Disclaimer: I don't own anything, though I wish, I owned Luke. *Sigh*

"They're on their way. You've lost." I heard Percy say triumphantly.

"I haven't even started."

His voice made me shudder. It was ancient and powerful. The strange icy voice coming out of the mouth of that same person I once called a friend made my insides freeze. It was as though a huge block of ice had been slammed against me. Something deep inside told me that this was Kronos, but somehow I couldn't grasp this fact. Somewhere at the back of my head I was conscious that the one Percy was talking to was Luke.

I was just standing there oblivious to all the happenings around me. It was as though I was in some sort of trance.

Dazed, I watched as he gripped Backbiter firmly so much so that the knuckles on his fingers turned white. He strode towards Percy with a determined look in his pure gold eyes. Then I saw Grover, the ever loyal best friend that he was, attempting to protect Percy, in vain. He was pushed aside like a shower curtain.

Percy tried to defend himself. But unfortunately, Percy's move was opposed by one of the first moves he had been taught. The same move I had been taught, by that same person, the same person who gave me my first weapon- my bronze knife. Suddenly a memory flashed in my head:

Luke turned his bronze knife and offered me the handle. "How'd you like a real monster-slaying weapon? This is Celestial bronze. Works a lot better than a hammer."

I shook my head and turned my attention back to the battle.

The moment their swords touched he hit Percy's hilt and Riptide skidded across the floor and straight into a crack in the ground.

I clutched my knife stiffly and inhaled deeply.

Rachel threw her blue plastic hairbrush in his direction. It hit him in the eye. "Ow!" he yelled. For a moment it was only Luke's voice, full of surprise and pain. When it hit him, just for an instant, he was dazed. He came back to his senses.

Suddenly I seemed to awaken from my trance. My vision became clear. I became conscious of one fact.

"STOP!" I heard myself scream.

He spun around and looked at me, in the dim light of the hearth I saw, his gold eyes filled with bitterness. He slashed backbiter.

"Knives are only for the bravest and quickest fighters," Luke explained. "They don't have the reach or power of a sword, but they're easy to conceal and they can find weak spots in your enemy's armor. It takes a clever warrior to use a knife. I have a feeling you're pretty clever."

I caught his move on the hilt of my knife. I could feel my arms trembling under his force, as he put his whole weight into a downward thrust. But somehow with some new found strength, I managed to keep him in check.

"Luke," I grunted painfully. I could feel myself weakening under his weight. "I understand now. You have to trust me."

I don't know whether it was indignation or plain fury, but he roared, "Luke Castellan's dead. His body will burn away as I assume my true form.

A wave of doubt hit me like a tsunami. Again the nagging voice deep inside of me tried to make me believe what I had just heard. But I couldn't.

I was definitely weakening, but I knew there was a bit of brand new strength in me- or maybe it was just a small flicker of hope. My arms were trembling more vigorously as he pushed against me.

"My son," Luke's mom hissed in a dry voice. "Danger. Terrible fate!"

"I'm not a god! Just once, you could've said something. You could've helped when"-Luke took an unsteady breath, -"when she was having one of her fits, shaking me and saying crazy things about my fate. When I used to hide in the closet so she wouldn't find me with those . . . those glowing eyes. Did you even care that I was scared? Did you even know when I finally ran away? You don't love me."

Hermes knew what May Castellan's mutterings meant. Hermes understood what would happen to Luke someday, how he would turn evil.

"Your mother, she saw your fate." My new found strength was slowly fading away. But I was still clinging to that little flicker of hope.

"Service to Kronos! This is my Fate" he hollered.

Hermes said, "I promise I . . . I do love you. You will get a chance to be a great hero before . . .""Before what?" Luke's voice was trembling now. "What did my mom see that made her like this? What's going to happen to me? If you love me, tell me."Hermes's expression tightened. "I cannot.""Then you don't care!" Luke yelled.

"No!" I persisted. Please, Luke, you have to listen. "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 pointed at me. "Spare the girl." His voice quavered just a little. "I would speak to her before—before our great triumph. Something was wrong with Luke. He looked…nervous. He told his monsters to spare me. He wanted to tell me something."

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

"LIES!" he pushed forward again, and this time I don't know how, but my strength finally gave way, I lost my balance. With his free hand, he struck me, and I tumbled down, and fell beside my mother Athena's throne.

Right now, I felt like death. My head was spinning. Everything around me was but a mere blur. My vision became misty. Time, suddenly seemed to slow down. He raised his sword and struck again.

I could feel the blood trickling from the corner of my mouth. My entire face was smeared with blood or sweat or both. Maybe it was just tears. My head felt heavy. My vision was getting distorted.

"Luke patted me on my shoulder. "You're part of our family now. And I promise I won't let anything hurt you. I'm not going to fail you like our families did us. Deal?"

I murmured softly but desperately, as my skull cracked against the base of the throne, "Family, Luke. You promised."

I could feel the direction of his gaze drop from my face to the bronze knife in my hand and back to my face.

"Promise?"

He drew in his breath sharply.

"Annabeth . . " Luke said, "You're bleeding. . . ."

Luke's voice was the sweetest melody to my ears. I managed a faint smile.

Suddenly the line from the prophecy I had heard Percy read some time back, echoed in my head,

"Hero's soul curse blade shall reap."

"My knife." I clasped my tired fingers around the hilt of my knife, and lifted it up, towards Luke. I had to give it to Luke. But I was too weak; the knife fell from my grasp and skittered across the ground. My arm went limp, and dropped to my side.

I glanced up at Percy, beseeching, "Percy, please . . ." I croaked. "The knife…hero's soul…" but my voice was barely audible.

I looked at Luke, his face filled with concern.

I don't know if Percy read me, but he picked up my knife gingerly from the ground, and then knocked backbiter from Luke's grasp as the latter knelt beside me.

"Don't touch her" I heard Percy say immediately.

Luke turned to look at Percy, his expression seemed to change. Or should I say, he seemed to change. His scarred face rippled with anger. The Kronos within him had reawakened,

"Jackson..." he growled, detest written on his scarred face. Kronos' raspy metallic voice made me shudder again. I don't know if this was part of my distorted vision or hallucination, but his body suddenly started to glimmer. It was slowly turning to gold. I then realized that Kronos was beginning to take over Luke's body. I caught my breath; I became conscious of the fact that, Kronos was beginning to achieve complete power inside of Luke's body.

I swallowed hard.

Luke gasped, "He's changing. Help. He's . . . he's almost ready. He won't need my body anymore. Please-". He looked up at Percy imploring.

"NO!" The unfamiliar titan's voice roared. He staggered unsteadily towards the hearth where his sword lay smoldering in the fire. Percy tried to stop him but he shoved latter aside.

My neck felt stiff as I turned to look at Percy who had landed a foot away from me. "The knife, Percy," My voice sounded terrible. "Hero . . . cursed blade . . ."

I saw him grasp the hilt of his sword. He cried out in pain and let it fall. His hands were terribly scorched.

Luke turned and collapsed, clutching his ruined hands. "Please, Percy . . ."

Percy struggled to his feet. He moved towards Luke clutching my knife, ready to stab Luke. I wanted to shout, "NO!" But a barely audible croak came out of my mouth. I tried to stand, but Grover, who had suddenly stumbled beside me, held me back. I shook my head, painfully.

Luke, too, realized what Percy was about to do. He licked his lips nervously, "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."

It was getting too late. Please Percy. Luke's body was now turning a brilliant shade of gold, it was blinding me. I averted my eyes, but I watched as Percy raised my knife to stab Luke. He looked at me; our eyes met. I shook my head, disdainfully. And then he swallowed. He looked at the knife in his hand and then back to Luke. I don't know how but I knew at once that Percy had finally understood what I was trying to tell him all this while.

"Please….No time." Luke grunted.

Percy looked at Luke, then at me, and then he gave the knife to Luke.

I could feel my heart beating faster. Next to me, Grover yelped. "Percy? Are you . . . um . . ."

Luke clasped his fingers around the hilt of that cursed knife. He unlatched the side straps of his armor, revealing a small bit of his skin just under his left arm, a place that would not be a very easy target-his Achilles heel. He looked at me for a split second before, piercing himself. It wasn't a deep cut, but Luke screamed, or rather the fading Kronos screamed. His eyes glowed like the fire blazing in the hearth. The throne room shook, violently. I shut my teary eyes as

An aura of energy surrounded Luke, growing brighter and brighter. I shut my eyes and felt a force that seemed like a nuclear explosion causing my skin to blister and crack my lips.

The throne room was quiet for quite some time.

When I finally opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was that the room which had been dim and lifeless some time back seemed brighter now. The vines around Dionysus' throne were now bursting with life compared to the dead withered state they were in at first. The plants curled around the armrest of Demeter's throne also looked greener. The fire in the hearth blazed gloriously.

The floor around the hearth however, was stained and blackened with ash. Into the hearth was a stream of molten metal trickling from the dissolved form of what had once been a sword, which was turning the brightly glowing orange flame black. Then me eyes fell on a bronze knife. Loosely clutching the knife was Luke. He was sprawled beside the hearth, his eyes shut. I choked back a cry, and hobbled with the help of Grover to Luke's side.

The left side of his body was stained with blood. He slowly opened his eyes; they were blue, the way they used to be.

"Good . . . blade," he whispered hoarsely.

With Grover's help I knelt down beside Luke.

Luke looked at me with his clear blue eyes, "You knew. I almost killed you, but you knew . . ."

"Shhh." I said, my voice cracking. "You were a hero at the end, Luke. You'll go to Elysium."

He did not think so. "Think . . . rebirth. Try for three times. Isles of the Blest."

I reached up to wipe the tears that were freely flowing down my cheeks. "You always pushed yourself too hard."

He tried to lift his scorched hand, towards me. I touched his fingertips. Luke coughed. His voice became hoarser. His breath slightly ragged. His lips glistened with blood.

"Did you . . ." He hesitated. "Did you love me?"

I wiped my tears which were now dripping down off my chin. I remembered all the times I'd spent with Luke. He had been the only one who really cared about me. "There was a time I thought . . .well, I thought . . ."

I looked at Percy, noticing him for the first time. His eyes were shining. I remembered all the times I shared with Percy. Now, I realized, all those times I agreed to be with him was simply because I wanted to be with him so much, I didn't care if we were arguing the whole time, as long as I was with him.

"You were like a brother to me, Luke," I said softly. "But I didn't love you."

He nodded, as if he'd expected it. He grimaced in pain.

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

No one moved. Grief hung in the air. There was no healing now.

"Grover," Luke looked at Grover. "You're the bravest satyr I ever knew. But

no. There's no healing. . . ." He coughed again.

Luke then turned to look at Percy. His eyes intence. He grasped Percy's sleeve.

"Ethan. Me. All the unclaimed. Don't let it . . . Don't let it happen again." He pleaded.

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

Luke nodded a faint smile on his face. Then his hand that had been clutching Percy's sleeve went slack. His eyelids dropped down, shutting those beautiful blue eyes forever.

For a while it was quiet, except for my occasional sobs. Percy patted my gently.

I looked at Luke for a moment, before brushing the once sandy blonde, now almost white hair of his face and kissed him on his forehead.

After a while the throne room thundered, as the gods entered in their complete war regalia, expecting a battle.

What they found were Grover, Percy, and me with the body of a broken half-blood, in the dim warm light of the hearth.

But, I could barely hear, leave alone see them, because by that time I was sobbing so loudly with tears streaming down my face, I could hardly detect the pride in Poseidon's voice as he asked Percy what happened.

We all stood, I dried my eyes as Percy turned and faced the Olympians.

"We need a shroud," he announced, his voice unsteady. "A shroud for the son of Hermes."

So? Was it any good? Review please. PS: I love Luke Castellan! Who doesn't? 3