-vi. percy has a pet

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SHE WAS running

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SHE WAS running.

Kalani didn't stop to breathe. Didn't stop to think. She forced herself to keep running, even though sharp stabbing pains began to strike her in her sides.

"Hey Ani," greeted Luke. He was sitting down on a tree stump, and suddenly the forest she'd been sprinting through ended, sitting on the verge of a bustling city.

"Hi Luke," Kalani said breathlessly. "Did you— did you see those things that were chasing me?"

Luke smiled calmly, crossing his legs. "Yes, I did. Kalani, do you know where we are?"

"Um. . . I don't know what forest this is," she replied, and Luke patted the nearest stump to him, encouraging her to sit down. Kalani's legs wobbled as she lowered herself onto the wood.

"This is where we were running from those harpies who found us that time we were staying at that shitty motel you hated. Remember?"

"Oh yeah," laughed Kalani. "How could I forget?" She hugged herself, resting her chin on her knees. "They were flying after us, and kept screaming, 'Die, foul half-bloods!'" Kalani raised her voice to a creaky tone, mimicking the harpies' outraged voices.

Luke grinned, his scar stretching across his skin. "They were pretty pissed," he agreed. "Wanted to kill us even more when you started taunting them."

"Hey, it was funny," protested Kalani, a small smile spreading across her cheeks at the thought of her younger self racing away from the harpies, middle finger raised in the air— telling them if they came any closer, they'd be eating rocks from Tartarus.

"It was," Luke admitted. He looked at Kalani. "Ani, you know the gods are dicks, right?"

"Yeah, I mean of course they are," said Kalani. "Most of them anyways." Her mom wasn't that bad. She just demanded a price for whatever she gave them in return, which was pretty fair to be honest. If Kalani was a goddess, she would definitely be charging whatever she gave to the demigods. "They're definitely not great at parenting, for one. But you know what I really want to talk about, Luke? Why exactly aren't you doing anything about Annabeth?" Kalani said. "She's trapped, holding the fucking sky! And you're not doing anything about it."

Luke nodded grimly. "Look, I didn't want this to happen, Ani. But there's nothing I can do now. Someone else must take that burden now. It's been traded from Atlas to, well, Annabeth now. But that problem's being solved, don't worry." He smiled, as if that was something to be proud about.

Kalani gritted her teeth. "You've changed a lot, haven't you?"

"So have you," observed Luke. "But hear me out. Kalani, when you get here, consider joining me. We could use you by our side, the force of revenge helping us. And what could be better than two comrades, allying together against the true enemy. Which is the gods." He stared at her hopefully.

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