Synopsis: Anarchy. That's the word for the rise of chaos. A story of sacrifice, death and decay; but with any tragedy, there is always hope, in the bottom of the bottle or box, there's always hope: the first star that comes out at night, the light of the sun in the gray dusk of dawn. But lingering on the edge of shadows, can hope hang to existence or will the last stars go out?

A/N: This is the LONGEST thing I've ever written. Estimated, it will be about 160,000 words when it is completed. I will be posting chapters twice a week, I hope, depending on how my schedule works out.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize from Percy Jackson and the Olympians or from mythology.

THE SHADOWS OF NYX

Chapter One: Ένα ολόκληρο νέο κόσμο (A Whole New World)

An ant scuttled across the mossy floor. Its tiny brain warned it not to go near the heat in the center of the room, but the ant had a cat complex. Six legs whirring, the ant crested monumental rocks and grassy fields, heading towards the heat.

A large cylinder reached out and the ant, being curious, ran straight up it.

Loud and floaty, a voice sighed, "I don't know what to do, little ant."

The cylinder lowered back to the ground and the ant climbed off and kept going towards the fire. The girl leaned back on her elbows and stared at the fire. She briefly wondered how an ant had gotten in her room. HER room. The room that she kept to herself. Only Thalia and Zoe knew that it existed.

Zoe.

The girl plucked at the grass, her thoughts ran back to her lieutenant of over three centuries. Zoe was the only lieutenant who had ever seen the girl cry. "I miss Zoe." How strange it was to be honest with an ant when it hurts too much to admit to any person.

A tear slipped down the girl's cheek. Her auburn hair waved a little in the slight wind she had blowing through the room. The room. Not the real forest. Her tears fell faster and faster.

Someone knocked at the door. It had to be Thalia. The girl wiped her tears on her sleeve. "Come."

True to prediction, the tall, black clothed girl with electric blue eyes opened the door, "Mi'lady, are you alright?"

"No," The girl said, staring into the fire to avoid looking into Thalia's eyes.

"Mi'lady, will you tell me?"

The girl shook her head. She reached a hand to her shoulder and wrapped a strand of hair around her slim hand. After a pause, she said, "It's been a year and a half, Thalia. And I can't believe I've never cried."

The tears slipped down again.

Thalia looked puzzled for a few moments, before it clicked. "Zoe. Artemis, mi'lady. Is there anything I can get you?" Thalia decided to put off on her news until her lady was in better state of mind.

"No, thank you, Tha." Artemis said.

"You miss her," Thalia stated. She hadn't lost the punk-rock, Gothic feel about her yet, but she was starting to wear colors, and different kind of cloths. However, her bluntness was still only matched only by Percy Jackson. Artemis let out an amused snort at the through of the boy. And that if there was one man other than Orion she'd ever even consider-

"Yes, Thalia," The goddess admitted. She snapped her fingers the room turned from night to day. The fire sizzled out and turned to embers. The ant turned about confused circles.

"I'm sorry I can't be a better replacement."

Artemis's head snapped up, her hair bobbing on her neck. Clear silver eyes flashed with anger, "Never. Ever doubt yourself Thalia Grace-" The lieutenant grimaced at her surname "-you are the best that I could ask for."

Being typical Thalia, she supplied the next sentence, "But Zoe served with you since the whole Hercules debacle..."

Artemis's eyes flashed with anger at the mention of one of her least favorite heroes.

Thalia closed her mouth.

The two girls, a goddess who looked like a twelve-year-old, and a sixteen year-old lieutenant, sat and stood in silence, watching each other.

"Did you have a reason for coming?" Artemis asked her lieutenant.

Thalia swallowed and glanced at the door. "It's Shauna."

It took only two words to get Artemis on her feet, eyes blazing again.

Thalia swallowed again. "She doesn't want to stay anymore. She wants out."

Shauna was one of the newest Hunters. But even SHE knew that being a huntress meant forever until death. Death by unnatural cause. Like Zoe.

"Why?" Artemis demanded, silver eyes shining in the daylight.

Thalia shook herself to stop being distracted by the room. She loved the room, with how perfectly it mirrored real nature. Focus. Thalia ordered herself. "She mentioned Eros-"

Artemis pushed past Thalia and stormed out into the halls of Olympus. Thalia stood for a second before rushing after her. Even after these two years since Zoe died, Thalia still didn't understand the Olympic system. The gods all had their own agendas. And by Styx it was the most confusing thing Thalia had ever encountered.

The lieutenant followed her irate goddess through the hall of the palace of the gods until they reached a cavernous room where several of the gods and even more of the minor gods sat or stood or joked about.

Thalia entered, but stayed by the door, not allowed to go farther into the sanctum. But she could watch.

Heads turned as Artemis stalked through them, only a child among a sea of adults or older teens. But Thalia knew better. Each of these persons was immortal, a god. And Artemis was one of the scariest of the lot.

Thalia watched as Artemis stomped up to Eros and struck him with cat-like grace. The rest of the immortals watched, knowing that a single sound could end up with the wrath of Artemis. Everyone knew that some thing more than the usual was wrong.

"But, Arty," Eros said, stuttering.

Artemis struck him again. Only Thalia found it strange that a twelve-year-old girl could destroy a nineteenish jock. But then, only Eros and Apollo, and sometimes Aphrodite, had the sheer nerve to refer to Artemis as... Arty.

"I didn't," Eros managed to get out before Artemis sent him sprawling against a couch. She leaped on him, pinning him to the ground. Her auburn hair flared in a mystic halo around her her head, crackling with energy and rage.

"We go through this every time and it never changes," Artemis said, her voice low, but clearly heard throughout the entire crowd. "Stay. Away. From. My. Hunters."

She released him with a push and got to her feet as gracefully as possible. Her hair still crackled with energy. Glaring at the rest of the room, she said, "No one touches my Hunters." Artemis stalked away from the room to the door where Thalia stood. Grabbing her lieutenant by the elbow, the goddess practically ran down the hallway to where her hunters were camped for the day.

Shauna White was a traitor.

Shauna White was going to pay.

And Artemis was in her most emotional unstable position since for longer than most of her Hunters could remember.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"You okay, Sam?"

Sam looked up at one of the strangest people he had never met. "No, Ethan."

Ethan snorted, his curly brown hair peeking out from under a baseball cap. He leaned back against the back seat of the taxi cab. "It's a lot to take in, isn't it?"

Sam reached up and rubbed his forehead, "Ya' think?"

"It really is real," Ethan said. "I promise you, Sammy."

"Sam!" He protested. The boy looked out the window to the Long Island countryside. There was a sign that said Pick Your Own Strawberries.

"Stop here please," Ethan said, reaching forward to get the driver's attention.

"Here?" The man said with a heavy accent. "Ain't nothing here kid."

Ethan smiled, "I assure you, there is." He passed a wad of bills forward and when the car stopped, he opened his door and hopped out. Sam climbed out likewise. The cab drove away. Sam looked up at his friend. "So..."

"Camp Half-Blood," Ethan announced, pointing the tree. "Don't mind the dragon. He's just Peleus and he knows not to attack the campers."

"The dra..." Sam stuttered, but then he saw the beast. Green and scaly, lying under a ginormous pine tree. His amber eyes flickered open and seemed to stare straight into Sam and Ethan before closing again with a sigh.

"Yup," Ethan said, "the dragon. He came when Thalia fell out of the tree and the camp was unprotected. That was like, two years ago now. Three maybe? I don't know."

"Um..."

"And in those years," Ethan said, pulling on the strap of his backpack and beginning the climb up the hill. Sam followed, listening and watching his friend limp in an odd, stuttering kinda way. "A hero named Percy Jackson saves the world, and forces all the gods to claim ALL their children. Camp Half-Blood has never been this full."

Sam took had to take three running steps to catch up with the much taller Ethan. "So, if I'm here, that really means that..."

"You're a child of the gods Sam. A half-blood. Demigod, is the proper name."

Sam made a small squeak.

"Oi!" A voice called from the top of the hill. "Hurry it up, Ethan!"

Ethan waved and then started jogging. "That's my boss. Grover. He's the one who sent me to get you."

"Um..." Sam squeaked again. He was only ten! He looked around the rest of the hill as he tried to keep up with Ethan. The dragon was still the oddest thing he had seen.

Ethan and Sam stopped in front of the boss. Sam blinked. Grover wore a orange t-shirt but didn't have any pants on, his lower half being covered in fur and shaped like goat-legs. He had horns growing from his head.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood," Grover said, holding out a hand for Sam to shake. The boy did so, wishing he could wake up and this dream would go away. "I'm Grover Underwood, head satyr." Turning to Ethan, Grover said, "There's a child of Athena just claimed up in Saratoga. I need you to get up there and bring her down. Here's her file and everything."

Grover passed his underling a manilla folder. "I'll take Sam from here. I've missed showing people around Camp."

"Yes Sir, Mr. Underwood, Sir," Ethan snapped a salute.

Grover rolled his eyes as Ethan turned and sprinted down the hill. "So, Sam, overwhelmed much?"

Sam nodded. Grover, if he hadn't been part goat, looked to be about nineteen or something.

"It's a whole new world here, but you'll get used to it. This is the hill," Grover said. "It's got the best view of the whole camp. That's the Big House," He pointed to a three story house. "Beyond that are the cabins. There used to only be twelve, but there's dozens now, thanks to Percy Jackson."

"Who's Percy Jackson?" Sam asked. The name had been mentioned twice now.

"Our resident hero," Grover replied.

"Uh..."

"Beyond the cabins is the canoe lake and race track. The race track goes around the lake, in case you were wondering. Yes, there, is the rock wall and the stables. You can't see it, but beyond the stables is the blacksmith area and then the sword practicing arena." Grover's finger wandered back to the Big House, "Right there is the pavilion, where we eat. Next to it is the amphitheater. And, um, oh, the forest, that's were we play capture the flag every Friday."

"It's big," Sam said. He began focusing on the people. Dozens of people, all teenagers most likely, raced too and fro. Running in and out of cabins. Playing volleyball. Canoeing. Talking. The noise began to hit Sam's ears. It was noisy. Clangs and crashes. Screeches and laughter.

"Aye, come on. Time to introduce you to Chiron and Mr. D," Grover said.

"Mr Underwood?" Sam said, cautiously, "I'm not dreaming, am I? The gods – Poseidon, Hades, Zeus. They exist?"

"Yes, Sam Hubert. They exist." Grover started walking towards the Big House and Sam kept up with him. The young boys eyes wandered around the camp. Most of the kids were older teenagers, and although there did appear to be a few pre-teens, Sam felt distinctively young.

"Here we are," Grover said when they reached a table where two men, one fat and chubby the other wheelchair bound said, looking at each other over cards.

"You got any sevens?" The chubby ones said.

"Go fish," the other answered.

Sam blinked.

"Mr. D, Chiron, this is our newest camper, Samuel Hubert."

Both men looked up and the wheelchair bound one, Chiron, smiled, "Hey Samuel. Or do you go by Sam? Welcome to Camp."

"T-thank you Sir," Sam sputtered, "and it's Sam."

"Newest?" Mr. D said. He looked like a cupid grown up with a bad hair day. "We've had three new campers TODAY."

"And there's four expected in tomorrow," Grover said, cheerfully.

"Have you been claimed yet, Seth?" The cupid-man asked.

"It's Sam, Sir," Sam said, feeling like he wanted to sink into the ground right away. "And I don't know what that means."

"Poseidon claimed him," Grover said, "that's how we found him."

Sam's slow brain started to make sense of the situation. Claimed? Like sired? Were they the same thing? Sam knew that his mother had died when he was born, but he never knew about his father. Poseidon? POSEIDON?

"Ah, a son of Seaweed Breath."

Sam shivered. He did not like the cupid-man. Mr. D. Whatever. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"Your cabin mates, Percy Jackson and Hope Russo will explain things." Chiron frowned. "Well, Percy's been different ever since Annabeth died, not as joking and blunt and all, but I'm sure Hope will fill you in on that. It is her job, after all. Grover, why don't you take him to the practice arena. That's where Percy and Hope should be right now."

"Thank you, Chiron, Mr. D," Grover said. "C'mon Sam."

Sam followed the satyr again thinking about Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. Sam couldn't wait to meet the hero.

"So Percy and Hope are your step siblings," Grover said as the two of them approached the sword practicing ring. "You'll end up spending most of your time with them. Go on ahead, it's always better when you don't have a satyr hanging around."

Sam got the distinct impression that that was an excuse. He figured that Grover didn't want to spend anytime around Percy Jackson. But why?

Sam swallowed, "Thanks."

"Sure thing kid," Grover said, before walking away. Sam looked at the practice arena. A boy and a girl, probably sixteen and thirteen, battled each other with swords. They wove in and out of each other, hacking, slashing, lunging. Sam found himself analyzing every move. Gosh, they were good.

But the older one, the boy, had the upper hand. He bore down on the girl with height and weight until she was disarmed. Both of the fighters stood tense for a second, before relaxing and noticing Sam.

"Hullo!" The girl waved. "Come on over."

Sam trotted to the center of the sword fighting arena.

"Is there something you need?" The girl asked, smiling. Her eyes were bluish gray, the color of a stormy sea, and her hair was the same color. Blue green. It was really pretty. The boy, however, was holding a ball point pen in his hand and had black hair sticking up all over the place.

"I'm Sam Hubert," He said, cautiously. "They said that Poseidon claimed me." It was starting to sink in now that this was his family now. His FAMILY.

Both Percy and Hope perked up, interested.

"So you're our new sibling?" The girl said, "I'm Hope, Hope Russo." She stuck out her hand and Sam shook it. His family. Sam thought again, feeling more overwhelmed than he had all day.

"And I'm Percy," the other one said, sticking his pen in his pocket and offering a hand. "Welcome to Camp."

Hope was grinning, her smile reaching to both her ears. "How old are you Sam?"

"I'm ten," Sam said.

"Cool. I'm twelve and Percy's, what, sixteen?"

Percy nodded.

"Percy's saved the world," Hope said, "about five gazillion times."

He rolled his eyes. "Be quiet Hope. You're babbling worst that I do."

Hope flicked her hair over her shoulder, "Let's get Sam a sword, shall we Perce? Than we've got a couple days until Friday and capture the flag.

"Capture the flag?" Sam asked.

"It's the best sport in the world. Especially with swords and such like. Although I must admit. Monthly manhunt is just as good."

Sam felt himself smiling as Hope babbled on about this and that. The three children of Poseidon headed for the Blacksmith to get Sam a sword.

The world was moving fast for Samuel Hubert. He didn't understand what was going on, but one thing he did know; Hope and Percy would be a good family. Far better than anyone at his orphanage.