It Shouldn't Have Come to This...(Percy Joins Kronos)

Chapter 10: Meetings are AWFUL

Annabeth POV

There were gasps and angry shouts were projected.

'What?!'

'Does that mean we won't have protection from the monsters anymore?'

'I bet it was Castellan!'

'Why would he poison Thalia's tree though? They were practically in love.'

'How would you know that? You weren't even there!'

'Whenever he talked about her his face absolutely melted. You could just sense the love.'

All bickering stopped when Chiron held his hand up for silence.

'Children, please, we can discuss who was in love with who another time. First, we need to find out how to heal the tree.'

More chatter was heard but I tuned all of it out. I was in shock.

Thalia's tree was poisoned... Was it Luke? It couldn't have been, no... He wouldn't have. He loved her. He wouldn't. He wouldn't. I kept repeating the same words over and over in my head. But there was still a part of me that was doubtful. If he would join Kronos, and hurt his former friends and family (it pained me to say former), then how can I say that he wouldn't hurt Thalia? I thought back to before I came to Camp, when it was just the three of us. I remember one time in particular, when he promised me something. 

'You're part of our family now. And I promise I'm not going to fail you like our families did us. Deal?'

'Deal!' I had said. Little did I know, he wouldn't keep his promise. He had failed me, just like my family did. 

I remembered the last happy moment the three of us shared. We were sitting in the middle of the woods, cold and freezing to death. 

Thalia kept trying to zap some wood to make a fire, while Luke was attempting to set alight a log with a lighter he had picked from someone's pocket. Me, being the smart person I am, made a fire the old-fashioned way. And it had worked. 

They had both looked over to the source of light in surprise, and when they saw me sitting by it beaming, they glanced at each other and chuckled. 

'She's a really smart one, eh?' Thalia said to Luke, grinning. 

'She sure is.' Luke smiled at me, and the both of them ran and hugged me. 

I remember both of them whispering my name, cheering, quietly in case something heard us. 

'Annabeth, Annabeth.'

It felt like I was actually there, because it felt like I could hear them.

'Annabeth, Annabeth!'

Oh. That's because someone was calling my name.

Everyone in the room had stopped talking, and all of them looked at me in concern. I looked at Chiron, the person who had been calling my name and his chocolate-brown eyes stared into mine in concern.

'Are you alright, Annabeth?'

I nodded tightly. 

'Sorry, just... zoned out. What are we talking about?'

'We were asking you if you knew anything that could heal the tree.' 

'Well...' 

I had to think. There weren't many ways to heal a tree. Were there even any? I don't think so... Unless... No, I chided myself. That's not possible.

'I mean, it's basically impossible but...'

The whole room looked hopeful at the suggestion of help.

'But?' Clarisse responded, impatiently tapping her head.

'The Golden Fleece.' 

Clarisse looked skeptical. 

'Oh, Annabeth, that's such a great idea! Why don't we just go down to wherever that is, and bring it here! It absolutely hasn't been missing for over one thousand years-'

Oh, great. I thought. Clarisse's brain grew enough to understand and use sarcasm.

'Clarisse!' 

'What?'

'What?' mocked Travis Stoll, in a high-pitched voice. 

Clarisse growled. 'You'd better watch it, Stoll, or else I'll stick your head up your smelly a-'

'Clarisse! Please, control yourself.'

She rolled her eyes at Chiron.

'We all know it's a stupid idea, Chiron. The Fleece hasn't been seen since a thousand years ago. How does Chase expect us to find it, if other heroes have tried and failed?'

Silence.

'Well,' Silena Beauregard piped up, 'We've done the impossible before, haven't we?'

There were nods and noises of agreement.

'Hm...' Chiron looked unsettled. 'All I can say is do what you need. And I cannot be here any longer. I must go soon.'

'What?'

'Huh?'

'Why-'

'What do you mean, you can't be here? You're our activities director.'

'Not for long, my dear.'

'What?'

Chiron sighed. 

'The gods are not happy that this has happened. They are blaming me, so I must leave for now. Until I'm proven...' he hesitated, looking sad. 'I cannot return. Your new activities director will be Tantalus.' 

'Tantalus? Like, the Tantalus that fed the gods his children?'

Chiron winced. 'Yes, that Tantalus.'

'You're joking, right?' Connor Stoll asked, with a nervous face.

'I wish I could say I was.'