A/N: This is Pure Zarter, and how I imagine my Favorite Snake

Zia: I do not approve of this,

Me: Do I look like I care?

Zia: Yes, *smiles*

Me ( being an animal charmer): *faceplam* I don't! Attack Aziza, my loyal pet kite.

Aziza: Hell no, Mistress.

Me: Why? *sad face*

Aziza: Cuz I don't wanta.

Me: Fine

Zia: *laughing her butt off*

Me: Shut up

Zia: You don't own me, Rick Riordan does

Me: Fine I own nothing, Happy?

Zia and Aziza: Yes

2 days prior

The chains snapped, and the giant snake reared his ugly head. He slithered slowly and mincingly across the beach laden with the shells of dead scarab beetles. His huge body curled around its self, head raised. "Heh, heh." Is was a dry laugh that was cracked with age. "Times almost up Zia Rashid, Times almost up!"

The snake of chaos let out a hiss and crawled along the bug littered ground. "Two days to get out of the Daut. Then the world is mine."

The day of War

Zia gripped her staff hard in her right hand; she was crouched in a shadow of a tall brick building. Her left shoulder was pressed against the cool bricks. Her tan skin was burnt in several places and it stung worse than when her village was burned.

Zia blinked back tears at the memory then scolded her self "It's no time to think of that, Zia." She muttered sinking to the asphalt. She chanced a look at the sky, it was blood red. The sound of a pebble bouncing across the ground caught the Arab girl's attention. She turned as best she could, sitting down, and pointed her staff at the figure. The face of Carter Kane was illuminated by the fire on the tip of her staff.

"Sorry Zia, didn't mean to sneak up on you." Carter said tentatively pushing the staff from his face, with two fingers on the side. The fire fizzled out and Zia let the staff clatter to the pavement.

Carter sat down next to her. "Are you okay Zia?" Carter asked reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder but hesitated. Zia looked at him, her amber eyes unreadable. "Zia?"

"Just stop, Carter!" Zia half shouted, she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Carter blinked a few times in pure surprise.

"What do you mean?" Carter asked hurt, he was scared for her answer. Zia did not meet his gaze.

"You can't love me, and I can't love you!" Zia said as if it pained her as much as it pained Carter. Carter felt as if his heart was ripped up and put on the scale with the feather of truth and failed and then times that by a 1000 and that was almost close to the pain he felt.

"W-w-w-why?" Carter asked his heart feeling as if it stopped beating and breathing was hard.

Zia looked at him, "We don't even know if we'll live through this stupid war. Carter, I love you I really do, but I have to convince my self I don't. I…I… couldn't live with my self if you died in this war." Tears streamed down her cheeks. Carter warped his arms around Zia, and she berried her face in his chest.

"Aww, I almost feel sorry for having to break up the love birds. Almost" A voice rasped above them. The two teens looked up to see a giant snake, and it was huge. It was about 50 meters maybe more, and was blood red with dark red eyes.

"Apophis!" Carter and Zia shouted in surprise. The snake untwined himself from the overhang where he was hanging.

"That's my name don't you dare wear it out." The snake hissed lifting his head so it was level with Zia's. "Why hello, my dear, we meet again."

Zia grabbed her staff and pointed it at Apophis and shot a column of flames at him. "That tickles, and who do we have here, Zia?" He turned his massive head to Carter.

"Ah, you're the boy who was trying to stop me from rising, Carter isn't it?" Apophis said with a dry laugh. Carter stood up and Zia fallowed him.

"Well I was here to kill Zia, but a two for isn't bad." The snake said wrapping his body around Carter up to his neck and used part of his tail, which had just come down from the overhang, as swatted at the back of Zia's legs causing her to fall on her bottom.

Apophis barred his fangs, they where at least the length of Carter's arm. He sunk just the tips in to Carter's skin, no poison entered Carter's system, because Zia hit the snake on the back of the head with her staff.

"Ow, that didn't hurt" Apophis said turning to Zia. He uncoiled from around Carter and grabbed the back of the young magicians shirt.

"Put him down." Zia yelled at the snake. The snake swatted at her again, but this time Zia jumped over it. Apophis lifted Carter to a high over hang.

"Now just hang out, boy." The snake hissed dropping, Carter on the ledge. Apophis came back down, to Zia's level. "Your dead girl" He hiss quickly wrapping around Zia. She struggled in his grip, unable to use her staff.

"Can you tell me, why, you want to kill me?" Zia shouted. The snake hissed in her face, his breath stunk of death and must. Zia pulled her head back as well as she could.

"How do you not know? Your strength in fire magic clearly proves it." The snake asked clearly annoyed. He narrowed his dark red eyes. "If I must I will explain to you dear Zia."

"You are not only blood of the Pharaohs; you are the hair of Ra. Long ago Ra had a child with a human, her name Nefertiti, every one knows her. Well, you where born of her bloodline, they were the Masters of Fire Magic marked with there amber eyes. When the gods where shunned, so was your line. They 'died' out, according to The House of Life, but truth is they hid, then they lost there every generation magic, it only popped up every so often. Then you where born, and would be the one to kill me once and for all! So I set out to kill you first." Apophis hissed in her face.

Zia's face paled of any color as she stared at the serpent. "W-What?" Apophis glared at her and squeezed her tighter. Zia thrashed in his hold.

"I'm not going to repeat my self." He hissed. "Now let's get this over with."

Ruby flames crept up Zia's arms. They lit her on fire, yet not a burn was left on her. She was soon a girl made of pure fire. Apophis hissed painfully and uncoiled from around her. Long black burns left on his sides and belly.

The snake then lunged at her, Zia raised a hand to try and protect her self. A tick column of fire shot out and blasted Apophis in the face. "Ouch, that hurts." Zia's head shot up and she watched in a daze the snake.

The snake coiled and hissed. His skin was completely burnt and the burns where moving down his red skin. What was already black of him, was harder to move. Only a heart beat later he was made of ebony stone.

Carter fell, rater ungracefully from the ledge, but he managed to land on his feet. The thump, snapped Zia out of her daze. Her breathing was heavy as she stared at the frozen snake.

Carter walked over to Zia, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Zia?" He asked. She blinked a few times then through her arms around Carter's neck. Carter warped his arms around her waist.

"Carter! We did it! We killed Apophis!" She said happily in his ear. She smiled against his neck. "He's gone, at last." She whispered.

Carter couldn't help but smile at her happiness. "No Zia. You did it, you killed him." He felt Zia move so she was looking at him.

"Look." Zia whispered looking up at the sky. It was fading from red to a gentle blue-black.

Carter smiled at the receding redness, "It's over." Zia sighed leading against him.

"Zia?" Carter asked tentatively. Zia just hummed. "What does this mean for us? Like you said, about living through the war? Well we did, and I really, like you, wait love you, and…" Zia pressed her lips against his. The kiss was short but sweet.

Zia came back first, and looked Carter in the eyes. "I love you too, but there is no need to ramble." She told him half-sternly, half-playfully.

Carter gave her a goofy smile, and kissed her forehead. "I'm glad then."

Epilogue

16 years later

Zia Kane, leaned against her husband. He held her hand in his and rubbed her fingers. They watched there two children play on the floor. Their daughter, Niran, was chasing her brother, Tommy, around the room.

Niran looked just like her mother, even her eyes and little Tommy like his father and grandfather. "She'll be a grate fire magician one day." Zia chuckled.

"Like her mother." Carter told her kissing her on the lips.

"Get a room, if you want anther kid." A mocking voice laughed from the doorway. Carter and Zia broke apart, and looked at Sadie.

"We really need to steal her key to our house." Zia whispered, causing Carter to laugh.

Sadie raised an eye brow at them then shrugged. Niran and Tommy ran over to her and hugged her legs. "Auntie Sadie." Niran squealed.

"Hey kiddos." Sadie smiled bending down to give her niece and nephew a hug. Tommy smiled and looked toward the door.

"Is Uncle Walt coming?" He asked, in the way a five year old does. He looked up at his aunt then at his parents. "Well?"

"Uncle Walt is at home. He got home from work late and wanted to sleep in." Sadie explained. She always smiled when she talked of her husband. Ever since they had found the cure for the curse.

"Fine" Tommy muttered and hugged Aunt Sadie again. Walt walked in to the doorway. The small Kane family (not including Sadie) saw him. He pressed a finger to his lips, to tell them to be quite. They nodded.

Walt walked quietly up be hind Sadie. He grabbed he waist. Sadie's eyes widened and she jumped. Walt and the Kanes just laughed. Sadie glared at her brother, Zia, and her niece and nephew. She then slapped her husband's arm before kissing him.

"Now who needs a room?" Zia smirked. Sadie ignored her. Just as always they are a true family.