ssI DON'T OWN PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIAN SERIES AND CHARACTERS IT BELONGS to RICK RIORDAN the WRITER OF THE SERIES

I Made My Choice

::Luke::

Bad enough I woke up with Thalia yelling 'monsters', even though there weren't any on sight yet. I had a bad feeling about today as well. "What a nice start for the day." I grumbled under my breath and looked at Annabeth who was still sleeping. I didn't have the heart to wake up the little kid so I coaxed her sleepy form to climb on my back for a piggyback ride. Grover was pretty much shaken with Thalia yelling monsters and all so I didn't have to wake him up.

"Grover, how many more days till we get there?" asked Thalia as we trudge up a hill it was almost noon when we decided to rest for a bit.

"I think we'll reach there by sun down if we hurry." Grover answered and again sniffed the air. "I smell monsters a lot of them..." he gulped

"Then let's start moving then, we don't want to get caught up with those monsters especially at night" I said. Bad enough we don't have good eyesight like the monsters at night, but we're already battered and bruised and really, really exhausted. I doubt we'd have a chance against them once they caught up with us especially at night.

Thalia, Grover and I with Annabeth on my back started to sprint downhill. When we reach the bottom of the hill we caught sight of our first monster, huge and ugly hellhound. We continued running with Grover leading the way, thought I kept my fingers crossed that we won't get us lost this time. Last time we were chased by monsters with Grover leading the way to Camp he got lost and well we got captured by a Cyclops. Good thing Annabeth saved us.

"I'll slow it down" shouted Thalia and activated her shield. I wanted to protest but I can't fight with Annabeth on my back. We had to keep running. I saw Thalia at the corner of my eye threw her spear with deadly accuracy towards the hellhound. I guess the hellhound was stupid enough to think it was a hugged stick or something and tried to catch the spear with its mouth. Too bad for it the spear head went straight to its throat before it could snap the spear and it dissolved into monster dust.

"Hurry run! I think I saw a bunch more behind it!" I heard Thalia shouted behind me. We tried to hide to catch our breath but as soon as we were able to breathe easily the monsters just appeared at the horizon so we had to keep running all the time.

"I'm tired... I can't run anymore..." grumbled Annabeth between her breaths.

"Hop on my back kiddo, I'll carry you." I said. Once on my back I started to run again. All we've been doing is run. Who wouldn't be, with a group of ugly monsters fresh from the Underworld were after us. I hate it, so much for having gods for parents. They won't even lift a stinking finger to help us.

"There! Camp Half-Blood Hill!" yelled Grover "On the other side of that hill we'll be safe, we're almost at the boarders now!"

It was still too far away, we're about fifty meters from the foot of the hill. And 100 more meters to the top. I evaded a hellhound who tried to pounce on my back, but I was too slow it was able to graze Annabeth's legs. It came at me again but I ducked and stab it on its side, Annabeth also stab it just above where my knife landed on the hellhound. Grover was now playing a shrilling tune, it confused the other monsters a little and unfortunately it also gave us a nasty headache.

"Thalia we're almost there how are you holding up?" I shouted Thalia who was bringing up the rear, holding here shield to try and scare the monsters to retreat.

"Just peachy!" she groaned. Blood trickled down her head as well as in her right ankle. "Just run, I can still hold them back"

"But Thalia, you need to get to safety!" yelped Grover as a giant grabbed him by the hoof, whisked him in the air and threw him forward right on top of the hill.

"Grover!" yelled Thalia "Luke! Go get Grover I'll hold them back" she side stepped to avoid the ugly flying hags, which Grover called the Kindly Ones (If they were kind they should have left us alone) but a hellhound pounded on her as she side stepped and flew across hitting a huge rock. I tried to run to her.

"Luke!" screamed Annabeth from behind and pushed me down, with quick thinking she held out her knife and the hellhound slashed itself on Annabeth's knife as it sailed over us.

"Run! I'll be alright I promise!" Thalia yelled as she held out Aegis to defend herself from one of the Furies whip.

"Leave her alone you shriveled up hag!" I screamed and threw a stone at the hag. She just turned and hissed at me.

"I don't need you half-blood. We only want her." She screeched and pointed to where Thalia should have been. But as the hag turned to me she quickly moved away from the fury and had bounded half way up the hill.

"Hey Fury you want me right? Come get me!" screamed Thalia brandishing her shield. The Fury took one last death glare at me and hopped off towards Thalia, and I mean hopped of like a bird on the ground walking. (Which isn't technically far off she had bird talons for feet).

I stood up and limped up the hill slashing, dodging monsters that were coming at me. I was also making sure Annabeth was safe on my back, even though she was protecting me from behind. "Almost there Annabeth" trying to assure her, although I didn't even know where the boarders to safety are. I just run towards where the giant threw Grover. Because I found it odd the giant didn't came chasing after him on top of the hill, even though the giant was calling Grover dinner a moment ago.

"Grover! Grover's there Luke" pointed Annabeth at the top of the hill where Grover lay unconscious. We ran toward him. Sure enough as we got to the crest of the hill where we saw on the other side was a valley that looked like a farm. On the other side Thalia was fighting off the monsters that were following us.

"I-I think it's safe here Annabeth I-I think the monsters won't come after us here..." I placed her down next to Grover. "But to make sure, can-can you drag Grover downhill? Towards that house?" I quickly pointed at the house with glowing windows. "I-I'm gonna go and help Thalia" I quickly turned and came running towards Thalia, without even looking back to see if Annabeth followed my instructions.

"Thalia!" I screamed running to where Thalia was, who was losing a battle against the three nasty Furies.

"No Luke!" she shouted "Get back they only want me!" she stabbed one Fury in the gut which only howled in angry frustration. The other two swung their flaming whips towards Thalia. I side stepped away from the giant who threw Grover at the summit of the hill and stabbed him on the back. "That's for Grover!"

Two more hellhound bounded towards me and I quickly stepped back to prepare to pounce. But halfway across the top hill the ugly dogs seemed to hit a wall and staggered backwards. They barked and snapped at me, and turned back. I knew then I was safe inside the boarder, I saw Annabeth slowly but surely dragging Grover by the hooves half way down the side of the hill.

::Thalia::

"Ugly dogs, come play with Thalia!" I provoked the hellhounds that were chasing Luke. I had to buy them time to run towards the camp. I had to distract these monsters away from them, it wasn't that hard. All they want is me not them.

"You shouldn't have been born" hissed one of the Furies "It would have saved us a lot of trouble"

"Why? Is it a sin to be born?" I growled "I didn't choose to be born with this kind of life you know" if I could keep them talking long enough, Luke could get away.

"Not really dear" the other fury hissed "It's just that you weren't supposed be alive, so were gonna fix that up for you" then she gave me a malicious grin

"So save us the trouble of fighting you, in order to kill you, we'll go easy on you in the fields of punishment" the first Fury pulled at her whip.

"As if! I'll die first, before you get to eat my friends!" I shouted at her. Then I felt a tug in my gut and an arc of lightning came out of my spear head and, disintegrated the first Fury. The two others, backed up a little shocked at what happened to their sister. It gave me enough time to run almost at the top of the, and killing the two hellhounds that were blocking my way.

"Thalia!" I heard Luke screamed from the distance and out of the corner of my I saw him limping back up the top of the hill towards me.

"Just go! You need to be safe" I turned and screamed at him. Tears were forming in the corners of my eyes. I had to save him. I need to keep him safe from these hags. I need to destroy them before Luke could come to me. I had to, I'm not afraid to die, just so I could save him.

I faced the two Furies with hate. I pointed my spear at Fury number two ready to charge. 'Stay alive' my voice rang inside my head 'Luke will be safe. Trust me.' I remembered my weird conversation with sixteen year old me last night. 'Fight only to defend, stay alive'

I hesitated. In that single moment, a flaming whipped lashed itself on my right arm. I screamed in pain and let go of my spear. Am I gonna die here? The Fury tried to pull me towards her but I struggled to move backward away from her, despite the fact that my right hand was burning. I threw Aegis at her hit right in the face "Ow" she screeched letting go of her whip. My right arm was scorched, I had no shield. I picked up my spear with my left hand and was ready to poke the Fury number three. 'Move back Thalia' my head told me 'no stand up and fight I'm no coward' the rebel side of me said. 'I'll go down heroically to save my friends, don't be a coward Thalia'

I was about to charged at the third Fury when I saw my older self, her sad eyes as if she knew this was going to happen and that's way she wanted me to stay alive. Something nasty will happen if I charged, and she wanted to prevent it. It took one last glanced at the Fury and threw my spear at Fury number three. I didn't look back to see if I hit her or not. I turned the opposite direction and ran towards Luke. But before I could get to him, I felt something stab my back and my world turned black.

AN::

Thanks for the two review. I really appreciated it. :) Sorry for any late updates I'll be committing in the future, since class is starting and I just returned to writing stories out of boredom. I'll do my best to update early as long as I don't encounter much writer's block and many difficult projects.

THANK YOU so MUCH FOR THE UPDATE :D