Disclaimer: Not Mine. As much as I would love to be apart of these wonderful tales, I alas am but a mere mortal (which of whom you should pity and review this story)
Peace- To be harmonious and can be found in the absence of hostility.
When you're the son of one of the most powerful gods on Olympus, people watch what you do. Well people who aren't confused and thrown off by the mist. Ever since the battle of Olympus, the others at Half-Blood camp have taken a sort of reverie to me. Like I'm a god myself, or something. The only two people that treat me normal is my protector and best friend Grover, the Lord of the wild, sits on the council of Satyrs, gods and Chiron, and then there's Annabeth, Architect of Olympus.. Sorta.
When we- and by we I mean mostly Kronos destroyed Olympus, someone had to put it back together, Athena, Annabeth's mother, assigned her to do it. And in reality, no one I could think of could do it better. I've seen some of the designs she has, and the gods are going to be blown away. The reason I've seen these plans is because after last summer, Annabeth and I kinda sorta started dating. But it feels so much more than that. Most of the time. She was currently up at Olympus, and had been for nearly three weeks now, and with her gone, and Grover travelling, I was pretty much alone. For the first time in five summers. I was sitting down for dinner all by myself since Tyson was with our father. Literally. He was helping with the repair of Poseidon's underwater palace. I hope they pay special attention to the games room, Dad was mad when Kronos' army pulverized the pool table.
As I was saying, people who understand what I've done now stare at me like I'm some sort of hero, well I am a hero, but all in the same, I don't like to be stared at. I finished eating quickly and wandered outside. Walking down to the ampitheatre I took a bypass and went to visit Mrs. O'Leary, tossing her toy, a large brown shield a couple times I headed down for the campfire, nodding at Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth. No one really paid any attention to her, and I'm pretty sure she made sure of that. The small girl with brown hair winked at me and continued to tend to the flame.
Spirits were high, with all the incoming demigods and the fire rose to new heights. I clapped and sang along and helped with curfew as all the younger campers hustled to bed. As a counsellor, I was allowed to stay up as long as I wanted, and I felt that tonight would be another night of no sleep. So I did what I always did at night when I couldn't sleep, I went to the water.
Camp Half-Blood borders this bay, and many times I've gotten comfort and solace from it. The smell of the salt and the cool breeze calmed me and it's where I always did my best thinking. What was my purpose now that the prophecy was fulfilled. Was I just going to be subjected to tedious days and duelling with no one? I sat in the water and let the wave pass by, wishing not for the first time that I could just disappear.
"Deep thoughts Percy?" I was startled by my dad walking up from the wave, looking just like I always think of him, with his Bermuda shorts, a jewel blue t-shirt advertising Neptune's Bay Tours and his messy black hair like mine, his beard was neatly trimmed and his eyes were sad. "You've been coming out here every night for two weeks now. Is there someone on you mind son?"
It always floored me at his timing. For the first twelve years of my life I had thought that my dad had died at sea. Now I know that my dad IS the sea. I had seen him more in the last three years than ever. But I could still almost count everyone of our meetings on my hands.
"I don't know."
"Percy, I realise that I may not be the best person to talk to, but I'd like to help."
"What is my purpose?" I looked at him as both his eyebrows shot up, and then tensed, like he had to think of an answer. "I mean, now that I'm seventeen and I'm done with the whole prophecy mess, I mean, do I just-… I don't want to be normal." He looked at me and there was a certain emotion in his face, awe.
"And here I thought you were having girl problems," he chuckled and rubbed his neck, if her were mortal I'd say he was human.
"No, Annabeth Iris-messages me everyday or so.. Sounds like Olympus is really coming along." He crouched down and sat neck to me, his arms draped over his knees, copying my pose.
"Yes, that girl is amazing. I know what you see in her. She's working tirelessly up there." His voice faded into the swells and they both just stared out at the dark. He was quiet for a long moment after that, the water skirting around the both of us like it was scared. I glanced to where he was sitting, and he was staring off into the distance. "Percy, I can't tell you your fate, not that I don't want to, or can't, but I don't want to know. Zeus, Athena, Hermes, they all went to the fates to ask. I didn't want to know." I wanted to ask a million questions, but something was telling me to shut up and listen, and that something sounded an awful lot like Annabeth. "Either you were going to cause the destruction of Olympus or you were going to be the Hero that I know you are. I was right, all along, last summer- I don't think I could have been anymore proud of anyone. The fact that you are MY son. Well," I looked back at him, and this time he looked at me, his green eyes were shining and he smiled. "Now you have two options. Leave all this behind, camp, your mom, everything that you were. Or, you can continue to fight, like Chiron, always fighting." I thought about that, not the leaving part but about Chiron. He was still fighting, still teaching the Hero's of the next age. "There won't always be action Perc, and I'm glad of that." He looked to the sky as it was changing, from inky black to lavender. Apollo was starting his journey across the sky, and probably making horrible haiku's the entire time. I looked at him as it occurred to me he had called me 'Perc' … My mom had called me that when I was younger, but I asked her to drop the nickname when Smelly Gabe started taunting me with it. From dad, it sounded nice.
"And as for you, I hope you know peace, and serenity. I fear I have to go know, but I hope you get the answers your looking for." I turned to look at him and he smiled at me as he had done previously, just before he would disappeared into the sea, "Bye dad."
Poseidon was walking off into the water, but hesitated. "Hermes mentioned something to me, before I go I want you to know something." He looked at me straight on, and as I looked back I could feel the power of the entire ocean at my fingertips, it was like I was back sitting on his thrown. I stood up for fear I would do something rash, like cause a typhoon.
"Percy, I love you, you are my son. A true hero. And if I had it my way, you would be the next king of the seas. But Percy I really must go." He smiled and before he could leave and impulse overtook me. I race forward and hugged him. "Bye Dad, see you soon?"
He hugged me back and whispered, "I'll always be here when you need me most. Amphritre was nagging me tonight and I felt a visit would be helpful. See you soon"
"Thanks," but before the words left my mouth he dissolved into a million bubbles.
"Thanks dad" I said to the sea. I had a gut feeling that he would still be able to hear. Talking to any of the gods usually gives me something to think about, my Dad most of all.
Dawn was really cracking now and I smiled thinking back to a time when I got to ride the sun chariot, despite Thalia's wicked horrible driving, it had been actually pretty cool.
I smiled up at the sky and wandered back to camp. Sitting at breakfast, my attitude was different as I looked around at all the wide-eyed younger demigods. I scrapped off some of my eggs and threw a pancake into the fire "For Poseidon." Thanks dad, I love you too. A small gust of salty sea air rustled my hair and for the first time, I didn't care that I could be normal now. Normal could be nice,
I heard a roar and a bark and I held back a chuckle, ok, maybe not completely normal. But that was ok.