Hey guys! This is actually for a Underworld_Skylar or Skylar's writing competition. But I actually really like this one. So I'm putting it here too.

Enjoy!

-Jaz

~~~~

Watchers

There wasn't much hope left as she laid there waiting for a monster to bite her head off. She was weaponless and surrounded. But then she was saved in the most unlikely of ways.

By becoming a tree.

The lighting didn't bring pain. But she felt something surrounding her. Protecting her like a second skin.

When she opened her sharp blue eyes darkness surrounded her.

Am I dead? She wondered vaguely. She sat up slowly already feeling dizzy.

"Careful child, the journey here must have been draining."

She turned sharply ignoring her dizziness, and throbbing head. The darkness seemed to melt in her peripriphel vision and came to the front of her sight line leaving the room stark white in its wake. The black- now blob soon flowed in a shape becoming the outline of a person.

She watched shocked as the blob figure solidified into a woman. Her eyes were closed but she wore a pair of jeans, shirt, jacket, and combat boots all in variations of black. Her hair was pulled back I n a pony tail and it color was just as strange, it was white at the root and grew darker until it was black at the end. Not to mention that her skin was pitch black. When the women opened her eyes, galaxies made up her eyes which changed scenes each time she blinked.

The woman smiled with blinding white teeth. "Hello Thalia Grace."

Thalia blinked unsure what to say or do.

"I am Chaos," the woman said. "Creator of all. I welcome you to the Void."

"The Void?" Thalia repeated confused.

Chaos nodded. "The Void. I am The Void and The Void is me. Have you never wondered where immortals go when their time is up? They fade and return to where everything started. They return to me."

"But I'm not an immortal," Thalia said confused.

"No you're not an immortal," Chaos replied with a smile. "Nor immortal, not yet anyway. You my dear, are here because you have been chosen."

"Chosen? What for?" Thalia asked finally getting to her feet. She swayed and Chaos was at her side instantly. Chaos helped Thalia to sit on a bed- which Thalia swore wasn't there before.

The room had changed. She now sat on a bed of a bedroom which she swore hadn't been there.

Chaos stepped back and pulled a chair up to the bed and sat herself on it. "You have been chosen to be a Watcher."

"Watch what? Wait- aren't I dead?"

Chaos shook her head. "No you're very much alive. This form of yours is only one aspect of your soul. The other is still resting in the pine tree your father turned you in to. As for your first question I should explain more first."

Thalia nodded and waited for the women to speak, Chaos seemed so trustworthy. Like Thalia had finally had the mother she had always wanted.

Chaos nodded. "As a Watcher you must watch and prevent. You will not be able to touch, been seen by or communicate with others or step into most situations. You will watch over those you chose and then prevent the worse. For example, if there was a monster ten blocks from us you could go kill it before I knew of it. But once it comes to my knowledge you will not be able to intercede. It becomes my worry and problem."

"So, I watch and kill monsters in the background. But what happens if they find me?"

"Then everything you had done is erased your actions make no difference," Chaos explained. After a short pause she gave a smile. "And as long as you are my Watcher you shall shall have heightens senses and even better you will never die. An extra perk to the job. Would you like to become a Watcher, Thalia Grace?"

Thalia paused. "Who would I watch?"

"Depends on who you want to watch."

"I'll do it."

Chaos smiled wider. "Now whom shall you watch? Remember this cannot be changed."

Thalia opened her mouth and then closed it once more. Annabeth or Luke? She wondered.

After a moment she chose. Luke could watch out for himself. He was the oldest of their family after all.

"Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena," Thalia told Chaos confidently.

"I assumed that's who you would pick. Now are you sure? There is no going back."

"I'm sure Annabeth is the person I shall watch."

Chaos nodded but frowned slightly but rose from her seat to place a finger on Thalia's forehead.

Chaos said words in Ancient Greek and it took Thalia only a moment to decipher them. "Thalia Grace daughter of Zeus, has taken responsibility over Annabeth Chase. May this bond between them thrive as this Watcher helps the daughter of Athena to survive. You shall be more than you ever have been. A Watcher."

Thalia claimed her eyes and felt sense of calm flow over her before everything seemed clearer.

When she opened her eyes Thalia was smiling but still she saw Chaos with a frown. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Chaos shook her head. "Sometimes I would wish more Watchers would realize the loophole. Few do. I had hoped you would be one to notice. Things might change now..."

"How so?"

"That is for you to find out on your own. Hopefully you will change it. There is a slim chance of hope."

"What's the loophole? And hope for what?"

"You shall learn that as well but know, those who remain as Watchers watch over many."

"Wait- remain? I thought you said I couldn't die!"

"It is time for your departure Ms. Grace," Chaos said and Thalia's surrounding's disappeared.

~~~~

When things became focused once more Thalia makes out a cabin. And a line of blonde heads walking in. Toward the end stands Annabeth. Thalia rushed forward to grab the girl in a crushing hug only to have her arms phase straight through the smaller girl.

Thalia remembered what she had been told and and watched Annabeth. She followed Annabeth into the cabin and watched the girl get settled with her new family.

That sent a pain straight through Thalia's heart.

~~~~

At breakfast Thalia stood in the corner. She wished she could eat something or do something.

Annabeth was sulking at her table as others laughed. She couldn't bear to see her that way. She wished could comfort her. Since she couldn't Thalia walked around.

No on noticed her as she walked straight through tables as if she was a ghost and stopped next to Luke.

He was playing with his food uninterested as his eyes kept following Annabeth.

"Why can't I sit with her?" He asked one of the other kids.

"Gotta sit with your godly parent. That's the rule," someone else answered.

"But you were saying the Hermes cabin is open to everyone, so why can't she come over here?"

"Cause then her mom would be mad."

Thalia frowned. She didn't like the idea of splitting her family up. She had lost family in the past. What she would give to see Jason-

Time seemed to stop as a thought came to her mind.

Why didn't she ask to see Jason?

Sure Annabeth and Luke had become her family but Jason... He's her little brother. And she had forgotten about him.

Now Chaos's words made sense.

"I would just wish Watchers would realize the loophole. Few do. I had hoped you would be one to notice... You shall learn that as well but know, those who remain as Watchers watch over many."

Could she still watch over him? She wondered. Watch over Luke too?

Thalia looked back to Luke before he seemed to get farther away. She tried to walk back but she only was pulled further back. She glanced back to see Annabeth walking away.

She stopped fighting it and turned to face Annabeth but found her feet firmly planted on the unmoving ground.

Thalia then realized she had made her choice and it was too late to go back. She had chosen Annabeth.

~~~~

As time passed that was all she could do. Watch.

Annabeth stayed at camp year round for years leaving Thalia quite bored. The only thing interesting was waiting for Luke to return.

She paced side by side with Annabeth even if Annabeth didn't know.

He should've been back by now. But then again the idiot had gone to steal a Golden Apple from Ladon.

Thalia cursed aloud.

"You didn't figure it out either huh?"

Thalia whirled around her spear raised to point at a tall black haired, brown eyed boy who stood next to her.
"Who are you?" Thalia demanded. "How can you see me?"

"You didn't figure it out yet?" He asked. "I'm like you. Another Watcher. How else do you think I can see and talk to you?"

Thalia slowly lowered her weapon. "I didn't know there were more here."

He nods. "I'm new here obviously. But I've been a Watcher for a long time now.  And I assume based on your expression and the blonde girl's expression that your worried. Meaning you wish you had noticed the loophole and picked multiple."

"You missed it too?"

"Few notice," He nods. "I've never met someone else who has. Maybe two. But never all like Chaos wishes.  Perhaps that's what's wrong with this world."

"I assume we got the same welcome speech," Thalia started. "What did she mean remain as Watchers? Does something happens when the girl I'm watching grows old and dies?"

"I don't know. But I do know something: not everyone is a Watcher forever. It doesn't mean we necessarily die. But-"

He suddenly stopped and frowned. Confusion the he's on his face.

"Are you alright?" Thalia asked.

"I'm not sure," he murmured. Thalia gave him a confused look before horror crossed her face as he began to flicker.

"What's going on?" Thalia asked worried for him.

"I guess I'm gonna find out what happens next."

Thalia didn't get to say another word as his entire burst into particles and disappeared as if he had never been there in the first place.

Thalia stared mouth open wide staring at where he had been.

"Luke!"

Annabeth shouted the older boy's name. Thalia turned to see Luke now with a scar on his face embrace the little girl.

Thalia smiled the mystery boy long forgotten.

~~~~

Thalia the monster once more and watched it turn to dust. Once that was over she wiped her brow and headed back to where Annabeth was. Annabeth Grover and Percy.

It's safe to say that Thalia didn't like Percy. The son of Poseidon annoyed her to no end. He was getting too close to her little Annie!

Thalia walked over the hill following her intuition of where Annabeth was. Finally she found her destination. Aunty Em's Gnome Emporium. She cursed and ran in her spear out when she realized the fight had begun. It was too late for her to step in. Cursing again she began to think. There had to be something she could do right. Right!

As she thought she almost missed the head of Medusa roll across the floor.

Perhaps the son of Poseidon wasn't so bad.

~~~~

Thalia smiled as she watched Annabeth defeat her opponent in the arena. Clarisse deserved it.

She clapped even though she knew she wasn't heard when pain flared in her side. She grasped her side to see blood coming from the wound.

What was going on?

Her answer came soon enough when someone came running forward. "Monsters in the borders!"

There was a moment of silence and confusion before a roar cleared everything up. Thalia's eyes widened and she ignored the pain in her side. Running for the hill. She paused at the sight of her tree.

Pine needles  were falling and the tree looked sickly. Hesitantly Thalia put her hand to the tree. The moment she did pain filled her body. She screamed out and as she did more pine needles fell from the tree. Along with the pain came a scene flickering before her eyes. It was Luke. Injecting her tree with some type of poison.

Tears came to Thalia's eyes and she pried her hand off the tree most the pain vanishing. She stared at the tree as it clicked.

"No you're very much alive. This form of yours is only one aspect of your soul. The other is still resting in the pine tree your father turned you in to." That's what Chaos had told her.

That's what the other side of her soul was screaming. It felt Pain. Pain. Excruciating physical pain and what hurt more was the pain of betrayal.

~~~~

It wasn't long before the quest was issued. Thalia followed Annabeth on her journey of following Clarisse. Thalia pushed on through the midst of her pain. She needed to help get the Golden Fleece in order to save herself.

But what good could she be when she could barley lift her spear?

Perhaps she wasn't cut out for this job.

As the thought struck her she was staring at her feet which began to shimmer and shake. Flickering just as that mystery boy had years earlier.

She couldn't. She couldn't just end like this. With Annabeth danger.

Thalia ignored it and grabbed her spear. Her tree was still alive. That meant she was too. And she wasn't going down without a fight.

~~~~

Thalia trudged behind as the group headed for the tree the Fleece in their hands.

She tried to keep up but she could feel the poison coursing through her veins. She did her best to run up the hill until she fell onto her tree and the pain came back.

She screamed out the pain seemed enough to kill her. She closed her eyes tight and she could feel her form flickering. But then all it disappeared.

Thalia slowly peeled open her eyes. She laid on a black bed in an all white room. She slowly sat up and saw Chaos herself standing in front of the bed.

Chaos looked at Thalia with a slight glare. "It seems that it just wasn't meant to be."

"What? But I need to take care of Annabeth," Thalia said quickly. "Send me back. I need-"

"And you will," Chaos told her. "You will as yourself but, not as my Watcher. You're not qualified enough. And As you have learned few Watchers remain with me long."

Thalia blinked. "As myself? I like as me me?"

Chaos nodded and rolled her eyes slightly. "But as you are no longer a Watcher everything else must go with it."

"Everything else?"

Chaos nodded with an almost evil smile. "This will hurt. It will hurt a lot. I don't have the time for Watchers who are not worthy."

"But you said-"

"Don't talk. I don't need you wasting anymore of my time."

Thalia didn't get to say another word to the celestial looking woman as a finger touches her forehead. Thalia screamed in pain worse than everything she had ever felt together. Worse than she had felt when touching her own tree. Things seemed to melt away from her. Everything just gone. Thalia couldn't help but feel empty.

"You have been banished from my ranks," Chaos told her bitterly. "As such, I strip you of your powers. Your memory. You shall be once again what you always have been. A mortal."

~~~~

Thalia opened her eyes to see faces surrounding her. Everything was in a fog. Was that Annabeth? It couldn't be could it? She wondered. How long had she been lying here?

Memories came back to her. Her running up the hill with Annabeth and Luke. Getting struck by lighting and now she was here.

She was vaguely aware some had asked her a question. "Thalia Grace," she responded. "Daughter of Zeus."