Princess Annabeth was sitting on the beach with her dog, playing a flute. She was thinking, as she had been constantly, about the boy who'd saved her from the shipwreck. Who was it? A local boy from the village? A sailor maybe? She wanted to know so badly.
"That voice. I can't get it out of my head. I've looked everywhere, Zoe - where could he be?"
The dog only licked her hand comfortingly. Annabeth sighed and patted her head. She'd never find him.
Out on sea, Percy was gasping for air, his lungs burning. It felt he'd never get he'd calmed down enough to sit up, he saw Blackjack flying towards him. The seagull settled down on the rock beside Percy and said,
" Well, look at what the catfish dragged in! Look at ya! Look at ya! There's something different. Don't tell me - I got it. It's your hairdo, right? You've been using the dinglehopper, right? No? No huh, well let me see. I gotta admit I can't put my foot on it right now, but if I just stand here long enough I know that I'll -"
Chiron had heard enough. The hippocampus moved forward and cried,
" HE'S GOT LEGS, YOU IDIOT! He traded his voice to the sea witch and got legs. Jeez, man . . ."
"I knew that." Blackjack defended himself.
Tyson jumped in, feeling the need to fully explain the situation,
"Percy's been turned into a human. He's gotta make the princess fall in love with him, and she's gotta ki- she's gotta kiss him."
Chiron was entering full panic mode. He started frantically swimming back and forth, trying to come up with a solution. Meanwhile, Percy tried to stand up on shaky legs, and then toppled back into the water.
"And he's only got three days. Just look at him. On legs. On human legs! My nerves are shot. This is a catastrophe! What would his father say? I'll tell you what his father'd say, he'd say he's gonna kill himself a crab, that's what his father'd say! I'm gonna march meself straight home right now and tell him just like I shoulda done de minute-"
Here Percy grabbed him, shaking his head pleadingly.
"And don't you shake your head at me, young man. Maybe there's still time. If we could get that witch to give you back your voice, you could go home with all the normal fish, and just be . . . just be ."
Percy stared at him imploringly , green eyes round and sad. And Chiron knew he couldn't.
" just be miserable for the rest of your life. All right, all right. I'll try to help you find that prince. Boy. What a soft-shell I'm turning out to be." Chiron finished with a sigh.
Blackjack, being the authority on humans that he is, decided to help him out.
"Now, Percy, I'm tellin' ya, if you wanna be a human the first thing you gotta do is dress like one. Now lemme see." he said, searching around for clothing material.
Back on the beach, Zoe smelled Percy from off in the distance and bounded off, barking loudly.
" Zoe? Huh . . . what, Zoe!" Annabeth exclaimed, getting up and chasing after her.
Percy walked slowly on the sand, still unsteady on his newly acquired limbs. Blackjack had somehow constructed robe type thing for him to wear. As he walked, he saw a dog running toward him. Feeling nervous, he scrambled up on a rock, out of it's reach.
"Zoe . . . Zoe- Quiet Zoe! What's gotten into you girly?" the princess said, running up to the dog and holding her back. She spotted Percy for the first time and her eyes widened slightly. There was something about him she recognized.
"Oh . . . Oh, I see. Are you O.K., mr? I'm sorry if this doofus scared you. She's harmless, really - . . . you . . . seem very familiar . . . to me. " she said slowly.
Percy nodded excitedly, nearly falling of his perch on the rock with enthusiasm. Annabeth clutched his hands.
"Have we met? We have met? I knew it! You're the one - the one I've been looking for! What's your name?"
Percy tried to speak his name, but no words came out. Oh right. He had no voice.
"What's wrong? "Annabeth asked worriedly. Percy patted his throat and shook his head.
"What is it? You can't speak? Oh. Then you couldn't be who I thought." Annabeth said with disappointment.
But Annabeth had been raised with better manners than to leave someone out in the cold. This poor man must have been through something awful, to be in this state. She decided to bring him back to the palace and help him get back on his feet.
"You must have really been through something. Don't worry, I'll help you. Come on . . . Come on, you'll be okay." Annabeth said, putting an arm under Percy's shoulders and walking down the beach with him.
Back at the palace Percy was taken away by maids to freshen up before dinner. Annabeth, meanwhile, went to the dining hall to sit with Grover. She brought up the boy who saved her again. But Grover shot her down instantly.
"Oh, Annabeth be reasonable. " he said.
Nice young men just don't - swim around rescuing people in the middle of the ocean and then - flutter off into oblivion, like some -"
"I'm tellin' you, Grover, he was REAL! I'm gonna find that boy - and I'm gonna marry him."
'Come on honey. Don't be shy. " a maid's voice said.
Percy entered the dining hall, looked nervous. He wore black dress pants and an emerald green shirt that brought out his eyes. And even though she knew it was crazy, Annabeth couldn't deny how handsome he looked.
" Oh, Annabeth, isn't he charming?" Grover said.
"You look - wonderful." Annabeth said, eyes wide.
" Come come come, you must be famished. Let me help you. . There we go - ah - quite comfy? " Grover said.
Percy nodded and looked around. Spotting a fork, he brightened. He knew what this was! It was a dinglehopper! Grabbing it, he started combing his hair with it. Both Annabeth and Grover stared at him, confusion etched across their faces. Blushing with embarrassment, he quickly put it down. Grover began filling his pipe with tobacco and Percy grinned. It was another thing he recognized; a snarfblat.
"Uh, do you like it? Grover said, handing it to him.
It is rather - fine ."
Percy brought the pipe to his lips and blew, causing ash to go all over Grover's face. Annabeth burst out laughing, trying desperately to smother the giggles with her hand.
"Oh, my!"
"Ahem, so sorry Grover." Annabet said, still chuckling
"Why, Annabeth that's the first time I've seen you smile in weeks." the maid said.
Grover huffed and wiped his face with a handkerchief.
"Oh, very amusing. Carlotta, my dear, what's for dinner?"
Later in the meal, Grover brought up what they were going to do tomorrow.
"You know, Annabeth, perhaps our young guest might enjoy seeing some of the sights of the kingdom. Something in the way of a tour?
Annabeth was too busy staring at Percy, so she jumped when her name was said.
"I'm sorry, Grover what was that?" she said hurriedly.
"You can't spend all your time moping about, you need to get out. Do something, have a life. Get your mind off -"
"Easy, Grover, Easy. It's not a bad idea. If he's interested. Well - what do you say?" she asked, turning to Percy
" Would you like to join me on a tour of my kingdom tomorrow?"
Percy nodded vigorously, trying to conceal an ecstatic grin.
Back in the undersea palace. Posedion was losing his mind with worry. Where had Percy gone? Was he in trouble? Hurt? Maybe even- No he refused to think that. He couldn't lose Percy, not after his wife. A sea horse rushed towards him and he asked desperately.
"Any sign of them?"
"No, Your Majesty. We've searched everywhere. We've found no trace of your son - or Chiron."
"Well, keep looking. Leave no shell unturned, no coral unexplored. Let no one in this kingdom sleep until she's safe at home."
"Yes sire." the sea horse said, dipping his head and zooming awy.
Poseidon went and sat in this throne, running a hand through his beard anxiously.
" Oh, what have I done? What have I done?"
