Arthur's POV

What was that? Since when did I read classic stories?

I sat out on the dock where the canoes were, waving occasionally at a water nymph, trying to look on the bright side of things.

There was something I hadn't thought about in my last visit: my ability to use the keys on different days without much more than a few minutes' passing in the House. I couldn't see any real reason that the Fourth Key worked as well as it did on the other days of the week, but Camp Half-Blood and the Labyrinth were two things that seemed almost as mysterious as the House itself. I trashed the thought after only a few minutes.

What was happening to me? I wasn't fully a Denizen, was I? I didn't want to worry about looking at the ring on my finger, which would have told me everything regarding the fact. It was just one more thing that I didn't want to have on my mind.

The camp was all on edge. I could tell, even though I hadn't been there for a very long time. Percy and Annabeth were still talking to Chiron back at the Big House. I wondered what they were conversing about, hoping it wasn't too much about me.

As my mind began to drift back home, I heard someone approach the dock.

"So, what happened to you?" Percy's voice said, over the noise of crickets in the tall grasses by my feet (it took a bit of work to keep my long limbs from touching the water below them).

"You seemed reluctant to say anything about your return," Percy commented, after a moment's hesitation.

"It was strange," was all I could manage at first. "I kind of don't want to talk about it."

"Well, I discovered a friend of mine is the heir to the epicenter of the universe, and plenty of strange things go on every week here, so anything you say won't faze me, if that's the problem. If you need to talk about it, though, I'm here for ya." He patted my shoulder and gave me a smile, sitting down next to me. I noted that his feet didn't even skim the water.

"Thanks," I said, returning his smile, but not feeling it reach my eyes. "I guess I just need some casual company right now. Nobody calling me Lord Arthur, nobody with weird spells or umbrellas or anything…" I trailed off, then laughed to myself. This was ridiculous. Why was I even staying this long?

"I should probably leave before something big and bad follows me here."

Percy gave me a quizzical look.

"If it's anything we can't handle here at the camp, I'm sure you can just fine," he replied, trying to boost my confidence.

"Yeah, I'm not entirely sure about that," I said, in a simple manner. "Everyone has so much confidence in me. The ones that don't, usually aren't really all they're cracked up to be. I just…I don't want to be treated like the heir. I want to be just plain, old Arthur again."

Percy hesitated again, then said, "I get what you mean. Everyone thinks I'm something special. I'm a Son of one of the Big Three, I went on a big quest when I was just twelve-years-old, I've gone on tons of quests since then, I've held up the sky, and I'm even compared to Luke before he was influenced by Kronos." He had said influenced in a way that sounded like he wanted to use a different word. Surely I'd figure out later. Before I could mull it over for too long, he continued.

"I suppose it is all amazing and special and stuff, but I really wish I could be treated like a normal camper for once. The only people who really do that are my closest friends. I guess I can kind of see where you're coming from."

I stared off, across the creek for a few seconds, allowing a bit of silence, before I asked, "What's going on here, then?"

Percy drew a breath in, then released it. Stress was really all I could read from him since I left the Improbable Stair. Something bad was happening, and it really took a toll on him specifically.

"A war is about to go all out. Everyone in the camp knows it. Luke…well, Kronos and his army are on the move. They have plans, and we can only really guess what they are. Whatever happens, it won't be good."

"Wait," I interjected, "so Kronos is the Titan of Time, right?" Percy nodded.

"And what exactly is it with him and Luke? Are they allies or something?"

"They…well, Luke is…" Percy fought for the right words before settling on one option, lowering his voice a bit.

"Don't talk to Annabeth about it, but Luke has been sort of possessed by Kronos. We don't know if he's even in there anymore."

"Oh," I replied. That made a bit more sense.

"Why don't you join me in the arena for a bit?" Percy asked. "It'll be something to get our minds off of everything."

I glanced at my watch. It was only a little way into the afternoon, not that I had anywhere to go until I figured out what to do with myself.

"Sure," I said, standing up with the demigod, "why not?"

Suzy's POV

I ran as fast as I could through a strange black cloud.

Yes. First thing I do when I see something mysterious and unknown: I run at it head first. I was still wearing a tattered Grease Monkey outfit, but that didn't stop me from launching myself at this huge black mist with a heavy, metal wrench. Where had he gone? I thought. Arthur fell through the hole in the ground of the Gardens and...well, I'd been left behind again. Do you know how frustrating that is?

Anyhow, running to the black mist was fun and all, but once I got to it, I just kept running. Right through it. I knew it was there for one reason or another and if it were for killing Pipers' Children, I would have been seriously screwed.

Suddenly, everything around me changed. It was cooler. It was night time. I couldn't see worth squat at first, but thankfully my eyes adjusted fast. There were trees...and rocks...it was strange...and definitely not the House.

There were birds in the trees, bugs clicking and chirping everywhere, and lights. Lights coming from a city. I decided to head in the opposite direction of the city, seeing as anyone who saw me like this would judge harshly.

I charged through the trees and forest. If I ran for long enough, I would definitely run into something...maybe not something I'd particularly want to run into, but something, anyway. I finally became so out of breath, I had to drop to my hands and knees for enough air to be captured. There was a hill and a tree. I smelled…strawberries? There was no telling where I was, but it was sure interesting. No place in the House was like this, I knew that for a fact. It didn't even have the completely perfect feel that I expected the Imperial Gardens to have. Honestly, there was only one real way to find out where I was.

I continued walking, hoping that there would be some sort of farm to go with all of the strawberries, which were slowly becoming visible around my feet. It never really occurred to me that I should be worried about getting back to the House, but, then again, there was a lot to distract me.

I approached the pine tree. There was something just off about the thing. It was like every other pine tree to my eyes, but my head just got confused when I looked past it. It was like…some sort of sorcery was in the air. I know how cheesy and obviously dumb that sounds when I say it, but there was really no good way of describing it.

My lungs drew in a deep breath, then exhaled.

Might as well go say "hi" to the farmer.

A/N: So I'm picking it back up again. Sorry for the nearly two-years' wait. Here goes nothing! There goes a Nithling!