AN: So, first, thanks for your guys opinions! I haven't really decided yet though, but it seems to me like most of you prefer BOTL over TLH. I wasn't really sure if that was because Annabeth isn't in TLH that much or not, so I thought maybe I'd explain that better.

Annabeth said that she was going to set off to find Percy, so the entire time, she really was doing things. It would probably also be her POV of SON, because of the dream Percy has. It would be a combination of both, her POV of trying to find him, and time at camp half blood.

As for BOTL, you know what that would be, the entire adventure as well as her two weeks without Percy, and what that was like for her. Also her feelings on Rachel.

Like I said before, I haven't decided which yet, and I'm not leaning more towards one choice, so it's really up to which you guys want first. Tell me what you think!

I don't own PJO

I let out a huge sigh, as everything, and everybody seemed safe at the moment. Kronos's army had just fled, due to the Party Ponies, and I couldn't help but think what would've happened if they hadn't intervened.

We would have been overwhelmed, and I was sure that Luke, er, Kronos would have made it in to the Empire State Building, and right now, could have been destroying Olympus. Too close. Too darn close.

Those centaurs had just stopped pushing the monsters away, after Chiron had instructed them to," Chiron's smart." I said to know one in particular," If we pursue, we'll get too spread out. We need to regroup."

" But the enemy-," Percy argued.

I cut him off," They're not defeated." Not by a long shot," But the dawn is coming. At least we've bought some time."

I could tell that Percy wasn't very fond of pulling back. After a moment of silence, we headed back to the Empire State Building,

On our arrival, we concluded that a two-block perimeter around Olympus would be a good amount of area, that we could easily keep track of, and so we set it up. There was also a command tent at the Empire State Building.

I wished we could have more space between Olympus and the enemy, but it was true, that even with all of the Party Ponies Chiron somehow managed to get a hold of, that was the only way manageable.

As the Party Ponies talked about wasting monsters, I thought back to seeing Luke in that chariot. Part of me knew that there was probably nothing left of him, but the other part believed that somehow below that evil Titan Lord, the sweet Luke I once knew was still there. It had been proof last summer, when Rachel had nailed him with a blue plastic hairbrush, that from shock, he had momentarily become himself again. But, it was probably because Kronos was new in his body, and was still settling in. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I had to believe that. After refusing Luke's offer just a year and a half ago, when I could have convinced him to stop, and didn't, I felt like somehow, I owed him.

You might say, Didn't he make you hold the sky? He instructed a monster to eat you on The Princess Andromeda, right? He was going to make you fight to the death with someone, after Percy had a turn in the Labyrinth, as well? But the other side fought back.

He was under the influence of Kronos, and Kronos was telling him what to do. After how far everything had gone, if he refused what Kronos instructed, he would pay a consequence, for sure. Maybe he had known his mistake, but was too afraid to turn back. Plus, in the beginning, Kronos had threatened him with nightmares. Had he ever really had the choice?

I knew the answer was that in the end, he had chosen it, but that didn't mean he was regretful, as he had proved it to me. He was. He had wanted to run away with me, to get out of this mess by running away, was running away the only solution to his problems? He had run away from his Mom as well after all.

I nearly stopped walking as I figured that these thoughts sounded familiar. Percy. The argument. Percy ran away too. Not from his Mom of course, but he ran away from any emotional pain he might have to endure. Luke ran away from physical pain. I wondered if Percy really was more afraid of emotionally being hurt than it physically.

Yes. That was the answer. Yes. Because his fatal flaw was loyalty. If anyone important to him was hurt, it caused him pain, more pain than physically apparently.

Plus, he had done countless things that Luke would not have done. He had taken the sky, just to help the rest of us, so we would be protected by Artemis. He had pretty much been willing to die for me in that volcano, last summer. Saving me from the Siren Bay was incredibly dangerous, but yet again, he had risked himself for me. It made me wonder, these things were choices. He could've chosen to leave me to die. But I was struck with another thought. To him, was there really any choice?

My Labyrinth of thoughts was cut short, when Chiron patted one of the Party Ponies on the back," You did well, my friends, but don't get too careless. Kronos should never be underestimated. Now, why don't you visit the diner on West 33rd and get some breakfast? I hear the Delaware chapter found a stash of root beer."

" Root beer!" They yelled. So predictable.

Chiron smiled, and I gave him a big hug. He was like a father to me after all. Then, Mrs. O'Leary gave Chiron a huge kiss, ruining the moment, but I had to smile.

" Ack," he grumbled," Enough of that, dog. Yes, I'm glad to see you too."

" Chiron, thanks." Percy gave him the credit he deserved," Talk about saving the day."

Chiron shrugged, as if he was used to this kind of a thing, which of course, he was." I'm sorry it took so long. Centaurs travel fast, as you know. We can bend distance as we ride. Even so, getting all the centaurs together was no easy task. The Party Ponies are not exactly organized."

" How'd you get through the magic defenses around the city?" I asked curious. If they could, then maybe more help really could be on the way, and we wouldn't be so alone.

" They slowed us down a bit," he responded," but I think they're intended mostly to keep mortals out. Kronos doesn't want puny humans getting in the way of his great victory. "

" So, maybe other reinforcements can get through?" Percy asked hopefully, just as I was thinking. Maybe the Ares cabin could get in as well, if Silena completed the task.

Chiron stroked his beard, which was a bit unkempt," Perhaps, though time is short. As soon as Kronos regroups, he will attack again. Without the element of surprise on our side . . ."

I got it. The last surprise on our side was the centaurs, and there was nothing left. Even if Ares campers showed up, it wouldn't be much of a surprise. Which meant that our hope no longer lied with strategy, and wisdom, as much as I hated it. It relied on the war itself, and how hard we thought. But of course, there was still wisdom within it. Within every little attack, and every monster is a thought. How to beat it, where to stab, what do next. Wisdom was always there.

" And Typhon?" Percy asked. How could I completely had forgotten about that! Even if we beat Kronos, Typhon would be here soon after. Was there really a point in fighting anymore? Could there still be that slim chance we won?

Chiron's face darkened," The gods are tiring. Dionysus was incapacitated yesterday. Typhon smashed his chariot, and the wine god went down somewhere in the Appalachians. No one has seen him since." That meant my dream was right. Just one more god to lose, and I was afraid of the result. Like we hadn't lost enough of the minor ones already, to Kronos. I put my head in my palms.

Chiron continued, "Hephaestus is out of action as well." Wow, way to jinx it Annabeth!" He was thrown from battle so hard he created a new lake in western Virginia. He will heal, but not soon enough to help. The others still fight. They've managed to slow Typhon's approach. But the monster cannot be stopped. He will arrive in NY by this time tomorrow. Once he and Kronos combine forces . . . " Then, it would be impossible. There would be no chance left. The chances seemed slim now, but I remembered the prophecy, which somehow gave me hope. A single choice shall end his days. Olympus to preserve or raze.

That meant that there was somehow a fifty, fifty percent chance of us winning, as long of course as Seaweed Brain chose correctly. Then I realized something. How had I forgotten, Percy was . . . not going to be here anymore after, tomorrow? That soon? Why? I suddenly felt the desire to curl up in to a ball, and Annabeth I'd only been after Percy had gone missing. This time though, there would be no hope once he was gone. He would be gone forever. And ever. And ever. No more Percy. Ever. I was so used to Percy being at camp at this point, I couldn't imagine it without him. Annabeth, I reminded myself, worrying is wasting time. It won't make any difference, no matter how much you wish it did.

When Percy finally said the truth aloud, it rung in my ears, just to hear someone else say it," Then what chance do we have? We can't hold out another day."

" We'll have to," Thalia cut in," I'll see about setting some new traps around the perimeter."

I wanted to stop her, due to her appearance; grimy shoes, monster dust in her hair, and large purple bags drooping beneath her watery eyes, which probably looked that way from blinking dirt out of them

But, Chiron cut in,"" I will help her," witch made me feel a bit better about the situation." I should make sure my brethren don't go to overboard with root beer."

I knew what he meant. I glanced down at my camp bead for that summer, a centaur in a prom dress. I giggled. I didn't think Chiron had wanted to look that way.

He headed off, and I slowly cleaned monster grime off my knife.

" At least your Mom is okay," Percy offered.

" If you call fighting Typhon okay." I locked my eyes onto his deep green ones, and let the truth spill out of me, " Percy, even with the centaurs' help. I'm starting to think-"

" I know." It's all hopeless. But, luckily he didn't say it." Listen, there ere some . . . some visions Hestia showed me."

I thought back to my dream. Percy had tried to defend me, what had Hestia shown him" You mean, about Luke?"

" Yeah. You and Thalia and Luke. The first time you met. And the time you met Hermes."

I slipped my knife back in to it's sheath," Luke promised he'd never let me get hurt. He said . . . he said we'd be a new family, and it would turn out better than this."

" Thalia talked to me earlier," he said, yep, my dream had been true," She's afraid-"

" That I can't face Luke," I said miserably, because I knew how true it was.

Percy nodded," But there's something else you should know. Ethan Nukamara seemed to think that Luke was still alive inside his body, maybe even fighting Kronos for control."

With every syllable, my heart pounded against my chest harder. So, my suspicions could be correct. And if Luke did beat Kronos, somehow, we could win the war!

" I didn't want to tell you." Percy said honestly. But you did. I realized that even though he knew I probably couldn't face Luke, that he trusted me. He had been completely honest anyway. I didn't know if our situations were reversed, I would have told myself that, and yet he'd trusted me enough to. I felt a warmth spread, and I realized that here, was somebody I could completely trust. Someone I could rely on. Someone . . . maybe someone who would save the world.

I looked at the Empire State Building," Percy, for so long in my life, I felt like everything was changing, all the time. I didn't have anyone I could rely on." I did now.

He nodded as if to say, continue. " I ran away when I was seven. Then, with Luke and Thalia, I thought I'd found a family, but it fell apart almost immediately. What I'm saying . . . I hate it when people let me down, when things are temporary. I think that's why I want to be an architect."

" To build something permanent," he finished for me, " A monument to last a thousand years." It was great to know someone understood.

I closed my eyes," I guess, that sounds like my fatal flaw again."

After a long silence, Percy replied," I guess I understand how you feel. But Thalia's right. Luke had already betrayed you so many times. He was evil even before Kronos. I don't want him to hurt you anymore."

He had that expression he got whenever he talked about Luke, and expression I'd seen recently, his eyebrows scrunched up, and his eyes narrowed a bit. I tried not to get angry," And you'll understand if I keep hoping there's a chance your wrong." It was more of a statement than a question.

He looked away. I couldn't tell exactly how he felt, which frustrated me a bit. Suddenly, Percy started staring at me weirdly," What?" I asked him.

" Um . . . nothing. I guess." He looked startled somehow. He gazed down the road, and suddenly, his eyes widened, and before I could stop him, he bolted down the street.

" Percy," I yelled," Where are you going?" I looked in the direction he was running, and sprinting after him, despite my pounding arm, I noticed a car. It was beat up, and badly dented in the front for some reason. I squinted my eyes to try to see through the window and . . . oh, gods, Sally. And Paul.

I ran up to Percy, who was now standing next to the car ," They . . . they must have seen those blue lights in the sky." He looked completely horrified as he rattled the locked doors, trying to get them to budge, but they didn't," I need to get them out."

" Percy," I said gently, trying to make him feel better.

" I can't leave them here!" He pounded on the windshield, and it hurt me somehow, seeing him like this," I have to move them. I have to-"

He probably would have gone on for another ten minutes if I didn't cut him off," Percy, just . . . just hold on." I scanned my surroundings for Chiron, and when I spotted him, waved him over. I looked back to Percy," We can push the car to a side street, alright? They're going to be fine."

I noticed his hands were trembling, and realized that maybe this wasn't just fear of losing his parents. Maybe, he had been this scared all along, and hadn't realized it, or seeing his parents just shocked him into showing it.

I heard hooves clopping behind me," What's . . . oh, dear, I see."

" They were coming to find me." Percy said," My Mom must have sensed something was wrong."

" Most likely," Chiron told him," But, Percy, they will be fine." Nobody will be fine, I almost said, but I didn't think that would make Percy feel any better." The best thing we can do for them is stay focused on our job."

Suddenly, Percy muttered," No way." And I looked in to the back seat; there was a Greek jar, about maybe, three feet tall, strapped in to the seatbelt.

"That's impossible! I thought you left that at the plaza." Thalia had mentioned it, I think.

" Locked in a vault," Percy agreed.

Chiron's eyes widened with recondition," That isn't-"

" Pandora's jar," Percy cut in. He told us about a meeting he had with Prometheus, Thalia, Grover, Ethan, and some durance.

Chiron looked grim," Then the jar is yours. It will follow you, and tempt you to open it, no matter where you leave it. It will appear when you are weakest."

Probably like now, I thought, still looking at Percy, who was staring at his parents.

Suddenly, his facial expression changed from downcast to enraged. He pulled out Riptide, and slashed through the window, the glass shattering, and bouncing off his chest, due to the curse.

" We'll put the car in neutral," Percy said, clearly trying to contain his rage," Push them out of the way. And take that stupid jar to Olympus."

" A good plan," Chiron said," But, Percy . . . "

I was waiting for what he was going to say, when suddenly the sound of a distant motor rang in my ears. I looked to the sky, and spotted a helicopter that read DARE ENTERPRISES.

Immediately I was furious," What is she doing here?" I demanded.

" Who?" Chiron said, confused," What mortal would be insane enough . . ."

The helicopter pitched forward, and I gulped. Rachel was definitely not my favorite person in the world, but she certainly didn't deserve to die.

" The Morpheus enchantment," Chiron hollered," The foolish mortal pilot is asleep."

Percy just stood there, frozen like an ice sculpture. I gave him the best glare I could manage and said sharply," Come on, Percy. We have to save your friend."

And as we ran I thought only three words, over and over: Rachel Elizabeth Dare

AN: How was that chapter? Let me know in reviews! And, here I go saying this again, I'm not the best with grammar and I know that, so sorry for any mistakes.