This is our first fanfic. Three brand new OCs will be joining no other but Nico, the son of Hades, in the journey of looking for the Doors of Death. This is our version of the story behind the Son of Neptune, taking place exactly when our beloved Percy is traveling to Canada.

DISCLAIMER: We do not own Percy Jackson series or any of the characters from the original books. They belong to Rick Riordan, the genius.

Our OCs: June and July Loras, twin daughters of a Greek god. Born at midnight between June 30th and July 1st. Another mysterious OC is to be revealed in later chapters!

Have a try and enjoy! Please review! Little note: the cute bickering between J & J is mostly based real-life experiences!

P.S. Please don't give it up too soon! Try following it and read the next chapter and the next...and the next... I know this chapter isn't much but the others won't let you down!

Chapter one

Nico:

"I don't want to lose my sister," I said as I held Hazel's hands. I hadn't said aloud the word again, but I knew she understood my thoughts. Sadness flowed from her eyes. I didn't want to lose her like I lost Bianca, and she didn't want to die a second time.

"Good luck, Hazel." I dropped her hand and stepped back into the shadows. Her golden eyes followed me until darkness swallowed me whole. I'm sending my sister off to a suicide quest, again. I couldn't help thinking. The thought that Percy would be with her made me feel a bit less worried but also a little sad. Surely he wouldn't let Hazel die like he let Bianca die, but now he doesn't even remember, does he? I jerked my thoughts away from Bianca. What has been done is done. There's no help mourning over the past. Besides, I've got a task myself. I would've called Mrs. O'Leary, but she was with Tyson at that moment. I groaned just to think about how drained I would be after traveling across the whole continent through the shadows. I just hope nothing goes wrong. I never forgot the time I shadow traveled and ended up in China.

But of course, Goddess Fortuna was seldom at my side. When I broke out from the darkness, I found myself right in a battlefield. Right in front of me, I saw long light blond hair flying.

June:

We stared at the flyer in our hands. A plain white sheet with a comic picture of a beautiful girl in a parka holding a bow and bold black letters:

Tired of normal mortal life?

Sick of stupid pretentious males?

COME JOIN ARTEMIS'S HUNT!

Pledge yourself to the Goddess of the Hunt and we grant you thrilling adventures, unbreakable sisterhood and much, much more, including IMMORTALITY!

"It's like a huge joke…" July, my sister, said feebly. I nodded silently.

We were just normal kids…okay, abnormal in the normal way. We live in Queens, NY, in a small stuffy house with our mother and go to a public high school just around the corner. We hate homework, love chocolate and battle petty high school problems everyday, just like everybody else. The only unusual part of our typical life was we always seemed to be stalked. It's a habit for us to look behind our backs frequently and take sharp turns crazily during a peaceful walk. But in this ridiculous world filled with weirdoes, we are fairly normal. That is, until yesterday, when our lives made a severe 180 degree turn.

Yesterday we were having a typical Saturday night at home. Mom was still working in her art studios in the basement. She had lost her job in a fancy company a year ago and it was hard to make ends meet being a not-so-famous artist at times like this. We were trashing out in the living room, watching a rent movie and stuffing ourselves with chocolate dipped chips. Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Go get the door, June." July said lazily, propping her legs up on the sofa.

Assuming it was delivery or something (Mom had been buying a lot of on-sale things on the net, lately) I stayed put and replied:" No, you go, I got us the chips. It's your turn to get off the sofa."

"But you're closer to the door!" She protested. Sometimes sisters, especially twin sisters, can be really a pain. Yes, the grand truth: July and I are identical in every aspect, from our silvery blond waist-length hair to our skinny knobby ankles, except for the birthmarks on our collar bone. Mine on the left, July's on the right.

Just as I was about to threaten not to help her with lunch duty, the words stuck in my throat. I heard a soft click of a door unlocking. I turned and looked into June's eyes, terrified. Her pale blue eyes widened in perfect reflection of mine.

I snatched the remote controller and muted the TV. July grabbed Mom's least favorite vase and raised it above her head, slipping off the sofa quietly. Together, we crept towards the doorway.

"Arghhhhh!" We bumped into a soft thing and screamed in union, scrambling over each other trying to get back to the living room.

"Arghhhhh!" The thing shrieked too. "Oh my gods, what were you thinking? You scared the wits out of me!"

Huh? I grabbed July from the back to stop the idiot from scooting away and took a closer look. A tall girl who had choppy black hair with a silver circlet and intimidating electric blue eyes stood in front of us, patting her heart as if soothing herself. She looked as if she was a couple of years older than us.

I took a deep breath to calm my thumping heart and asked as forcefully as I could:" Who are you and what do you want?" July hooked my arm and blocked the hallway in support.

"Whoa," the girl raised her hands to show there was no weapons and said" Easy, there. You have been watching too many movies! I mean no harm and come in peace. My lady wants to see you." She glanced behind her and stepped aside. A young girl around 12 strutted into the room with such dignity and grace I could hardly believe she wasn't wearing a crown and all. The girl was so beautiful that we gasped and took a step back immediately. She turned her large silvery yellow eyes towards me and said:" I am very sorry to have disturbed you in such a manner. But time is urgent and I need to talk with you two. Perhaps you don't recognize me." The black haired girl cleared her throat and announced:" June and July Loras, before you stands the great Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt, Wilderness, Maidens, the Mistress of the Animals, the Lady of the Moon."

"What are you-"I started in confusion, noticing how she knew our name though we didn't tell her.

"-talking about?" July finished, almost dropping the vase.

The tall girl smiled and continued:" And I, am Thalia Grace, lieutenant of Lady Artemis, Daughter of Zeus."

"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of." The words popped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Sure, the younger girl looked supernaturally beautiful, but what was all that about some ancient Greek gods? July nodded and crossed her arms suspiciously.

The supposedly Artemis didn't even flinch. Thalia, on the other hand, gave me a glare that made me think I'd better not be enemy with her. "Why don't we sit all down? I am thinking this will be a long night." Artemis suggested, "No need to inform your mother, though. She wouldn't want to be interrupted while doing a promising painting." How the hell did she know what my Mom was doing too?

Half an hour later, July and I sat opposite Thalia and Artemis in the living room, long-cooled cups of tea in hand. "So, you're telling us our long lost father is an Olympian god, specifically Apollo, the god of archery, medicine, music and stuff like that?" I concluded after listening to Thalia's long lecture of our parentage. July sighed softly," Mom missed him so much."

I stared at her. I was struggling with the concept that our world is full of gods, monsters, spirits and we ourselves were half-god half-human, and that was all she could think of? Sometimes, even identical twins can be different.

"I'm sorry to hear that. But it's just how it has to be. We are all the same. Demigods, I mean." Thalia said in a sympathetic way. "Anyway, your father should officially claim you right…now." She looked up at a spot above my head. July followed suit and let out a loud gasp. At the same time, I noticed something golden appeared above her head, figuring the same thing had happened to me as well.

"A lyre!" I said in astonishment. It wasn't a real lyre, mind you, but a shimmering image of it. After a few seconds, it evaporated.

"Your father just claimed you." Thalia said with a broad smile. July and I could just stare at each other in awe.

"Yes, the usual protocol. Now, this is why I am really here." Lady Artemis held out her arms and two sets of bows and arrows appeared suddenly. "My pathetic excuse of a twin brother asked me to give these gifts to you for him since I happen to have errands to run in this neighborhood."

July and I exchanged nervous looks and accepted them gingerly. "Thank you, Aunt Artemis." "Leave out the 'aunt', girls" Artemis's eyes flashed dangerously, "It makes me seem so old."

The bows and arrows were made purely of gold, with delicate carvings on them. They glowed faintly even in the lights and balanced perfectly in my hands. Now, as untrusting as I was, I had trouble defying this magic world.

"Anyways," Thalia broke the silence," Apollo wants you to get to Camp, so you can be trained properly." Artemis rolled her eyes, momentarily looking just like an ordinary little girl, and said:" Camp is only one choice. I offer you each a place in my Hunt. We honor those who have courage. Especially those that are brave enough to try to kill a goddess with a water vase." She smiled at July knowingly. "Thalia? Give them the flyer." So Thalia gave us a piece of paper boasting about the privileges of being a Hunter. "Immortality?" July breathed, obviously curious.

"Yes," Thalia said proudly," I have been 15 years old for almost four years now. Just swear off the company of males and you can be just like me."

"You mean never date, and have a boyfriend?" I asked incredulously. July and I exchanged a glance and reached a silent agreement. Though never aging sounded all great, but hey, we're only 13, there's still a long life ahead. "I think we'll settle with Dad's wish."

Artemis's beautiful features clouded. "Is that your choice? Think well, but if your minds are set, the best we can do is hope you survive." Thalia sighed as if she pitied us.

Hurray! The first chapter is done! Do you love it? Do you hate it? We hate not knowing!

Please review! We'll try to update weekly. Probably even more frequently once our summer vacation starts.