Oh my gods you guys. My computer restarted on me! I almost lost stuff. Anywho. Chuckles is buggin me to post Chapter Nine. I had school today and he wasn't there, but found out via a mutual friend of ours that I now post my stories, because I told him. SO, without further ado and tortorous, agonizingly, painful waiting, the next chapter, my lovely readers!
Chapter Nine: On Half-Blood Hill at Camp Half-Blood (The place of betrayal, yippee! That was Percy's sassy side, excuse him. lmao.)
Point of view: Perseus Jackson
We land next to Thalia's Pine.
"Oh, wonderful. How you doing tree? Nice to see you too old buddy, ole pal." We all laugh at Thalia's interaction with the tree. Thalia and I both pet Peleus on the head and he goes back to snoring away, like he hasn't a care in the world.
"Race you all down the hill, little ones!" I say and they dart off down the hill. I give them a ten second head start and catch upto them with ease. I keppace with them and we all reach the bottom at the same time. They break out into an argument about who won before I have to settle it.
"We all won, silly people. But the elder sisters lose!" I shout for them to hear me.
"Yay!" They all cheer. In total there are about five of them. They are 7,7,8, and 9 in ages. They all tackle me. I fall over for their amusement with a loud thud, as they start trying to win in a fight with me.
"You win, you win! I give up. I'm defeated." I chuckle as they giggle and shout their victory over their big brother.
A throat clears and I find Derek standing over me.
I gently remove the giggling hunters off of me and stand up, shuffling them behind me.
"Would you mind telling me just who are you? Answer me!" Derek shrieks.
The little hunters are still giggling hsterically behind me. "Will you five shut the Hades up, already?" Derek glares at them.
I grab him by the throat and lift him off the ground, his feet dangling three feet in the air. "You will not speak to the honorable huntresses in that manner, boy." I toss him to the side. "C'mon sisters, lets rejoin the lady." The two eldest onestake my hands while the other ones take theirs.
As we are walking to meet Artemis, Derek grabs Jade.
Jade's yelp is what draws my attention. "C'mon you litle brat. What was so funny that you were being so rude to me, the leader of the camp?" He raises his fist to strike her.
My eyes flash with anger and I smack his hand hand off Jade's arm and move my body in font of her's as his fist hits my chest and cracks. I turn to Jade.
"Did he hurt you Jade?" I ask. I check her up and down.
"My arm. Where he grabbed me." She says. I see the bruise on her left forearm. I touch it with Hestia's blessing glowing around my hand and it heals instantly in an orange, red, and golden light. I turn to Derek and advance on him.
"If you even presume to even raise another hand to oone of my sisters, I will personally escort you to the Underworld! Your lifeless body and soul will be cast into the deepest pits of Hell itself! If you hurt one of them again, I will put your soul through eternal torment and cast you into Tartarus!" I say, turn around, and pick Jade up.
I walk toward Artemis again, the other young ones already at her side, hugging her legs. Then Thalia shouts, "Moonlace! Behind you!" Before she can summon her bow and shoot it, I feel a cold sensation go through my stomach.
I look down to see a dagger protruding from it and blood drizzles fom my mouth. I hand Jade to Phoebe and turn on my attacker, Derek.
I laugh with malice and he cowers back in fear. "You think that little poke bothers me? You are a disgrace. You fight with no honor and harm little girls who have not called for your attention. You shouldn't be allowed to call yourself half mortal, let alone half god. Foolish child." I pull the dagger out and heal the wound easily. I spit the blood to the side and wipe my mouth off.
I catch him by his hair before he can get away. "Brother?" Atalanta asks and comes forward. I turn to her and see a dangerous glint in her eyes.
"Yes sister?" I ask.
"May we have our fun with him? We never get to anymore, since you joined the Hunt." Thalia comes up to us and asks.
I throw him at their feet. He wimpers and Phoebe sets Jade down. Phoebe, Lucy, Crena, and Joslyn, as well as a couple other older hunters, come forward. They all surround Derek and he whimpers again.
"You're going to regret hurting our brother, boy." Lucy threatens.
They drag him off, back over the hill. Five minutes later, distant screaming starts.
~Three Hours Later~
The girls come back, hauling an unconscious, bloody, roadkill-similar Derek.
"You haven't lost your touch I see, girls." I compliment them and grin.
They all grin back widely. "Why thank you, Moonlace." Phoebe says.
They know to call me Moonlace whilst I my hood is up, especially here.
I chortle. "Shall I lead the hunters to the cabin my lady?" I turn to Artemis.
"Yes, I need to tell Chiron of our arrival. See you at dinner." Artemis strides off towards the Big House.
"Ok, so, 3...2...1...GO!" I yell and we all take off sprinting for our cabin.
I make it there a few seconds before any one else and yell, "Victory!" I stand in front of the door and grp the handle behind my back. I twist it and wait for the right moment.
"Oh yeah, Moonlace?" Phoebe cries.
"Pretty much." I smile.
All of them charge me and I stepaside as they lunge through the now open door. They land in the middle of the cabin in a huge heap and we stare at each other in silence for a few moments before I snort and we all start laughing hysterically.
"I can't believe we fell for that!" Thalia says, giggling.
"You are so dead, Moonlace." Atalanta laughs harder, tears coming out. Phoebe can hardly breathe and the little ones are tackling my legs. They pull my legs out from under me and I land on my butt. It just makes everyone laugh harder. Crena is holding her stomach and kicking her legs out. My tacklers run up and start trying to hug me to death. I tickle them and they have to move away before trying again.
"Hey, I won and opened the door for my sisters. You're the ones who tried to jump me. I call it self defense." I chuckle and lie on the floor. The little hunters take the chance to sit on me. "Oof! Hey!"
Everyone laughs even more loudly. "Fine. You win this time. Next time it won't be easy." Phoebe says, trying to stifle her giggle fits.
"I accept your challenge, sister. I look forward to it." I laugh and she laughs with me.
The conch horn sounds, it's amazing we even heard it. They all get in a groupbehind me. "Alright sisters, lets move out!" I motion forward and we head, sprinting, to the dining pavilion with whoops in the air.
We file in and run to the table and sit down, enjoying our own little world. We sacrifice portions of our food to Artemis and our parents. Which means I have to sacrifice to all my patrons and my father. I inwardly sigh. I made up with Poseidon, so I'm alright with it, just uneasy around him.
"That guy took a dagger through the gut and didn't even flinch." I hear someone whisper.
"What is he?" Another whispers in reply.
"Why is a guy with the Hunters of Artemis?" One camper asks quietly.
"Obviously they want him. The little sluts." I slam my hands against the table.
"Enough!" I raise my voice. "That guy has ears. If you have a problem with me, then have the gall to say it to my face. And if any of you ever describe my sisters with that word again, I'll cut out your tongue and make you rue the day you were born. Got it? Now shut up and eat." I turn back to my food.
I look up at Artemis, who is beaming at me with pride. I smile back at her. "Thank you, Moonlace."
I nod and keep my smile. "No roblem, milady." The hunters all grin at me gratefully. I smile in return and we begin talking about whose turn it is to tell a story. Artemis, Thalia, Phoebe, or I usually tell them. "I'll do it again tonight, if you want."
They all chatter their agreements at me. Chiron's hoof thuds against the stone floor.
"Heroes! Listen up! We have the prestigious honor of housing the Hunters of Artemis, Lady Artemis herself, and the Guardian of the Hunt. You will treat them all with respect or suffer the consequences. We already have a painful example. Our annual Capture the Flag will be held tomorrow night in honor of the Hunters of Artemis." Chiroon announces.
A weak cher comes from the campers as the Artemis table roars.
"To the campfire!" Chiron yells.
I sit in the middle of my sisters, beside Artemis at their persistence. They want me in the middle so in case I explode and the little ones always sit by Artemis and want to sit by me as well. I hold little Julie on my lap, while Jade sits on my shoulders. No one sits behind me. The rest of the little ones are at Artemis and I's feet.
"Tonight we have karaoke and we already have two volunteers. First up is Katie Gardner and then we have Malcolm." Grover says when he comes up onstage.
It was cool to hear a couple older songs. I haven't heard them since I was seven, when mom used to play them in her tape player. After they were done and Malcolm stepped offstage, Grover asks, "Any volunteers?"
"Brother, will you please sing? Your voice is beautiful." Jade looks at me with a sparkle in her eyes.
"Yeah, will you please sing, Moonlace? Please?" Joslyn begs.
"C'mon bro. How much harm could it do? It might make them sleepy if you sing a quiet song." thalia says.
"Alright, I'll do it for you guys. What song?" I ask them.
"Evanescence! You sing it wonderfully!" Phoebe squeals, yes she did.
"Yeah, do 'Bring Me To Life' or 'My Immortal.'" Atalanta tells me.
"Okay, okay. I'll do the first one. Holy Zeus, you guys are insane. Lucy, will you tell them I'm singing?" I ask her and she runs up to Grover. She is so happy she's hopping up and down, while she tells Grover the information.
Lucy walks up to the mike, "The Guardian of the Hunt wishes to sing."
I rise from my place and my sisters let me through.
"Then let him enchant us, dear one." Grover smiles at her.
I walk slowly to the stage and over to the 'monster proof music box.' It's labeled that for some odd reason and I find the song I'm looking for. Lucy runs over and gives me a hug, then rejoins our sisters. I show the Apollo kid running the music system and give him the iPod connected to it. He nods his head in understanding.
I walk up to the mike and wait for the Apollo kid. "Are you not going to remove your hood?" Grover asks.
"I choose not to. I only sing because my sisters want me to." I reply and nod to the Apollo kid. He hits play.
(The parentheses parts are sang by the people on the iPod, so that he doesn't have to do it. Because he is singing by himself.)
I sing the words along with the music:
How can you see into my eyes, like open doors?
Leading you down into my core, where I've become so numb.
Without a soul, my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold.
Until you find it there and lead it back home.
(Wake me up) Wake me up inside.
(I can't wake up) Wake me up inside.
(Save me) Call my name and save me from the dark.
(Wake me up) Bid my blood to run.
(I can't wake up) Before I come undone.
(Save me) Save me from the nothing I've become.
Now that I know what I'm without.
You can't just leave me.
Breathe into me and make me real.
Bring me to life.
(Wake me up) Wake me up inside.
(I cant wake up) Wake me up inside.
(Save me) Call my name and save me from the dark.
(Wake me up) Bid my blood to run.
(I can't wake up) Before I come undone.
(Save me) Save me from the nothing I've become.
Bring me to life. (I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside)
Bring me to life.
Frozen inside, without your touch.
Without your love, darling.
Only you are the life among the dead.
All this time I can't believe I couldn't see.
Kept in the dark, but you were there in front of me.
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems.
Got to open my eyes to everything.
Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul.
Don't let me die here.
Bring me to life.
(Wake me up) Wake me up inside.
(I cant wake up) Wake me up inside.
(Save me) Call my name and save me from the dark.
(Wake me up) Bid my blood to run.
(I can't wake up) Before I come undone.
(Save me) Save me from the nothing I've become.
Bring me to life.
Bring me to life.
Everyone stares at me and after a few seconds, the Artemis section goes crazy. "Do it again, brother!" The hunters scream.
"Nope. Ain't gonna happen. Once is enough for now." I walk back to my spot and sit down. I realize people are still staring at me. "What? Guys can sing. Look at Apollo and his sons." I say and continue to accpet compliments from my sisters. After we listen to about four other people, the crowd is dismissed.
"Wait!" Chiron yells to get everyone's attention. "Come back, I must make an announcement." He tells us.
Reluctantly, everybody comes back and sits down again.
"Today is the day that Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase disappeared. Does anyone have any news on them?" Chiron asks.
"You mean the gods haven't told you?" Artemis asks, shocked.
"Told us what?" Grover asks, confused.
"They found Perseus Jackson, seven months after he disappeared without a trace." I answer in a monotone.
"What about Annabeth?" A camper asks.
"She's the reason he'd been missing. She has been a traitor from the beginning." Artemis tells them, anger in her voice.
"What?" Clarisse screams.
"Yeah, she dragged Percy down to Tartarus and the gods agreed to let him roam the world until he finds his peace." Thalia says.
"We have to send out a search party!" Grover exclaims excitedly.
"He only surfaces once in a great while. We've come across him in our travels many times." Phobe adds.
"Is he okay? When is the last time you saw him?" Travis asks.
"I believe he is alright. He just kills monsters. We saw him yesterday. He hunts with us whenever he comes across us. The litle ones love it when he tells stories. And we've heard them all." Atalanta chimes in, saying the last sentance darkly.
The campers shift uneasily.
I chuckle at Atalanta's comment. "Yet he's under our noses all the time."
The hunters all burst out with laughter.
"What do you mean?" Chiron asks.
"If you haven't noticed, the person you speak of has entered camp." I say slowly.
"How can you tell?" Grover asks curiously and stares at my shadowed face as best he can without being able to see most of it.
"Perks of being the Guardian of the Hunt and one of his closest friends." I smirk.
"Where is he? In the camp I mean." Clarisse comes up to me.
I look at Artemis and tilt my head, she nods hers in response. Permission granted. I take a deep breath and face Clarisse again. "Clarisse La Rue. I'm right in front of your eyes. I suggest you open them." I pull back my hood. "You want some toilet water with that?" I ask.
I'm being evil and stopping there. I hope you guys caught that last reference hehehehehehe. I couldn't resist. I'm listening to oldies while I type this. Alright chuckles, it's up. Now don't kill me in sociology, man. Dedications, dedications, dedications...I already know who I'm dedicating this to. I hope you're surprised girlie :). I loved your comment on an earlier chapter. I've already picked out my next two as well, for when I get the chapters typed up. Enjoy it? Good if you did, if you didn't...well, why'd you read this far in the first place? lol Thanks for staying with me and my story peeps. I do not own PJO/HOO, Rick Riordan has that amazing skill of right. To you, my lovely readers. To you.