Disclaimer: Miss Author does not own PJO. I don't even look like Mr Riordan.

Heyyy! Its me, back with a brand new fanfic! Love it? Hate it? Don't really care? I want to know you're opinion, so please review!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed:
jk, this is the first chapter, how could there be any reviews? hope there are lots when I write chapter 2!

"A man who won't die for something is not fit to live." -Martin Luther King Jr.

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Percy sidestepped and jabbed under Kronos's guard. It was a good trick. Unfortunately, Luke knew it. He countered the strike and disarmed Percy using one of the first moves he'd ever taught him. Percy's sword skittered across the ground.

"STOP!" Annabeth came from nowhere.

Kronos whirled to face her and slashed with Backbiter, but somehow Annabeth caught the strike on her dagger hilt, holding Kronos at a standstill. For a moment, Annabeth stood face-to-face with the Titan lord.

"Luke," she said through gritted teeth, "I understand now. You have to trust me."

Luke groaned in pain. He tried to hold Kronos back, but the Titan's power was too much for him. Kronos roared in outrage. "Luke Castellan is dead! His body will burn away as I assume my true form!" Kronos pushed against Annabeth, trying to dislodge his blade, but she held him down.

"Your mother," Annabeth grunted. "She saw your fate."

"Service to Kronos!" the Titan roared. "This is my fate."

"No!" Annabeth insisted. Her eyes were tearing up. "That's not the end, Luke. The prophecy: she saw what you would do. It applies to you!"

"I will crush you, child!" Kronos bellowed. Luke winced. He did not want Annabeth to be hurt.

"You won't," Annabeth said. "You promised. You're holding Kronos back even now."

"LIES!" Kronos pushed again, and this time Annabeth lost her balance. With his free hand, Kronos struck her face, and she slid backward. Luke could feel Kronos's spirit forcing his arms to raise his sword. Luke pushed against that force, but he could feel he was losing.

"Family, Luke. You promised." Blood trickled down the corner of Annabeth's mouth.

In a rage of fury and regret, Luke defied Kronos's power and gained control over his body. He stared at the knife in Annabeth's hand, the blood on her face. "Promise."

Luke gasped like a fish out of water. "Annabeth…" Luke stumbled forward like he wasn't completely in control of his body. "You're bleeding…"

"My knife." Annabeth tried to raise her dagger, but it clattered out of her hand. Her arm was bent at a funny angle. "Percy, please…"

Percy surged forward and scooped up Annabeth's knife. He knocked Backbiter out of Luke's hand but Luke couldn't care less. He stepped toward Annabeth, but Percy intervened.

"Don't touch her," Percy snarled.

Luke groaned in pain as Kronos's took over again. "Jackson…" Luke started to panic; his body was glowing, turning to gold. Kronos's was changing. He wouldn't need Luke's body anymore. Luke fought harder than ever and gasped, "He's changing. Help. He's…he's almost ready. He won't need my body anymore. Please—"

"NO!" Kronos bellowed. Luke felt his head jerk to the side as Kronos looked for Backbiter. Kronos stumbled towards the hearth were his sword was sitting. Percy tried to stop him, but Kronos pushed him out of the way.

Luke could barely think as his body stumbled to his sword, and he didn't hear Annabeth mumble, "The knife, Percy. Hero…cursed blade…"

Kronos picked up Backbiter, but the coals in the hearth had grown red-hot and the sword couldn't handle the heat. Luke and Kronos both bellowed in pain. Kronos dropped the sword and lifted his hand. It was smoking and seared.

With the pain distracting Kronos, Luke took the opportunity to speak. "Please, Percy…"

Percy moved toward him. Luke guessed that he was planning to kill Kronos himself, but Luke knew that wouldn't work. "You can't…can't do it yourself. He'll break my control. He'll defend himself. Only my hand. I know where. I can…can keep him controlled."

Percy raised the knife to strike, but then he looked at Annabeth, at Grover cradling her in his arms, trying to shield her. It seemed as though Percy finally understood what Annabeth been trying to tell him.

Luke's skin started to smoke. He was definitely glowing now. Luke started to panic. He groaned, "Please. No time." If Kronos evolved into his true form, there would be no stopping him.

Percy stumbled then flipped the knife around in his hand and gave the it to Luke.

Grover yelped. "Percy? Are you…um…?"

Luke ignored Grover and grasped the hilt of the dagger. He unlatched the side straps of his armor, exposing a small bit of his skin just under his left arm, a place that would be very hard to hit. Luke took a few shallow breaths. He couldn't do it. In the most important decision of his life, he'd fail. Luke looked up at Annabeth. She looked like she was on Hades' doorstep. Without thinking, Luke stabbed himself.

It wasn't a deep cut, but Luke howled. His eyes glowed like lava. The throne room shook. An aura of energy surrounded Luke, growing brighter and brighter. A force like a nuclear explosion blasted from Luke's body. Then there was only blackness.

When Luke blinked his eyes open, he was sprawled at the hearth. On the floor around him was a blackened circle of ash. Kronos's scythe had liquefied into molten metal and was trickling into the coals.

Luke's left side was bloody. He opened his blue eyes. He took a deep rattling breath. "Good…blade," he croaked.

Percy knelt next to Luke. Annabeth, with Grover's help, limped over. They both had tears in their eyes.

Luke gazed at Annabeth. He felt guilty and grateful. "You knew. I almost killed you, but you knew…"

"Shh." Annabeth's voice trembled. "You were a hero at the end, Luke. You'll go to Elysium."

Luke shook his head weakly. "Think…rebirth. Try for three times. Isles of the Blest."

Annabeth sniffled. "You always pushed yourself too hard."

Luke held up his charred hand. Annabeth touched his fingertips. Luke felt warmth spread from the point in his fingers from where Annabeth touched him. Luke coughed. "Did you…did you love me?"

Luke watched as Annabeth wiped her tears away. "There was a time I thought…well, I thought…" Annabeth coughed. "You were like a brother to me, Luke, but I didn't love you."

Luke nodded. He had expected as much. After all, he never saw her as more than a little sister, right? Luke winced.

"We can get ambrosia," Grover said. "We can—"

"Grover," Luke gulped. "You're the bravest satyr I ever knew. But no. There's no healing…" Luke coughed again. He could feel his life seeping away. Luke griped Percy's sleeve. "Ethan. Me. All the unclaimed. Don't let it…don't let it happen again."

Luke felt bitter and angry. Couldn't his father have paid a little more attention to him? Couldn't all the gods have paid a little more attention to their children?

Percy nodded, "I won't, I promise."

Luke nodded. He felt like his life was a small price to pay if the children of gods were no longer neglected. He felt like there was no need to hold on to the last sliver of life still left in him. He let go. Swirls of red danced before his eyelids. He could hear echoes of Percy's voice. Then, everything went black.