Annabeth gasped for air, she paused a moment and looked back to where Thalia was singlehandedly fighting the monsters that were on their trail. Several had scented them from afar, drawn to the scent of so many powerful and alone demigods in a remote area. Now they were being led by a half man and half goat to a so called safe haven. Luke turned to her and gave her an encouraging smile, lifting her spirits. She returned the smile with a look of gratitude.

Luke and Thalia had found her on the streets alone about a month ago. They had traveled together, occasionally with a couple monsters hot on their trail. Then they had stumbled across a seemingly nice professor named Dr Thorn, who they soon figured out was a dangerous monster that was waiting to capture them for some reason. Annabeth had discovered this first, and, being the youngest of the group, wanted to prove herself to the other two, so she snuck up on him in the hallway one morning, and cut his throat with her dagger. Or, tried to anyways, the monster turned around, and changed into the monster that he really was, Annabeth was so shocked that she stood stock still and Thalia had to force him away with her shield, Aegis, so that she could escape. They had barely escaped with their lives.

These monsters were, no doubt, his minions who he had sent to kill them. They had, thankfully, been found by a satyr by the name of Grover, who had heard from the nymphs that there was a massive force of monsters massing close to the borders of this camp.

As they kept running up the hill to the camp, Grover yelled, "Come on, don't look back, she is buying us time!"

Annabeth shook her head to focus herself, and then she started sprinting again. She could hear the camp stirring to life at the sound of fighting and shouting. She kept running, she looked up to where Luke was arriving at the top of the hill. He turned and saw her, he saw that she was breathing hard so he ran back down the hill to help her. Annabeth said, "Thanks, where is Thalia? Is she coming?"

Luke shook his head slowly and said, "She told me to make sure that you got there safely. She said that there was nothing left for her to live for at all. I'm still not sure why she said that."

They had slowed to a jog now that they were reaching the top of the big hill. Annabeth saw a tall girl with a heavy spear approach them. Luke moved in front and said, "Can you help our friend down there? She is fighting those monsters alone."

The tall girl peered over their shoulders and said, "Whose is she?"

Luke replied instantly, "Zeus."

The girl looked startled and said, "No. I won't work against the gods like that, the prophesy must not be fulfilled."

Luke stepped forward and drew his short bronze sword, the people around the trio gasped, Annabeth looked up at her friend, then she realized what they were gasping for. Above Luke's head was a symbol, she couldn't make it out very clearly because of the lighting. But the campers obviously did. "Hermes, I should have known." The girl stepped back into the crowd and disappeared. Luke spun around in frustration and stumbled. Annabeth stooped to help him up and chanced a look down the hill. She stopped; Thalia was being overwhelmed, quickly. She screamed, "Thalia!"

Thalia turned and shook her head sadly, there was a look of acceptance on her face as she fought her last battle. She turned and slammed a monster back with Aegis. The horde could tell that she was tiring and charged at her. Annabeth screamed herself hoarse and tried to run down the hill. Luke caught her around the waist and pulled her back to him, "Leave her, she gave us a second chance, we have to—" His voice caught on the last words, "We have to take it."

Annabeth woke with a start, it was four o'clock in the morning a week after the day that it had happened, it was way too early to be up and about at this time of the morning, but she didn't care, she got up and put on her shoes. She quietly slipped out the door and stealthily walked to the edge of camp. She stumbled in the dark towards the Tree. She was walking with her head down so she didn't see the figure approaching her in the darkness. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped, she turned, hand on her dagger, and relaxed, it was just Luke. He looked into her eyes, "I see we both had the same problem?" Annabeth nodded. He motioned towards a spot on the ground at the foot of the Tree. Annabeth walked towards it and sat down in the first light of day.

"Why did she have to die?" She asked.

"I don't know Annie." He used his pet name for her, this time she didn't push him into a bunch of old ladies with their knitting needles and scissors. In fact, it was comforting. "Some people are just not happy with their lot in life. She was one of those people. Before we found you she felt very guilty for something, I still haven't found out what. Then, when we found you, she was a lot happier. She knew that she was not the only one who had trouble with everything. Not to insult you or anything, but you two shared that trait. You had family problems, so did all three of us. I have not told you before, but my mother went mad just before I left, she kept mentioning a prophesy and something about me having a big part in it. I didn't know what she was talking about at the time, but now I am starting to figure it out."

Annabeth was startled with his sudden openness. He had never seemed secretive, but then again, there had always been something in the shadows behind him, figuratively.

The sun was getting higher and higher in the blue sky now; there were people up and about. Some waved as they walked by, they had all seen Thalia die, and then get transformed into a tree. The kids from the Hermes cabin looked towards the Ares cabin with some anger in their eyes. Annabeth got up and walked to the Dining Pavilion to wait for the morning meal. Luke looked after her slowly disappearing form and sighed, if only she knew what he was planning. Then it wouldn't be so hard for him to leave. He turned and went into the forest. "Kronos. I am ready."

A deep voice echoed among the trees, Luke shuddered, "GOOD, SOON THEY WILL RECEIVE A SON OF THE SEA GOD, YOU MUST TRAIN HIM, BECOME FRIENDS WITH HIM, THEN, WE WILL PUT OUR PLAN INTO ACTION."

(A/N): There you have it, my first one-shot. Tell me if you like it, I have been wanting to write about this particular time period for some time now, I was going to make it a longer story but I figured it would make a great one-shot. I will be posting my next chapter in 'Dark Lightning, Unleashed' soon, I just need my Beta Reader to review it. I would be happy to take suggestions for more one-shots from any of you. See you next time!