Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson series. All the nine books (soon to be ten) belong to Rick Riordan. References to the Harry Potter books do not indicate any claim over them. JK Rowling owns her series.

Words –2913

The blue strawberry fell slowly and dramatically through the air and landed in his palm. Harry tilted his head as he gauged the fruit. The pip glistened as dew drops fell of it. Then he lowered his hand and a black dog materialized next to the crouching boy and gobbled up the strawberry.

The dream changed.

The water was washing away the colour. Percy's hair turned black. The strands washed over his face as it was too long. But he was unconscious. He shouldn't know what was happening around him when he was passed out, right?

There were sounds of leaves being stepped on and a girl's gasp. It sounded familiar.

"Don't move." A boy's voice commanded.

That sounded familiar too.

The vision changed.

The white gowns moved as someone flitted through the dresses. There was silence for a few seconds before a huge form passed over the shop.

A horrible smell permeated the air. It was made of wet sheep plus rotting meat plus monster body odour. The wind blew around the broken store and a flash of lightning illuminated the sign above. – ST. AUGUSTINE'S BRIDAL BOUTIQUE.

A few white veils flew over the smaller silhouette which had goat legs and hooves.

"Percy!" He hissed. "I know you can hear me! Come on! This is not a dream, you hear me? I know why the satyrs never come back alive! They're being lured. It's in the Sea of Monsters!"

There was a roar as something exploded and shouted, "MINE!"

Percy woke up so fast that he threw off his covers, leapt onto his bed, his sharp dagger, Oneroi, in his left hand while clutching his bronze sword, Riptide in the other.

His room was bright and silent. There was nothing to show anything strange. The window was partially open for breeze, the curtains fluttered slightly, sunlight streamed into the room.

Nothing strange at all. Except for Percy.

He sighed and dropped back onto the mattress which creaked. What a nightmare! It had felt like Grover. Being a demigod was not easy. Not even when he was asleep. Dreams were the gateways to prophetic nightmares.

A slip of a shadow passed by and Percy opened his eyes, frowning.

He was alone. But that didn't make any sense. He got up, running his hands through his freshly dyed purple hair and leaned out his window.

The apartment was five stories tall and theirs were on the top. He looked around the rickety fire escape and on the sides of the wall, but there was nobody.

He groaned and fell back onto the bed.

"Percy!" His Mom's voice called from the kitchen.

"Five more minutes, Mom!" He yelled back.

More than five minutes later, he was sitting at the table. His mother was packing her small bag with a few papers, brushing some of her hair back into a braid and smoothening down her dress.

"I won't be there when you get back home. After work, I'll be going to the editor's office. You can go out for dinner with Tyson."

She handed him some money and then pecked him on his cheek.

"You should've waited for at least another day." She said pointing to his hair. Instead of the usual black or an accident blue, it was dark purple. It didn't look as strange as the blue had done because of the darker hue, but Percy was very pleased with the shade. Add to the fact that it was a Friday and that the Meriwether College Prep was very lax about rules like personal being especially on casual Fridays.

"Mom, it's completely nature friendly. Can you get the grape smell? It'll mix with my scent and confuse any monsters. It's perfectly safe. Plus, Tyson'll love it!"

She gave him a smile. "Well, I know it's good for your hair, but I think I should be stricter about this. Most parents wouldn't let their kids do this."

Percy grinned at her, "That's because most parents aren't as cool as you. Besides, it's the last day of school, I'll be leaving for Camp tomorrow –"

"No." She said unexpectedly.

Annabeth looked terrible. Her clothes were worn out and torn, her hair had a few leaves tangled messily in it, and her hands kept twitching as if she expected the trio to be attacked at any second.

The trio, meaning Percy, Annabeth and Tyson.

The three of them tumbled out of the Taxi Cab of Damnation (Previously, Chariot of Damnation) and Tyson looked as though he was about to heave.

"Whoa! Okay, Big Guy. It's cool. It's all cool. Deep breaths, come on. Oh no, he doesn't look too good, Annabeth, give him your back-pack."

Annabeth shot him a glare but before she could say anything, there was a roar and an explosion from the hill above them.

Percy was instantly reminded of his dream that morning where Grover was in trouble. But as far as he knew, there were no bridal stores around Camp Half-Blood.

"Gods! Camp's under attack!" Annabeth yelled running for the hills.

Thalia's tree had been poisoned. The effect was clear. The barrier around camp was deteriorating, the plants were wilting, the air was becoming smoky and the tree was drooping. In the middle of the trunk, there was a gaping hole which looked as though the tree tissue had just melted out. Percy kept thinking of his new dream he had the night he reach Camp.

Fleece. A magical fleece which attracted all satyrs to the middle of the ocean and where they were never heard from again. Percy couldn't recall if there was a legend about a sheep or fleece, but if anyone knew about it, it would Annabeth.

"That's all too convenient." She said.

Percy held his breath as the smoke from the lava raised near him. He tilted his head and scrubbed the plate thoroughly before handing them to Tyson who was cleaning the dishes dry with only a wet rag. Being a Cyclops, he was immune to lava. Of course, Tyson being a Cyclops was not only a major shock to him, but now he was a source of embarrassment in Camp like he was in Percy's school.

This made Percy upset. Not at Tyson but at himself. And his father and at Camp. Especially Tantalus.

Yes, the cursed prisoner of Tartarus. Not only was Chiron taking the blame for Thalia's tree being poisoned, Camp was also assigned a new trainer, Tantalus.

"Percy is daydreaming." Tyson said.

Percy blinked and looked up at his half-brother, "Yeah. Sorry about that. What did you say, Annabeth?"

She gave him a look before saying, "I was talking about your dream, Seaweed Brain. You said, Grover was yelling about a fleece. If it's what I'm thinking right now, we just found a way to save Camp."

Percy stopped in his movements and smiled, "Then that's good!"

Annabeth sighed, "No. I mean, yes. But it seems too straight-forward. I would've thought that our friend waaay downstairs would have tried to manipulate our dreams. After our quest, I kept going through different books and legends on how he might act or what his exact motives are. He'll start from inside your mind, Percy. There's a reason why his other name is The Crooked One."

Percy raised his eyebrows, "Crooked? Does he need a walking stick or something?"

Annabeth glared at him so hard that Percy stepped back.

"Thalia's tree is dying, Camp's in trouble, Chiron's been banished, Grover's in danger and you're making jokes! Why don't you take this seriously?! We have to do something!"

"I am! But Tantalus is in charge. The only one he'll listen to is Mr. D. And Mr. D never listens to us!"

"Brother is mad." Tyson mumbled.

Percy stopped talking and sighed. "Sorry, Tyson. I didn't mean to scare you."

Tyson nodded watching the two demi-gods before saying, "Should we save friend?"

"What?"

"Grover is your friend. We should save him."

Percy and Annabeth exchanged startled looks and then smirks.

They soon snuck out of Camp. Percy had to stop thinking against his father (which wasn't hard) when the God sent Hippocampii for them.

Tyson had immediately named his new friend, Rainbow. Percy couldn't help but agree with him. The sweet little water creature had nuzzled up to his half brother and for a second, Percy really understood how much he missed Harry. Watching Tyson to make sure the young Cyclops would be safe in every step, it was how Harry would always take care of him.

"Annabeth?" Percy whispered as they clutched the dinghy's sides, going at speeds not possible for a dinghy. Thank Hermes for the Wind flask. Tyson kept grinning at the sea spray on his face.

Annabeth turned towards Percy with a questioning look. Percy pressed his lips together for a second before sighing, "Nothing."

She looked confused but turned away. Percy couldn't help but notice how her silence seemed profound, especially after their encounter with the Princess Andromeda.

Her eyes showed him exactly how deep in thought she was in. Grey looked dark and contemplating. There was anger and fear mixed in but not towards Percy. That much was clear.

"You know about my brother?" Percy blurted out suddenly.

Tyson turned around, his eye looking larger than possible. Annabeth gave him a frown.

"Wha –"

"Yeah, his name's Harry." Percy said getting the urge to let it all out.

"Brother has a brother?" Tyson asked.

Percy nodded, "Older. But we're the same height. Well, last time I saw him."

Annabeth's look of pleasant surprise turned into shock. "Wait! Is this older brother also a son of Poseidon?"

"No. He's not my brother by blood, but he's as good as. My Mom and I used to live in England. That's where we met him. We moved back here only a few years ago. Six actually."

Annabeth frowned, "Not related?"

"No. Not a demi-god. But he's definitely different like us."

"What d'you mean?"

Percy looked towards the vast waters, taking in a breath of saltiness. May be he should stop here. But he really wanted to say something.

"Don't look at me." Flo said casually. Percy's imaginary friend leaned back to watch the show.

Percy sighed. "Well, he had this kind of power over all plants and flowers and trees. He could make any fruit I wanted, he could keep a garden fresh for ages and I seriously miss him."

He gave a hiccup and seemed surprised at himself. His chest contracted suddenly and Percy found it hard to breath.

Trying to calm down, he started searching his pockets for his inhaler.

He started taking sharp breaths when his panic increased. Grabbing his precious purple little device, he took a large puff, closing his eyes.

It was like breathing fresh air after years of stale suffocation. His lungs worked normally and he slumped back.

Annabeth and Tyson stared at him.

"So, you really have asthma?" Annabeth asked finally after minutes of silence.

Percy looked up, questioning.

"No, it's just that. I saw your medical bracelet last year, when you were in the infirmary." She specified.

"What is that?" Tyson asked.

"It's an inhaler." Percy said holding up it up. "Sometimes, when I have trouble breathing, I really really need it."

Tyson nodded, staring at the little inhaler in awe.

"It's not really asthma. I just have breathing problems. This helps."

"It's a weak point." Annabeth pointed out. "Anyone could kick your chest and take away your inhaler. You'd be dead in minutes."

"Thanks." Percy said soberly. He turned away from her, knowing that Harry would have said something similar to her own words.

Percy sat on his boulder, relaxing his arms on his knees. Grover was safely back in Camp. On Clarisse's return with the Golden Fleece, Thalia's tree had grown stronger and healthier. The leaves were greener, the trunk had actually grown. The strawberry fields flourished and Mr. D was in a slightly better mood though he tried to not show.

All he had said was, "Congratulations, Claire. Now let's eat."

"Her name's Clarrise!" A little boy had shouted from the Apollo bunch.

"Does it look like I care?"

"Yes!" Percy couldn't help but yelled.

Of course, Mr. D gave him his madness stare and Percy immediately had sat down. Nevertheless, Camp had found it funny, especially after Tantalus had returned to Tartarus, right after he had caught a hopping burger. Percy honestly had felt horrible for him.

Right now, Percy twisted the charms on his bronze bracelet. He could almost smell oranges in the air. Mixed with the ocean, it felt familiar. All that was needed was a hint of jasmine, that was Mom's little perfume, and Percy'd be back at home.

May be a little lemon, wouldn't hurt.

"What're you thinking, Seaweed Brain?"

He grinned to himself and turned to look at Annabeth. She looked happier than she had days ago. Now that Camp Half-Blood was stronger and safer than ever, she had stopped snapping at people so much.

Not at Percy, though. That hadn't changed.

He put out a haughty look and said, "What, Annabeth? I was, like, checking out my reflection, I have no need for you!"

He made a silly 'shoo!' gesture. Annabeth rolled her eyes and said, "I apologize, Your Highness. Do I have permission to inform you something?"

"Eh."

"Your hair-dye's fading."

Percy stared at her and then ruffled his hair, bringing the locks in front of his eyes. Sure enough, the purple looked darker.

"And you need a haircut." Annabeth said, rolling up her jeans and walking into the surf.

"Jeez, you sound like my Mom." Percy muttered. Not that his Mom complained about it, he just too lazy to go to the barbers. Besides, he was pretty sure that Harry's was even worse.

"Mind if I pick around your brain?" Annabeth asked when she was shin deep in the water. Percy shrugged.

"I keep thinking about Tyson." He admitted. When their Dad had called Tyson to his palace to work for him, Percy had to admit that he was slightly jealous. But the fact that Tyson was excited that he was jumping on all the bunks, breaking a few frames was enough for Percy to focus on calming his brother down to accept the offer.

And later that night, he had received some advice and a letter from Lord Hermes.

Well, the letter was from Poseidon and it wasn't very helpful.

Brace yourself.

As a demigod, it went without saying. So if his father would send a message like that, it meant something big was clearly going to happen. Either his father knew it, or didn't.

Annabeth let out a sigh. "Yeah, I miss him. Tyson's a good friend."

"He's family." Percy corrected. He slipped off the rock and stumbled in the waves. Grabbing the boulder and nearly cutting himself on the barnacle shells, he walked towards Annabeth.

"Did you know that my Dad could turn himself into mist and travel to different places?"

Annabeth looked at him, "All Gods can travel long distances. Well, not into each other's territories, of course."

"Yeah, but I was thinking, since I'm a son of Poseidon, maybe I could travel by mist too. Or by water." Percy said slowly, wondering if she was going to scoff.

Annabeth kicked the water and wet sand off her toes. "I don't know. I mean, Maybe you could, but then again, it sounds heady."

"Exactly. Come on." He grabbed her head and pulled her further into the ocean.

"What are you doing?" She asked, trying to pull up her jeans again.

He watched her do that and then said, "Do you want to stand on the water?"

Annabeth stared.

Percy took a deep breath to calm himself. For a second, he could almost get a scent of oranges.

The waters around them turned a little serene. He felt a slight pressure in his gut. Then he lifted his right leg out of the waves and placed it solidly on top of the water. He put his weight on it and lifted himself off the ocean to stand over it.

"Oh my –"

"Go ahead." Percy said grinning. He took her other hand to lift her up. Annabeth stumbled but then, soon, she too was standing over the waves.

"I can feel the water. But our weight's bending the surface. You know, some insects can skip over water very quickly and they have water-proof oil which they secrete in their little legs and arms. The effects are the same as this, they don't get wet at all." Annabeth said, a little guarded.

Percy smiled. Harry would have hated this. He didn't like water much – Percy could tell that as Harry would sometimes refuse to go in the water whenever they had gone to Cristy Beach.

"Maybe I should practice the mist thing?" Percy said, watching the morning sun. Annabeth shrugged, half-listening to him.

For a moment, Percy felt like he really could do it. If he could travel by the mist or water, then he could reach London or Surrey. May be into the river in the forest. Then he'd see Harry again.

"Percy!" Annabeth said in alarm. The water was swirling around them. Percy didn't hear her. He felt an intense sensation of pain as the water rose completely above their heads and then fell…

… leaving no trace of the two demigods who were there before.

The new story will be released soon. I'm travelling, but I'll get it up as soon as I can. The title will be - Family is Everything.

Stay tuned until then!

Cabba.