-Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions.-
Edgar Cayce

Thalia arrived at camp half blood just before dawn. Exhausted, she went straight to cabin one, and collapsed into a heap on the bunk that she used when she was a camper. Her lips twitched upwards tiredly at her carvings and band posters that covered the roof of the bunk, before she fell into a deep sleep.

Daughter of Zeus...

Thalia shifted uneasily as the whisper woke her, opening her eyes she found herself lying on a floor of grey sand, sand that got in your mouth, leaving a gritty, bitter taste behind. Looking up, she saw that she was in a large circular room with black stone walls, and a high arched ceiling, which depicted the night sky.

Constellations looked down on her as she examined the massive room; there were no lamps or light other than an eerie bluish glow. Rows of polished stone tables filled the room, as she looked closer, she could see millions of strings stretched out across the tables, and on one especially large black table, were what looked to be a hundred golden strings, that never seemed to end, then a thousand silver strings, some short, and some never ending, like the gold string.

A pedestal stood in the centre of the room, and a glowing orb sat cradled on a black silk pillow, casting shadows across the walls and lighting the contours of the rock. Thalia strained to see who else was in the room, she heard the whispering grow louder as she stepped toward the orb. Soon she could pick out individual voices. She watched as silver mist come off the orb, its surface almost mirror like, she stood transfixed by it, as the surface grew transparent, and she could see something inside, swirling around in its depths.

The orb grew clearer, and she could see faces shifting as they appeared on the surface, Annabeth, Percy, Grover, her mother, and her heart squeezed as a familiar scarred face framed by sandy blonde hair filled the orb, before it turned black, and the room darkened. The whispers intensified, almost screaming at her.

Thalia...

Thalia Grace...

Thalia...

Thalia...

"Thalia!"

"Thalia, wake up!"

Thalia jerked open her eyes, and flew out of bed, yanking out a hunting knife she always kept hidden in her clothes and dropped into a fighting stance. Her breathing grew faster and her heart beat furiously before she could understand what was happening. Annabeth leaped back in surprise before crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows.

"Really? You sleep with a knife? Could you be any more paranoid?" Annabeth asked rolling her eyes in affectionate exasperation before enveloping Thalia into tight a hug. Unsure for a moment, Thalia hugged her back hesitantly.

"It comes with being attacked by monsters every day." She whispered sarcastically, but uneasily into Annabeth's hair, a little more kindly she added, "Missed you."

Annabeth pulled back and grinned. "I missed you too of course. And so did Percy even though he won't admit it, and..."

She stopped, and a shadow crossed her normally bright face. She grabbed Thalia's wrist and led her outside, ignoring Thalia's complaints about the light (it burns!). When they reached Thalia's tree, she stopped suddenly and pulled Thalia to sit next to her. Silence stretched over them.

Thalia searched Annabeth's face for whatever was bothering her; she hadn't let Annabeth pull her out here for nothing. She was also looking for any changes from the last time they met. Annabeth was seventeen now, and although she had kept her curly blonde hair and stormy grey eyes, her body had now filled out. She wasn't the bright eyed seven year old that Thalia remembered, or the awkward thirteen year who was the first to see Thalia come out of her tree. She was older than Thalia and taller by an inch, her face had turned more adult like, losing some of its roundness, and her camp necklace now had two more beads, two more years of her life that Thalia had missed. She turned away, resting her head on her hands, waiting for Annabeth to speak, covering her face with a neutral mask, but letting a little concern seep through, to comfort her friend.

"Thalia?"

"Meh?"

"Were you and Luke ever... together?"

Thalia blinked as something ripped across her chest. She let the concern seep out of her face, and be replaced with an uninterested and reproachful mask.

"What do you mean?"

Annabeth blushed, and fiddled with a piece of grass, as she spoke again.

"Were you... ever like, a couple, like Percy and me?"

"Percy and I, come on kiddo, your the daughter of Athena, not me."

Annabeth's eyes softened at the mention of Thalia's old nickname for her. She wasn't sidetracked by the weak attempt at a joke though, she was never sidetracked.

"Why are you avoiding the question?"

"Why do people usually avoid questions?" Thalia retorted, leaning back against the tree, she so didn't need this right now.

"You won't tell me? I'm just going to imagine something worse than what it was if you don't!"

Thalia hid a grimace trying to imagine something Annabeth would come up with. She needed out of this conversation, preferably before she ripped Annabeth's head off.

"Why do you want to know anyway?"

Annabeth went silent for a moment.

"Why don't you want me to know?"

"Why are you asking me so many questions?"

"Why aren't you answering any of them?" Annabeth shouted, twisting to face Thalia in frustration.

Thalia was silent. Annabeth looked away, disappointment clearly written on her face. They were so different, both in personalities and appearances, they were day and night, while Annabeth was open, Thalia was closed off, while Annabeth was free with her feelings and friends, Thalia was hardened, Annabeth planned her moves, while Thalia was impulsive. Annabeth got her happy ending, while Thalia had given up on that wish.

"Thalia?"

"mmhmm?"

"why won't you trust me?"

Thalia looked over at her with a twinge of regret, but hardened her resolve, this was going to turn into some sort of emotional heart to heart thing if she didn't stop it soon.

"Of course I trust you, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna tell you everything that's ever happened to me."

"Not everything, just some things." Annabeth looked up with her curious grey eyes. Always wanting to learn and absorb and know things.

"Look kiddo, my life has been long, messed up and screwed over." Thalia said bluntly, because above all things, Thalia was always blunt, "all you need to know is the result of that life, was me, And you know me."

Annabeth nodded, Thalia knew that this answer wouldn't hold for long, so she quickly changed the subject.

"So what have I missed? You and Percy married yet?"

Annabeth ignored her, "I need to tell you something."

Something in Annabeth's voice kept Thalia from making a sarcastic remark; she gave her full attention to the blonde haired girl.

"Yesterday, when Percy and I were sparring, we heard yelling from over by your tree, when we got there we found someone lying on the ground. He must have been unconscious when he fell through the barrier." She paused here, her grey eyes were wary, like Thalia was a dangerous animal that she had just poked, "Thalia, it was Luke."

Thalia's mind shut down. Annabeth continued, but Thalia was passed listening, the memories and everything she had tried to forget came flooding back in full force. She shook her head, but Annabeth wasn't looking.

"We took him to the big house, and put him in the recovery room, but he hasn't woken up yet, and every time Percy or I come to visit, he just keeps murmuring the same thing."

Thalia shook her head more violently, she couldn't speak, but she needed Annabeth to stop, she couldn't hear this, not now.

"Thalia, he was saying your name."

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