Hi again :)

I apologise for the *cough* month *cough* wait for this chapter. It's been a busy 4 weeks, meaning fanfiction writing was put at the bottom of the list of priorities.

So, feeling incredibly guilty over my extremely belated update I rushed this chapter. Which means no time for proof reading or grammar checking and it will be below my usual standard. I'm rewriting this chapter as i'm speaking/writing so expect a re-update soon.

But good news! I've written the ending for this fic, and I know exactly whats going to happen so rest assured this will not be discontinued.

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or Hannah Montana (that will be explained)

I've got exams for the next few weeks, so please be patient for the next chapter :) It will come ---eventually. And thankyou for the reviews( as always) you guys are so supportive and amazing. And to answer one reviewer.. I think (so far) Artemis is within her 'power-range' and if I'm right all the gods are like that.

And finally ....

ENJOY!

Chapter Four: Instinct

The time was 7:30 am. The Camp was stirring as the sun rose from behind Half-Blood Hill, casting Thalia's tree in its resplendent light. It lingered at the border, as if waiting for permission to advance. But if you saw past the mist which cloaked its true image, you would see a certain sun god watching his sister below. He shook his head and leant back into his chair. Apollo was troubled, for he had seen a particularly worrying future ahead of them. All he knew was that he would have to find who did this most heinous act quickly as time was of the most vital importance. He gritted his teeth, brutally shifted into first gear and sped off to the west.

The light travelled with him, and soon the darkness which remained was vanquished from the camp, heralding the belated arrival of the morning.

To all those within its borders-with the exception of course to those who were informed - today would be just another day at Camp. There were no indications that would suggest otherwise.

The lava wall was as active as ever, waves of scorching heat exuded with each raging column of molten rock. The forest emanated the occasional call from the creatures and Nymphs which resided within. Nereids at the lake were rustling beneath its crystalline surface, preparing for yet another day spent weaving.

Cabin 8's nocturnal glow dwindled at the sun's presence, and as it rose higher into the sky-disappeared completely. The cabin seemed at peace, a contrast to the events it had barely survived during the night.

If one was to peek behind the makeshift door which had been hastily placed in front of the hole, you would see the goddess of the hunt sitting on her bunk watching the sleeping forms of her attendants.

Sleep, how she envied the deep slumber which now embraced her hunters. How she longed to forget her problems at least for a couple of hours. There was a part of her that registered that she had never needed it, that she had spent every night of her existence as she had this one. Simply waiting. In silence.

However, this silence did offer her a chance to think about the hours since she had awoken. Apollo had visited her, her twin- so she had been told. He had taught her how to focus and control her powers, something which she was thankful for. Although not 5 minutes had passed since his departure before yet another problem reared its head. Apparently, so she had been told, the Gods could change their height at will and it was only her personal choice that she remained at a pre-adolescent stage and at a height of 4ft 10 inches. Of course she had only been told this after she got an almost aerial view of the Camp and the surrounding area. Luckily for both herself and the remaining trees around her, Chiron intervened- and she was reverted back to her normal height. The only damage being in the immediate vicinity where the carcasses of several trees lay completely smashed into the ground. She had breathed a sigh of relief when she was told that no nymphs inhabited those particular trees.

Upon her return Thalia had been thankful that the goddess was unharmed. The lieutenant had explained to Annabeth the situation regarding Artemis and now the Athena cabin was suitably informed. The others were not.

And as for her age, she had tried to alter her appearance, but so far she had only succeeded in appearing a year or two older before she receded back to her 12 year old self. She tried to not let it anger her that she had a below average control of her powers but the truth was… it was annoying. But as Thalia had whispered when Artemis entered the cabin, "You've been awake for 3 hours Lady Artemis, you're doing great."

That had made her feel a little better.

Even so, this constant focus and feeling of inadequacy were starting to grow weary. The thought that if her mind slipped for a few moments she could destroy everyone in this room, everyone in the surrounding area, everyone- she swiftly stopped her self-destructive thoughts.

Her mind drifted to more desirable ponderings.

The nymphs had introduced themselves once everything had achieved some semblance of normality. They had giggled nervously as they bowed before her but they had run off back into the foliage as soon as they were able. That had been peculiar.

But otherwise the night had drifted on with its monotony. A night spent focusing on the quivers at the other end of the cabin and making them materialize into her hand. She had gathered quite the collection, which were now stacked haphazardly at the end of the bunk.

Artemis sighed; it was a sound coated with confliction and worry. She leaned back against the wall, and resumed observing her aura as it fluctuated with her feelings.

She twisted her hands so they faced palm up as a pair of glowing manacles appeared on her wrists, revealing her current thoughts.

The goddess felt bound in chains, although no one had said it- it was clear she was not allowed out of the camp alone. These restrictions were troublesome, for it was clear to her that a being such as herself should not be tied by such limitations. The cabin's forested walls had long since turned to steel bars, permitting no exit. The hunters were her jailers, her guards. Chiron was her warden. The forest was her sanctuary, an escape.

She would abide by their rules for the time being, and she would listen to the centaur but only for as long as she was able. The siren call of the forest was starting to erode away at her resolve. After all she was only denying the inevitable. The animals were calling out to their mistress to join them, to revel within her domain. How long could she reject their pleading appeals? To simply turn her head away from her realm?

Not much longer.

Reluctantly she resumed her previous meditations, of wondering what exactly the following days would entail. And the anticipation, that maybe...just maybe she could return to the forest-soon.

In Cabin number 3…..

The morning horn echoed around the valley. It marked the beginning of a new day. A day of routine, but Percy preferred a day of training in the blissful surroundings of camp than a day fighting some tyrannical Titan bent on destroying the Gods, so- for the moment at least- he was content.

He awoke to the soothing sound of the fountain in the corner of the room, strangely audible over the loud pounding which was raining down on the cabin door.

"Percy!"
"Coming!" The son on Poseidon yelled whilst he sprang to his feet, searching for a t-shirt to slip on. After a few seconds he spied a scrunched up pile near the foot of the neighbouring bunk and decided that it would be perfectly suitable to answer the door in. Sprinting to the door, he took a quick breath to collect himself before he flung it open. There was the daughter of Athena, her blonde hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, with a leather bound book under her arm.

"Hi Annabeth." He beamed.

Annabeth smiled, but then her stormy grey eyes lowered to his shirt, "Nice."

"What…oh." He glanced down at the gigantic brown stain which dominated the front of his white shirt. It had been acquired during a training session which, although he remained uninjured -he had still managed to trip over a fallen spear and land directly into a puddle (more like a lake, Percy noted grimly) of mud.

Water he could control, but not mud.

He'd lost some of his reputation as the powerful son of the sea god after that one.

Note to self….check clothes before putting them on.

He cleared his throat, "What's the problem?"

"I didn't want to wake you up too early; you sounded like you were in a very deep sleep."

He narrowed his eyes, "How-"

"I could practically hear your snoring from the Athena cabin." Annabeth raised an eyebrow, "I found that book by the way- you know the one on marine biology. I translated it into Ancient Greek so it would be easier to read." She thrust the book into his slack hands, "anyway, I'd thought you'd want to know that Artemis is now awake."

Percy turned round and placed the book onto the nearest table, "That's good"

"Not really…she can't remember anything."

"Wha- Why?" He leaned against the frame of the door, and crossed his arms in front of his chest as if he heard such news all the time. Whilst arriving at Camp Half Blood Percy's resistance to shocking and/or unusual news had risen dramatically. Whether it was the news that one of the Ares campers had been caught listening to 'Hannah Montana' songs (it had happened) or that one of the satyrs had suffered the humiliation of being waxed by some mischievous dryads after he had been spying on them from behind a tree.

"Chiron doesn't know, but by the sounds of it he thinks someone attacked her."

"It's like Atlas all over again."

Annabeth nodded her head in agreement, "It's possible, but how would he have escaped from his curse for a second time?"

Percy shrugged, " He got another person to take it from him?" But even as he said the words, he knew it was next to impossible with Kronos gone.

She furrowed her brow in thought, "Perhaps." Her expression implied that Percy's answer had been immediately disregarded.

"Well who do you think could have done it?" Percy interceded in her reverie.

" Who knows.." she threw her hands up in the air for emphasis, " Nemesis, Hecate…Themis! Anyone."

"Eris?" He eyed the dark building with its crumbling onyx and jet pillars. Only two campers inhabited that cabin- James and Matilda. James had been given the role of head councillor simply because he was, and to quote Chiron, 'the lesser of two evils'. Both children of the chaos goddess had inherited her need for discord and destruction, luckily the responsibility which had been loaded onto James' shoulders had mellowed him somewhat but Matilda was proving more difficult to tame. Percy had felt a pang of sympathy for the child; she was constantly receiving threats from the Aphrodite cabin after an incident, which he hadn't believed true until he saw them the next day at the dining pavilion. Matilda had replaced their copious amount of hair products with bleach- resulting in the entire Aphrodite cabin owning a head of lustrous, glistening white hair. Several more addicted users had to be sent to the infirmary with symptoms of blindness and severe burns.

Percy had made numerous efforts at reconciliation but each was rebuked. Nonetheless he had continued; until she dyed his swimming pool water purple- then he had stopped. Perhaps it was the almost cliché gothic attire or the almost pitch black eyes that seemed to pierce into your soul but something was most certainly 'up' with that 8 year old. The Hermes cabin played pranks but not to the extent that Matilda did, hers were just plain dangerous. Which was saying something considering the typical day to day events of Camp.

"Could be, but Eris is just as likely as the other personified deities. Although she is Ares' sister…" She took a pen and notepad from her jean pockets and began to write down her latest findings.

Percy watched in mild interest, "Have you talked with Athena recently? I bet she's curious about all this."

"I spoke to mum about an hour ago, she's certainly intrigued. I wouldn't be surprised if she came to Camp herself to investigate but she's helping Apollo at the moment."

"I guess it's not every day a goddess loses her memory."

She nodded her head, and slotted the pad and pen back into her pocket, "Well, I'm going to the dining pavilion; you coming?"

He smiled and gestured to his shirt, "I'll be there in a minute- I'll just change; thanks for the book Annabeth." He said earnestly.

"No problem… I'll see you there." She turned away and gave a slight wave to Percy who returned it, a smile plastered on his face.

He closed the door and sighed, leaning against the wall for support. Today was going to be an unusual day ….

The hunters had awoken gradually, the first had propped herself up on one hand and inclined her head towards Artemis. Then another had awoken, whispering a greeting towards her lady. The rest followed soon after, with whispered, anxious acknowledgements of her presence.

Truth be told, the hunters didn't know how to act around this Artemis. The goddess who was, (most of the time) both jovial and humorous but yet powerful and respected had been lost and instead they were faced with a goddess who, from Thalia's warnings was volatile and unstable.

It was Thalia alone who remained remotely near her usual behaviour as she shot out of her bunk, as if an idea had hit her whilst she was sleeping. She quickly pulled on one of the hunter's silver parkas, with the crescent moon detail on the back and her combat boots, "I'm just going to talk to Chiron about something, Lady Artemis-" she stood at the foot of Artemis' bunk, "-with your permission of course." She added with a smile.

Artemis nodded her head, "you may leave."

After Thalia's hasty departure, silence descended upon the cabin. The hunters did not want to show it but there was the slightest hint of fear in their expressions. The Artemis who was in front of them seemed a stranger who had adopted her appearance and her slightest of mannerisms, the quirking of the eyebrow when she was amused or the moroseness of her eyes when she would muse on past times. The past times were gone, but those ancient, empathic eyes remained.

Many who did not truly know or understand their mistress would say she was unloving, cold and callous. The hunters had seen Artemis at her most brutal, but also at her most compassionate.

It was her eyes which betrayed her feelings, any who have looked into a god's eyes will tell you that they contain a vastness- an ocean- of emotions and experiences. Those silver orbs which belonged to Artemis contained her joyous, often playful and teasing experiences with Apollo. The various displays that her father, Zeus had performed. Extremes. The kind father and the destructive, ruthless king who one minute would reward and the next reap entire families from the face of the earth. When she had sat on his lap, her petite legs swinging with childish joy from her father's strong, powerful frame. And when she had cowered behind a golden pillar as he unleashed his wrath on anyone who came near him.

Her eyes contained an echo of her entire life. Both the good and the bad. The vicious and the virtuous.

Which on a lesser being would devour them entirely if Artemis willed it. Many boys had looked into Artemis' eyes at their end of their life and had begged for death. That realisation of who they had just antagonised and most likely shouted obscenities at. The hunters would stand back, amused at the boy who had dared to insult their lady. A quick flick of the goddess' wrist would seal their doom, whether it be atomisation or transfiguration.

Whoever said the eyes were the windows to the soul got something right, especially of the eyes which belonged to the immortals. Never forgetting, never dying.

Artemis wasn't cold or callous, in fact she was almost the opposite. She cared too much. Many of the hunters had witnessed Daphne's transformation, her reaction to the death of Orion, the anger at Actaeon's act. Hardly the reactions of someone who was devoid of emotion. The evenings at camp when Artemis dropped her façade she placed so heavily when confronted with the other Olympians, that tough exterior- that wall. Of course the maturity remained, the maturity which can only be achieved from living for centuries upon centuries but the real Artemis would slowly emerge. Her dry humour and her bell like laughter would surface, the stories of her hunting trips with Apollo. Of her childhood on Delos, and the many adventures when Apollo and herself would escape their mother Leto's clutches for a couple of hours.

She would be a vast difference from the frowning, sombre character who roamed the Olympian halls when summoned. She was almost the 12 year old girl who she adopted as her chosen appearance. It was those evenings when Artemis would be less of their leader, their goddess and more like their sister.

During these nights, Artemis' silver iris would return to happier times- of the care free, uninhibited years before she discovered the extent of the jealous and spiteful halls of her godly home.

It was these same silver eyes which made one nymph by the name of Mia approach Artemis and sit next to her. Mia was innocent and naïve, but when required, she had a courageous and daring edge that many of the older hunters admired. The tiny nymph looked at her mistress with wide, hazel eyes.

"Are you ok my lady?" she whispered, her voice full of genuine concern.

"Yes," came the reply, "I am fine."

Her reserved answer seemed to strike a chord with Mia as tears threatened to overflow her eyes.

Much like an older sister, Artemis had comforted Mia when she had learned that a mortal company- led by a man -had ordered all the trees in her valley to be cut down. Her entire family had been killed that day. She had whispered words of comfort and stayed with Mia until she had recovered from the news. Which had been many hours later, and yet Artemis stayed.

The hunters looked up from their individual discussions with interest at the conversation between Artemis and Mia.

"You once told me that you always tell me the truth about your feelings. You said 'I was always too observant for my own good'." Her voice was choked as she fought back the stream of tears which looked ready to flow.

Artemis simply looked down upon the nymph, "I'm sorry." The goddess spoke in monotone. Devoid of emotion- just as the stories imagined. Cold was one word Mia would use to describe it.

It was then that Thalia reappeared; her expression was cheerful, "Good news, Chiron has allowed us to go hunting."

Naturally this declaration was followed by cheers and fist pumps, but none of the rapturous expressions could equal Artemis emotions. Euphoric. Jubilant. There were no words which could adequately describe the sensations.

Artemis darted out of the door/hole, almost running into a group of Hermes campers who were taking a slow walk down to the dining pavilion for breakfast. The hunters all followed swiftly after pulling on whatever was in reach over their night wear.

As soon as Artemis crossed over the border of trimmed grass and into the wooded terrain of the forest her aura once again flared out, licking at the trees she past. Her limbs pulsed with energy and her iris' brightened.

Here she was, at last. Reunited with the place she belonged.

There was a kinship to be found here. Subtle, but indeed present. Being in its presence reawakened her senses and rejuvenated her body. This was her domain, her realm.

However, with it the forest also brought an onslaught of images and forgotten feelings. Her vision faulted as she glimpsed at her past. A light shower of rain landing upon her body and the crunch of the leaves under her booted heel.

The branches of the trees as she ran past their clutching claws and the frantic panting of the deer as she gave chase. The elemental yearning of the hunt. The prey and the predator.

The muted snap of a neck as she flicks her wrists, and the final thump of a dying heart. The body going stiff as she held it in place- it's life force drifting away. The twang of the once taut bow string as she lets it go, sending the arrow towards its target. The widening of the prey's eye as it realises it is living its last moments.

Too Much

Too Much

No

Artemis was brought to her knees, clutching her head. The hunters stormed into the area and quickly huddled round Artemis, their gazes flicking around the area watching for signs of divine attack.

Of course there was none. The only assault was happening inside Artemis head.

"Lady Artemis?" Thalia enquired.

"I just need a minute."

She was true to her word as she fought the images which had erupted out at her, until after a few moments she stood up and nodded to Thalia.

"Let's get going."

Thalia sidestepped, sensing that what Artemis really wanted was to simply 'let go' and run though the forests she had been deprived of. The other hunters sensed this, and they too stepped back and grabbed onto the nearest leverage.

Setting her eyes in front of her, Artemis crouched down and exerted her immense strength into her legs. Like an Olympian athlete on the starting line of a 100m sprint. The ground started to crack as it protested under the force the goddess was applying into the earth. Until finally, akin to a spring being wound tighter and tighter, Artemis launched herself into the trees. A shockwave came shortly after, hitting the hunters square in the chest. This was what the leverage was for and thankfully none of them were thrown off their feet.

Artemis' aura throbbed as she flew past the fallen trees and soared over the numerous creeks which meandered through the thick underbrush.

The wind whipped at her auburn hair, sending it cascading in waves behind her.

Out of sheer elation and pure ecstasy, Artemis laughed. She gripped onto a tree trunk as she leapt through the canopy and swung herself round it, changing her course towards a clearing in the distance. She span in the air, and grabbed onto an overhanging branch which she used to launch herself even higher.

She jumped from bough to bough, trunk to trunk letting her legs take her farther and farther away from the Camp. Several times she met small cliffs and rock faces and these she handled with ease- often simply jumping past these minor inconveniences.

The hunters tried their best to keep up with the swiftly escalating pace Artemis was setting. But her momentum was rocketing- nothing in her path seemed to slow her down.

They were fast, but she was faster-much faster. And never had she run (it seemed a weak term, inadequate for the act Artemis was performing) this fast when in the hunters presence. The hunters pace was inhuman, Thalia had truly underestimated how fast they could run before she had taken the mantle of lieutenant. During one bored evening at the hunter's camp without Artemis -who would always make sure they were entertained with stories and the such- Thalia had suggested a competition. It was through that competition that she found she could now run at speeds faster than 70 mph- that had been a shocking revelation.

Artemis, well her pace must have been verging on …Thalia didn't even want to hesitate a guess. Perhaps supersonic, she mused light heartedly.

They could just discern the faint silver trail that she left in her wake. The goddess left no trace of her presence, no footprints, no signs of disturbance-It was like she hadn't been there at all. In the hunter's attempts to keep up, Thalia could only imagine the destruction they were leaving behind them.

Their stamina was great, but even they could not keep up this pace for long. Their breaths came in stiff gasps, and their chests heaved but yet they continued. They were reaching their limits.

How many miles had they run? Her body could come up with no feasible answer as the trees continued to soar pass them.

Lady Artemis! Thalia yelled in her mind, trying to keep it as conversational as possible but even she could not hide the edge of desperation which accompanied her thoughts.

The goddess stopped so suddenly that the hunters sped past her. Some planted their feet into the ground to halt their speed whilst others simply launched themselves at the nearest tree. The latter technique caused several almost nauseating cracks to resonate around the forest as the hunter's bodies collided with the wood.

Thalia, in a more effective manner used the nearest tree to stop her momentum. She threw herself at the oncoming redwood, and swung round it- landing in a surprisingly elegant manner a few feet from Artemis. The others peeled themselves from the trees and landed on the ground- rubbing their limbs. Cynthia, the comic relief of the group muttered her usual sarcastic remark, "That's going to hurt in the morning."

Several of the hunters groaned, but from pain or exasperation Thalia couldn't tell. Probably the latter.

Thalia brushed the wood fragments from her leather jacket, "Clio…where are we?"

The daughter of Demeter brushed her hand along the floor and closed her eyes. Being the daughter of a goddess tied to nature, Clio had a gift for knowing where she was at all times- when she was on land.

After a few moments she stood up, and rather hesitantly answered Thalia's question, "We are roughly 350 miles north of camp….near Montreal."

"Please tell me you're joking."

"Afraid not Thalia. Dionysus' reach is long and I sense none of his influence here."

"Well Chiron's not going to be too happy about this." Thalia stated and faced Artemis who had turned her gaze to the heavens.

"Can you hear that?" Artemis questioned, her brow furrowing as she tried to locate the source of the noise.

The hunters raised their head, listening for whatever Artemis could hear. Several of the nymphs nodded their heads, and pointed to the west. Mia included and she informed the others who remained oblivious, "A herd of fallow deer, seven of them….and I think a stag as well." She looked at the others who were nodding their heads in agreement, "And a stag."

Thalia turned towards Artemis, "Shall we?"

The lieutenant's question met with empty air. Artemis had already left to intercept the herd, the others didn't even see her leave- and considering most of them had been watching her, it was a considerable feat.

Thalia looked accusingly at her sisters, who shrugged in response. The daughter of Zeus groaned, and motioned the group to follow the goddess.

Meanwhile …..

Artemis knelt behind an overgrown fern, scrutinising every movement the deer and the stag made. The slow, meticulous observation allowed the huntress to plan numerous plans of ambush and stealth. She pondered the direct attack, satisfied that it would offer the immediate kill she desired.

Driven by single-minded determination she whispered into the minds of the ruminant mammals, urging them to move on- to leave. She made the stag remain behind, watching its confusion as its family left without warning and discovering it had not the will to follow.

It's ears flicked up, sensing that something was near. It's head jerked from side to side, trying to find the source of the disturbance. But to no avail.

Part of its brain registered who exactly was there; all animals were born with the ability to recognise their mistress. Their lady who was both the protector and predator of every creature who inhabits the forests of the world.

The stag cried out, it was clearly panicked now.

Artemis ears picked up the faint thuds of footfalls - her hunters were approaching. Much nearer, about 3 metres to her left a twig snapped. Artemis' head shot round, her eyebrows raised.

"Sorry." Thalia mouthed.

From overhead, a bird cawed and flew out of the canopy. Followed by an arrow which embedded itself into the crow, obviously an effort to stop the infernal noise the creature was emitting.

The damage had already been done.

Artemis turned her head -her fear had been confirmed. The stag had seen the hunter's thunderous entrance, had heard the bird from overhead and had took it as a warning -bolting away from the aggravated goddess.

She had only seconds to make up her mind on whether to give chase. She required less as she made the instinctual move, disregarding the bow she held in her hands -she leapt.

And hit the ground on all fours.

Her legs pumped with adrenaline and her padded paws whispered across the worn soil. Her entire being trained on the warmth and beat of the mammal's heart. The frantic drumming only nourished her tenacity for the kill.

Thwump

Thwump

Thwump

Closer and closer.

She launched herself over the trunk of a fallen tree.

It was one of those cliché slow motion dramatic scenes as Artemis arced through the air. Her silver eyes bright with the anticipation of the kill. Her teeth flashed in the sunlight as it filtered through the branches. The muscles as they bunched under her shoulders, and her claws extended- welcoming the hot fur it was about receive.

She landed on the stag's back, and bit down where the flow of blood was at is greatest, her razor sharp teeth had no trouble biting through the tough skin of the deer. Her claws raked through the fur as if it was made of butter.

Carried by its own momentum, it collapsed to the ground and skidded along the floor. After a few moments of writhing the creature ceased its last attempts at salvation and was still. The stag was dead.

The hulking grey wolf paced up to the hunters, and in a flash of silver light morphed into the 12 year old goddess.

"That was peculiar."

She raised her head, meeting the gaze of the hunters who all were staring with wide eyes.

"Come on girls, we better start the long walk back to camp." Thalia urged after regaining her voice.

This chapter was split into two because it was simply getting too long, so the Capture the Flag game will be in the next chapter.

I'm considering raising the rating to T, to be on the safe side. So if- during writing- it does get more "gory" or the like, I will raise it.

So thankyou for reading and goodbye (for now)

:)

RedFluffyBanana