Disclaimer: I do NOT own PJO or The Lion King.

"King?" Thalia asked with an amused smile, "Pfft, lady have you got your lions crossed."

"A king," Grover said amazed, "Your majesty, I 'gravel' at your feet." And he kissed Percy's paw.

"Stop it," Percy told him, moving his hand away.

"It's not 'gravel', it's 'grovel'," Thalia corrected, "And don't, he's not the king…Are ya?"

"No."

"Percy," Annabeth exclaimed.

"No, I'm not the king," Percy told her, "Maybe I was gonna be, but that was a long time ago."

"Let me get this straight," Thalia interjected, "You're the king, and you never told us?"

"Look, I'm still the same guy—"

"But with power," Thalia interrupted.

"Could you guys excuse us for a few minutes?" Annabeth politely asked Thalia and Grover.

"Hey, whatever she has to say she can say in front of us, right Percy?" Thalia asked.

"Mmm…uh, maybe you better go," Percy said sheepishly.

Thalia dropped her jaw, threw her hands up in the air, and calmly said, "It starts…You think you know a guy." And she walked away. Grover looked between them, but followed Thalia anyway.

Percy sighed and smiled, "Thalia and Grover, ya learn to love 'em." But Percy's smile faded when he

saw Annabeth turn away frowning. "What?" he asked, and walked up beside her, "What is it?"

"It's like you're back from the dead," Annabeth said sadly. She turned to him, her grey eyes wide, "You don't know how much this will mean to everyone." She dropped her head sadly, "What it means to me."

"Hey, it's okay," Percy comforted.

Annabeth placed her head under Percy's affectionately and said, "I've really missed you."

"I've missed you, too," Percy said, returning her affection.

Just a few yards away, Thalia and Grover watched the two lions behind a few bushes.

Thalia scoffed, "I tell you Grover, this stinks."

"Oh, sorry," Grover apologized.

"Not you, them," Thalia gestured to the lions as they walked away, "Him, her, alone."

"What's wrong with that?" Grover asked ignorantly.

"I can see what's happening," Thalia sang.

"What?"

"And they don't have a clue."

"Who?"

"They'll fall in love and hears the bottom line, our trio's down to two."

"Oh."

"Ze sweet caress of twilight, there's magic everywhere,

And with all this romantic atmosphere, disaster's in the air."

Can you feel the love tonight?

The peace the evening brings

The world, for once, in perfect harmony

With all its living things

Percy led Annabeth to a small spring, "So many things to tell her,

But how to make her see,

The truth about my past? Impossible!

She'd turn away from me," Percy thought as Annabeth drank from the pool of water.

Annabeth looked up at Percy, who smiled, but like he was hiding something, "He's holding back, he's hiding,

But what, I can't decide,

Why won't he be the king I know he is,

The king I see inside?" Annabeth thought, looking suspiciously at him when he smirked. Then Percy ran past, grabbing a vine, and jumped into the spring. Annabeth looked in the water worried.

Then Percy jumped up and pulled her down into the water.

Annabeth gasped for a breath and immediately pulled herself on land. Percy came out with that goofy grin of his and his mane drenched and covering his eyes. Annabeth smirked, pushed him back in the water, and ran.

Can you feel the love tonight?

The peace the evening brings

The world, for once, in perfect harmony

With all its living things.

They ran through the fields and the forest, chasing each other, and finally tumbling down the hill. When they reached the bottom, Percy was on top of Annabeth, both laughing. Annabeth looked at Percy and licked his cheek, making his eyes widen with as he looked at her with shock. She looked at him lovingly and smiled, Percy returned it, and they caressed each other. (A/N: It's kinda the equivalent of a passionate kiss.)

Can you feel the love tonight?

You needn't look too far

Stealing through the night's uncertainties

Love is where they are.

"And if he falls in love tonight," Thalia sang and Grover sniffled.

"It can be assumed."

"His carefree days with us are history," Grover joined in.

"In short, our pal is doomed," they both finished and bawled their eyes out.

As Percy and Annabeth walked in a deeper part of the forest, Percy asked, "Isn't this great?"

"It is beautiful," Annabeth agreed, "But I don't understand something…You've been alive all this time, why didn't you come back to Pride Rock?"

"Well…I just…needed to get out on my own, live my own life," Percy said, jumping on a hammock made of some vines, "And I did, and it's great."

"We've really needed you at home," Annabeth told him.

"No one needs me," Percy remarked.

"Yes we do, you're the king," she repeated.

"Look, we've been through this, I'm not the king, Hades is."

"Percy, he let the hyenas take over the Pride Lands"

"What?" Percy asked shocked.

"Everything's destroyed," she told him, "There's no food, no water…Percy if you don't do something soon everyone will starve."

"I can't go back," he said, looking away.

"Why?" Annabeth pried.

"You wouldn't understand," Percy said, jumping off the vines.

"What wouldn't I understand?" she almost yelled.

"No, no, no, it doesn't matter, Hakuna Matata."

"What?"

"Hakuna Matata, it's something I learned out here," he explained, "Look sometimes bad things happen—"

"Percy," Annabeth said upset.

"—and there's nothing you can do about it. So why worry?" he asked walking away.

"Because it's your responsibility," she argued, following him.

Percy stopped and looked at her, "What about you? You left."

"I left to find help…and I found you," she said, "Don't you understand? You're our only hope." (A/N: For those who've seen Star Wars, kudos if you know the line.)

"Sorry," was all he said.

"What's happened to you?" she asked, "You're not the Percy I remember."

"You're right," he retorted, "I'm not. Now are you satisfied?"

"No," she said stubbornly, "Just disappointed."

"You know, you're starting to sound like my father," Percy said, stalking away.

"Good, at least one of us does."

That made Percy stop. He turned around and exclaimed, "Listen, you think you can just show up and tell me how to live my life? You don't even know what I've been through."

"I would if you'd just tell me," Annabeth shouted as he walked away again.

"Forget it," he yelled.

"Fine," she yelled back, brooding.

Percy walked all the way to the fields and started pacing. "She's wrong," he told himself, "I can't go back. What would it prove anyway? It won't change anything. You can't change the past."

His anger gradually subsided and his face changed into a pained look. He looked up at the sky and yelled, "You said you'd always be there for me! But you're not." He hung his head sadly, "It's because of me…it's my fault…it's my fault," he said, his voice breaking and tears welled up in his eyes.

In a nearby tree, Chiron started chanting, "Asante sana, Squash Banana, We we nugu, mi mi apana!"

Percy heard the chanting, saw the old baboon and walked away, annoyed. Chiron watched from the tree as Percy stalked off.

Percy walked up to a log over a stream and lied down, looking at his reflection and sulking. Then a fallen nut hit the water, breaking his focus, and Chiron, who was in the nearby tree, continued chanting, "Asante sana, Squash Banana, We we nugu, mi mi apana!"

"C'mon, would ya cut it out?" Percy asked irritated, and walked away again.

"Can't cut it out, it grow right back," he said laughing, picking up his staff and following him.

"Creepy, little monkey," Percy muttered, "Will you stop following me? Who are you?"

"Question is: Whoooo are you?" Chiron asked.

Percy opened his mouth in rebuttal, but he was caught off guard. He lowered his head, sighed in surrender, and said, "I thought I knew, know I'm not so sure."

"Well, I know who you are. Shh, come here, it's a secret," he said, pulling him closer and whispering, "Asante sana, Squash Banana, We we nugu, mi mi apana!"

Percy groaned, "Enough already, what's that supposed to mean anyway?"

"It means you are a baboon…and I am not," Chiron said and laughed.

"I think you are a little confused," Percy said walking away, only to be met with Chiron's finger poking his nose.

"Wrong! I'm not the one who's confused. You don't even know who you are," he told Percy.

"Oh, and I suppose you know," Percy said, stalking off once more.

"Sure do, you're Poseidon's boy," he said, making Percy turn around in surprise. "Bye," he said and ran, with Percy on his tail.