18 years ago, Erica Kjær went on a trip to America with some friends from her astronomy club, to see one of the largest observatories in the world. After they had seen the observatory, they went into the town to eat a good dinner and party the night away. Carefree, energetic and a little tipsy, Erica gained the attention of a man who had been at the observatory. Fascinated by his work, and certainly not more fascinated by his physical appearance, the two ended up stumbling into her hotel room for the night.
In the morning he was gone, leaving a hastily scribbled note with the first fake name that had come to mind - Mikael. A few days later, Erica returned to her friends and family in Copenhagen. Not long after she received the news of her pregnancy. Though somewhat frustrated that Mikael hadn't left a number or any way of telling him about the child, she continued on to give birth to a healthy baby girl, skin and hair rather like her father's.
Maddie was always very curious about the location of her father. Constantly asking questions and never receiving the answers she wanted, it didn't deter her from seeking the truth. Three years passed without incident, and a carefree environment was the perfect place for the girl.
Over the weekend, Erica went to Roskilde for the famous Roskilde Festivel, leaving Maddie with her aunt. Quickly growing infatuated with one of the acts, they started a relationship almost instantly. Maddie hated the man, and only became angrier when they both had a new child.
The man revealed to Erica that he was the god Apollo. Leaving her with this knowledge and the task of informing Briona when she grew up, he left as per the rules. Moving to Orlando with her children to work as a makeup artist on various film sets, the family began their new life in America.
The girls grew up to be rather different ; Maddie was more outgoing, living a life that she considered bad ass and cool (now looking back, it was just idiocy). Briona was much shyer and kept quiet. Though Briona proudly talked to her elder sister and firmly though they were close friends and sisters, Maddie was still jealous of her. With the knowledge Erica had of Briona's father, she found it unfair that she got to know about her dad. She was still in the dark whilst Briona knew what he looked like, what he was like towards her mother. She had photos of him, Maddie had nothing.
Though Maddie faced racism, she easily brushed it off (and Briona would often come to help fend off the bullies, despite Maddie telling her to quit it). The bullying only lasted a brief time and she was neither popular nor an outcast. Just Madeline, that one girl who lived with her mother and sister and drew everyone in school.
A simple hobby she'd occasionally indulge in grew to a passion, and proudly did she show her family the art she made.
The first attack occurred when she was 13. Walking with a friend and said friend's elder brother, the group were pounced on by two hell hounds. Her friend's brother (Kyle) easily fought the two off -several years of training'll do that to an already pretty tough 17 year old guy-, and explained he himself was a demigod son of Aphrodite. His sister was mortal, but he suggested the chance that Maddie was a demigod too (though he wasn't sure).
They went to her mother with the proposal, who stated that Briona's father had been a god. The likely hood of attracting two gods was odd, but not unheard of. Concluding it was worth at least trying to find out, they kept her in her home for a short while. Kyle would sometimes come around to give her some basic training with a dagger, better safe than sorry. The two stuck together and more and more attacks occurred.
Kyle pushed Maddie to go to camp, but she refused, wanting to stay with her family. Despite the constant nagging she stood her ground and stayed put. With her training advancing thanks to Kyle's help, since Briona was also a demigod it would be better to have someone who could also help her. Kyle would leave to camp for Summer and return for extra training each weekend.
A few years later, Briona was attacked the first time in her life (rather late by demigod standards). Stymphalian birds were the monsters that attempted to harm Briona, and they would have succeeded had Maddeline not intervened.
Whilst on a trip to New York, the pair waited for their mother to finish up at a hotdog stand. The creatures came out of nowhere, and instantly went for the two girls. Fighting them off the best she could (and admitidly, it wasn't looking good for the pair), a passing ice cream van gave them a chance to escape (though the time they has was miniscule, they just about got away to their mother).
Madeline, now aware that Briona was now at risk of attacks, told their mother that the two would be going to Camp Half Blood like Kyle had tried to tell her to go to for the past few years.
Collecting the things from their hotel room, a slightly aging piece of paper given by Kyle should she ever coose to go to Camp without his help and quickly running to a bus, they arrived near the entrance of camp and got inside within minutes of arriving. They were claimed by their respective fathers and wasted no time getting Briona a weapon.
