Really sorry about how long this took guys, with school and also me having to help with a festival at my school as well as rewriting parts of this multiple time it just kept dragging on. I do start work tomorrow and am not sure what my hours will be like but I will definitely try to post at least twice a month if not more.

Acacia couldn't believe it, letting her scythe fall down to the ground she just stared at the rubble pile that was previously their enemy. She watched as the others futilely searched for Bianca so they may get to her in time to give her medical attention, Zoe, and oddly enough Percy, searching most frantically. She knew it was futile because she had felt her pass on, the barest tug on her own soul, as Bianca's departed, an ability carried in her blood, knowing her fellow Hunter had begun the journey that would lead past her father.

" Just stop, it's pointless." she murmured but no one could hear her.

" Come on Acacia help look for her if we can find her quick-" Percy started but then was cut off.

"IT'S POINTLESS SHE'S DEAD!" Acacia screamed out tears welling in her eyes, her heart feeling like it'd been stabbed after losing a member of her new family.

" What you can't know that for sure."

" Yes I can I felt her move on her soul in gone she's dead." Acacia cries out unable to bring herself to scream as her tears well and break, twin streams flowing down from her eyes. " She's gone…"

A couple of minutes later and Thalia had found them an old pickup that still worked, Acacia had elected to sit in the bed of the truck as she knew she wouldn't be able to stay in the closed off cab of the truck. To her surprise, but after it happened she thought that she should have expected it, Zoe sat there with her.

"Hey…" She says to her not being able to meet Zoe's eyes.

"Hello Acacia."

She doesn't respond just continues to stare up at the night sky.

" You can talk to me, I know what it's like."

Acacia was about to snap back at her before catching herself, Zoe did know what she felt like, she was a Hunter too and must've lost many people before. "D-does it…. I mean how do you… how do you deal with the hurt."

Zoe was again reminded that no matter her skills in battle or in the wild this girl was just that a girl, new to their world, new even to having people to care about, people who care about her. "It…. it will go away with time, that's all there is for it time, but the first the first death of a comrade, of family, is the worst it'll get easier."

She shakes her head " I don't want it to get easier." she says with teary eyes " That just means I'd have had more deaths to get used to."

"Acacia…. It's…. Not really something you can avoid, even if no one in the Hunt dies, which will happen we live dangerous lives, you're immortal now, even with how little the hunt interacts with non immortals, you'll likely get attached to some over the years and well… like I said they won't be immortals."

" I know but just I-I" she closes her eyes tears sliding down her cheek " I should've done more to save her if I'd just tried harder I could've."

"There was nothing more you could've done, the oracle even spoke of it one shall be lost in the land without rain "

"I don't care about the prophecy if if if i'd just spent more time learning spells I'm sure there would be one in here that could've helped." she says hugging her grimoire close to her chest "If i'd just focused more I had it for 4 years and I learned next to nothing." she says looking at the book tears dropping onto its cover.

Zoe puts a hand on her shoulder. "Acacia, you have just became a Hunter, I have looked through some of that book to help translate some spells, there are warnings all over it about not trying things before you're ready, and it is not your fault, how could you have learned ancient greek on your own. The enemy we just faced, it would take the full company of hunters to take down, Percy and Thalia are some of the strongest half bloods i've seen being children of the eldest gods and even them, perhaps if we weren't in the desert but instead by the ocean with a thunderstorm then together they could've done something without casualties but even then those powers risk great collateral damage you cannot blame yourself. If anyone is at fault it is me, I am your lieutenant I am supposed to protect the two of you it was my decision to bring two green hunters with me, and given the option between you and someone else i'd still pick you, do you think anyone else could've helped like you did against the Nemean Lion."

Acacia didn't say anything and just sat there no longer looking up at the stars but down at herself looking worn out both physically and emotionally.

"Just get some rest, we do not know what we might find tomorrow." Zoe says but what she didn't expect was for Acacia to scoot closer to her and rest her head on Zoe's shoulder falling asleep quickly.

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Acacia woke a bit before dawn but the sky was lightening up. She just lets out a sigh and turns to Zoe, "How long was I asleep."

Zoe appeared startled, not by her waking up, but by Acacia's voice, the hollow tone it rang with.

Acacia asks again. " How long."

"Just a couple of hours."

She nods not saying anything else.

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Acacia was still pretty much in the same state as they approached the Hoover Dam, however she was distracted from her gloom by the odd string of facts spouted by the campers in their group.

"Seven hundred feet tall," Percy said. "Built in the 1930s."

"Five million cubic acres of water," Thalia said.

Graver sighed. "Largest construction project in the United States."

Zoe stared at them. "How do you know all that?"

"Annabeth," Percy said. "She liked architecture."

"She was nuts about monuments," Thalia said.

"Spouted facts all the time." Grover sniffled. "So annoying."

"I wish she were here," Percy said.

Acacia stopped walking and glanced down not being able to keep herself from thinking, 'at least you've got a chance to get your friend back.' she shook her head trying to clear her darker thoughts away, 'I've got to focus on saving Lady Artemis.'

She was very surprised when, as they were walking up to the dam she felt someone take her hand. Turning to her side she was the concerned daughter of Zeus holding her hand. What surprised her the most was how it calmed her down.

" Are you ok?" Thalia says quietly to her, so only she could hear.

" Yeah why?"

Thalia frowns and using her free hand wipes under both of Acacia's eyes. She hadn't even realized she was crying.

" Thanks." Acacia says still a bit shocked.

Thalia just smiles and shrugs, " What are friends for, now c'mon we should catch up to the others." she says before walking a bit faster, pulling Acacia along to catch up to the others ahead of them.

"Are the skeletons close?" They hear Percy ask Grover as they approach the group.

"Maybe not close. The wind on the dam, the desert all around us… the scent can probably carry for miles. But it's coming from several directions. I don't like that."

Acacia didn't like that either but she was focusing on figuring out what she was sensing here. "A spark of divinity," she mutters to herself.

"Huh?" Zoe asks, overhearing her and turning to look at the young hybrid, this caught the attention of the others.

"I feel a certain… I can't explain it in any way other than a spark of divinity, definitely from one of the Olympians, can't quite tell which, maybe a more powerful minor god, not Lord Hades I think I'd be able to tell considering my parentage. But… It's faint, could be a god or goddess disguised in human form, or a trace of one who passed by. There is also something older, an echo of energy I don't really know what that is though."

" Do you think this spark could be a trace of our Lady?"

She shrugs, " It could be sorry I can't really tell, the only reason I'm able to sense it at all is because of how many Olympians I've met recently, they all tend to have a similar underlying note to their energy, though Lady Aphrodite-" She shudders a bit, cheeks reddening at the embarrassing memory of when she met the love goddess. "she felt different than the others."

"That makes sense she was created when parts of Ouranos were thrown into the sea right?" Thalia asks.

Zoe nods, "regardless if you cannot tell who it is, it is still a worthwhile sign that we are heading in the right direction, let us continue."

"There is a snack bar at the visitor's center we should get something to eat."

"You've been here before here before?" Percy asks Thalia.

"Once. To see the guardians." She pointed to the far end of the dam. Carved into the side of the cliff was a little plaza with two big bronze statues. They looked kind of like Oscar statues with wings. "They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built," Thalia said. "A gift from Athena."

Tourists were clustered around them, seemingly looking at the statue's' feet.

"Er what are they doing?" Acacia asks.

"Rubbing the toes, they think it's good luck."

"Mortals are weird." Acacia says munching on the last bit of her Jerky.

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Acacia had begun thinking that her being very confused was going to be a common thing on this quest.

She'd been enjoying something called a burrito, having ignored the brief bout of insanity and giggling that the others suffered whenever they said the word 'dam' but also being too hungry to be confused like Zoe was. Grover had mentioned a cow which did catch her attention, she had once found a cow and it was very tasty and provided her with a lot of food but once she figured out that he was just being weird she just headed to the snack bar early, getting her food.

She was glad she'd done that because she'd managed to finish half her Burrito before the skeletons showed up again and Grover started a surprisingly effective food fight. After some praying to her dad, Thalia managed to get them a ride of sorts and they were now flying in the arms of the angel statues. She and Zoe had been having a bit of an archery competition shooting the signs of Target stores, Zoe was crushing her but she didn't mind it was fun.

They hit a bit of a dry spell for stores while going over some mountains so she shouted to Percy. "So Athena was there?"

"Yeah I'm pretty sure." He shouted back from the other angel.

Zoe who was on the same angel as her turned and said, " Seems as if your senses did not lie."

She nods but still pouts a bit, " I'd been hoping it was a trace of Lady Artemis."

"Worry not, we need only follow Lord Apollo's advice, as annoying as he is he cares much for his sister, we must continue to San Francisco and find Nereus. In fact I believe you will be able to help us find him much faster."

"Huh? Why?"

Zoe actually smirks mischievously. "The only way to identify him is by his rather horrid smell."

Acacia was horrified by the prospect considering how good her nose is and just whimpers.

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Zoe had been right Nereus, smelled horrible, at least she got to laugh at Percy dressed like a bum. After finally being subdued, Percy asked him where the monster Lady Artemis was hunting is.

"That's easy right here." He says pointing to the water at Percy's feet and turned into a goldfish swimming away.

"Bastard he tricked us." Percy shouted.

"Wait what is that." Thalia asked pointing to the water before they all heard a long moooo.

"Bessie not now." Percy said.

Acacia just began staring intently at the half serpent half cow that appeared in the water, tail wagging thinking to herself ' I wonder what it tastes like.'

"He says his name isn't Bessie." Grover chimes in.

"You can understand her . . . erm, him?" Percy asks.

Grover nods. "It's a very old form of animal speech, he says his name is ophiotaurus."

"Ophi- what?"

"Serpent bull in Greek." Thalia answers.

"Er he also asks not to let her," Grover points to Acacia, "eat him."

Everyone turns to look at Acacia who was still staring intently at Bessie. A few moments later she notices everyone looking at her, "What?"

" Acacia, you are not allowed to eat the serpent cow." Zoe says just sounding exasperated.

She pouts, " Aww why not, it's the monster Lady Artemis is chasing right, the bane of Olympus, if we eat it then it can't do anything." She says the last part grinning like a kid in a candy shop.

"The Ophiotaurus says Percy is its protector."

"No eating Bessie." Percy says looking rather adamant about it.

"What is it even doing here, how did you meet it Percy?" Thalia asks while trying to keep herself laughing from how Acacia is acting.

"I am a fool," Zoe said suddenly. "I know this story!"

"What story?"

"From the War of the Titans," she said. "My… my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we are looking for."

" What but Bessie is harmless what could he do?" Percy says defensively.

Zoe went on to tell us the story of the Ophiotaurus' sacrificial power, and the danger it could spell.

"We have to protect him," I told her. "If Luke gets hold of him—"

"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered. "The power to overthrow Olympus. That's… that's huge."

"Yes, it is, my dear," said a man's voice in a heavy French accent. "And it is a power you shall unleash."

The Ophiotaurus made a whimpering sound and submerged.

They all looked up, they'd been so busy they'd gotten ambushed. Standing behind them was the manticore from the school.

The manticore explained to them what was to happen, how Thalia would make the decision to destroy Olympus the next day on her 16th birthday by sacrificing the Ophiotaurus

"You know it is the right choice," the manticore told her. "Your friend Luke recognized it. You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world together under the auspices of the Titans. Your father abandoned you, Thalia. He cares nothing for you. And now you shall gain power over him. Crush the Olympians underfoot, as they deserve. Call the beast! It will come to you. Use your spear." He then turns to Acacia, "And you, are you not on the wrong side, you have no Godly blood but that of a monster, do you honestly think Olympus will allow someone like you to continue existing? Join your kin on our side, you may even have the rest of the Ophiotaurus once it's entrails are sacrificed."

Acacia just growls at him drawing her sword and turning it into a scythe she twirls it before casting a banishing charm, the manticore not affected but the two humans with him knocked back.

"So be it you'll die now instead as opposed to being put down by Zeus, or perhaps we'll keep you to study how to make more hybrids."

Thalia looked dazed and uncertain tightening her grip on her spear.

"Thalia snap out of it!" Percy shouted.

"Foolish boy she knows what is right, join us and strike down at your father and the other gods, they've never helped you so why should you do them any favors."

" I-I don't…. All that power…." Thalia muttered to herself.

" Thalia please! We need your help." Acacia cries out.

This seemed to snap Thalia out of it as she stabs at the manticore who easily dodges.

"So be it if that is your choice." He snarls out sending a spike at her but it was sliced out of the air by Acacia's black scythe. The manticore snarls flinching slightly at the sight of the black metal, " Stygian Iron" he hissed.

"Sorry about that, thanks for snapping me out of it Acacia." Thalia says raising Aegis.

"Percy contact camp and make sure the Ophiotaurus gets to safety, we will hold it off." Zoe shouts readying her bow.

" What no I won't leave you behind."

" CONTACT CAMP THE MORTALS ARE GETTING UP." Zoe shouts at him as the mercenaries start to stand up after being knocked out by Acacia.

Percy looked conflicted but ran farther down the pier with Grover.

It was a tough battle, Thalia and Acacia barely able to block and dodge Dr. Thorn's spikes and Zoe keeping the mercs busy, it looked like they would soon get hit by either a spike or bullet when they smelled grapes and wine and an audible SNAP was heard, the sound of mortal minds breaking.

One of the mercs held his gun with his mouth and ran around on all fours, others dancing. It was a funny and yet terrifying sound. The planks underneath the manticore's paw erupted into grape vines starting to ensnare him but he only had one foot on the pier so while it had him temporarily immobilised it wouldn't be enough to kill him.

They heard Percy shout behind them, "Mr. D it isn't enough he's getting free!"

"Well you have weapons do you not Peter Johnson, as you seem to be incapable of using your brains, use your blades." The unmistakable voice of the camp director was heard through the iris message Percy was using.

Acacia took his advice to heart and teleporting to the manticores shadow she hooked her scythe on its neck and with a pull decapitated the beast, but instead of it turning into golden dust it seemed to melt into shadows, absorbed by the blade. Acacia then turned back to the others and walked over to the iris message bowing to Mr. D " Thank you Lord Dionysus, we owe you our lives."

"Hmph don't make me regret it miss Potter, though at least you respect your betters."

"Mr. D can you help us transport Bessie?" Percy asks like an idiot.

"I do not deal in livestock Johnson."

"But where do we go?"

Dionysus looked at Zoe. "Oh, I think the huntress knows. You must enter at sunset today, you know, or all is lost. Now good-bye. My pizza is waiting." He says before cutting off the call.

" What does he mean? Where do we need to go Zoe?" Thalia asks still not calmed down from the fight.

Zoe's face was the color of the fog. She pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate. In the distance, a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer.

"The garden of my sisters," she said. "I must go home."

So as you can see the relationship between thalia and acacia is progressing, it isn't really to the point of romance yet. They're definitely getting closer though and just due to who each of them is it isn't growing in the same way, they both at least to some level care for eachother more than just questmates, not really romantic yet currently more of a sort of emotional codependency maybe? they both have had bad pasts with their family and both were alone for a very long time and now have to re-enter society and are trying to build a life for themselves and both are on this quest to get back someone they see as family, while artemis hasn't really interacted with Acacia more than once, just what she's done and with Acacia joining the hunt artemis is as close to a maternal figure as she could get while Thalia is after annabeth who is her little sister and even in away luke who she sees as her brother. After this quest they'll have more time to properly get to know eachother and grow closer more naturally. Will start working on the next chapter as soon as possible hope to get it done soon for you guys, next chapter will probably just continue from where they left off here to the end of the fight on the mountain though depending on the length of that I may put in the meeting with the Olympian council too, I just don't feel comfortable posting anything below 2,000 words.