking, the feathers on Rainbow and Fluttershy’s wings stood on end as the group heard a familiar shriek in the distance. Looking toward its source, the group saw a massive palace of glittering black obsidian on the horizon… or whatever counted as the horizon in the Underworld. And above the parapets were the Furies, circling like vultures as if they were waiting for the kids.

“Have I mentioned how I hate it when you’re right, Pinkie?” Rainbow asked in worry.

“Yep.” Pinkie nodded, equally scared.

“I suppose it’s too late to turn back,” Grover said wistfully.

“Ya think?” Applejack asked sarcastically.

“We’ll be okay.” Percy’s attempt at feigning confidence didn’t exactly help matters.

“Maybe we should search some of the other places first,” Grover suggested nervously, quietly moving to the right. “Like Elysium, for instance…”

“G-Good idea.” Fluttershy nodded and staggered after him.

“Ah-ah-ah, no you don’t.” Rainbow countered and grabbed Fluttershy’s shoulder.

“Come on, goat boy.” Annabeth agreed as she grabbed Grover’s arm, making him yelp… as his sneakers suddenly sprouted wings and dragged him forward away from Annabeth, landing him flat on his back in the black grass. “Grover, stop messing around.”

“But I didn’t-” Grover couldn’t finish that sentence as he was suddenly dragged away by his shoes as if they were possessed. “Maia!” Nothing. “Maia, already! 911! Help!”

The others shook off their shock and Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “I got him!” she said and quickly raced after the satyr, grabbing him by his shoulders and flapping her wings hard to try and hold him back, but it was an uphill battle as the others raced to catch up – the shoes were a lot stronger than they looked.

“Untie the shoes!” Annabeth called.

“Working on it!” Rainbow yelled as she tried to reach for Grover’s feet but ended up losing her grip as Grover shot further onward, zipping between the legs of annoyed spirits.

For a minute, it almost looked like Grover was going to barrel straight through the gates of Hades’ palace, but the shoes veered hard to the right at the last minute and dragged him in the opposite direction. The slope grew steeper and the grass gave way to bare stone as the walls closed in, much to Rainbow’s annoyance. “I can’t get any speed up!” she called to the others as she continued to race after Grover, the others close behind.

“Grover! Hold onto something!” Percy yelled, his voice echoing in the tunnel.

“What?!” Grover called, grabbing at the ground but the gravel wasn’t anywhere near big enough to slow him down.

As they ran, the tunnel grew colder and darker as the hairs on all the kids’ arms bristled at the smell ahead of them – it smelled like… evil. It made Twilight and her friends think of things they hadn’t thought about in a long time – Lord Tirek, King Sombra, the Pony of Shadows that possessed Stygian, even the legendary evil that was Grogar. Then when they saw what was ahead, Percy froze in his tracks which startled Rarity and Fluttershy into doing the same… and they could easily see why.

Just ahead, the tunnel widened into a huge pitch-black chasm, and in the center was a chasm the size of a city block… toward which Grover was sliding at a breakneck speed.

“Come on, Percy!” Annabeth yelled as she tugged on his wrist.

“But that’s-”

“I know!” Annabeth yelled. “The place you described in your dream! But Grover’s going to fall if we don’t catch him!” That was what got Percy moving again, along with the other two girls.

Grover was screaming in fear as he scrabbled at the ground, the shoes dragging him further and further toward the edge. Rainbow leaped and just barely managed to grab his wrists before he went over, her wings flapping madly as she tried to pull them both back. Finally, Rainbow grinned at the sight of the shoes – they had been a loose fit in Grover’s hooves this entire quest and finally, Rainbow stumbled on a rock and Grover’s left shoe flew off into the darkness of the chasm. The dragging was much slower now with only one shoe, and it gave Applejack a chance to jump and grab Rainbow’s waist, the sudden stop shaking the right shoe from Grover’s other hoof. Grover was ten feet from the edge at this point and as the group dragged him back onto the slope, the shoe flew around and kicked them all in the heads until Rainbow Dash scared it off with an annoyed flap of her wings, at which point it flew into the chasm after its twin.

After that hair-raising experience, they all dropped into the obsidian gravel of the cavern floor in exhaustion with all their gear seeming heavier. Grover was scuffed up the worst of them all – bleeding from the hands and goat-style slit-eyes like every time he got terrified. “I don’t know how…” he panted. “I didn’t…”

“Wait… listen…” Percy said quietly. The others were confused; they didn’t hear anything.

“Percy, this place-”

“Shh!” Percy hissed, interrupting Annabeth as he listened. Now the girls could hear it on just the edge of their senses – the sound of raspy whispering echoing from the pit.

“Wh- what’s that noise?” Grover stammered.

“What is this place?” Fluttershy shuddered in fear.

“Tartarus.” Annabeth gasped breathlessly. “The entrance to Tartarus.”

Immediately, Percy uncapped his sword, the bronze blade glimmering in the darkness and making the evil voice seem to falter. But it only lasted for a moment before the chant resumed, quieter… and in a language that sounded ancient, far older than Greek. “Magic,” Percy said quietly.

“Not like any I’ve felt before,” Twilight noted.

“We have to get out of here.” Annabeth insisted.

No one argued with that as Applejack and Rainbow pulled Grover back to his hooves, the whole group starting back up the tunnel. Percy seemed to be struggling as if he was weighted down by something, but Rarity and Fluttershy quickly stepped next to him to help. The voice behind them grew louder and angrier, prompting them all to break into a run as a cold blast of wind pulled at their backs as if the pit itself was inhaling. For half a second, Percy lost his footing and slipped into the gravel before Rarity grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her side – none of them had any doubt that if they’d been any closer to the pit, they all would’ve been sucked in.

They struggled onward against the wind before they finally returned to the Fields of Asphodel, the wind dying in a wail of outrage from the tunnel as if whatever was in the pit was displeased that they’d escaped.

The group all collapsed against a large poplar tree in exhausted terror. “What was that?” Grover panted. “One of Hades’s pets?”

“Naw. I get the feelin’ it’s a lot worse than that.” Applejack pointed out.

Twilight, Percy, and Annabeth all looked at each other – it was clear Annabeth was nursing an idea; probably the same one she’d gotten in the cab, but was too scared to share it… which was more than enough to scare the others. Percy capped his sword and slipped it back into his pocket. “Let’s keep going.” he insisted.

“Right.” Rainbow nodded as she helped Grover up. “Can you walk?”

Grover swallowed nervously. “Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes anyway.” The girls could tell he was trying to sound brave about it, but he was trembling just as much as the rest of the team.

“I think it’s quite clear that whatever is within that pit is no one’s ‘pet’.” Rarity whispered to her friends as they fell slightly behind Percy and the others. “Least of all anything belonging to Hades; it’s far too old for that.”

“No kidding. Not even Echidna made me feel like that.” Twilight pointed out.

“I think we’re missing a big point here,” Rainbow remarked. “Those were the shoes Luke gave us. And they went down there pretty intentionally.”

“You’re not suggesting Luke wanted that to happen?” Rarity asked, almost offended that Rainbow would make such an accusation of their friend.

“No way; not Luke,” Rainbow assured. “But someone at Camp started this whole thing when they stole the Bolt and framed Percy. So I dunno; maybe whoever it is got their hands on the shoes and put a spell on them.”

“I’m not convinced. The way Luke asked if Percy was wearing the shoes?” Pinkie reminded. “I still don’t trust that smile.”

The girls were nervous about that – as much as they wanted to doubt it, the evidence did seem to be stacked against Luke, but Spike stepped in as the voice of reason. “I think you’re forgetting something. Luke’s Hermes’s kid, remember? God of Pranks?”

“Yeah, but… sending Percy flying into Tartarus?” Rainbow asked seriously. “I mean, even I know that’s a stupid idea for a prank. You really think I’d pull something like that?” Applejack just raised an eyebrow at her as if wordlessly reminding her of her attempted ‘rainbow mouth’ prank, which Rainbow narrowed her eyes at in response. “Hey, that’s apples and oranges. Besides, you guys all turned that around on me, remember?”

“I’m just glad you do.” Twilight pointed out, ignoring the annoyed look Rainbow shot her as she thought. “But I guess you’re onto something; whoever set up that prank could’ve meant for the shoes to stop before they got too far into Tartarus. But still, even for a prank, that feels kind of excessive.”

“Perhaps we should save all this theorizing for later.” Rarity remarked as they kept walking. “I for one am simply glad we’re leaving that ghastly abyss behind us.”

Twilight glanced over her shoulder and looked back at the tunnel down to Tartarus, the dark voice still echoing in her mind. “I wish I could say the same.” she thought nervously.

The sight of the Furies circling the parapets was more than enough to scare the group as they approached the gates of Hades’s palace, the glittering black outer walls and the two-story bronze gates only adding to the fear, despite how they stood open. And the engravings on the gates weren’t very pleasant – images of war, famine, and death in the worst way, all etched into the bronze thousands of years ago as if they were prophecies that had all come true. The girls did their best not to think about that as they continued through the gates.

Inside the wall was the most bizarre garden the girls had ever seen – multicolored mushrooms, poisonous shrubs, and strange luminous plants that grew without sunlight. But what really grabbed Rarity and Spike’s attention (for reasonably different reasons) were the jewels in place of flowers – piles of rubies the size of fists, clumps of raw diamond, and more. Annabeth could clearly see the greed on Rarity’s face as she looked at the piles of gems. “Do you really want to steal from Hades?” That blunt question was enough for Rarity to immediately step back from the gems, adjusting her overshirt nervously.

“Don’t be absurd, darling.” Rarity lied obviously. “I was merely… admiring the king’s collection.”

It was clear as glass that she was lying, and Annabeth said as much as they kept walking. “Uh-huh.”

What stuck out more was the collection of Medusa’s statues scattered here and there – petrified children, satyrs, and centaurs, all with grotesque smiles on their faces that made Pinkie Pie recoil in disgust.

In the center of the garden stood an orchard of pomegranate trees, their orange blossoms almost glowing neon bright in the gloom. “The garden of Persephone,” Annabeth said as she walked swiftly onward. “Keep moving.” Her haste was understandable – the tart smell of the pomegranates was hard to resist, but the group remembered the story of Persephone and how if they ate any food from the Underworld, they’d be condemned to stay, so they pressed on… right after Percy literally dragged Grover away from the trees before he picked a big juicy one.

They walked up the stairs between black columns and through the door into the House of Hades. The entry hall’s polished bronze floor seemed to boil in the reflected torchlight and the only ceiling was the cavern roof miles above. Every side doorway was guarded by skeletons in military gear from different points in history. None of them bothered the group, but their empty eye sockets followed them as they walked toward the door at the far end of the hall, terrifying Fluttershy as she shuddered between Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

Two more skeletons in more modern military uniforms guarded the door with RPGs across their chests as they grinned… surprising for beings without lips. “You know,” Grover mumbled. “I bet Hades doesn’t have trouble with door-to-door shoppers.” Pinkie giggled a bit at that, but no one else did.

“Really don’t think now’s the time,” Twilight whispered before she noticed Percy shifting his arms uncomfortably as if his backpack was too heavy for him all of a sudden.

“Well, guys,” he said nervously. “I guess we should… knock?”

“Be my guest,” Rainbow remarked.

That was when a hot wind blew down the hall, the doors swinging open as the guards stepped aside. “I guess that means Entrez-vous,” Annabeth remarked.

The group was nervous as they entered the throne room – it was just like how Percy had described it in his dream, except this time Hades’s throne was occupied. Out of all three gods they’d met so far, he was really the only one that struck the girls as god-like.

Hades was at least ten feet tall and dressed in black silk robes with a crown of braided gold upon his brow. His skin was paler than Rarity, his shoulder-length hair was jet black, and while he was nowhere near as bulked up as Ares, he still radiated power as he lounged on a throne of fused human bones, looking lithe, graceful, and as dangerous as a panther.

For a second, all the girls immediately felt like kowtowing to Hades as their master before they snapped themselves out of it, realizing that it was simply his aura – far more powerful than that of Tirek, King Sombra, or any of the other tyrants they’d faced all put together.

“You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon,” Hades said in an oily voice. “After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. And with a small army at your back, no less. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish.”

Everyone felt numb and Fluttershy almost laid down drowsily before Rainbow grabbed her shoulder, shaking her awake. “Hey, don’t even think about it, Fluttershy,” she whispered. “You fall asleep here, you might not wake up.” It was clear she was fighting the same feeling as Fluttershy was experiencing, along with all the others.

Percy shook it off as best he could as he stepped forward. “Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests,” he said firmly.

Hades simply raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, his robes shifting with what looked like shadowy faces as if his entire garment were stitched together with anguished souls from the Fields of Punishment, the concept of which very nearly made Rarity want to puke. “Only two requests?” he asked bitterly. “Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet.”

Percy gulped in fear as if this was going exactly as predicted. Everyone’s eyes drifted to the smaller empty throne next to Hades’s – shaped like a black flower gilded in gold, clearly intended for his wife. “What I’d give for Persephone to be here right now,” Spike whispered in fear.

“You and me both.” Twilight nodded quietly. But they knew that was impossible – it was the middle of summer so Persephone wouldn’t be here for at least a few months until fall.

Annabeth cleared her throat quietly and poked Percy in the back, prompting him to get on with it. “Lord Hades,” he said. “Look, sir, there can’t be a war among the gods. It would be… bad.”

“Really bad,” Grover added helpfully.

“Understatement of the century,” Rainbow remarked.

Percy took a half-step forward as he continued. “Return Zeus’s Master Bolt to me. Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus.”

Hades’s eyes grew frighteningly bright. “You dare keep up this pretense, after what you have done?”

Percy glanced back at the others, but they were just as confused as he was. “Um… Uncle…” he said cautiously. “You keep saying ‘after what you’ve done’. What exactly have I done?”

The entire throne room shook with a massive tremor, alarming the group as rocks fell from the cavern ceiling and skeleton warriors from every era and nation in Western civilization marched into the throne room, lining the perimeter and blocking the doors. “Do you think I want war, godling?” Hades bellowed angrily.

“You certainly look prepared for it,” Rainbow remarked as she gestured to one of the skeletons… who then promptly pointed a spear at her as if that was the wrong answer. “Shutting up.”

“You are the Lord of the Dead,” Percy said carefully. “A war would expand your kingdom, right?”

“A typical thing for my brothers to say!” Hades said angrily. “Do you think I want more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields?”

“Well…”

“Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions I’ve had to open?” Percy opened his mouth to respond, but Hades just kept ranting – he was on a roll. “More security ghouls, traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!”

“Charon wants a pay raise,” Percy blurted.

“Wow. You really need to learn when to stop talking.” Pinkie didn’t really need to say that; the look Percy was getting from Hades said that just as clearly.

“Don’t get me started on Charon!” the god yelled. “He’s been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere and I’ve got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. No, godling. I need no help getting subjects. I did not ask for this war.”

“But you took Zeus’s Master Bolt.” Percy pointed out.

“Lies!” Hades bellowed loud enough to shake the cavern as he stood from his throne, towering high over the group. “Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan.”

“His plan?”

“You were the thief on the winter solstice,” Hades said. “Your father thought to keep your little secret. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus. You took the Master Bolt and my Helm. Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon’s thief, and I will have my helm back.”

“But-” Annabeth froze mid-sentence, her mind going a million miles an hour.

“Wait-wait-wait, back up.” Rainbow insisted as she flew up toward Hades’s face. “Did you just say your helmet was stolen too? And you think Percy did it?”

“Do not play innocent with me, Equestrian!” Hades bellowed, the force of his booming voice almost throwing Rainbow back. “You, your friends, the satyr; you have been helping this hero – coming here to threaten me in Poseidon’s name, no doubt – to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?”

“No!” Percy objected. “Poseidon didn’t- I didn’t-”

“I have said nothing of the Helm’s disappearance,” Hades snarled. “because I had no illusion that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you.”

“Wait, you didn’t? Then what was with-?” Twilight’s question was swiftly interrupted.

“Return my Helm now, or I will stop Death.” Hades threatened, confusing the girls for a second… before he elaborated. “That is my counterproposal. I will open the Earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson – your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades.” The skeletal guards all took one step forward, making their weapons ready to make a point.

Percy scowled up at his uncle – the girls knew that one thing he despised more than anything was being accused of something he didn’t do – he had a lot of experience with that. “You’re just as bad as Zeus,” he said firmly. “You think I stole from you? That’s why you sent the Furies after me?”

“Of course,” Hades remarked.

“And the other monsters?” Twilight asked.

Hades curled his lips and raised his hands innocently. “I had nothing to do with them,” he assured, looking back at Percy. “I wanted no quick death for you – I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment. Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?”

“That’s your definition of ‘easily’?” Rarity asked as she pointed back the way they’d come.

“Return my property!” Hades bellowed.

“Now you hold on just one apple-pickin’ minute!” Applejack insisted as she stepped forward and glared up at Hades, not even flinching at the weapons pointed at her. “I don’t know where you get off sayin’ Percy stole from ya, and to be quite honest with ya, I don’t care a fig! But we’ve been ridin’ with this feller ever since that little stunt at the museum and I for one can tell ya, my hand to Princess Celestia herself, that he didn’t have nothin’ to do with stealin’ from your or yer brother!” As soon as she’d finished this little tirade, Applejack was suddenly enveloped by an orange aura. Her ears shifted up to the top of her head in the form of orange pony ears – her hat reshaping to allow them to fit – as her hair extended into a longer ponytail and a gold necklace formed at her neck, an orange apple-shaped gem appearing at her collarbone. “And in case it ain’t clear, I ain’t lied since I got this Element the first time and I ain’t stoppin’ now. Percy ain’t got yer Helmet; we just came for the Master Bolt.”

“Which he already possesses!” Hades shouted, his voice shaking the cavern again. “You came here with it, little fool, thinking he could threaten me!”

“But I didn’t!” Percy insisted.

“Open your pack then!”

“All right, we will!” Rainbow yelled and swooped down to Percy – who was standing there as if dumbstruck – and grabbed the backpack off his shoulder… “Whoa!” …before being immediately dragged to the ground by the surprising weight of it. Shaking off the sudden pain as she stood up, she looked at the bag on the ground. “Jeez Percy, how have you been carrying this thing around this whole time? What’s even in here; a bowling ball?” She didn’t even wait for a response before she unzipped the bag and looked into it… her eyes suddenly going as wide as saucers as she saw what was inside. She glanced up at Hades, then over at her friends, then back into the backpack. “Well,” she said simply before quickly rezipping the backpack and stepping away from it. “This just got awkward.”

It took her friends less than a second to figure out what she meant by that, and they all went pale with confusion and fear. Percy staggered numbly over to the backpack and unzipped it. Inside was a two-foot-long cylinder of solid bronze, spiked on both ends and humming with energy. “Mm. Looks better than a curvy spike or an actual lightning bolt.” Pinkie shrugged quietly.

If anyone actually heard her say that, they didn’t think anything of it – they were all still dumbstruck by the sight of the Master Bolt in Percy’s backpack. “Percy… how-” Annabeth asked breathlessly.

“I… I don’t know.” Percy shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t understand.”

“You heroes are all the same.” Hades remarked. “Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus’s Master Bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now… my Helm. Where is it?”

“W- We don’t have it, I swear,” Applejack promised, but it was getting hard for her to believe her own words at this point – the others were speechless with all the same questions running through their minds; how did the Master Bolt get into Percy’s backpack? Who was setting up this war between the Big Three? Who was framing Percy?

Then Twilight realized something. “Wait a minute…” she said quietly. “Percy… this isn’t your backpack…”

Percy’s eyes went wide as he realized she was right. Immediately he stood up. “Lord Hades, wait,” he said quickly. “This is all a mistake.”

“A mistake?” Hades roared as the skeletons aimed their weapons. Then the Furies swooped down and perched on Hades’s throne. The one with Mrs. Dodds’s face grinned eagerly as she flicked her whip. “There is no mistake. I know why you have come – I know the real reason you brought the Bolt. You came to bargain for her.” He opened his hand and dropped a ball of golden fire, exploding on the dias in front of the group. And there, clear as day, just as she had been at the moment the Minotaur started to squeeze her to death, was his mother.

“Mrs. Jackson?” Twilight reacted in surprise as Percy reached out to his mom, but the light was as hot as a bonfire.

“Yes,” Hades grinned with satisfaction. “I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my Helm, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change.”

The girls could clearly see Percy considering it for half a second, but Rarity’s eyes immediately shot to Percy’s pocket – the pearls from his father; probably their best ticket out of this, as soon as they could get Percy’s mother free… “Ah, the pearls.” Everyone’s blood ran cold when Hades said that. “Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson.”

Percy’s hand moved against his will and dug the handful of pearls out of his pocket. “Only nine,” Twilight said in concern. Enough for the kids themselves as well as Spike if she fit him into her backpack, but when counting Percy’s mom… “We’re one short.”

“What a shame.” Hades grinned wickedly. “You do realize each only protects a single person.” He looked down at Percy with a cruel smile. “Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms.”

Percy looked around at his friends in worry as Spike scampered into Twilight’s backpack, everyone’s faces profoundly grim. “We were tricked,” Percy said. “Set up.”

“That much is rather obvious.” Rarity remarked.

“Yes, but why?” Annabeth asked. “And the voice in the pit-”

“I don’t know yet,” Percy said. “But I intend to ask.”

“Decide, boy!” Hades bellowed.

“Percy,” Grover said quickly, setting his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You can’t give him the Bolt.”

“I know that.” Percy nodded.

“Leave me here. Use the ninth pearl on your mom.”

“Wha- No!” Fluttershy insisted.

“I’m a satyr,” Grover argued. “We don’t have souls like humans do. He can torture me until I die, but he won’t get me forever. I’ll just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It’s the best way.”

“No,” Annabeth argued as she drew her knife. “You two go on. Grover, you have to protect Percy. You have to get your searcher’s license and start your quest for Pan. Get his mom out of here. I’ll cover you. I plan to go down fighting.”

“No way. I’m staying behind.”

“Think again, goat boy.”

“Stop it, both of you.” Percy insisted.

“He’s right. This is for him to decide; not any of us.” Twilight agreed. But it was clear it was a difficult decision, especially after everything the group had been through since they left Half-Blood Hill.

Finally, Percy sighed as he stood up. “I know what to do,” he said, holding out his hand. “Take these.” He handed each of his friends one pearl, which they looked at incredulously.

“But Percy…” Annabeth said.

Percy didn’t listen; he just turned to face his mother, frozen in gold. It was clear to the girls that he desperately wanted to sacrifice himself to allow his mother to return to the mortal realm, but they knew she wouldn’t approve of that. It reminded them of the prophecy from the Oracle. “You will fail to save what matters most in the end,” Twilight muttered quietly in remembrance.

“I’m sorry,” Percy said to his mother. “I’ll be back. I’ll find a way.”

Hades’ smug look faded immediately. “Godling…?” he asked in confusion.

“I’ll find your Helm, Uncle,” Percy promised. “I’ll return it. Remember about Charon’s pay raise.”

“Do not defy me-”

“And it wouldn’t hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls.”

“Percy Jackson, you will not-!”

“Now, guys!” On Percy’s order, everyone stomped the pearls at their feet… and for a very frightening moment, nothing happened.

“Wuh-oh,” Applejack said quickly.

“Destroy them!” Hades bellowed angrily. The skeleton army charged forward and the Furies leaped from their perch, their whips burst into flame.

Just before the attacks connected, the pearl fragments at the group’s feet exploded in a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind, encasing everyone in milky white spheres that started to float off the ground. Spears and bullets bounced harmlessly off the bubbles as they floated upward, Hades roaring with such mighty rage that the entire fortress shook, undoubtedly causing an incredible earthquake at the surface.

“Look up!” Unfortunately, the thought of the surface drew the group’s gaze upward… to the massive array of spiky stalactites in the cavern roof which the group was racing toward.

“Uh, now is a really bad time to become kebabs!” Rainbow remarked.

“How do you control these things?!” Annabeth shouted.

“I don’t think you do!” Percy shouted back.

“Looks like we’re going to be permanent residents after all.” Rarity said in fear, prompting a massive wave of screams as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and… Darkness.

For half a second, Twilight almost thought she was dead, but she still felt the racing sensation – they were still going upward, straight through the stone as easily as an air bubble in water. Then she remembered what the nereid had said when she gave them the pearls; “What belongs to the sea will always return to the sea.”

And such was the case here as the bubbles shot through the sea floor and upward to the surface of the ocean, each milky pearl safety bubble bursting with a mighty ker-blam! in the middle of the Santa Monica Bay, knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant “Dude!”

Rarity just rolled her eyes. “Sir, I am in no mood for this right now,” she remarked simply as the group swam toward a life buoy with Percy hauling Grover and Annabeth along with him.

Fluttershy squeaked in fear a bit as she saw a massive eleven-foot great white shark circling the group. “Beat it,” Percy said sternly – clearly in no mood for this – sending the shark swimming off as the surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled for his life away from the group.

As the group clung to the buoy, they all looked around. “Whew. What time is it?” Rainbow asked in exhaustion.

“Early morning, June 21st,” Percy said, not even surprised by how he somehow knew that.

“The day of the Summer Solstice,” Twilight nodded.

“Heck of a way to celebrate,” Applejack remarked as she pointed to the coast in the distance. The city was burning, plumes of smoke rising from all along the coastline.

“Man, we really ticked Hades off, didn’t we?” Pinkie grinned.

“We do tend to have that effect on gods.” Rarity nodded. “He’s probably sending an undead army after us right this moment.”

“We’ll worry about that later.” Twilight countered. “We have to get to shore and get to Olympus.”

“Right.” Percy agreed. But he clearly had another item on his agenda as well.

Family Drama

The group considered themselves lucky the Coast Guard had their hands too full to wonder how they made it into the middle of the bay like they did. All they did was pick them up off the buoy, give them merch, and drop them at the Santa Monica Pier. Percy was just glad he’d somehow willed himself wet and given his shoes to Grover, or the Coast Guard would’ve asked too many questions they couldn’t answer.

They stumbled onto the beach, watching the sun rise against the city burning with Hades’ anger, exhausted like they’d come back from the dead – which they had – while Percy was weighed down by the Master Bolt in his backpack… and from having to leave his mother behind.

“I don’t believe it…” Annabeth gasped in exhaustion. “We went all that way-”

“It was a trick,” Percy said bitterly. “A strategy worthy of Athena.”

“Hey!” Annabeth snapped.

“Prove him wrong,” Twilight argued quickly. “Don’t you get it?”

Annabeth sighed, her eyes falling. “Yeah, I get it.”

“Well, I don’t!” Grover said seriously. “Would somebody-?!”

“Percy…” Annabeth started. “I’m-” Pinkie set her hand on Annabeth’s shoulder to cut her off – she knew what she was about to say, but it was clear Percy would cry if they talked about that right now.

“The prophecy was right,” Percy said angrily. “‘You shall go west and face the god who has turned’.”

“But it wasn’t Hades – he himself admitted to not wanting war among his brothers.” Rarity agreed. “Someone else robbed Olympus for the Master Bolt, and him for his Helm.”

“And framed Percy because he’s Poseidon’s kid.” Rainbow nodded. “Both sides blame him and if we don’t get to Olympus by nightfall, all three sides go to war and it’s all our fault.”

Grover just shook his head, clearly mystified. “But who would be that sneaky? Who would want war that bad?”

Twilight just narrowed her eyes as everyone looked down the beach. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?” And sure enough, there on the far end of the beach, waiting for the group, was Ares, leaning against his bike with an aluminum baseball bat on his shoulder, the headlight of his bike casting a red light on the sand.

“Hey kids.” he greased, seeming almost genuinely pleased to see them. “You were supposed to die.”

“Terribly sorry to disappoint.” Rarity said sarcastically.

“You tricked us,” Percy said angrily. “You stole the Helm and the Master Bolt.”

Ares just grinned arrogantly. “Well, now, I didn’t steal them personally. Gods taking each other’s symbols of power – that’s a big no-no. But you’re not the only hero in the world who can run errands.”

“So who did you use?” Rainbow asked. “Clarisse? She was on Olympus for the solstice, wasn’t she?”

Ares just chuckled. “Doesn’t matter. The point is, kids, you’re impeding the war effort here,” he explained. “See, Jackson here’s got to die in the Underworld. Then Old Seaweed will be mad at Hades for killing him. Corpse Breath will have Zeus’s Master Bolt, so Zeus’ll be mad at him. And Hades is still looking for this…” He retrieved a ski cap from his pocket and placed it between the handlebars of his bike, and immediately it transformed into an elaborate bronze war helmet.

“The Helm of Darkness…” Grover gasped.

“Exactly.” Ares grinned. “Now where was I? Oh yeah; Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn’t know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three-way slugfest going.”

“But they’re your family!” Annabeth protested.

Ares just shrugged as if he didn’t care. “Best kinda war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say.”

Twilight almost believed he did indeed always say that. “You gave me the backpack in Denver,” Percy remembered. “The Master Bolt was in there the whole time.”

“Well… yes and no.” Ares countered. “It’s probably too complicated for your little mortal brains to follow, but the backpack is the Master Bolt’s sheath, just morphed a bit. The Bolt is connected to it, sort of like that sword you got, kid. It always returns to your pocket, right?”

“Wait, how did you know that?” Pinkie asked, almost genuinely surprised he knew that.

“He’s the God of War.” Rainbow reminded, glaring at Ares. “It’s his business to know weapons, isn’t it?”

“Ten points.” Ares grinned at Rainbow sarcastically. “Anyway, I tinkered with the magic of the sheath a bit, so the Bolt would only return to the sheath once you reached the Underworld. You get close to Hades… bingo, you got mail. If you died along the way – no loss. I still had the weapon.”

“Then why not just keep it to yourself?” Spike pointed out. “If it’s as powerful as everyone says it is, why send it to Hades?”

Ares’ jaw twitched a bit in response to that, and for a moment, it almost looked like he was listening to another voice from deep inside his head. “Why didn’t I… Yeah… with that kind of firepower…” He held the trance for a few seconds; long enough for the group to exchange nervous glances.

“Uh… is he okay?” Pinkie asked quietly.

“I’m honestly not sure…” Fluttershy shrugged in return.

Ares’s face cleared as he looked back at the kids. “I didn’t want the trouble,” he said simply. “Better to have you caught redhanded, holding the thing.”

Applejack just narrowed her eyes at the god as she adjusted her hat. “You’re lyin’,” she said. “Sendin’ the Bolt down to Hades wasn’t yer idea, was it?”

“Of course it was!” Ares barked, smoke drifting up from behind his shades like his eyes were about to burst into visible flames.

“You didn’t order the theft.” Percy guessed. “Someone else sent a hero to steal two items. Then, when Zeus sent you to hunt him down, you caught the thief. But you didn’t turn him over to Zeus.” The girls could see Ares getting angry as he dissected everything that happened. “Something convinced you to let him go. You kept the items until another hero could come along and complete the delivery. That thing in the pit is ordering you around!”

That gave Rainbow pause; what was in the pit and why did those sneakers Luke gave them go straight down there? She didn’t have much time to think about that though, because Ares looked like he was ready to explode. “I am the God of War!” he bellowed, his eyes burning under his shades. “I take orders from no one! I don’t have dreams!”

“Aha!” Spike laughed with a grin. “We never said anything about dreams.”

Ares looked shocked and agitated, but he tried his hardest to cover it up with a smirk as he looked at Percy. “Let’s get back to the matter at hand here, kid. You’re alive. I can’t have you taking that Bolt to Olympus. You just might get those hard-headed idiots to listen to you. So I’ve got to kill you. Nothing personal.”

“It feels pretty personal to me,” Rainbow argued, but Ares didn’t listen – he just snapped his fingers and the sand at his feet exploded to let a massive angry wild boar charge out, even bigger and uglier than the one whose head hung above the door of Cabin 7 at camp.

Fluttershy stepped back, not even bothering to try to talk to the beast – it would probably never listen to her anyway or just get overruled by orders from its master – as it pawed at the sand, glaring at Percy with beady eyes before it lowered its head, its razor-sharp tusks poised and ready for the command to kill.

Percy just scowled as he stepped into the water, the surf lapping at his ankles. “Fight me yourself, Ares.”

The god just laughed, but Pinkie could very easily sense an unease in it. “You’ve only got one talent, kid, running away,” he smirked. “You ran from the Chimera. You ran from the Underworld. You don’t have what it takes.”

Percy just smirked. “Scared?”

“In your adolescent dreams.” Ares scowled, his sunglasses telling a different story as they started to melt away from the heat of his eyes. “No direct involvement. Sorry, kid. You’re not on my level.”

“Percy, run!” Annabeth screamed as the boar charged. But it was clear Percy was done running as he stood firm in the water. He drew Riptide and slashed upward, severing the boar’s right tusk in one fluid swing as it fell into the water at his feet while the disoriented beast charged into the ocean.

“Wave!” As if responding to Percy’s command, a huge wave surged up from the ocean and grabbed the boar, dragging it out to sea as it squealed in terror before it was swallowed.

Rainbow and the other girls grinned as they walked over next to Percy, raising their own weapons. “Still think he’s not on your level, old man?” she asked.

“Are you going to fight me now?” Percy asked. “Or are you going to hide behind another pet pig?”

Ares’s face was purple with rage – almost the exact same shade as Twilight’s coat. “Watch it, kid.” he threatened. “I could turn you and all your furry freak friends here into-”

“Cockroaches.” Percy interrupted. “Or a tapeworm. Yeah, I’m sure. That’d save you from getting your godly hide whipped, wouldn’t it?”

Flames danced on the tops of Ares’s sunglasses. “Oh man, you are really asking to be smashed into a grease spot.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Do it.” Twilight taunted. “You and Percy, one-on-one, right now. If you win, turn him into whatever you like and take the Bolt. But if he wins, the Helm of Darkness and the Master Bolt go back to their owners. And you get lost.”

Ares simply turned to Percy and swung the baseball bat off his shoulder. “How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?” Percy just held Riptide forward, the light of the sunrise glinting on the blade. “That’s cool, dead boy. Classic it is.” His baseball bat shifted in his hands into a huge, two-handed sword with a large silver skull with a ruby in its mouth for the hilt.

“Percy!” Annabeth said seriously as she moved to his side. “Don’t do this. He’s a god.”

“He’s a coward.” Percy countered.

Annabeth just gulped and took off her necklace. “Wear this, at least. For luck.” She tied the necklace around Percy’s neck – five years of camp beads and her father’s college ring all there at his throat. “Reconciliation. Athena and Poseidon together.”

Percy blushed a bit, but he managed a smile. “Thanks.”

“And take this.” Grover smiled and handed him a flattened tin can he’d probably been saving in his pocket since Half-Blood Hill. “The satyrs stand beside you.”

“Grover… I don’t know what to say.”

“Then don’t say anything.” Rarity smiled as she raised her rapier. “It’s been my experience that actions speak louder than words.”

“You all done saying goodbye?” Ares asked as he approached Percy, his coat trailing behind him as his sword glinted like fire in the sunrise. “I’ve been fighting for eternity, kid. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?”

“He’s got us,” Twilight assured as her friends gathered around her. “And we know that as long as he’s got friends behind him, Percy’s never going to lose.” Before Ares could respond, Twilight was suddenly enveloped in a bright magenta aura. Her ears shifted into purple pony ears atop her head, her hair extended into a long ponytail and the back of her shirt opened up to let her wings pop out. Then her crown appeared atop her head with the bright purple gemstone on the top – the last of the Elements of Harmony, returned as if by the grace of the other gods.

Ares scowled at this and stepped back away from the girls. “All right. Honor. I don’t totally trust that. One-on-one, remember?” He snapped his fingers again, and this time, a group of undead soldiers from Hades’s palace rose from the ground. “Play nice and die quickly for these guys; I’m callin’ you a present for Hades.”

“Not gonna happen.” Rainbow smiled as she drew her swords.

“Took the words right out of my mouth.” Twilight grinned and raised her spear. She roared to sound a charge against the undead soldiers, their weapons clashing hard as Ares swung at Percy, only striking air as the young half-blood moved, keeping his feet in the water.

Everyone fought with their raw instincts, blades clashing hard against each other and battlefield reflexes doing their movements for them. Percy nearly got a good strike in at Ares’s spine, but the god deflected it with his own sword very easily. “Not bad, not bad.” Unfortunately, it got worse from there. as he drove Percy out of the water and wouldn’t let him back in.

The girls weren’t having much better luck as they fought the undead warriors, clearly all much stronger than them, but they remembered all of Luke’s lessons from combat training to put them on the back foot as Percy was suddenly launched into a large dune in the beach. “Guys! Cops!” Annabeth called.

Rainbow had just delivered a powerful swooping strike at her opponent’s wrist, and glanced up in response, seeing the red lights flashing on the shoreline boulevard and hearing people yelling about the news. “Oh no. Twilight, we need cover!”

“All right. Let me try something.” Twilight nodded and swung her spear upward, the tip now striped like her horn and glowing with her magic aura. No one could really see anything for a second, but then the girls’ undead opponents flickered into the image of normal humans, dressed similarly to Ares. “Huh. Guess I can control the Mist. Good to know.”

With the cover established, the girls dispatched their undead opponents very quickly before they turned to watch Percy get back into the water during his duel with Ares. Then a cop started yelling over a megaphone. “Drop the guns! Set them on the ground! Now!”

This was confusing, but they saw Ares’s sword flicker to the image of a large shotgun and back – probably the Mist at further work. Though Ares didn’t seem to enjoy the attention. “This is a private matter!” he bellowed. “Be gone!” With a swing of his hand, a massive wall of red fire rolled over the cop cars. The cops and witnesses barely had time to roll clear before the vehicles exploded and Ares roared with laughter. “Now, little hero. Let’s add you to the barbecue.”

Percy was certainly handling himself well as the tide hit him in the back, Ares wading in after him. Twilight could easily see what their friend was planning as the water roiled around him. Then a huge wave shot behind Percy and he rode it straight over Ares, a six-foot wall of water smashing him full in the face. “Incoming!” Rainbow yelled as the wave shot toward the girls.

Quickly they all dove for cover as Percy jumped and swung at Ares, feinting perfectly to get in a strike at the god’s heel, making him let out an ear-splitting roar in pain as his golden blood flowed into the water. Ares’s face was a mask of absolute shock and anger that he’d actually been hit as he limped toward Percy, muttering ancient Greek curses… when something stopped him.

It was almost like a massive cloud rolled over the sun, but it was far worse – light itself faded as sound and color drained away, a cold and heavy presence passing over the beach. It felt as though time itself was slowing down, the ambient temperature dropping to freezing and an overwhelming feeling passing over everyone to make them feel as though fighting – life itself – was hopeless.

Then the darkness lifted and Ares looked stunned. “Uh… what was that?” Rainbow asked seriously, scared and confused.

Ares just lowered his sword as he glared at Percy. “You have made an enemy, godling,” he said bitterly. “You have sealed your fate. Every time you raise your blade in battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware, Perseus Jackson. Beware.” Then his body began to glow.

“Percy! Girls! Don’t watch!” Annabeth shouted.

Everyone quickly took the warning and shielded their eyes as a massive wave of light emanated from Ares, revealing his true godly form. The whole group had the distinct feeling that if they even peeked at the sight, they’d probably be vaporized. The light faded and as the group looked again, they saw Ares was gone. The tide rolled out to reveal the Helm of Darkness, which Percy picked up and walked toward his friends… but he didn’t make it.

The Furies drifted down in front of him with flaming whips and lace hats. The one in the middle – Mrs. Dodds, as she had once been known – stepped forward with bared fangs, but not in a threatening way; more disappointed, as if she’d been planning to eat Percy, but had decided against it. “We saw the whole thing.” she hissed. “So… it truly was not you?”

Percy just tossed her the helmet, which she caught in surprise. “Return that to Lord Hades,” he said. “Tell him the truth. Tell him to call off the war.”

She hesitated but as Twilight and the girls walked to flank Percy, she nodded as she ran her forked tongue over her green leathery lips. “Live well, Percy Jackson. Become a true hero. Because if you do not… if you ever come into my clutches again…”

“If that happens… then may the best warrior win.” Twilight threatened.

Mrs. Dodds just cackled, as if savoring the idea. Then she and her sisters shot into the sky on their bat wings and disappeared.

“Percy…” Grover said as he and Annabeth stared at him and the others in shock. “That was so incredibly…”

“Terrifying,” Annabeth noted.

“Cool!” Grover corrected.

“I think you both mean ‘totally awesome’!” Rainbow pointed out.

Percy certainly didn’t feel awesome – everyone could tell he was drained. “Did you guys feel that… whatever it was?” he asked.

“Kinda hard to miss,” Applejack noted as everyone else nodded.

“Must’ve been the Furies overhead,” Grover said uneasily.

“You and I both know that there’s no way that’s what that was,” Rainbow argued – whatever that was, it was probably a hundred times more powerful than the Furies at least. Percy glanced over at Annabeth, and an understanding passed over the two of them and the rest of the group. It was the being from the pits of Tartarus, that had been in Percy’s dreams.

Rainbow grabbed the backpack from Grover and opened it up again, looking at the Master Bolt inside. The next world war was about to start, and all over a big rod of bronze. “I think we all know the next step,” she said to the others.

“Yeah.” Percy nodded. “We have to get back to New York. By tonight.”

“That’s impossible,” Annabeth argued. “Unless we-”

“Fly.”

Annabeth just stared at Percy. “Fly, like, in an airplane, which you were warned never to do lest Zeus strike you out of the sky and carrying a weapon that has more destructive power than a nuclear bomb?”

“Yeah.” Percy nodded. “Pretty much exactly like that.”

“That is the single dumbest idea I have ever heard,” Annabeth said firmly.

“And I suppose you’ve got a better idea?” Annabeth glanced out to sea at Applejack’s question, giving her the answer. “That’s what I thought.”

Unfinished Business

“It’s remarkable the lengths to which humans will go to make things fit their vision of reality.”

Even after all this time and distance away from Camp Half-Blood, the group still remembered when Chiron had told them that. And they truly appreciated it after the battle against Ares. According to the LA News, the explosion at Santa Monica was caused when some crazy kidnapper (as the Mist had made Ares appear) – who had kidnapped Percy and the others for a ten-day-long cross-country reign of terror – fired a shotgun at the police, his shot accidentally hitting a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake.

Percy Jackson and his friends weren’t wanted fugitives anymore – they were victims. They’d only caused a commotion on that Greyhound in New Jersey to escape him (later witnesses would even swear he was there somehow, though none of the others remembered him there), and he blew up the bus in retaliation.

He also caused that explosion in the St. Louis Arch, and a concerned waitress in Denver had seen him threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo, and notified the cops. Finally, Percy and the girls had stolen weapons from their captor and his associates and battled it out on the beach with police arriving just in time, but the explosion destroyed five cop cars and the kidnapper escaped. Amazingly there were no fatalities, and Percy Jackson and his kids were safely in police custody.

Of course, the reporters fed the kids the whole story – they just nodded along and acted tearful and exhausted (which wasn’t that hard after the long trip) and played victimized kids for the cameras.

Percy in particular really played it up when it was his turn. “All I want…” he said for the camera, choking back fake tears. “…is to see my loving stepfather again. Every time I saw him on TV, calling me a delinquent punk, I knew… somehow… we would be okay. And I know he’ll want to reward each and every person in this beautiful city of Los Angeles with a free major appliance from his store. Here’s the phone number.”

“Man, you just know Gabe’s gonna be ticked about that,” Rainbow whispered to Applejack, who simply chuckled in response, doing her best to make it look like weeping.

The press and cops were so moved by their story – and Percy’s admittedly hammed-up performance – that they passed around the hat to pay for nine plane tickets to New York. Flying was the group’s only choice; they knew that and they were at least somewhat optimistic Zeus would cut them some slack given the circumstances. But it still took a lot of cajoling to get Percy on the plane – Applejack practically had to wrap him up in her Thracian Lariat to get him to board, but it thankfully didn’t come to that.

Takeoff was a nightmare, with every pocket of turbulence more terrifying than a Greek monster – Percy and Fluttershy didn’t unclench their hands from their armrests until they touched down at La Guardia airport in New York.

And as if all that wasn’t bad enough, the press was waiting for the group outside airport security. “I’ve got an idea for this.” Twilight smiled and quickly whispered her plan to Annabeth, who nodded before slapping on her Yankees cap and disappearing.

Just a moment later, the press all heard her voice. “They’re over by the frozen yogurt! Come on!” Immediately the press raced over there, with Annabeth rejoining the group at baggage claim, before they all made it out to the taxi stand.

“This is where we split up,” Percy said, seemingly out of nowhere. “The girls and I will go to Olympus – Annabeth, Grover, you two go back to Camp and tell Chiron what’s happened.”

“What? Percy, no way. I am not letting you go to Olympus alone; not after all of this.” Grover bleated in objection.

“Believe me, Grover, this isn’t exactly an easy decision for me either,” Percy assured. “But this is something we have to do ourselves.”

“But-”

“Annabeth, he’s right.” Twilight insisted. “Hades wouldn’t listen to us and we almost died. If Zeus doesn’t understand, then Chiron should at least know the truth.”

Annabeth sighed in relent. “All right. Good luck.”

Rainbow smiled as she watched Pinkie walk toward the street. “We’ll say hi to your mom if we see her.” she grinned.

“TAXI!!!” Pinkie yelled and flung herself out in front of the next coming cab, which screeched to a stop just in front of her as Percy, Annabeth, and Grover all yelled in worry.

Though her friends didn’t look alarmed at all – they’d seen it before. “Very effective, darling.” Rarity mused as she helped Pinkie up.

“Yeah, it’s great when it works.” Pinkie smiled as she brushed herself off.

“WHAT?! That doesn’t always work?” Twilight asked in surprise.

“How are you guys so calm about that?” Annabeth asked seriously. “She just jumped in front of a cab! I’m assuming not for the first time!”

“Annabeth darling… she’s Pinkie Pie.” Rarity excused before Pinkie gave a broad grin with a proud squee sound.

“That answers… none of my questions,” Annabeth remarked.

“You’ll get used to it. I did.” Twilight assured.

“Did you really?” Rainbow Dash asked as she walked over to the cab.

“Did you?” Twilight argued.

“Touché.” Rainbow shrugged as she opened the cab door, her friends all piling in along with Percy before she glanced at the driver. “How fast can you get to the Empire State Building?”

As it turned out, the answer was “pretty fast” as the group was standing in the building’s massive lobby in only half an hour… though Rarity was more than a bit against how they looked when they arrived; tattered clothes, scrapped up faces, and bags as if none of them had slept in the last 24 hours.

Percy didn’t seem to mind as he marched up to the front desk. “Six hundredth floor,” he said simply.

The guard took a while to look up from the fantasy book he was reading before he looked almost incredulously at the kids – he looked especially surprised by the girls’ pony attributes. “No such floor, kid.”

“We need an audience with Zeus.”

The guard gave him a vacant smile. “Sorry?”

“You heard me.”

The girls almost thought the guard was a normal mortal before… “No appointment, no audience, kiddo. Lord Zeus doesn’t see anyone unannounced.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be willing to make an exception.” Rarity smiled as she carefully plucked Percy’s backpack from his back. “Once he sees what we bring him.” She ever-so-slowly unzipped the pack and opened the top for him to see.

The guard looked lazily into the bag at the metal tube as if he didn’t get what it was for a moment. Then it came to him and he went pale. “That isn’t…”

“It is.” Rainbow smiled as she walked over, reaching into the bag as if ready to pull it out. “Why? Want a better look?”

“No! No!” the guard quickly objected as he scrambled out of his seat, fumbling around on the desk before he produced a key card. “Insert this in the security slot. Make sure nobody else is in the elevator with you.”

“Now was that so hard?” Rainbow smiled as she accepted the card with an arrogant grin. With nothing more to say, the group all loaded into the elevator and Rainbow slipped the card into the slot… which then disappeared and a red 600 button appeared on the console.

Percy pushed it without hesitation. Twilight saw someone heading their way, but she quickly held her hand out to stop them. “Sorry, no room,” she said quickly before the doors closed.

“Gonna be a long ride up.” Applejack mused.

“Well, in that case, the least we can do is make sure we look presentable before we arrive.” Rarity insisted as she drew her sword… which was a bit dangerous in the tight quarters of the elevator, but it still left her just enough room to use her magic along the blade. With a swift poof, the whole group was redressed in fresh clothes, including Camp Half-Blood t-shirts and button-ups matching their pony coats for the Mane 6 – even their faces were freshened up… though that didn’t stop Rarity from taking an extra moment to do some more work on her makeup.

It was a long ride up as the muzak played over the elevator stereo. “Bored,” Rainbow remarked, resorting to spinning a drachma on what little floor there was to try and amuse herself… but it wasn’t working. “Bored. Bored… Bored.”

“We get it, Dash. You’re bored.” Applejack remarked as she adjusted her hat. “Join the club.”

Ding!

“Ugh! Finally!” Rainbow remarked and raced out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened… nearly falling off the floor before she caught herself and flew to stability with her wings.

The others all carefully stepped out of the elevator and Percy nearly had a heart attack as he saw what Rainbow had nearly fallen off of – a single, narrow marble walkway, miles upon miles above Manhattan. White marble steps wound up the spine of a cloud ahead of the elevator, up into the sky. Everyone followed where the stairs led… and all their jaws dropped at once.

There before them, from the tops of the clouds, rose the decapitated peak of a massive mountain, its summit covered with snow with dozens of palaces clinging to the slopes, all with white-columned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires. Roads wound madly up toward the peak where the largest and grandest of all these palaces gleamed against the snow. Precariously perched gardens all over the mountains bloomed with olive trees and rosebushes as the group could clearly make out a massive open-air market filled with colorful tents, as well as a massive stone amphitheater built on one side of the mountain, and a hippodrome and coliseum on the other. A massive city built just like the cities of Ancient Greece but looking as though it had only been fully built maybe a few weeks ago.

The group had to literally shake themselves from their stunned stupors before they could move across the treacherous walkway – though those with wings eagerly used them – trying hard not to question how the summit of Olympus itself could be here hanging above New York City like the moon without being noticed.

Rarity stammered in awe as the group walked the streets of the great city, almost like she had when she first saw the Palace of the Crystal Empire, but much less breathlessly. “There are no words.”

“You got that right.” Rainbow almost wanted to mess with her like she had in the Crystal Empire but found herself unable to do so – she was just as blown away as Rarity was. It almost felt like trotting through Cloudsdale a thousand years ago, or even the far more ancient home of the Pegasi from before Equestria was even founded.

The group barely even minded the wood nymphs tossing olives at them from their garden, or the hawkers in the market trying to sell them stuff. What truly drew their attention were the Nine Muses tuning and rehearsing for a concert in the park where a small crowd of satyrs and naiads and good-looking teenagers Twilight could only assume were minor gods and goddesses was gathered. No one there seemed at all worried about an impending civil war – if anything, this looked to be the beginnings of a festival.

The palace at the very summit almost looked like an inverse of Hades’ castle in the Underworld – there it was all black and bronze; here it was glittering white and silver. “Built in honor of this one.” Twilight mused to herself not quite so quietly.

The group couldn’t help but feel a small pang of sympathy for the God of the Underworld – to be banished to such a place away from beauty like this would make anyone bitter. The steps led through the palace to a central courtyard, and beyond that… the throne room.

Though calling it a “room” didn’t really do it justice. The massive marble columns were as big around as the tree-like foundation of Twilight’s castle in Ponyville, all reaching up to a huge domed ceiling with moving constellations imposed upon it. The twelve massive thrones in the center of the room, each built for the scale of massive beings like Hades, were arranged in the same inverted U shape as the Cabins at camp with an enormous firepit crackling in the middle. Only two thrones were occupied… and the group knew exactly who these occupants were, even despite being barely able to look at them without feeling as if they might burst into flames.

Zeus was a truly titanic being wearing a dark blue pinstriped suit with a well-trimmed beard marbled gray and black like an angry storm cloud on a face that was proud, handsome, and grim, his eyes a rainy gray as he sat upon a throne of solid platinum, the air around him crackling with electricity and smelling of ozone.

Next to him… sat Poseidon. Percy’s father… who looked far less like a god and more like a beachcomber, seated on a massive swiveling deep-sea fisherman’s chair with a black leather seat and built-in fishing pole holster – although his holster held a massive bronze trident with green energy flickering between the points – wearing leather sandals, khaki shorts, and a Tommy Bahama shirt with coconuts and parrots on it. His skin was deeply tanned, his hands scarred like a fisherman’s, his hair and eyes the same jet-black and glimmering sea green as Percy’s, with the same sort of brooding look that got Percy often treated like a rebel… but the sun-crinkles around his eyes said he was a smiley guy too, which Pinkie easily respected.

The two gods were stone-cold, unmoving, and clearly tense, as if they’d just finished an argument before the group walked in. Percy made the first move, with the others following his lead as he walked to Poseidon’s throne, kneeling at the god’s feet. “Father,” he said simply.

“Lord Poseidon.” the girls all said at once as they knelt alongside him, no one daring to look up. They could feel the power radiating off the great sea god – greater than Ares, on the same sort of level as Hades, but nowhere near the level of that darkness from the beach in California, whatever it was. But it was definitely enough for them all to think that if they said the wrong thing, they would be smote into dust.

“Should you not address the master of this house first, children?” Zeus spoke, sounding almost bitter. Even Rainbow Dash had to hold her breath in response to that remark, simply keeping her head down and waiting with her friends… trying hard not to sweat in fear.

“Peace, brother.” Poseidon finally said in a calm yet still thunderous voice, which – judging from his expression – clearly jarred some memories in Percy. “The boy defers to his father, as do his followers. This is only right.”

“You still claim him then?” Zeus asked menacingly. “You claim this child whom you sired against our sacred oath?”

This was really where Rainbow had to catch herself – she wanted to make some off-hand remark about Thalia to Zeus, but she also really, really, really didn’t want to die. “I have admitted my wrongdoing,” Poseidon said simply. “Now I would hear him and his allies speak.”

Applejack quietly clenched her fist at that, and it was clear Percy was thinking the same thing – was that really all Percy was to Poseidon? A wrongdoing? A divine mistake? She would never want to hear anyone say something like that about her or any of her friends, especially not family.

“I have spared them once already,” Zeus grumbled like a thunderstorm. “Daring to fly through my domain… pah! I should have blasted them out of the sky for their impudence.” Fluttershy was practically hyperventilating at this point as if going through all the scenarios where they could’ve died on this quest… especially by Zeus’s hand.

“And risk destroying your own Master Bolt?” Poseidon asked calmly. “Let us hear them out, brother.”

Zeus only grumbled more as he shifted in his throne. “I shall listen.” he decided. “Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast this boy and his foolish friends down from Olympus.”

“Well, as long as we’re clear on that…” Rainbow couldn’t stop herself from muttering that but was only glad it was as far under her breath as she could manage.

“Perseus.” Poseidon said. “Look at me.”

Percy rose to his feet, followed by the girls… but even Pinkie was struggling to read his face – no clear sign of love or approval, no encouragement. But at the same time, no disdain or loathing. It felt as though they were looking at the ocean itself – understandable on a good day, but by and large unreadable and mysterious.

It almost felt like the sea god didn’t know how to feel about Percy – whether to be happy to have him as a son or not. In a strange way, Percy was almost happy for this distance; if he’d tried to apologize or say he loved the boy or even smiled… it would’ve felt disingenuous to him.

“Address Lord Zeus, boy,” Poseidon instructed. “Tell him your story.”

And so they did – everything, as it happened, was relayed to the king of gods. As Percy finished the story, Twilight tentatively retrieved the backpack from his back and pulled the Master Bolt out, setting both at the god’s feet as the metal cylinder started sparking in its master’s presence.

There was a long silence, only broken by the fire in the middle of the room… before Zeus opened his palm and the Bolt flew into his fist, the metallic points on the ends flaring with electricity until he held a massive twenty-foot-long javelin of pure lightning – far more dangerous than anything that had ever been brought about by Pegasi in Equestria.

“I sense that the children speak the truth,” Zeus muttered. “But that Ares would do such a thing… it is most unlike him.”

“He is proud and impulsive.” Poseidon pointed out. “It runs in the family.”

Twilight was surprised Poseidon would have the nerve to say something so bold… but the two were brothers; it only made sense that he would be the only one who could get away with such a remark. Then she remembered something. “Uh, Lord?”

“Yes?” both gods answered.

Twilight was still more than a bit alarmed by this but cleared her throat as she stepped forward. “Ares didn’t act alone. Someone – something – else came up with the idea.” Percy took the hint and described his dreams, and the rest of the group explained the odd feeling they’d gotten on the beach, the momentary evil that seemed to freeze the world, and made Ares stand down.

“In my dreams,” Percy finished. “the voice told me to bring the Bolt to the Underworld. Ares hinted that he’d been having dreams too. I think he was being used, just as I was – just as we were,” he gestured to his friends. “to start a war.”

“You are accusing Hades, after all then?” Zeus asked.

“Definitely not,” Twilight assured. “Hades is as much a victim in this as anyone – whoever set this up framed him.”

“Trust us; we’ve met Hades,” Rainbow assured. “And whatever that thing was on the beach? Way different.”

“It felt almost the same as that… thing… in Tartarus.” Rarity nodded. “Something powerful and evil stirs down there… and far older than any of you gods.”

The two gods appeared concerned by this as they looked at each other, getting wrapped up in a quick, intense discussion in Ancient Greek. The kids could barely keep track, but they did catch one word: Father. Poseidon appeared to be trying to argue a major point, but Zeus just cut him off and raised his hand angrily. “We will speak of this no more.” He said. “I will personally go to purify this thunderbolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human and Equestrian taint from its metal.”

Rarity had to try her hardest not to be offended by this remark as Zeus stood and looked down at them. “You have done me a service, boy. Few heroes could have accomplished as much.”

“I had help, sir,” Percy assured. “These girls. And Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase-”

“To show my thanks, I shall spare your life.” Zeus interrupted, glancing at the Equestrians. “And as I am friends of the rulers of your realm, I will spare yours as well.” This surprised Twilight beyond words, but she didn’t dare say anything yet. “I do not trust you, Perseus Jackson. Nor these mares in mortal skin. I do not like what your arrival means for the future of Olympus. But for the sake of peace in the family and between our two worlds, I shall let you all live.”

“Um… thank you, sir.” Percy nodded simply.

“Do not presume to fly again,” Zeus warned. “Do not let me find you here when I return. Otherwise, you shall taste this bolt. And it shall be your last sensation.”

A truly massive clap of thunder shook the palace and in a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus was gone.

The only ones that remained were the Equestrians, Percy Jackson, and Poseidon… who said in what seemed like boredom, “Your uncle has always had a flair for dramatic exits.” he shrugged to Percy. “I think he would’ve done well as the god of theater.”

An uncomfortable silence followed before Percy finally got up the nerve. “Sir…” he said. “What was in that pit?”

Poseidon regarded the children. “Have you not guessed?”

They had. “Kronos,” Percy said uncomfortably. “The king of the Titans.”

“Your father,” Twilight added… before darkness overcame the throne room, making the hearth fire seem not quite so warm against Rainbow’s wings.

Poseidon grasped his trident. “In the First War, children, Zeus cut our father Kronos into a thousand pieces, just as Kronos had done to his own father Ouranos.” he recounted. “Zeus cast Kronos’s remains into the deepest pit of Tartarus. The Titan army was scattered, their mountain fortress on Etna destroyed, their monstrous allies driven to the farthest corners of the earth. And yet Titans cannot die, any more than we gods can. Whatever is left of Kronos is still alive down there in some hideous way, still conscious of his eternal pain, still hungering for power.”

“I can scarcely imagine an existence like that.” Rarity remarked, almost feeling sympathy for Kronos.

“He’s healing,” Percy remarked. “He’s coming back.”

Poseidon just shook his head. “From time to time, over the eons, Kronos has stirred. He enters men’s nightmares and breathes evil thoughts. He wakens restless monsters from the depths. But to suggest he could rise from the pit is another thing.”

“That’s what he intends, Father.” Percy pointed out. “That’s what he said.”

Poseidon paused impressively before he finally spoke again. “Lord Zeus has closed discussion on this matter. He will not allow talk of Kronos,” he said firmly, though it was clear that he was just as annoyed by this as the kids were. “You have completed your quest, children. That is all you need to do.”

“But-” Applejack almost stepped in before Percy stopped himself – it was clear he knew that arguing and potentially angering the only god the kids had on their side wouldn’t be a good idea. “As… as you wish, Father.”

A faint smile played on Poseidon’s lips. “Obedience does not come naturally to you, does it?”

“It really doesn’t.” This was the part where Rainbow finally dropped the formalities and smirked at Percy.

“I must take some blame for that, I suppose.” Poseidon mused. “The sea does not like to be restrained.” He rose to his full massive height and took up his trident. Then he shimmered and shrank down to the size of a regular man, standing directly in front of the group. “You must go, child. But first, know that your mother has returned.”

Percy just stared at his father, completely stunned. “My mother?”

“You will find her at home. Hades sent her when you returned his helm.” Poseidon answered. “Even the Lord of Death pays his debts.”

The girls could scarcely believe it themselves – Sally Jackson was back. “Do you… would you…” Percy hesitated – it was quite clear that he wanted Poseidon to come with him to see his mother, but… well, it sounded ridiculous. Bundling the God of the Sea into a cab and driving to the Upper East Side. If he’d wanted to see Sally at all over the years, he would have. And then there was Gabe to think about.

It was clear Poseidon was a bit upset, understanding what Percy was getting at. “When you return home, Percy, you must make an important choice. You will find a package waiting in your room.”

“A package?” Percy asked.

“What package?” Twilight asked.

“You will understand when you see it,” Poseidon assured, turning back to his son. “No one can choose your path, Percy. You must decide.” Percy nodded, but it was clear he didn’t know what Poseidon was talking about – neither did any of the girls. Poseidon just grinned wistfully as he continued. “Your mother is a queen among women. I had not met such a mortal woman in a thousand years. Still… I am sorry you were born, child.” Applejack would’ve been angry at that remark if he hadn’t continued. “I have brought you a hero’s fate, and a hero’s fate is never happy. It is never anything but tragic.”

It was clear Percy was trying hard not to be hurt by this, but Rainbow took the opportunity to set her hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him. “I don’t know.” she smiled and pointed back at her friends who all grinned as well. “It’s worked out pretty well for us so far.”

“Nevertheless…” Poseidon insisted, quite upset.

Percy wiped some small tears from his eyes. “I don’t mind, Father.”

“Not yet, perhaps,” Poseidon said simply. “Not yet. But it was an unforgivable mistake on my part.”

Percy gently brushed Rainbow’s hand off his shoulder as he bowed awkwardly. “We’ll leave you then,” he said and turned. “I- I won’t bother you again.”

The girls mirrored his bow and followed him away, trying to think of ways to comfort him as they walked toward the door… before Percy stopped on the fifth step and started singing.

(Play “Son of Poseidon” – TLT Musical [Edit the spoken word and certain stanzas – especially Ares’ parts – to make them fit here])

Percy: Seems my good intentions
Always crash and burn

Everything I try to do will fail,
Never once will I prevail
Going wrong at every turn

Nereid (in his head): What belongs to the Sea
Will always return

Percy + Nereid (in his head): What belongs to the Sea
Will always return

“Perseus.” They all turned and saw a different light in Poseidon’s eyes – a fiery pride. “You did well, Perseus. Do not misunderstand. Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God.”

That filled Percy with a similar pride as he looked around at the girls’ eyes, filled with comfort and pride in their friend as they all left the palace, still singing and even singing as they walked through the streets of Olympus, everyone around them – even the Muses, who started playing in time with their song – turned toward them and knelt in respect as if they were heroes.

Rainbow: Maybe your dad was a screw-up too

Rarity: His best-laid plans always falling through

Fluttershy: Maybe he did the best that he could do

Twilight: Maybe your dad wasn’t always there

Pinkie: Maybe he never knew how to care

Applejack: But hey; that’s life, and life ain’t fair

Percy: And I know right now, things are less than fine

He looked back at the palace.

But I think my dad may have thrown me a line.

And better late than never to finally get a sign…!

He ran and posed next to a large statue of his dad as the girls quickly followed him before he jumped and stood strong.

I’m the Son of Poseidon!
And I am gonna win!

The Son of Poseidon!
And I’m done runnin’!

He turned to the girls with a grin on his face. “Guys, thanks so much for all your help,” he said. “I couldn’t have managed half of this stuff without you.”

“Now-now Darling, there’s no need for modesty.” Rarity assured.

“Yeah. You could’ve handled this without us no sweat.” Rainbow agreed as she flew around his head. “But hey, what are friends for?”

“Absolutely!” Pinkie smiled. “It’s like I always say; ‘if you can’t count on your friends to help you save the world from a crazy gods-against-gods war, then what kind of friends are they anyway?’”

Twilight knew Pinkie had never said anything like that before, but it didn’t matter. “Truer words were never said.” she agreed.

The other girls all cheered in agreement as Twilight shot a quick magic firework from her pencil almost like a wand. “This isn’t over yet though. Y’all know we’re gonna need to be ready for anything else.” Applejack pointed out. “Still got that package to worry about at Percy’s place.”

“Poseidon said he’d know what to do with it.” Fluttershy pointed out.

“I just hope it’s not a trap from Ares,” Percy remarked.

Rainbow: Well, if it is, it’ll go through me!
We’ll all last through this… Odyssey!

Pinkie: Plus that satyr with a cute goatee! “Let’s do it!”

Percy: So this could be the end, but I ain’t sad
Cause you’re all the best friends this screw-up ever had!

“Aw!” The girls all grinned and hugged Percy as they kept walking, still being bowed to by the citizens of Olympus.

Percy: And now I’ll make this right!
For me and for my dad!

I’m the Son of Poseidon!
And we beat who’s to blame!

Percy + Equestrians: The Son of Poseidon!

Percy: You may be a god, but you’re goin’ down all the same!

Rainbow: “Whoo!” Ares was talkin’ trash!
We made him rinse it!

Spike: He took his shot
And he went and missed it!

Twilight: There’s gonna be no war!
Now give us some space!

Equestrians: We’re gonna dance and break it down all over this place!

Percy jumped to the top of a large public fountain and manipulated the water around him in a grand display as the girls all danced around him.

Percy [at the same time]: I’m the Son of Poseidon
And I am gonna win!

Twilight (and her friends) [at the same time]: Oh, you have found (Oh, he has found)
Yes, you have found (Yes, he has found)
Yes, you have found your place!

Percy [at the same time]: The Son of Poseidon!
And I’m done runnin’…!

Twilight (and her friends) [at the same time]: Oh, you have found (Oh, he has found)
Yes, you have found (Yes, he has found)
Yes, you have found your place…!

“Still can’t believe you beat Ares,” Spike remarked to Percy as he dropped down from the fountain.

“Seriously!” Rainbow agreed.

“I know, right?” Percy grinned as they all laughed and cheered over the victory.

“We’re just lucky we were so close to the ocean,” Twilight noted.

“Who knew the God of War was afraid of a little water?” Applejack smirked.

“Well, we saw how he felt about a lot of it.” Percy pointed out as he stopped right before the walkway to the elevator down to New York.

Percy: I’m… the… Son of Poseidon!
I never asked to be

But I’m (+ Equestrians) the Son of Poseidon!

Percy: Now face the tide!
Inside of me…! (Equestrians: Ah, ah, ah, ah…!)

(Cut it)

Finally, after what felt like ages – though it had only been an almost entranced few minutes in the elevator down from Olympus and a fifteen-minute cab ride across town – Percy and the girls were back in front of his apartment, where Percy rang the bell. Much to the whole group’s relief and happiness, when it opened, there stood Sally Jackson with the same smell of peppermint and licorice about her as ever the weariness and worry evaporating from her face as soon as she laid eyes on her son. “Percy!” she cried as she grabbed him in a crushing hug. “Oh, thank goodness! Oh, my baby!”

The girls didn’t dare interfere, even as it was clear Percy was getting the air crushed out of him – they knew that both of them needed this as they just stood there in the hall. Finally, the hug broke and Sally gave her story – she said she’d just… appeared in the apartment only that morning, scaring Gabe out of his wits. Apparently, the last thing she remembered was the Minotaur and she could barely believe it when Gabe told her that Percy and the girls were wanted criminals blowing up national monuments all over the country and had been going completely out of her mind with worry all day as she hadn’t heard the new news from LA… mostly because Gabe had forced her to go into work saying she had a month’s salary to make up and she’d better get started.

Applejack had to literally hold Rainbow back to keep her from marching in there and beating Gabe senseless at that, as the group told their own story of what had happened… with Percy trying his best to make it sound much less scary than it really was, despite how hard it was. They were just getting to the fight with Ares, when… “Hey, Sally! That meatloaf done yet or what?!”

The girls all rolled their eyes in annoyance at that, but Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Is it me or does he sound more annoyed than usual?” she asked.

Sally just shook her head. “He isn’t going to be happy to see you, Percy. The store got half a million phone calls today from Los Angeles… something about free appliances.”

“Oh yeah. About that…” Percy said nervously.

“It was my idea.” Rarity said quickly. She was right, of course – she had been the one to plant that idea in Percy’s mind before they went on camera. “I thought it was the least he could do.”

Sally managed a weak smile. “Just… don’t make him angrier, all right? Come on in.” The group wandered into the apartment… or as best they could; it was pure filth, which Rarity could barely stand to be seen in, even with Gabe and his three goony friends at the table playing poker.

As soon as he saw Percy, his cigar dropped from his mouth and he stood up, redder in the face than even Tirek. “You got nerve coming here, you little punk. I thought the police-”

“He’s not a fugitive after all,” Sally interjected. “Isn’t that wonderful, Gabe?”

He certainly didn’t seem to think it was that wonderful. “Bad enough I had to give back your life insurance money, Sally.” he snarled. “Gimme the phone, I’ll call the cops.”

“Gabe, no!”

He raised his eyebrows. “Did you just say no? You think I’m gonna put up with this punk again? I can still press charges against him for ruining my Camaro.”

“But-” Sally stopped and recoiled when Gabe raised his hand.

Applejack reacted on instinct and grabbed his wrist firmly. “You lay one finger on her and you’ll lose it,” she warned firmly.

“Get your hands off me, you little brat!” Gabe snapped as he tried to pull his hand away, but Applejack’s grip held firm. “Who the hell are you anyway?”

“We’re friends of Percy,” Twilight answered simply. “And she’s right; you’re not going to touch Ms. Jackson.”

Percy grinned at his friends backing him up, but Gabe just scowled as he finally pulled his hand free from Applejack’s grip. “Yeah? Well then, you can all go to jail forever with the punk.”

“Hey Gabe, they’re just kids.” one of his poker buddies remarked.

Gabe repeated him mockingly and his friends laughed like idiots before he turned back to Percy. “I’ll be nice to you, punk,” he remarked, showing his tobacco-stained teeth. “I’ll give you five minutes to get your stuff and clear out. After that, I call the police.”

“Gabe!”

“He ran away.” Gabe barked at Sally. “Let him stay gone.”

Percy thumbed his pen, clearly eager to draw Riptide and cut him down. But he knew it wouldn’t work on humans, however little Gabe counted as such. That was when Sally took Percy’s arm. “Please, Percy. Come on. We’ll go to your room.”

Percy was pretty numb, but still let her pull him away, the girls slowly following… though it was clear Rainbow was considering hitting Gabe over the head with her wing.

Just like the rest of the apartment, Percy’s room was a total dump full of dead car batteries and rotten sympathy flowers from someone who’d seen his interview. “Gabe is just upset, honey,” Sally said. “I’ll talk to him later. I’m sure it’ll work out.”

“Well, that makes one of us,” Rainbow remarked.

“Mom, it’ll never work out. Not as long as Gabe’s here.” Percy pointed out.

Sally wrung her hands nervously. “I can… I’ll take you to work with me for the rest of the summer. In the fall, maybe there’s another boarding school-”

“Mom.” Percy interrupted.

“You know that’ll never work, Ms. Jackson.” Twilight pointed out.

Sally lowered her eyes. “I’m trying, Percy. I just… I need some time.”

“You’ve got about four minutes. Then he calls the cops.” Rainbow pointed out… before she saw something on the bed. “Hey, was that there before?”

Everyone looked and saw a battered cardboard box about the size of a basketball… with Percy’s handwriting on the mailing slip; “The Gods, Mount Olympus, 600th Floor, Empire State Building, New York, NY With best wishes, Percy Jackson”. And over the top in black marker, in a man’s clear bold print, was the address of Percy’s apartment, and the words Return to Sender. “Wait a moment, isn’t that…?” Rarity remarked in realization.

Percy instantly understood what Poseidon had said on Olympus – about the package that awaited him… and the decision he would have to make. And he remembered the last thing he said before the group left: “Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God.”

He glanced over at Sally. “Mom, do you want Gabe gone?”

“Percy, it isn’t that simple. I-”

“It’s a yes or no question, Ms. Jackson.” Applejack pointed out. “Anyone with eyes could tell he hits ya. So do ya want him gone for that or not?”

Sally hesitated, then nodded almost imperceptibly. “Yes, Applejack. I do. And I’m trying to get up the courage to tell him.” she said, looking at all the kids in turn. “But you can’t do this for me. You can’t solve my problems.”

Percy glanced at the box – he could solve it, in the easiest way possible, just like all Greek heroes. But all Greek heroes had tragic endings, so said Poseidon. The group had seen the Underworld with their own eyes and to condemn a man to its pits or fields of pain… even Gabe… A month ago, Percy wouldn’t have hesitated. But now… “I can do it,” he said to his mother. “One look inside this box, and he’ll never bother you again.”

Sally glanced at the package and seemed to understand immediately. “No, Percy,” she said and stepped away. “You can’t.”

“Poseidon called you a queen,” Percy remembered. “He said he hadn’t met a woman like you in a thousand years.”

Sally blushed in response to this praise. “Percy-”

“You deserve better than this, Mom,” Percy said firmly. “You should go to college, get your degree. You can write your novel, meet a nice guy maybe, live in a nice house. You don’t need to protect me anymore by staying with Gabe. Let me get rid of him.”

Sally wiped a tear from her cheek as she looked at her son. “You sound so much like your father.” she smiled. “He offered to stop the tide for me once. He offered to build me a palace at the bottom of the sea. He thought he could solve all my problems with a wave of his hand.”

“Well, between a guy who would – and let’s be honest – could do all that or Gabe, I think it’s kind of a no-brainer.” Rainbow pointed out.

“Yeah, what’s wrong with all that?” Percy asked.

Sally sighed as she looked at Percy. “I think you know, Percy. I think you’re enough like me to understand. If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself. I can’t let a god take care of me… or my son. I have to… find the courage on my own. Your quest has reminded me of that.”

The noise from the living room echoed through the apartment, still more than enough of a message for the group. Percy made his decision. “I’ll leave the box,” he said simply. “If he threatens you…”

Sally looked pale, but she nodded in understanding. “Where will you go?”

“Back to Camp Half-Blood, I suppose.” Rarity shrugged, earning a nod from Percy.

“For the summer… or forever?” Sally asked.

“I guess that depends.” Percy shrugged. The way the two of them looked at each other made it clear that they had made a decision – depending on how things stood at the end of summer, they would see.

Sally smiled and kissed her son’s forehead. “You’ll be a hero, Percy. You’ll be the greatest of all.” she praised.

“Ya got that right.” Applejack nodded as they all stood up. Percy took one last – almost final – look around his room, like it would be the last time he ever saw it before the group walked to the door.

“Leaving so soon, punk?” Gabe sneered after them. “Good riddance.”

“Just say the word,” Rainbow whispered to Percy.

It was clear Percy wanted to, but then… “Hey, Sally! What about that meatloaf, huh?” The steely look of anger in Sally’s eyes made it clear that he didn’t have to.

“The meatloaf is coming right up, dear,” she said. “Meatloaf Surprise.” She looked back out at the kids and winked before she closed the door as she stared at Gabe as if contemplating what pose would look best when he was petrified.

Rainbow just grinned. “Have I said how much I love your mom, Percy?”

Percy grinned right back at her as they walked away from the apartment. “You could stand to mention it more.”

The Book

The time had come again; the time that gave Princess Twilight Sparkle the most excitement out of her week. She shot around the room closing blinds. “Everything must be perfect. Nothing can get in the way of this,” she assured herself. “Reshelving Day!”

With a single pull of her magic, every book in the castle was pulled off the shelves and shot to the ground. Once they were down, she raised them all and started spinning them slowly around her, as well as several new books. She’d been receiving more shipments from her mentor Princess Celestia and she had also raided the library of the Castle of the Two Sisters in the Everfree. “Let’s see… Supernaturals? That definitely belongs under Mystic Remedies. The Sisters’ Diary? Historical Archives.” Then she caught something in the new arrivals; a dark leather book with no title, only a few small green gems on the cover. “Huh. Never seen this one before. Spike!”

Her number one assistant quickly arrived and appeared to be just as surprised to see this book as Twilight was. “Huh. Is that one of the new ones?”

“Yeah, but I don’t recognize it,” Twilight noted. “Call the others; let’s see if any of them know anything.”

“Right.” Spike nodded as he moved to the door, but stopped as he realized something. “Oh, does that include Starlight?”

“No, she can stay in the Crystal Empire for now; I’d hate to cut her hang-out time with Sunburst short over something that might not even be such a big deal.” Twilight shrugged. “Just bring in the girls from town, okay?”

“Got it.” Spike saluted and bolted out of the library.

“Well, I’ll just set you – my little mystery – off to the side for now.” Twilight smiled as she placed this book on a table in the middle of the library as she returned to her process of her reshelving.

Eventually, the library was organized to Twilight’s preferred standards and the rest of her friends had all gathered around the table to look at the book their royal friend had found. “Ah dunno what to tell ya Twilight; Ah ain’t seen this book or anythin’ like it before.” Applejack shrugged, the others offering echoes of her answer.

“Though I must say, it looks rather intriguing for an unknown book.” Rarity remarked. “Is there nothing to determine where it came from?”

“Nothing.” Twilight shrugged. “I think I might’ve brought it back from one of my trips to the Castle of the Two Sisters, but I can’t be sure. That last trip was a bit foggy.”

“Maybe there’s something written in it that might explain it,” Spike suggested.

Rainbow Dash flapped over and flipped the cover open with her hoof before she flapped her wings a bit to blow the pages, only showing them all as empty. “Huh. Totally blank. That’s weird.”

“No kidding. Why would a completely blank book just end up in a ruined castle library for no reason?” Twilight asked.

“M-Maybe it’s a new journal someone left there by accident,” Fluttershy suggested.

“Maybe, but aside from us, who goes anywhere into that place?” Rainbow reminded.

“Oh, you’re right. Um, n-nevermind.” Fluttershy nodded shyly.

“Ooh! Or maybe it’s written in some sort of super-special spy-ink that only reappears under a weird light.” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“Well, it’s the best idea we’ve got so far.” Twilight shrugged. “And I cannot believe I said that about something Pinkie just said. Let’s see if I’ve figured out that blacklight spell yet.” Magic surrounded her horn as it projected a small circle of purple light onto the entire book, starting with the front cover. Nothing was revealed there, so she opened it to the first page and found something. “Whoa. Well, there’s definitely something here.”

“You mean Pinkie was onto something?” Rainbow asked seriously.

“Ooh! Maybe it’s a secret super-spy mission dossier! With one mission still unfinished…” Pinkie smiled, eagerly hoping that was it.

“Well, it doesn’t completely appear to be any sort of spy ink. It looks like normal ink, just enchanted with some sort of magic.” Twilight remarked. “I don’t recognize it though.”

“A kinda magic you don’t recognize? Well, that on its own scares me.” Applejack remarked.

“Yeah, me too.” Twilight nodded. “Lemme see if I can break the enchantment.” She closed her eyes and focused hard as she surrounded the book, her horn flaring with more and more magic as small sparks shot from her horn. Finally, the text on that first page was revealed as the book dropped back onto the table, Twilight leaning against it in exhaustion.

“Whoa. You alright there, Sugarcube?” asked Applejack.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Twilight nodded as she shook her head. “Whew, that was a powerful spell. But at least we have the text now.”

Rainbow looked at the book and saw she was right; the text was visible. And somehow, it seemed familiar. “This looks almost like old Pegasian,” she remarked.

Twilight was surprised and looked at the pages herself, to see she was right; the text was the old language of the Pegasi. “How do you know that?”

“Eh, I picked up a few symbols from the new Daring Do book.” That figured; how else would Rainbow figure out something like this?

“Can you translate it?” asked Rarity.

“Maybe. If I walk it through modern Pegasian first.” Twilight noted, quickly floating a few language guides and a notebook over, which she quickly started writing in as she carefully translated each and every word. “Hm. It looks like... the introduction to some sort of… story.”

“Ooh! What kind of story?!” Pinkie asked happily.

“Well, this translation isn’t perfect but I think it’s called… The Lightning Thief?” Twilight remarked. “There’s a weird set of directions here too. ‘Find the thief before he flees, stop the war before it begins, and the world will be saved’.”

“A world-saving story? Pfft. Please. We’ve been through more than enough of those.” Rainbow remarked.

Suddenly the book started glowing as more text appeared, this text easily readable by all those present. “Good. Then you’ll be more than prepared for this quest.” it read.

“Wait, what?” Twilight couldn’t ask more than that as suddenly, a strange warp-hole opened up on the pages and a strong wind started pulling at the mares.

“Oh boy! Uh, Spike? The House of Enchanted Comics doesn’t sell full books, does it?!” asked Rainbow.

“If they did, no one told me!” Spike assured.

“Does it matter?! Let’s get outta here ‘fore that thing swallows us whole!” Applejack ordered as she started galloping toward the door, only for the winds to swoop her up. “Wh- Whoa- Whoa!”

“I gotcha!” Rainbow yelled as she grabbed the farm-mare from the vortex and tried flying as hard and fast as she could to avoid getting sucked in, but to no avail; the wind was too strong and started pulling her wings back. “Twilight! Try to close it!”

“I don’t know if I can!” Twilight returned in concern; she’d barely managed to break the spell hiding the text in the first place, so she was fairly positive she wasn’t going to be able to seal a portal created by similar magic.

“Well, if this is anything like our stint as the Power Ponies, then perhaps the only way we can stop it is if we enter it and play out the story?” Rarity suggested.

“Worth a try!” Spike shrugged.

“Alright, but be careful; we don’t have any sort of context for what’s going to happen once we go through that portal, so everyone be ready for anything!” Twilight ordered.

“When am I not?” Rainbow smirked as she stopped flapping her wings but held them out to catch the wind, tumbling in with the others quickly following her. But what none of them knew was that not even the ever-eager Pinkie Pie or the solid strength of will of Rainbow Dash could’ve prepared them for what awaited them in those pages… and the quest for the Lightning Thief.

Author's Note

There ya have it folks; my first official submission on this site. And I'm really looking forward to continuing the adventure of submitting here. Hope you guys enjoy.

Our Hero

“Ugh… ouch…” It wasn’t exactly a comfortable landing when Twilight cracked her eyes open. She found herself lying on a concrete street-like area, which reminded her greatly of Canterlot High, where her old friend Sunset Shimmer had been for a good long while. And she was reminded even more of Canterlot High when she saw that her forehooves had transformed into human hands. But something was remarkably different about them now; they were a bright tan instead of their usual lavender. The only really lavender attributes on her body were her clothes; a white polo shirt, a lavender sweater-vest with her Cutie Mark stitched into her lapel, a dark purple skirt, and lavender socks inside black Mary-Janes.

“What the…?” She was reasonably confused, especially when she found her body felt somewhat smaller compared to when she was at Canterlot High. She looked around and saw the other girls, all transformed in much the same way as she had been. It was fairly easy to pick out who was who from their hair and the main colors of their clothes.

Rarity was wearing a white blouse with a black knee-length skirt held by a belt with a gold buckle, and gold anklets above black heels, along with diamond earrings shaped like her Cutie Mark.

Applejack still had her old Stetson but was now also wearing an orange flannel shirt, blue jeans and brown cowgirl boots with her Cutie Mark embroidered on the sides.

Pinkie was wearing a bright pink sweater with her Cutie Mark emblazoned on the back, a bright blue skirt, pink leggings, and darker pink sneakers.

Fluttershy was dressed fairly conservatively, as almost expected for someone of her personality, with a pale yellow sweater a fair bit heavier than Pinkie’s, and an ankle-length brown skirt with her Cutie Mark on the lower edge and simple brown shoes.

Rainbow was dressed fairly predictably for an athletic girl like her with a pale blue shirt and shorts, along with short athletic socks and blue sneakers.

Still, Twilight knew it would be jarring when they woke up as she looked around. “Spike? Spike!”

“Ugh. Here I am.” Spike groaned as he clomped out toward her… in the same dog-form as he was in at Canterlot High. When his eyes locked onto Twilight, he was fairly surprised. “Whoa. What happened? Did that book send us to Canterlot High again?”

Twilight looked around and while she did see a large school-like building, it most definitely was not Canterlot High. “I don’t think so.” It was just then that the girls started stirring. “Oh boy, this is gonna be a scene.”

“What do you mean?” asked Spike.

“I mean this is their first time transforming into humans like this. It’s bound to be fairly jarring.” Twilight returned. Quickly the two of them moved to their friends’ sides as they each slowly woke up.

“Hoo-wee. Boy, Ah feel like I just rolled down the West Orchard hill in a barrel.” Applejack groaned as she put a fist to her head.

“Ugh. You and me both, AJ.” Rainbow nodded as she shook her head.

“Take it easy, girls; it’ll take a little getting used to,” Twilight assured.

“What are you talking about, darling? What will?” Rarity asked as she sat up. It was at that exact moment that she saw her hand and her eyes went wide. “What in Celestia’s name-?!”

“Whoa! Okay, what happened?” Rainbow asked seriously as she looked around.

“I’m not totally sure,” Twilight noted. “My best guess is that the magic in that book turned us into these forms.”

“Wh- Why?” asked Fluttershy.

“Probably to make us blend in easier.” Twilight shrugged. “Now let’s see… where are we?”

Applejack glanced off to the side and saw a large stone sign near the building. “Yancy Academy. Must be some sort of school.”

“Oh great. We had to end up at a school.” Rainbow groaned.

“If the book sent us here, it was for a reason,” Twilight reassured. “Maybe we’ll find that thief here.”

“Yeah, but how will we know who it is? What did they even steal; lightning?” Rainbow asked seriously, remembering the apparent title of this story.

“We’ll figure that out later. Right now, I suggest we try and find a way into this school without arousing suspicion.” Twilight suggested.

“Works for me.” Rainbow shrugged as she jumped… only to land flat on her face. “OW! Hey, what gives?”

“Uh yeah, you don’t have your wings in this form,” Twilight noted.

“WHAT?!” Rainbow yelled in fear as she looked at her back and saw a lack of wings. “Ah man, this is Discord all over again!”

“Let’s just get inside,” Twilight ordered. “Looks like a storm’s coming.” She was right; a large storm-front was forming over the horizon closing toward the building.

“Works for me.” Spike shrugged as he climbed into Twilight’s backpack before they ran into the building. Inside, they saw that the building appeared to be a rather empty but large prep school.

“Great. Now where are we supposed to go?” asked Rainbow.

“Perhaps back to your dorms.” The girls were surprised by that voice but quickly looked to see an older man in a motorized wheelchair behind them. “You are aware it’s well past lights out.”

“Uh yes, yes; I am terribly sorry, sir,” Twilight assured. “We were just uh… out for an evening walk, that’s all. Yes, sorry.”

“Oh, it’s no bother; just get back to your rooms fairly quickly, would you?” the old man asked.

“Right.” Twilight nodded as they quickly moved away toward what they guessed was the girls’ dorms. “Whew. That was almost too close.”

“Yeah. Who was that guy?” asked Rainbow.

“I saw a nametag on his chair; his name is Mr. Brunner.” Applejack noted. “He’s the Latin teacher.”

“Great. So now we’re shanghaied into being students here?” Rainbow shrugged.

“Eh, could be worse.” Pinkie shrugged. “Could be-” A loud thunderclap was heard outside before a torrential downpour was heard outside, shutting Pinkie up.

“I’m sorry; were you- were you about to say ‘raining’?” Rainbow asked seriously.
“Nno.”
"No?"
"No."
“You sure?”
"Absolutely.”
"Alright."
"I- I revised that whole thing."
"Yeah..."

“Girls, focus. We have to find some way of figuring out where the story goes.” Twilight reminded.

Applejack’s eyes locked onto someone down the hall; a boy who looked roughly 12 with jet-black hair and sea-green eyes wearing pretty simple clothes. “Well, we might as well start with him.”

Twilight shrugged. “Uh, excuse me! Excuse me.” The boy looked over at them and was surprised.

“If you’re here to annoy me, could you at least wait until morning? I just got outta detention and I’m really tired.” he groaned.

“I’m sorry; it’s just… my friends and I are new here and we were wondering if you knew where the girls’ dorms are.” Twilight excused quickly.

The boy was surprised, as if he wasn’t totally convinced by this but rolled his eyes and pointed down the hall. “It’s up that way; third door on the left.”

“Thanks.” Twilight nodded as she led the girls down the hall. “Uh, what’s your name?”

The boy glanced back at them before he made his way up the stairs. “Jackson. Percy Jackson.” Whether the girls knew it or not, Percy would end up defining their time in this world.

So Much for the Bus...

It didn’t take the girls long to pack; they didn’t have much with them at camp to begin with, so they only really packed the essentials… though Applejack still had to have a fairly serious discussion with Rarity about what that meant in this case, since she was insisting on bringing an entire wardrobe rack with her when she only really needed one or two changes of clothes like Percy had packed. That took up at least two hours, and they ended up late to meet the others at the camp store, where they were each loaned one hundred dollars in mortal cash and twenty gold drachma.

And these coins were huge; the size of cookies with various gods on one side and the Empire State Building on the other. Chiron had told them that the ancients had used silver, but the Olympians never used less than pure gold, and that they might be handy in non-mortal transactions… whatever that meant. They also received canteens full of nectar and small bags filled with ambrosia squares; demigod food, only to be used in serious emergencies if they were badly hurt, since too much was apparently fatal, even to demigods.

Annabeth was bringing her magic invisibility hat and a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, and a long bronze knife she hid up her shirt sleeve… and which Percy was sure to bust them at the first metal detector they passed through.

Grover was wearing his fake feet and pants to pass as human, as well as a green rasta-style cap since anyone could easily make out stubby horn-tips if his hair was flattened. He was carrying a backpack full of apples and scrap metal to snack on and a set of reed-pipes carved by his father in his pocket… even though he only knew two songs, both of which sounded really bad on the pipes.

Either way, they bid their goodbyes for now to the other campers and made their way up the hill to the massive pine that had at one point been Thalia. Twilight couldn’t help but feel more than a bit sad for the girl who might still be trapped within that wood, but she knew there was nothing they could do for her as she looked to Chiron in his wheelchair… and a large man in a chauffer’s uniform with eyes all over his head, neck, and hands

“This is Argus,” Chiron introduced. “He will drive you into the city and, er, well, keep an eye on things.”

Pinkie couldn’t help but giggle at the joke as Rainbow saw the eye on the back of Argus’s left-hand wink at her, which seriously wigged her out. It was then that they heard footsteps coming up the hill. The group looked and saw Luke running up the hill with a pair of basketball shoes in his hand, along with a tall African boy with a large bundle on his back. “Hey. Glad we caught you.” Luke panted.

Annabeth blushed, the way she always did when Luke was around, but Rainbow was a bit too confused as to why he was here to taunt her. “Just wanted to say good luck,” Luke said. “And I thought, um… maybe you could use these.” He handed Percy the shoes, which looked fairly normal… and smelled normal.

“Uh… thanks?” Rainbow asked in confusion.

“Maia!” Luke whispered… prompting white bird-wings to sprout from the heels, startling Percy so much that he accidentally dropped the shoes, which fluttered around on the ground for a moment before the wings furled and dropped to the ground.

“Okay, that was pretty awesome,” Rainbow remarked.

“Yeah, they served me well when I was on my quest.” Luke shrugged. “Gift from Dad. Of course, I don’t use them much these days…” He sounded a bit sad at that.

“Hey man, thanks.” Percy smiled, but Luke still looked uncomfortable.

Pinkie decided she couldn’t have that and reached into her hair, pulling out a perfectly good cupcake with metallic bronze frosting which she handed to him. It definitely made him look like he felt better as he smiled at the girl. “Thanks, Pinkie.” he smiled, looking at the group. “Listen guys, a lot of hopes are riding on you. So just… kill some monsters for me, okay?”

“You got it, bro.” Rainbow smiled and bumped fists with the young man as each of them said their goodbyes in their own way… though Percy definitely noticed Annabeth looked ready to pass out after he hugged her.

“You’re hyperventilating,” he remarked.

“Am not.” That answer came out a bit too fast to sound entirely genuine.

“You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn’t you?”

“Oh… Why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?!” Annabeth yelled as she stomped down the hill toward a white SUV, Argus following her with car keys jingling in his hand.

“I believe your exact words were ‘Athena is no friend of Poseidon, but if you’re going to save the world, I’m the best person to keep you from messing up’,” Rarity called after her.

“Ugh. No wonder Aphrodite claimed you.” Annabeth growled as she climbed into the car.

“Was I just insulted?” Rarity remarked.

“And judged, yeah.” the boy from Hephaestus nodded. “Sorry, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced; Charles Beckendorf.”

“Glad to meet ya, Charlie.” Applejack smiled, shaking his hand.

“Uh, if you don’t mind, I prefer to go by my last name,” he remarked.

“Oh sure, I gotcha.” Applejack nodded before she gestured to the bundle on his back. “Those fer us?”

“Yeah, I figured you’d need ‘em if you’re going to go out slaying monsters.” Beckendorf nodded as he set the bundle down and unrolled it, revealing an assortment of bronze weapons. “Fresh from the forges. Take your pick.”

The girls were a bit unsure about being handed blades, but they knew Beckendorf was right; if they were going to the Underworld – more than likely through any number of terrifying monsters – they would need to be armed, so they knelt down to take their choices. Applejack was the first to choose, and she picked a large round mace that felt heavy in her hands. She nearly made that her only choice until her eyes locked onto something else; a rope that glimmered bronze, which she easily picked up. “Ah, nice choice.” Beckendorf smiled. “That’s a Thracian lariat; fireproof and malleable as spider-silk, but still strong as any armor. Might be useful.”

“Ah hope so.” Applejack smiled as she latched it to her hip, though she wasn’t sure what to do with the mace.

She decided to figure it out later as she saw the others go for their own weapons; Rarity chose a long blade with a crown-like hilt – identified by Beckendorf as a Minoan rapier – while Rainbow chose two small shortswords, Twilight chose a short spear, Fluttershy chose a bow and small quiver of arrows along with a knife barely as long as her pinkie finger, and Pinkie chose a large sledgehammer. “Thank you, Beckendorf. Something tells me these will come in very handy.” Twilight smiled.

“Thanks, Twilight. And Luke’s right; a lot’s riding on you guys. Good luck.” he nodded and made his way down the hill toward camp.

Percy smiled weakly as he picked up the shoes Luke had given him before he turned to Chiron. “I’m not gonna be able to use these, am I?” he asked seriously.

The old centaur just shook his head. “Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air… that would not be wise for you.”

Percy nodded in disappointment, but then he had an idea. “Hey Grover, you want a magic item?”

Grover’s face instantly lit up. “Me?”

“Yeah man, it’s not like I’m gonna be using them.” Percy shrugged. It didn’t take long to get the shoes laced onto Grover’s fake feet and the world’s first flying goat boy was about to launch. “Maia!” And launch he did… sideways, his backpack dragging through the grass as the shoes bucked like broncos.

“Practice!” Chiron called after him. “You just need practice!”

That didn’t help as Grover started flying toward them. “Duck!” Rainbow called and dropped with the others.

“Where?!” Pinkie asked and looked around… before Grover’s backpack slammed into her face and sent her sprawling on the hill as he went down toward the SUV like a possessed lawnmower. “Oh, that kind of duck.”

Percy just rolled his eyes as he was about to make his way after Grover, but Chiron grabbed his arm before he could move. “I should have trained you better, Percy. All of you,” he said, looking at the girls. “Hercules, Jason… They all got more training.”

“That’s okay. I just wish-” Percy stopped; he didn’t sound like a brat, but Applejack knew what he was going to say.

“That yer dad gave ya a tool like the others?” she asked, earning a nod from Percy.

Chiron facepalmed at this. “What am I thinking?” he asked himself as he dug into his jacket. “I can’t let you get away without this.” With that, he pulled a pen from his pocket and handed it to Percy.

Percy looked at it in confusion as he looked back at the old man. “This is a pen,” he said seriously. “This is a pen.”

“Percy, that’s a gift from your father.” Chiron corrected. “I’ve kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one.”

Rainbow’s eyes popped as she remembered something. “Wait a minute… Percy, remember the last time Chiron gave you a pen?” she asked.

Percy apparently remembered it perfectly as he took the cap off the pen… which immediately grew into a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edged blade, a leather-wrapped grip, and a flat hilt covered in rivets; indeed the same sword Percy had used to destroy Mrs. Dodds at the museum… and the only sword that really felt balanced in his hands. “The sword has a long and tragic history we need not go into,” Chiron informed. “Its name is Anaklusmos.”

“Riptide.” Percy translated, surprised the Greek came to him so easily.

“Cool name,” Rainbow remarked… before she realized something. “Wait a second… If his sword can do that, can our weapons change into things too?”

“Only one way to find out.” Twilight shrugged as she looked over her spear where she found a small dial at the back. Giving it a small twist, her spear shrank down into a bronze-colored pencil that easily fit into her hand. The others looked over their weapons and found similar mechanisms; Rarity saw a small button on the hilt of her sword unlocking a hinge on the blade that allowed her to fold it down into a compact mirror, Rainbow slapped the flats of her shortswords against her wrists where they turned into metallic red, yellow, and blue slap-bracelets, Fluttershy’s archer’s kit and knife each compressed into small pins that she clipped onto her shirt at the push of a button, Applejack’s mace shrank into a bronze paperweight when she twisted the head to the right, and Pinkie’s hammer turned into a comically small one almost like a keychain when she pulled on the bottom that she hooked onto one of the belt loops on her pants.

“Use these weapons only in emergencies,” Chiron warned. “And only against monsters. No hero should harm mortals unless absolutely necessary, of course, but they wouldn’t harm them anyway.”

“You sure?” Rainbow asked, pulling her left bracelet off her wrist at which point it turned back into a shortsword. “Because this seems pretty freaking harmful.”

“They are all made from Celestial Bronze.” Chiron explained. “Forged by Cyclopes, tempered in the heart of Mount Etna, cooled in the River Lethe. The metal is lethal to monsters, to any creature of the Underworld, provided they don’t kill you first. But the blades will pass through mortals like an illusion. They simply aren’t important enough for the weapons to kill. And I should warn you; as demigods, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are twice as vulnerable.”

“Wait, is that what those cuts on our hands were about?” asked Twilight, remembering that she and each of the other girls had had small cuts on their hands when they first woke up at camp. They had since healed by now, but their presence had still confused them.

“Yes, that was to ensure that your trip here had indeed made you demigods.” Chiron nodded. “If you were mortal, the blades would have passed through you. But since they did not, we know you are demigods.”

“Good to know.” Percy and Rainbow jinxed.

“Now recap your pen, Percy,” Chiron ordered.

Percy did just that; touching the pen-cap to the tip of the blade and it instantly shrank back into a pen as Rainbow replaced her sword on her wrist. Percy put the pen in his pocket, but seemed nervous. Twilight knew why; he was infamous at Yancy for losing pens. “You can’t,” Chiron said unprompted.

“Can’t what?” asked Percy.

“Lose the pen,” he replied. “It is enchanted. It will always reappear in your pocket. Try it.”

Percy was less than sure about this, but did it anyway, tossing the pen down the hill as hard as he could as he watched it disappear in the grass. “It may take a moment,” Chiron assured. “Now check your pocket.”

Percy didn’t seem sure, but when he checked, he did indeed find the pen right there. “Okay, that is extremely cool.” he admitted.

“Agreed,” Twilight remarked, holding up her own pencil. “But won’t the mortals see us whipping out giant bronze weapons?”

Chiron just smiled. “Mist is a powerful thing, young ones.”

“‘Mist’?” asked Rainbow.

“Yes. Read The Iliad; it’s full of references to the stuff.” Chiron explained. “Whenever divine or monstrous elements mix with the mortal world, they generate Mist, which obscures the vision of humans. You will see things just as they are, being half-bloods, but humans will interpret things quite differently. Remarkable, really, the lengths to which humans will go to fit things into their vision of reality.”

Percy slipped Riptide back into his pocket as the girls all looked out over the hill down to their ride. For the first time, their quest seemed real; they were leaving Half-Blood Hill for the west with no adult supervision, no backup plan, and not even any means of communication (Chiron had told the group that electrical devices like cell phones were traceable by monsters; if they used one, it would be worse than sending up a flare), and no weapons stronger than heavy bronze blades and bludgeons to fight off monsters and reach the Underworld. Rainbow Dash would later admit that the gravity of the situation made a pit form in her stomach, but she did her best to hide it. “Chiron…” she asked. “I was just thinking; if the gods are immortal… well, there was a time before them, right?”

“Four ages before them, to be exact.” Chiron assured. “The Time of the Titans was the Fourth Age, sometimes called the Golden Age.”

“Now if that ain’t a misnomer…” Applejack remarked.

“Indeed. This however – the time of Western civilization and the rule of Zeus – is the Fifth Age.” Chiron explained.

“So what was it like before the gods?” asked Rainbow.

Chiron pursed his lips as he thought. “Even I am not old enough to remember that, child, but I know it was an age of darkness and savagery for mortals. Kronos, the lord of the Titans, called his reign the Golden Age because man lived innocent and free of all knowledge. But this was mere propaganda. The Titan King cared nothing for your kind except as appetizers or a source of cheap entertainment. It was only in the early reign of Lord Zeus, when Prometheus the good Titan brought fire to mankind, that your species began to progress, and even then Prometheus was branded a radical thinker. Zeus punished him severely, as you may recall.” That lesson Rainbow remembered; it wasn’t exactly easy to forget the graphic description of Prometheus’s punishment. “Of course, eventually the gods warmed to humans, and Western civilization was born.”

“But the gods can’t die now, right?” asked Percy. “I mean, as long as Western civilization is alive, they’re alive. So… even if we fail, nothing could happen so bad it would mess up everything, right?”

Chiron smiled in a melancholy sense. “No one knows how long the Age of the West will last, Percy. The gods are immortal, yes. But then, so were the Titans. They still exist, locked away in their various prisons, forced to endure endless pain and punishment, reduced in power, but still very much alive. May the Fates forbid that the gods should ever suffer such a doom, or that we should ever return to the darkness and chaos of the past. All we can do, child, is follow our destiny.”

“Our destiny… assuming we know what that is,” Percy said nervously.

“Relax.” Chiron soothed. “Keep a clear head. And remember, you may be about to prevent the biggest war in human history.”

“No pressure,” Rainbow remarked as she led the others down to the car. They looked back up at Thalia’s tree, where they saw Chiron standing on his own four hooves holding his bow high in salute. “Yep. Just your typical summer camp sendoff.”

Argus drove the group out of the countryside and into the western area of Long Island. The girls found button-up overshirts colored like their coats in the backseat which they pulled on over their camp t-shirts, making them feel a bit more at ease, though Percy felt weird being back on a highway after all his time at camp with the girls, especially with Grover and Annabeth with them as well. The mortal world outside camp felt like a fantasy to the young man as he watched out the window. “So far so good,” he remarked. “Ten miles and not a single monster.”

“Try not to jinx it.” Rainbow brought up jokingly.

Annabeth just glared over at Percy. “She’s right; it’s bad luck to talk like that.”

Twilight stepped in here. “Okay, that’s it; what is your problem? Why do you hate Percy so much?”

“I don’t hate him.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Percy remarked.

Annabeth just folded her hat. “Look… we’re just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals.”

“Why?”

Annabeth sighed in annoyance. “How many reasons do you want? One time, my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena’s temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her.”

“They must really like olives.” Pinkie remarked with a smile.

“Oh, forget it.” Annabeth groaned.

“Now, if she’d invented pizza; that I could understand,” Percy noted.

“I said forget it!” Annabeth snapped.

“Okay, jeez!” Percy said as he leaned back into his seat… seeing one blue eye on the back of Argus’ neck wink at him. Traffic slowed the ride down, and by the time they reached the city, it was already sunset and starting to rain. Argus dropped them at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side, not far from Percy’s apartment… and taped to a mailbox was a soggy flyer with Percy’s picture on it: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY?

Quickly he tore it down and threw it aside before anyone could see it as Argus unloaded the team’s bags, making sure they all had their bus tickets before he drove away, winking at the group with the eye in the back of his hand.

Twilight saw Percy looking up the street possibly in a sense of nostalgia considering how close to his old apartment he was. “You wanna know why she married him, Percy?” Grover asked, confusing the group.

Percy stared at him in confusion. “Were you reading my mind or something?”

Pinkie gasped as she slipped over to Grover. “Can you do that?”

“Not minds, just emotions.” Grover shrugged. “Guess I forgot to tell you satyrs can do that.” He turned back to Percy. “You were thinking about your mom and your stepdad, right?” Percy nodded, though Twilight was sure he was wondering the same thing as him; what else had Grover forgotten to mention? “Your mom married Gabe for you. You call him ‘Smelly’, but you’ve got no idea. The guy has this aura… yuck. I can smell him from here. I can smell traces of him on you, and you haven’t been near him for a week.”

“Thanks. Where’s the nearest shower?” Percy asked bitterly.

“You should be grateful, Percy,” Grover assured. “Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod. As soon as I took a whiff inside his Camaro, I knew: Gabe has been covering your scent for years. If you hadn’t lived with him every summer, you probably would’ve been found by monsters a long time ago. Your mom stayed with him to protect you. She was a smart lady; she must’ve loved you a lot to put up with that guy – if that makes you feel any better.”

Pinkie could tell it didn’t; the smile Percy showed was forced. And the girls all knew that wasn’t the only thing about this quest he was lying about, like the real reason he accepted; he didn’t care about the Master Bolt, or saving the world, or helping Poseidon. All he cared about was his mother, and getting her back from Hades. All the same, the last two lines of the prophecy weighed heavily on their minds; You will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend. You will fail to save what matters in the end. They tried to figure out what they meant and what they had to do with the quest but were worried they wouldn’t like the answer.

Eventually, the group got restless waiting for the bus and decided to play hacky sack with one of Grover’s apples, bouncing it around between them… until Percy bounced it a little too close to Grover’s mouth, allowing him to swallow it whole in a single massive bite. Grover tried to apologize but the others were too busy cracking up. Eventually, their bus arrived and as they stood in line to board, Twilight noticed Grover was sniffing the air as if he was trying to smell something out. “Is something wrong?”

“I’m don’t know,” he said tensely. “Maybe it’s nothing.” The others weren’t convinced, and all started looking over their shoulder. They were more than a bit relieved when they finally boarded and found seats in the back of the bus.

The group stowed their bags as Annabeth slapped her hat against her leg anxiously. And as the last passengers boarded, she stopped and grabbed Percy’s knee. Hard. “Percy,” she whispered.

The group looked and saw why Annabeth seemed to be panicking; an old lady had just boarded, wearing a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and shapeless, orange-knit hat covering her face carrying a big paisley purse. When she looked up, her black eyes glistened and everyone felt their hearts in their throats. It was Mrs. Dodds, older and more withered but definitely still her. The group had to try and scrunch down in their seats to try and avoid being seen… but then two more ladies came aboard, wearing different colored hats but otherwise completely identical to Mrs. Dodds. They sat at the front of the bus right behind the driver, the two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, blocking it. It seemed casual, but the message was clear; nobody leaves. "I hate it when you're right, Pinkie." Rainbow whispered.

The bus started out of the station through the streets of Manhattan. “She didn’t stay dead long,” Percy whispered, trying not to let anyone hear his voice quiver. “I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime.”

“I said if you’re lucky.” Annabeth returned. “You’re obviously not.”

“All three of them.” Grover whimpered. “Di immortales!”

“What’re we gonna do?” asked Applejack.

“It’s okay,” Annabeth assured, obviously already coming up with something. “The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem, no problem. We’ll just slip out the windows.”

“They’re locked.” Grover moaned.

“A back exit?”

“There isn’t one.” Twilight pointed out, pointing to the back wall of the bus.

“Even if there was, it wouldn’t help,” Rainbow remarked. “We’re almost to a tunnel.”

“They won’t attack us with witnesses around, will they?” asked Percy.

“Mortals don’t have good eyes.” Annabeth reminded. “Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist.”

“They’ll see three old ladies killing us, won’t they?” asked Rainbow.

“Hard to say.” Annabeth shrugged. “But we can’t count on them for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof…?” The bus entered the tunnel and went dark, aside from the running lights down the aisle.

“Any more bright ideas?” asked Rarity, frightened by how quiet it was without the sound of rain.

Then as if she’d rehearsed it, Mrs. Dodds got up. “I need to use the restroom.”

“So do I.” her sisters jinxed as they all made their way to the back.

“Something tells me we’re going to need a restroom in a minute.” Pinkie joked in concern.

“I’ve got it,” Annabeth noted. “Percy, take my hat.”

“What?”

“You’re the one they want,” Annabeth explained. “Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away.”

“But you guys-”

“There’s an outside chance they might not notice us,” Annabeth said.

“Are you kidding? Seven demigods in one place and you think they won’t notice us because of one in another place?” asked Twilight.

“Percy’s a son of the Big Three. His smell might be overpowering.” Annabeth reminded.

“I can’t just leave you,” Percy argued.

“Don’t worry about us; go,” Grover ordered.

Percy felt like a coward, but he took the hat anyway and put it on, disappearing into thin air. The girls were amazed, but had to stay quiet. Mrs. Dodds stopped, sniffed the air, and looked a specific direction – presumably directly at Percy – but apparently, she didn’t sense anything as she and her sisters kept moving right to the back. When they made it, they started cruelly wailing as they transformed – their bodies shriveled into leather brown hag bodies with bat’s wings and hands and feet like gargoyle’s claws, their handbags turning into fiery whips, which they lashed as they surrounded the girls. “Where is it? Where?!”

The other people on the bus started screaming; who knows what they saw but it was definitely terrifying. “He’s not here! He’s gone!” Annabeth yelled. The Furies raised their whips as if the answer didn’t satisfy them.

“Okay, I guess we’re doin’ this now.” Applejack shrugged as she grabbed her bronze paperweight, quickly switching it back into a mace as the others raised their weapons and Grover grabbed a can from his bag.

“I suppose it’s ‘En Garde' then.” Rarity smirked as she raised her rapier… just before the bus swerved violently to the left. Everyone on the bus was tossed to the right as the Furies smashed against the windows.

“Hey! Hey- whoa!” the driver yelled as he apparently wrestled with the wheel against some invisible force.

“Percy, are you nuts?!” asked Twilight, though her question was answered as the bus smashed against the sides of the tunnel until they shot out the end into the rain, barreling through traffic lights as they roared down a rural road as the driver appeared to be veering toward the river. Then Percy apparently did something else stupid; he hit the emergency brake.

The bus did a full spin and crashed into a large tree on the side of the road. The emergency lights came on and the doors flew open, prompting the driver and everyone else to barrel overboard and into the wilderness.

The Furies weren’t among those who got off as they regained their balance and lashed at the girls. Twilight swung her spear to catch the whips and toss them aside as Rarity stabbed at them with her rapier and Annabeth waved her knife yelling in Ancient Greek, Grover tossing cans.

Twilight was certain Percy had run for his own safety until she saw him remove the cap at the front. “Hey!” The Furies all turned to him and scowled, snarling angrily.

“Perseus Jackson.” Mrs. Dodds snarled in a very far southern accent. “You have offended the gods. You shall die.”

“I liked you better as a math teacher.” Percy taunted.

Mrs. Dodds snarled… right before Twilight’s spear flew through her right wing and embedded itself in the floor in front of her. “So did I,” she smirked as she zipped around to grab up her spear.

The others all looked around in the back for an opening as Percy uncapped Riptide, the blade growing in his hand. The Furies seemed to hesitate, and Percy and the girls couldn’t blame them; Mrs. Dodds had felt Riptide’s blade once before, and she obviously didn’t like seeing it again. “Submit now.” she snarled. “And you will not suffer eternal torment.”

“Doesn’t know how to negotiate, this lady,” Rainbow smirked as she drew her shortswords.

“That’s about as negotiative as a Fury is likely to get,” Annabeth assured before she looked. “Percy, look out!” Too late; Mrs. Dodds lashed Percy’s sword hand with her whip while the other two lunged at him and Twilight.

Percy cried in pain from the whip but he managed to get in a good bash against the Fury on the left with the pommel of his sword while Twilight impaled the one on the right with her spear, catching her and holding her up for Percy to get in an easy slash, causing her to scream in pain and explode into dust. Applejack and Annabeth both grabbed Mrs. Dodds in a half-nelson on either side, pulling her backward as Grover grabbed the whip from her hands. “Ow-ow!” he yelled. “Hot-hot!”

The other Fury got up and jumped at Percy again, only to suddenly fall to a bronze-tipped arrow right in the back of the head fired from Fluttershy’s bow. Mrs. Dodds tried to struggle against Annabeth and Applejack, but they held her down well as Grover tied her legs with her own whip. Finally, she was shoved to the back of the bus as the others jumped over the seats to the front of the bus. “Whoo! Man, nice workout, guys.” Rainbow smiled as she slapped her swords back onto her wrists.

Mrs. Dodds tried to get up, but she didn’t have enough room to spread her wings so she kept falling. “Zeus will destroy you!” she promised. “Hades will have your souls!”

“Baccas meas vescimini!” Percy yelled.

“Whoa, that wasn’t Greek; that was Latin,” Twilight remarked. “Where did that come from?”

“No idea. I think it means-” Percy didn’t finish as thunder shook the bus and the hairs on the backs of everyone’s necks stood on end.

“Off the bus! Now!” Annabeth yelled as everyone jumped off, finding the other passengers screaming about how doomed they were, one guy snapping a picture before the group could hide their weapons.

“Our bags!” Grover realized. “We left our-” Too late; a massive bolt of lightning struck the bus and blasted it into nonexistence, prompting the people to run.

An angry wail from Mrs. Dodds in the wreckage scared the others into similar action. “She’s calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!”

“Don’t gotta tell us twice! Run!” Twilight ordered as the whole team raced into the forest, leaving the smoldering wreckage of the bus behind them and nothing but darkness up ahead.