Hello once again, world of Fanfiction. This is my attempt at a Guardian of the Hunt story. I worked hard in this one. I won't talk much this time. Now, Enjoy!

Percy: Oh my gods, what are you going to make me do now?

For one, do the disclaimer, my slave!

Percy: Your wha…? Anyway, BladeOfThePoet does not own Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, or Greek/Roman Mythology. The former two belong to Rick Riordan, and the latter is owned by no one in particular

Olympus Elevator

Inside the elevator to Olympus, a young man with puffy red eyes was riding his way to the top floor. Ever since the end of the Giant War, his life had gone to the deepest pits of Tartarus. Annabeth, his beloved girlfriend, he had caught making out with a kid from the Hermes cabin that looked a lot like Luke. He even behaved like the guy. Then, he found out that Nico, his best friend and practically his brother, had been forever banished into the Underworld for accidentally killing Zeus's sacred animal, a golden eagle. His own father, Poseidon, had practically disowned he caused massive destruction on the largest (and main) Naiad colony in a fit of rage (The same day he accidentally discovered earthquakes). And the icing on the cake, his mother and stepfather, Paul Blofis, had been killed by a freak sandstorm in Arizona. Witnesses all report having seen a giant, red pyramid on the storm, but he had been too grief-struck to listen. All in all, he had lost his will to live. When he stepped out of the elevator, he was immediately swarmed by a group of nymphs and satyrs all cheering him. They yelled things like 'Hero of Olympus!' 'Savior' and even a 'All hail the conquering hero!'. This made some bad memories come up, from when the Titan Lord Kronos said that to him some years ago. He ignored the cheers and congratulations, and eventually the beings noticed the dead light in Percy's eyes, and backed off, feeling it'd be the right thing. The walk to the Door of the Hall of the gods was shorter than usual to Percy. Then again, this time he wasn't really paying attention to it. He was lost remembering how all of the previous things happened.

Flashback #1

Percy was going over to meet his beloved girlfriend, Annabeth Chase. He was head over heels for her, and he even neglected most of his training to be with her. Today, though, he had been asked by Chiron to train the new campers in the art of the sword. It had taken him longer than he thought, since those guys had as much knowledge on swords as Zeus had patience. Anyway, he was getting close to the Athena cabin, but when he passed by the Hermes cabin, he heard some giggling from behind it. Some people would've ignored it, but ADHD made this impossible for a Demigod, even more so for Percy. He slowly moved towards the back of the cabin, making sure no one could hear him moving. Ever since his time in Camp Jupiter, he had become as stealthy as a wolf stalking his prey. What he saw when he peeked around the wall, was something that would forever scar his heart. Annabeth, his girlfriend, was making out with a kid from the Hermes cabin. Perseus felt many things at once: Sadness, despair, betrayal, and most of all, rage. Lots and lots of rage. The ground began to shake in accord to his anger, causing a centralized 7.9 earthquake right in Camp Halfblood. A crack appeared right between Annabeth and the Hermes kid. At first, Annabeth thought it was just an earthquake Poseidon made to vent some frustration, until she noticed Percy standing there, his sea-green eyes having turned into a poisonous green. The earthquake went on for 5 more seconds, leaving every Half-Blood dazed and rattled…

FLASHBACK #1 END!

Percy couldn't help but grin a little when he remembered the horror he saw in the Wise Girl when she saw him. He remembered having run away after that, heading deep into the woods…

Flashback #2! (Get ready, there's plenty o' these on this chapter)

Percy ran. He ran as fast as his legs allowed him to. He ran into a special spot in the woods, where he went whenever he had to think of something or when he wanted to train alone. This time, he came to mourn. He slumped down on a rock he had shaped into a chair (by eroding it with some water) and began to do the one thing he hadn't done for a very long time: He cried. He felt like his whole world had been taken from him and used to slam him to the ground. In his despair, he didn't notice a godly presence appearing behind him, and didn't notice her until she wrapped her arms around him.

~ What ails you, young hero? ~ Percy got a little startled at the hug and the voice, but relaxed a lot when he recognized it.

"Lady Hestia…" He removed himself from her arms and bowed to her deeply. She was one of his favorite Olympians, mostly because she was patient and didn't have an Ego the size of Mt. Olympus. "I-I was betrayed by someone who I used to hold very dear to me…" Hestia's eyes widened when he said that.

'Who could possibly betray Percy? Unless… her!' It wasn't often that the goddess of the Hearth got angry at someone, but she loved Percy like her own son. She could think of only one person capable of hurting him in such a way. ~ Was it… Annabeth? ~ Percy didn't answer, but the tears that sprung to his eyes were enough explanation. For the first time since the First Titan War, Hestia seriously considered killing someone. But that would have to wait, for now, she needed to get her favorite Hero back on his feet. ~ Tell me Percy… ~ Hestia started, feeling a little worried of how he would answer. ~ Would you… like to be my Champion? ~ In the history of Greek Mythology, Hestia had taken a few Champions. Way too few compared to some other Olympians, so this offer was very, very, rare. Percy stared slack-jawed at the goddess, his brain processing the question. When he saw Hestia's face sadden, he made up his mind instantly.

"I would be truly honored, Lady Hestia." Hestia's eyes widened at his answer. She was starting to think he would deny the offer, and upon his acceptance, she jumped up and gave him a bone crushing hug.

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! It's been so long since I had a champion! I've wanted to ask you for so long but I haven't been able to muster enough courage to do so, partly because I thought your father would get angry at me and… and… Percy? ~ The goddess stopped talking when she noticed that Percy was no longer breathing. She pushed him away from her gently and started freaking out when she saw he was now an unhealthy blue color. She instantly started trying to get him breathing again. ~ Whaa! Percy, don't die on me! I don't want to lose a champion the second I got him! ~

Flashback End!

Percy absentmindedly rubbed his neck where Hestia had nearly crushed him. He loved her like a mother, but if she did that again he'd be hard pressed to use force. After the neck, his hand slid down to his left shoulder. While on the right shoulder he had a Trident symbol and the letters S.P.Q.R emblazoned, from his time in Camp Jupiter, he had Hestia's symbol engraved on his entire left arm. It was a black flame tribal tattoo, going from his wrist to his shoulder. Along his wrist, the tattoo was of coal, like that of a hearth, and the rest was a powerful looking flame going all the way up. The tattoo glowed red whenever he used the powers of Hestia. Up till now, all he could do was envelop his arm in flames, and sometimes make his fire spread to Anaklusmos. Right now, though, the tattoo hidden under the leather jacket he was wearing. He could occasionally feel it warm up, mostly when he thought of Annabeth.

'Stop it, Percy. It's no use to beat yourself up like this" He told himself, and felt the heat subsiding. He decided to think of the first time he used his power to distract himself.

Yet another flashback!

Percy was standing in the middle of the arena, his tattooed arm exposed. Hestia had told him to focus his power on the arm and the power would come to him.

"Ehh…" Percy smartly said as he stared at his mark. He had no idea how to do as his Lady instructed him. "Flame on?" He tried the power phrase of one of his favorite super heroes, but it didn't work. He kept trying to make it work, getting progressively frustrated at the results. Eventually, he got incredibly pissed off and punched a nearby training dummy, only to see his entire arm and part of his shoulder and back engulfed in flames. When the punch connected, the Dummy was ignited and turned into ash in a matter of seconds. "Oh, HADES YEAH!" He kept experimenting with his flaming arm, coming to the conclusion that it was controlled by emotions. He was able to make a blade come out of his elbow, spread the flames down to Riptide, and send out crescent waves of fire forward. Sadly, he came to personally feel one of Nico's catchphrases. "Whoa… great power DOES bring the need for a nap…"

Flashback end!

He was now a few yards away from the door, and his mind returned to something else again…

One more flashback… Almost done with these! (For this chapter at least!)

Percy and Nico were sparring in the arena, Nico with a normal celestial bronze sword and Percy with Riptide. Percy had insisted on the use of a normal sword to prevent accidental soul-reaping. Percy had yet to tell Nico of his betrayal on the hands of Annabeth and his new status as Hestia's champion, so he didn't use the Flare Arm as he had taken to call it. Despite their age difference, Nico's skills were still on par with Percy's, mostly due to his training with his father in the underworld. Nico had learned to fire dark crescents of ghostly energy from his sword, and these could suck the life right out of his opponent, should their launcher want to do so. After 5 hours of intense sparring, both parties were exhausted. Percy was leaning heavily on Riptide, his eyes looking up to the night sky. There was his favorite constellation: The Huntress. He silently paid his respects to Zoe Nightshade, and was startled by a loud screech. He turned around to see a Golden Eagle… just as it was hit by a wave of ghostly energy.

"Uh-oh…" Nico became even paler than he usually is. Having been startled by the Eagle, he instinctively lashed out with his blade and attacked it…

FLASHBACK END!

Percy's eyes filled with tears once again at the thought. After that, Nico had been forever banished into the Underworld. Well, at least until the last egg of Zeus's Eagle hatched and the Sacred Animal was restored. Percy shook his thoughts away as he opened the door to Olympus. He had carefully planned this, and today, the winter solstice, was the perfect day to do it. He walked straight into the Olympian meeting, earning himself a few angry looks, and a few of sadness. Among the angered faces was, of course, that of Ares. Looks like the god of war still held some resentment over his defeat so many years ago. Athena was looking at him with pity in her eyes, no doubt having noticed what her daughter had done to the young hero. Poseidon was alternating between staring at Percy and glaring at Athena. Mr. D had his neutral face on, but you could see a bit of pity behind his apathetic visage. Artemis, having been informed by her sister of what Annabeth did, was fuming. There was one thing she hated more than cheating men, it was when women cheated. This came mostly out of her hate of men and, as she put it, 'it degraded women to the same point as men'. As for Zeus…

~ Perseus Jackson! ~ His voice boomed through the room. ~ Why have you come to this hall, on this very day? Give me one reason I shouldn't blast you to smithereens right now! ~ Whoa, looks like Zeus is in a bad mood… But he did have a good question.

'Why did I come here?' He pondered the question for a second. Maybe he came for death? 'No, that is not the way out of this. And besides, since Juno took my immunity, why would I come here to die?' He then realized that there was one thing he was missing in his life, and he hoped, no, he knew, that the gods would grant it. "I have come here because I want a purpose!" He told the Olympians.

The request left them… baffled, to say the least. Most of them were expecting the kid to say that he wanted them to kill him. But instead of death, he looked for a reason to live. Hestia, being the goddess of the hearth (and mostly because he was her champion) could feel that Percy was only missing one thing in his life, a purpose. She noticed her brothers and sisters (and Dionysus) having a mental talk, one from which Artemis was starting to get red with rage.

~ Whaaat!? ~ The goddess of the moon and hunt practically shrieked at the decision her father took. ~ No. No way in Tartarus I'll allow that! ~

~ Well, it's my decision, Artemis, deal with it. ~ Zeus said calmly (if a little irritated) at his daughter, and then turned back to Percy. ~ Perseus Jackson. If you accept, you will become the Guardian of Artemis' Hunt… ~ The room became so quiet you could hear Hephaestus's palace/factory working in the distance. Hell, you could hear the cars from the streets below. Percy's first words were those that… pretty much anyone in his situation would've said.

"Say wha?" Athena facepalmed at his expert choice of words. Artemis grumbled something about all men being the same.

~ Was there something I said you did not understand, Jackson? ~

"Um, yes, Lord Zeus…" Percy started, his voice full of confusion and a tiny sliver of hope. "I believe I must've misheard you, since I thought you said that I, a man, am to join the Hunt."

~ You heard well, Jackson. Should you accept this, you would become a semi-immortal like her Hunters, and each of us here would grant you a small blessing to aid you in your duties. To do so, however, you would have to swear an oath for eternity to Artemis ~ Before Percy could speak, Artemis huffed with indignation.

~ Please father, he's a man. Lifelong commitments are something they avoid. ~ This was something that rather hurt Percy's pride. After all, his fatal flaw was his undying loyalty to his friends. He walked towards Artemis' throne, his Flare Arm lighting up in an amazing pale blue flame. This earned Hestia a lot of questioning glances, and a glare from Poseidon.

~ Sister, when this is over, you better explain! ~ He roared. Percy was now kneeling in front of Artemis, his flaming hand spread wide against his chest. The smell of charred skin soon reached the nostrils of every god and goddess present. When Percy began to talk, his voice was deeper and stronger than ever before.

"I, Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon and Sally Jackson, swear on the River Styx, the Ma'at, and on the River Nile to be forever loyal to Lady Artemis and the Hunt." The gods stiffened quite noticeably at the mention of the Nile and the Ma'at, though not even Percy knew why. As for Artemis, she looked rather torn. Before, she would've preferred being cast into the deepest pits of Tartarus to fight against the most powerful monsters in there all by herself rather than having a man in the hunt, but his oath was incredibly powerful, and this was the same boy who had taken the weight of the sky for her…

~ Percy Jackson, I, Artemis, accept your oath ~ There was a flash of bright white light when Artemis accepted the oath. When it cleared, it showed that Percy's jacket and shirt had been completely burnt off, showing his tattoos, with Hestia's glowing a powerful red and the Praetor one now showing a flame and a bow along with the trident. In the center of his chest, a circle with a line running through it was burnt into the skin. The hieroglyphic for the Moon. Zeus warily approached Percy, his face shaped into a frown.

~ Boy, you should not have sworn by the Ma'at… that means that they will come…~ As if on cue, and it most likely was, bits of sand began to flow into the Throne Room. They headed towards a pillar that had the shape of an obelisk, like that of the Washington Monument, and began to form a powerful funnel of sand. Out of it began to appear several animal headed beings, all of them exuding the power of an Olympian. The main one, with the head of an eagle, stepped up in front of the rest.

~ Zeus ~ He sneered at the King of the Greek Gods.

~ Horus ~ Zeus sneered back…

The Egyptian Gods were in Olympus…

And so this begins. I should be done with H&M TL today as well, so keep an eye out for it! BladeOfThePoet, Logging Out!