-Chapter 7 Lessons learned-

TJ POV

"Your concentration is still lacking and your water creation have no sustenance." I said "Your energy blasts are fairly strong but that is more do to your connection to Riptide's previous owner and is rather ineffective against a large force since you don't have the energy reserves to keep it up."

"So in other words I've made no progress" Percy laughed from where he lay on the ground. "You think this is funny! Three weeks and you haven't improved at all". "I'm doing the best I can." Percy said. "That I don't doubt" I said preparing to flash back to the palace"The rest of the day is yours to do with as you please, I have things I need to attend to."

Back at the palace Amphitrite was waiting for me "So how did today's lesson go?" She asked. "If anything his powers are getting weaker." I said flatly. "His emotional state is completely out of balance and it's showing in his powers. His sword Riptide is the only thing that has any stability in it because he still feels a connection to his sister." I said. "So what do you plan to do to help him." She inquired. "I don't know" I said rubbing my head "my whole life I've been trained to read people but when I look at him I get nothing. I mean I'm just like him we're both prince's and we're both sons of Poseidon you'd think I'd be able to get some kind of read on him."

My mother put her hands on my shoulders "You're leaving out something very important, as a prince you were taught to show confidence and strength even when you don't feel that way, Percy is using every ounce of strength he has to keep up that facade and he has either lost or been betrayed by those he trusted most. He's lost, he's trying to stand but he can't remember how, and he needs someone to lean on. I asked you to train him because you two are so similar, you both put the people ahead of your own glory, you're both humble, and you want to believe in people." She said. "If you need a way to connect with him try what you'd use for yourself." She said. "Yes mother" I said heading off to my room. "Don't forget your going with your father to the Olympian council in four hours."

Percy POV

'Where the Hades is he?' I thought. TJ was never late in fact I've been chastised for being late. Finally he flashed in and he's carrying a gigantic pack "Mother make you clean out your closet?" I asked. TJ rolled his eyes. "Go back to the barracks and pack your things we're going on trip for a week or two. And don't worry about your S.O. I've already sent him a message about this." TJ said.

"So where are we going?" I asked after a while. "The crystal reef north of Greece." TJ said "A lot of people think it was Thalassa garden because the coral itself looks like living gems and only those with a sea god's symbol of power can enter". We talked a little bit here and there but it was stiff and unemotional.

"Here we are" TJ said coming to a stop at the bottom of a small ridge. "Where's the reef?" I asked. "It's on the other side of the ridge. This is just the door." TJ said, he stuck his hand out and this little golden door appeared 30 feet to our left. "I can never seem to remember where the door is, sometimes I think it moves." TJ Joked. I chucked along with him simple because this was the first time he had shown any real emotion.

"Do as I do" TJ said inserting his spear like a key and turning it. The door opened just long enough for him to walk through and closed in my face. "Use your sword Percy." TJ said, and I did. Once over the ridge I couldn't help but gawk, the coral reef was amazing, it just glittered like fresh jewels yet it still had that alive feel. This wasn't rocks made to look alive it was a living being that looked like gems.

"So this is where we're going to train?" I asked. "Not at the moment lets have lunch first." TJ said. We sat down right there and ate "What is this?" I asked. "It's a type of sea eel from down south." TJ said "Poseidon likes it because it taste just like beef from the surface world". "This place really looks amazing." I said. TJ nodded "My parents had their honeymoon here and they used to bring me here all the time when things were quieter. The Reef was smaller back then and I loved to hid in it like it was my secret base." TJ laughed "My Father was content to just let me do as I pleased but my mother kept trying to get me out saying she didn't want me to break anything. In my early years I had bad habit of breaking things."

"I was the same way." I said. "Growing up I put a lot of holes in my bedroom walls". "Tell me about your life before you came to the sea." TJ said "Your happiest memories and leave nothing out". I didn't really see the harm so I just told him, my mother playing with me in the palace gardens as a child, and hunting with Artemis and Zoe. After I finished this glowing water kinda pulled from around my head and formed a ball in TJ's hand. "What is that?". "Follow me" TJ aid ignoring me. TJ lead me to a small sandy beach just above the water but still a good ways from the reef. well Beach might not be entirely correct, it was more of a small Island maybe a hundred feet in diameter.

"There's an law in Thalassa's garden that states no one can fight anywhere but on this island and there is no killing aloud. Anyone who tries is painfully removed before they can succeed. Now we can get down to training." TJ said pulling out an hour glass "This little ball of glowing water represents every happy memory you just told me about. If you don't manage to land one solid hit with your water abilities within the hour I will destroy the ball and your memories with it."

I went to draw my swords and TJ made them disappear "I said water abilities not physical skill". "You want water!" I shouted "Then take this I shouted sending a large wave of water at him". TJ waved his hand and the water returned to the sea "Pitiful" he said. I threw another bigger wave at him with the same result "From how you spoke about your mother and sister I was expecting more of a fight. I wonder how you mother would feel to learn that the day you spent with her at the festival in Ares honor just didn't mean that much to you." TJ said. I willed more water out of the sea and formed it into 3 spear like shapes that I fired at him. TJ dodged to the side "You call that an attack. Your brother Orion-". "HE'S NOT MY BROTHER!" I shouted, every emotion I had been holding just rushed out of me.

I wasn't even thinking anymore I was just hurling water at him in random shapes. Before I even realized I was running my fist was inches from TJ's face, time seemed to slow as the blow connected, my fist was coated in a thick layer of ice and I was sure a tooth flew out of his mouth. "Training session over." TJ said rubbing his jaw "Wow that was a good punch."

TJ walked away, picked up his tooth, reinserted it in his mouth and drank some nectar "Real good job." he said looking at the hour glass "It didn't even take you a full ten minutes to hit me, I had my money on 45". "I don't give a crap about that what about my memories!" I screamed. TJ's face broke into a mischievous smile "Well to be honest your memories were never in danger, I don't even have the power to take them. The glowing water is just a parlor trick all sea gods can do that."

"Then what was all this for, why put me through that?". "Two reasons first you needed to vent. Trying to keep all those emotions inside is only going to hurt you and since you weren't willing to talk to me or Amphitrite I had to find an alternative method. Second look at what you just did." TJ said spreading his arms wide at the last part. I looked at the ground, it was littered with small craters and trenches in the previously smooth ground. "A mere chance that you might lose your happiest memories and you did all this. Granted the last part was more fueled by your rage at Orion. The point is just because your friends and family aren't here right now doesn't mean they're gone. That's why we have memories, those precious moments with them is what keeps them alive, you came here to find a purpose but you already had one. You mother had drilled it into you since the day you were born Protect Others." TJ said.

"Right now you have to choices, you can wallow in your misfortune and live as just another soldier in the atlantean army or you can listen to your mother and be the man that she, Zoe, Bill, Amphitrite, and I know you can be. If you want to find out what that is meet me here tomorrow, if not Athens is that way." TJ said jumping back into the sea. I took a long swim through the reefs and as much as I wanted to just walk away I knew I wouldn't be able to face my mother when I died or Zoe and Artemis if I met them again. The next morning I was back on the island bright and early "Good answer." TJ said.