A/N: A very short end to a very long story. Before I begin, of course I must apologize for the length. And, I felt as if I had some loose ends I didn't manage to wrap up, but hopefully the chapter made up for it in quality. It's been a long wait and an even longer ride, but here is the final chapter. Think of it as a Christmas gift, if you will.

Also, Annabeth may come off as slightly um...bitchy in this, but I assure you that she is not going to be angry for long. Seeing as she was the closest to Luke, she is doomed to be the most conflicted over his betrayal.

In other, and slightly more depressing news, I still have yet to receive my laptop. So much for the Sea of Monsters. Therefore, I am most likely going to rewrite it, and try to recall as much information as I can, in order to have the sequel up in time for you all. The Kings of Olympus will be posted very soon, for those of you that follow it.

Anyway, enjoy the very last chapter of Thalia Grace & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.


"So, you're the daughter of Zeus?" a chubby man inquired with a raise of his dark brow. "You look a lot like our father, that's for sure. Admittedly, you look a lot less intimidating than some of your other siblings. Namely, myself."

Thalia grew irritated, but sat across from the god of wine when he instructed her to do so. The couch was oddly uncomfortable, as she wouldn't have imagined a god's furniture piece being so stiff. She shifted on the cushion, unabashedly meeting the amused gaze of Dionysus.

Her immortal brother wasn't much. Even though she had heard rumors about his reckless behavior (courtesy of her father's complaints), she had to admit that he might have been attractive if he were in a younger form. And, of course, if he got rid of that sour attitude. He reminded her of a young Napoleon Bonaparte for some reason unknown to her. She just felt as if he resembled the emperor in a strange fashion.

Speaking of fashion, he dressed terribly, in a leopard print shirt and a pair of tacky shorts. He had a Van Dyke beard, and his eyes glistened red. They were bloodshot, she quickly realized.

"I'm less intimidating than you?" she repeated slowly, unable to resist the urge to challenge the god. It was in her nature to contradict, after all. "When shrimps learn to whistle."

"Shrimps may not be capable of whistling, but a demigod such as yourself is fully capable of behaving respectfully in the presence of an Olympian," Dionysus countered, a strange aura of power surrounding his words. Who knew the god of wine could be so regal? "Tell me, Tiffany—"

"Thalia," she cut in, rolling her eyes.

"—exactly when do you plan on acting appropriately?"

The daughter of Zeus tilted her head to the side in mock-contemplation and hummed sarcastically. "Your mother and I will consider it."

To her surprise, he didn't take the bait. "Heavens know I do miss bickering with my siblings, even though I would not admit so to their faces." Dionysus sighed tiredly, the smirk slipping off his face. "At least I am not forced to tolerate the abrasive personality of Father any longer."

Thalia wasn't sure how to respond to his statement, so she remained quiet.

A flicker of recognition shone through his bloodshot blue eyes. "Oh, that's right. Silly me. It seems I've forgotten how gullible you godlings are. It's always 'Daddy is just too busy to spend time with me! I completely understand. I'm going to be the best little hero ever! Hercules is my role model!' Please. Give me a break. Even old Hercules wasn't able to appease Father."

Thunder rumbled across the sky, but the god of ecstasy didn't appear to be fazed by the display. Thalia guessed he must have been used to it by now.

"A demigod can tell himself every lie that he believes will mend his spirits, but all will fail to do so," the god said, moving from his rocking chair to sit next to her on the couch. "Gods are selfish, young lady. Then again, the same can be said for demigods. Ugh, heroes. You half-bloods accuse the gods of being insufferably vain. Bah!"

The daughter of Zeus held off her irritation, seeing the truth in his words. Was she that vain? She would like to think not, but she knew better than to trust her own judgment of herself. She recalled Hercules. He had used women, men, and creatures alike time and time again in order to fulfill heroic deeds.

Why was he telling her all of this stuff? What was he trying to get to? Despite her better judgment, she couldn't help but think about what he said. It was true that her father wasn't always available. He was the King of the Gods, after all. He couldn't rightfully abandon all of his tasks and endeavors in order to spend time with his teenage daughter.

The daughter of Zeus frowned, realizing she had been thinking similarly to the demigod stereotype. Her immortal half-brother would surely know more about their father than she. Could Zeus have changed? Did he actually care? Part of her really, really doubted it. She found her father's motives and actions rather dubious on occasion.

Dionysus brushed off her question, as if it didn't matter. She came to the conclusion that it probably didn't mean anything to him. She was just some stupid demigod.

"Is it true that you accompanied the demigods and satyr on their quest?" he asked, quickly summoning up a can of Diet Coke.

The daughter of Zeus made herself more comfortable on the couch, going as far as to place her boots on the coffee table and slouch in her seat. She received a glare from the god, but it was only brief. Then, he was back to shuffling a shimmering deck of cards.

"Yeah," she answered. "Yeah, I did."

Dionysus nodded, as if he were already absolutely sure of the fact. "Hmm, yes. Mother is pitching quite the big fit about you."

"Uh…Lady Semele, sir?"

Dionysus' mother was Semele, right? She did know some mythology, even if she didn't study it regularly. Why would his mother be ragging on her, though?

The god shook his head, an almost deceitful smirk on his lips. "Lady Hera," he corrected, drinking the last bit of soda from his can. "She favors being referred to as mother."

The daughter of Zeus grew nervous, and attempted to shake her anxiety off. She had more important things to worry about, anyway. Surely Dionysus was only teasing. Hopefully.

Thalia cleared her throat pointedly. "Not intending to appear rude or persistent, sir, but what does any of this have to do with me? Why have you demanded to speak with me?"

"No need to suck up, kid," the god said, snorting. "None of these other brats around here do so. Not even my own offspring wish to treat me properly. Just do as the other bastards and respond to me sarcastically."

Before she could reassert her question—she wasn't exactly patient—he sat his stack of cards down and briefly glanced over to her. "My intentions were to predict whether or not you would be a serious liability. Also, I was looking to affirm a few suspicions I had. Complaining about half-bloods is just a bonus."

"You don't want to hear about the quest or anything? You just wanted to meet me?"

He turned his violet gaze on her. Purple, crazed fire danced in his hues. Other than intimidate her, it seemed to fill her with warmth and made her feel at ease. "Yes. I can tell you are going to be a lot like that Perry Johnson kid, though."

"Percy Jackson," she corrected.

He rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored her comment. "One more thing, before I choose to dismiss you."

"Yes?" Thalia asked, reluctantly. She really hoped he didn't want to send her on a quest to retrieve his magical grapevine of doom or something.

"Do you plan to attend Camp Half-Blood over the summer?" the god inquired, not even bothering to meet her eyes. Before she could speak, Chiron stepped into the room.

"Personally, I believe it would be for the best," the centaur added, smiling. "Two children of the Big Three, in the real world? With no offence intended, it would surely prove to be the next apocalypse."

"Which will most likely come very soon, what with these two brats alive," Dionysus mumbled. "I already questioned her, dear centaur. Inquiry is no longer a necessity."

Chiron didn't bother glancing towards the irritated god of wine. His soothing brown eyes settled on the daughter of Zeus. "Why don't you step outside with me, Thalia? I would very much like to talk to you."

As she stepped outside with the centaur, Dionysus called after their retreating forms. "For the record, Tina, I do not possess a magical grapevine of any form. I do, however, own a thyrsus."

The daughter of Zeus blushed in shame at his remark, before closing the door behind her. When Chiron motioned for her to take a seat, she quickly did so.

"As I have stated before, I think it would be best if you attended camp during the summer—"

"Okay," she said, cutting him off.

Her answer seemed to echo across the great hills, and she suddenly felt as if everyone had stopped what they had been doing to observe her. After glancing quickly to the grounds, she realized that a great number of campers were watching her, their eyes wide and mouths agape. Trying not to feel irked, Thalia turned her attention back to the slightly amused teacher.

"Are you sure? I understand that this can be quite inconvenient—"

"Yes." No hesitation.

Chiron cleared his throat, attempting to hold back a satisfied smile. "Very well. I will enroll you in the system as soon as possible."

System? The camp had a system?

"Fancy," she murmured, without thinking to stop herself. Silently reprimanding her tactlessness, she sheepishly scratched the nape of her neck. "So, like…do you have any questions about anything?"

Thalia hated how awkward she sounded, but Chiron simply laughed. Her awkwardness didn't seem to bother him, and she appreciated that. "No, dear Thalia," he replied, his expression bright. "You have answered the only one necessary."

Her bottom lip drew down into a slight pout. Chiron, noticing this almost immediately, chuckled good-naturedly. Her eyes flickered up to his form in surprise and, realizing that she looked like a child, she ceased pouting and cleared her throat.

"I was expecting more from you," she supplied honestly, beginning to fiddle with her fingers. "I thought you might have some questions for me."

"Percy, Annabeth, and Grover have already filled me in on the entire quest," the centaur assured her. "They told me you managed to wield your father's master bolt. Quite impressive. I have a suspicion that if you had been younger or less experienced with your powers, it would have incinerated you within minutes."

Thalia shrugged. "I didn't have any other weapons."

"Taking advantage of your resources," he remarked with an approving nod. "Not many demigods could have done what you have. I suspect you—and Percy, mind you—will grow to be admirable heroes. You two already show substantial power progression. I have trained many of your siblings, and none of them have come of age quite as fast as you have."

"What about Hercules?" she dared to ask. "He had super strength, even as an infant."

"Herculean strength," Chiron said, smiling a bit. "All children of Zeus, since the Twelve Labors, have received it. Other than most, Hercules had been born with it."

"Whoa, wait," she said, holding up a hand as if to halt the conversation. "All children of Zeus? I don't have it."

"Not yet," the centaur agreed. "However, you will earn it eventually. I have only had the honor of watching one demigod achieve such a skill—Demarcus. The boy reached his twentieth year before earning it. Soon after, unfortunately, he was overcome by a horde of monsters—"

"Gotcha," Thalia cut in, not wanting to hear of her brother's demise. The same thing could very well happen to her, and she didn't want to hear of any more ways she could be killed. "So, what makes you so sure I'll get super strength? Isn't it a bit cliché?"

Chiron hummed in thought, stroking his beard. "I have only seen two cases of such an ability, in Hercules himself and in Demarcus. It's mostly a rumor, and few believe it." His wise coffee eyes glinted in the afternoon light. "But, I do. Dionysus does as well. Only time can tell when you will receive the ability. We must be patient. Until then, we'll keep it quiet, yes?"

Thalia smirked, attempting to find humor where there was none. "All right. It'll be our little secret, then."

"Of course, I would approve of you consulting your father about it…if you would happen to encounter him, that is. Only he would be likely to answer you truthfully."

"If I happen to encounter him?" she repeated.

"Well…yes," the centaur said, slowly. "Not many demigods get the privilege of meeting their immortal parents. I only assumed that you shared this."

Her father, while absent at times, had always gone out of his way to communicate with her. Guilt coursed through her; there were half bloods that never got the chance to meet their parents, while she had always known of hers. Zeus, the least expected god to do so, had managed to stay rather active in her life.

She silently deemed that this made her more fortunate than a majority of others at camp, and it made her feel even worse. Why didn't the gods make more time for their offspring? If one of the Big Three could spend a lot of time with their child, what prevented the other gods from doing so? Questioning such a thing made her grow sick to her stomach.

Thalia met his gaze bravely, with a new sense of confusion flooding through her brain. "I do," she half-lied. She stood from her chair. "If that's all you needed to know, I think I might check on Percy now."

As if daring him to halt her actions, she slowly descended the steps of the Big House, and began making her way towards the infirmary. After making sure he was no longer watching her, she changed direction, in pursue of what she presumed to be the Athena cabin. It hadn't been her original intention to check on the son of Poseidon; she needed information, and Annabeth was her best source.

The strong, proud owl on the cabin door didn't intimidate her in the slightest, even though she could practically feel its gaze on her. Extending a closed fist in front of her, she knocked twice and awaited its opening. A blonde boy, with eyes the color of Annabeth's, flung the door open in irritation. When his eyes caught sight of the daughter of Zeus, the irritation washed from his features.

"So, you're the daughter of—"

"Yeah, we all know," she cut off. "I need to see Annabeth, please. It's urgent."

The boy looked slightly taken back, but he nodded quickly. "Yes, of course. Come in."

He walked her into the cabin, and she wasn't honestly surprised. Everything from battle strategies and maps to homework assignments and grocery lists littered the floor, beds, and tables. It was strangely organized, with the exception of the obvious mess. Annabeth hadn't been so neat while on the run. Thalia had been constantly picking up after the girl.

"It's not in the best condition, I know. We weren't expecting company," the boy apologized. "I'm Malcolm, by the way."

She shook his offered hand. "Thalia."

"It's nice to meet you," he said, before slowly backing away. "The rest of the cabin is attending archery class. Annabeth is in the bathroom right now, but I'll give you two some alone time to…you know, talk."

"Thank you," she managed to tell him before he was out of the cabin.

She made her way to what she guessed was Annabeth's bed. Pictures of their young family—Luke, Annabeth and herself—hung on the wall, along with sketches of remodeled monuments. Only a girl as brilliant as the blonde could draw such amazing, inspiring structures, and the thought alone made the older girl smile.

"Grant Tomb," a voice behind her supplied. Thalia wasn't startled by the sound of the smaller girl's voice. She had been expecting it. Annabeth enjoyed sneaking up on others.

"Ulysses?" the daughter of Zeus guessed. "Only famous Grant I know."

Annabeth stepped in beside the taller girl, nodding her head. "Yeah," she said. "It's in New York, you know."

"I've never seen it."

"Neither have I," the blonde said, heaving a sort of depressed sigh. "There are so many things to see, and so little time."

Thalia shrugged. "I could take you to see it one day, if you'd like."

The daughter of Athena grinned, her steel eyes twinkling. "You've always been like that."

"Like what?" the brunette asked, turning to face the other girl.

"So giving," the blonde provided. "You always thought you could solve all of our problems with a snap of your fingers. You get things done, Thalia. You go out of your way to take care of things for other people."

Thalia blushed, and internally cursed herself. "I'm not giving, Annie. I just figured that nothing was preventing me from offering, so I did."

"It still shocks me that Percy and you are so humble," the daughter of Athena mumbled thoughtfully. "Even though you both tend to be cocky—occasionally—you never truly think the best of yourselves."

"Just because my parents were arrogant doesn't mean I have to be."

"What did you come here for, Thalia? Not that I'm not glad to see you."

Thalia ran a hand through her short hair, taking a seat on the firm bed. Annabeth soon followed her example. The daughter of Zeus fiddled with her hands, trying to think of a way to start the belated conversation.

"Luke…" she started, and nearly froze when she heard the other girl's breathing hitch. "He's—"

"Gone," Annabeth filled in. "He left. He disappeared after poisoning Percy. No one knows where he could have ran off to."

The blonde's voice was obviously defensive. Even though Thalia didn't wish to push her to talk, she knew that she required information in order to plan. She may have not been a daughter of Athena or Ares, but she always tried to be prepared for battle.

"Do you know if there are any other campers that were joining him?"

"No," the shorter girl said, setting a hand on Thalia's knee. "I imagine there was a great number of them, but we haven't identified anyone as of yet. We're still working on it. Malcolm is supposed to check the camp's system."

System. There was that word again. What were they—a top-secret spy organization?

Thalia nodded slowly. "All right," she said. "Good. We need to find out as much as we can. Chiron, Dionysus, and the others may not be worried about anything, but I sure as hell am. It isn't like Luke to run off without finishing something. He'll be back."

"Stop that," Annabeth commanded suddenly, her voice surprisingly sharp.

"Stop what?" Thalia's eyes flickered to the other girl in confusion.

"Stop talking like he's the enemy."

"Annabeth—"

"Don't 'Annabeth' me!"

"What do you want to call you?" Thalia snapped back. "Billy?"

The daughter of Athena leaped from the bed and tossed a hard look over her shoulder. "Whatever. When you're done being an ass, I welcome you to try and continue a reasonable conversation with me. Until then, try and clear a path whenever you see me."

The blonde girl stomped her way into a back room and slammed the door behind her. The daughter of Zeus was damned near entranced, staring at the door in shock. How had things spiraled downwards so suddenly? One minute, they had been talking fine, and then the other girl had completely flipped out on her and stormed away.

Thalia shook her head in amused disbelief before standing from the bed. If Annabeth wanted to stand back and play the 'Luke is innocent' game, then fine. She would stop his plans without her assistance if she had to. He had once been her friend, sure. But, he had betrayed them all. He had tried to kill Percy, and left Annabeth without bothering to glance over his fucking shoulder. He had hurt her friends and family, even if he had once been a part of the group. And Thalia wasn't exactly one to forgive so easily.

The daughter of Zeus was halfway across the camp before she happened to see a flash of blonde dancing past her pine tree. The hurried figure halted its movement, and a pair of crystal eyes met hers across the distance. Her skin hummed, veins boiling to an almost intolerable rate, and her fingers twitched in anticipation. Every nerve in her body urged her to draw her weapon and charge, but she quickly suppressed the urge when the blonde boy quickly spun around and sprinted far away from the camp he had once called home.