Author's Note: Hello, hello! Yes, it's 1 am in the morning. Yes, I know it's too late to be up writing, especially since I have to get up early tomorrow :P. But I don't know, I guess inspiration just comes to me way better during the night than during the day. ~shrugs~ Okay, anyway, this is a bittersweet one-shot about two special characters post-TLO. It's short, but the idea came to me and refused to go away until it was written out, so here you go!

The idea came to me when I listened to Move Along by the All-American Rejects. This quote is kind of random, but it sort of ties in with the end of this piece. You'll see. :)

And even when your hope is gone, move along, move along just to make it through.

-Move Along, All-American Rejects

Into the Flames

She watches. She watches the flames of red and yellow and orange burn and glow in the campfire. She watches the wind try to settle the fire down, try to calm it, but in the end, fire conquers it. She watches the branches and twigs that she absentmindedly throws into the fire burn and disappear so quickly before her eyes, leaving nothing behind but a small pile of ash.

And suddenly she remembers. She remembers him playing around with her, his smile making her heart stop, his laugh making her heart soar, his words making her heart ache to hear more.

But she also remembers him mad and confused and frustrated at their fate, at the puppets their parents seemed to think they were, at the silence from one parent and the madness of another, at their dangerous lives, and at their shattered and ruined childhood. She remembers herself, young yet strong, small yet brave, broken yet hopeful, stroking his hand telling him it'll be fine and watching him jump back –jump away from her – saying over and over again, no, it is not fine; it will never be fine.

And she tries. She tries to forget him and the bittersweet memories that he brings flooding back to her mind. She tries to overlook the love that had sparked between them, the love between the closest of friends, the love that maybe could have blossomed into something more. And she tries to ignore all those what-ifs and maybes and could-haves, if only, because it just hurts too much.

It hurts to think of something that is no longer in reach, no longer an option, no longer a choice for her. It hurts to think about how she failed to grab his hand and prevent him from spiraling into a pit of darkness and hatred and, in turn, allowing him to jump into the flames and attempt to play with fire. It hurts her that she wanted to save him, trying to be as gentle as the wind with him, but he, being as stubborn as ever, staying blindly in the burning fire and therefore leaving the memory of her –the memory of them-to become nothing more than a pile of ashes.

And it saddens her, how she cannot mourn openly for him, how she is forced to put a smile on her face and act like everything is okay, when inside she is overwhelmed with grief for him.

But she will. Because she is strong. Because she is tough. Because she has a duty. Because she is a huntress. Because her past has all gone up into the flames and there is nothing she can do to stop it.

Author's Note: Told you it was short! But I really liked writing about Thalia and Luke. I think they're both such complex and deep characters- more than we get to see in the book. So anyway, tell me what you think! I love getting reviews!

Thanks a million :)